In Illinois, how long an accident stays on your record depends on what the accident produced. A reportable crash entry and any minor traffic conviction tied to it generally stay on your driving record for four to five years. A crash that led to a license suspension or revocation stays at least seven years after reinstatement. A DUI never comes off. And your insurance company works from a separate seven-year claims database, so the rate impact and the state record run on different clocks.
How Long Each Type of Entry Lasts
The Illinois Secretary of State keeps your driving record and decides what goes on it and for how long. Retention tracks severity.
- Minor traffic convictions tied to an accident, such as speeding, running a red light, or an improper lane change, generally remain for four to five years from the conviction date.
- Reportable crash entries themselves stay on your record for a similar period. When no violation was issued, the crash is informational and does not carry points.1Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/6-117
- Any accident-related offense that resulted in a license suspension or revocation stays on your record for at least seven years after your driving privileges are reinstated.
- Reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident typically remain for at least ten years, and certain revocations, suspensions, and cancellations connected to those offenses can stay permanently.2Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois Rules of the Road
- A DUI conviction is permanent. The Secretary of State will not remove it, regardless of how long ago it happened.2Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois Rules of the Road
An accident where you were not at fault may still appear as a crash entry, but on its own it should not carry a conviction or points, and it should not affect your license standing.
Not Every Accident Ends Up on Your Record
Only accidents that meet Illinois reporting thresholds generate a crash entry. If every driver carries liability insurance, the written report is required when property damage to any one person exceeds $1,500. If any driver is uninsured, the threshold drops to $500. Any crash involving injury or death must be reported regardless of damage amount.3Illinois Department of Transportation. Illinois Traffic Crash Report SR 1050 Instruction Manual Once a report is filed with the Illinois Department of Transportation and forwarded to the Secretary of State, the crash becomes part of your record. A minor fender-bender under those thresholds, with no citation issued, generally will not show up.
How Long Insurance Companies Can See the Accident
The state record and the insurance record are not the same thing, and this is where drivers get caught off guard. Insurers pull claims history from the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, known as CLUE, a database run by LexisNexis. CLUE retains up to seven years of auto insurance claims history, regardless of fault.4LexisNexis. C.L.U.E. Auto
Most insurers apply a premium surcharge for three to five years after an at-fault accident. The surcharge amount depends on how severe the accident was, whether anyone was injured, and how many prior claims you have. Accidents involving impaired driving, serious injuries, or deaths tend to keep rates elevated closer to the five-year mark or beyond. Even after the surcharge period ends, the CLUE entry may remain visible to underwriters for the full seven years.
A not-at-fault accident still appears in CLUE because a claim was filed, but most insurers will not raise your rates solely because someone else hit you. Underwriting rules vary by carrier, so confirm this with your insurer if you’re worried about a rate change after an accident you didn’t cause.
Court Supervision Can Keep a Related Ticket Off Your Record
If you were cited for a traffic offense in connection with an accident, how the case is resolved changes what shows up and for how long. Illinois offers a disposition called court supervision. When a judge grants supervision, the outcome is reported to the Secretary of State, but the record is confidential. It cannot be used to suspend or revoke your license, and it cannot be shared with insurance companies.5Circuit Court of Cook County. Court Supervision
The supervision period typically lasts four months. Avoid any new violations in that window and the case is dismissed. A conviction, by contrast, goes on your public driving record for four to five years and counts toward the point threshold that can trigger a license action. For a first-time minor offense tied to a crash, supervision can be the difference between a clean public record and years of exposure. Not every offense qualifies, and judges have discretion, but it is worth raising if you are facing a traffic charge connected to an accident.
How to Check What Is Actually on Your Record
The cleanest way to know what an insurer or employer will see is to pull your own driving record abstract from the Illinois Secretary of State. The fee is $21, which includes the $20 base fee and a $1 payment processing charge.6Illinois Secretary of State. Driving Record Abstract
Online
Fastest option. You’ll need your driver’s license number, date of birth, and a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card. The certified PDF is available immediately and can be reprinted for five days after purchase. You can only order your own record online.
In Person
Visit any Illinois Driver Services facility with a completed Abstract Request Form and the $21 fee. You typically receive the record on the spot.
By Mail
Send a completed Abstract Request Form with a $20 check or money order payable to the Secretary of State to the Driver Analysis Section in Springfield. Mail requests generally take about ten business days. Paying by mail avoids the $1 card processing fee.
If you find something on your record that does not belong, the Secretary of State’s Driving Record Unit handles discrepancies and can be reached at 217-782-2720, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.