Illinois DUI programs · Evaluation and risk education
Illinois DUI Evaluation: How the Risk Levels Work and What Each One Requires
In Illinois, every DUI case requires an alcohol and drug evaluation from an IDHS-licensed provider before sentencing. The evaluation assigns one of four risk levels. That level, not your preference, decides whether you need 10 hours of DUI risk education or up to 75 hours of treatment. The criteria changed in April 2025.
Quick answer: what the evaluation decides
A required evaluation, a risk level, and a minimum set of services. Minimal Risk means at least 10 hours of DUI risk education. Moderate adds 12 hours of early intervention. Significant adds 20 hours of treatment. High Risk means at least 75 hours of treatment. The provider must be licensed by IDHS, and the provider sets the price. Low-income people can ask for a reduced fee.
The four risk levels (rule revised April 2, 2025)
The table below summarizes the Part 2060 criteria and minimum recommendations. The real classification turns on the full rule, including out-of-state offenses and reckless-driving pleas reduced from DUI, so treat this as orientation. It won't tell you your level. Your evaluator does that.
| Risk level | Typical profile (summary) | Minimum recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal Risk | No prior DUI-related dispositions or summary suspensions, BAC under .15, no pattern of impaired driving, and no other symptoms of a substance use disorder | At least 10 hours of DUI risk education |
| Moderate Risk | No prior DUI-related dispositions, with a BAC of .15 to .19 or a chemical-test refusal, or at most one symptom of a substance use disorder | 10 hours of risk education + at least 12 hours of early intervention (no more than 3 hours a day, over at least 4 weeks), plus any further recommended services |
| Significant Risk | One prior DUI-related disposition or summary suspension, a BAC of .20 or higher, or two or three symptoms of a substance use disorder | 10 hours of risk education + at least 20 hours of substance use disorder treatment, then continuing care |
| High Risk | Two or more prior DUI-related dispositions from separate incidents, or four or more symptoms of a substance use disorder | At least 75 hours of substance use disorder treatment, then continuing care |
Recommendations are minimums. The rule says new information that comes out during risk education or early intervention can lead to further services. The court decides what becomes part of your sentence. For a Secretary of State license hearing, IDHS says you must complete everything the evaluation recommends. IDHS also says evaluations completed before April 2, 2025 keep their original classification.
What happens at the evaluation
The evaluator reviews four things: your driving record, the BAC result or refusal from the sworn report, an objective test (the Driver Risk Inventory or the ASUDS-RI), and a structured interview about your alcohol and drug use from first use to now. Your answers are checked against the record and the test. IDHS warns that inconsistencies you can't reconcile can make the evaluation invalid. That can lead to a new evaluation at your expense, a delayed sentencing, or denied driving privileges. The result goes on the Alcohol and Drug Evaluation Uniform Report. By rule, it should reach the court at least five calendar days before your court date unless a local rule says otherwise.
DUI risk education: the 10-hour class
Illinois's rule for DUI risk education (77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.520) sets these requirements:
- A minimum of 10 hours, in at least four sessions on different days, with no session over three hours.
- Delivery in person or online. Online classes need identity verification and periodic quizzes or polls.
- No more than 24 participants per session, with a victim-impact presentation included.
- Coverage of Illinois impaired-driving law and the Secretary of State hearing process.
Searching for "DUI risk reduction"? That is Georgia's program name. The Illinois equivalent is DUI risk education.
The license is what makes it count. Illinois law requires DUI evaluations to come from a program licensed by the Department of Human Services, and risk education must come from an IDHS/DBHR-licensed organization too. IDHS has publicly named organizations it found offering DUI evaluations and risk education without a license. An online course is allowed by rule, but only from a licensed Illinois provider. Confirm the license and your court's acceptance before you pay.
Cost and fee help
IDHS says the provider sets the evaluation cost and the person evaluated pays it. Licensed providers must offer a reduced fee to anyone who can prove they cannot pay the full cost. The rule lets providers bill the state's Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Fund for people who meet the income guidelines, when funds are available.
Finding a licensed provider
IDHS does not publish a simple public search of licensed DUI providers. It points people to its Helpline (helplineil.org, call 833-234-6343, or text HELP to 833234) and to the IDHS Help Line at 1-800-843-6154.
Source & accuracy: the evaluation requirement and IDHS licensing come from 625 ILCS 5/11-501.01. The evaluation process, cost rules and the minimum recommendations are from the IDHS "DUI Processes and Evaluations" brochure and 77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.510. The revised risk criteria and the pre-April-2025 guidance come from the IDHS DBHR notice on the new Part 2060 language. Risk-education format and hours are from 77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.520. The unlicensed-provider warning and Helpline contact are from the IDHS DUI provider page. Rules change, and the court and Secretary of State decide what they accept, so confirm your requirements with your court or attorney before you enroll or pay. We are an independent directory. We do not run evaluations or classes, we cannot enroll you, and none of these links are affiliate links. This is general information, not legal advice. Sources: 625 ILCS 5/11-501.01, IDHS — DUI processes and evaluations, IDHS — revised risk classifications (2025), 77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.510, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 2060.520, IDHS — DUI services.