Texas Resident with an Illinois License Hold? We Handle Everything Remotely

If you have moved to Texas and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has told you that an Illinois hold is preventing you from getting a Texas driver's license, you are dealing with a problem that will not go away on its own. Illinois does not automatically clear a license revocation just because time has passed or because your court case is finished. The hold stays in the national database until you go through the Illinois Secretary of State's reinstatement process — and that process applies to you even though you no longer live in Illinois.

Attorney Jack L. Zaremba is a former Will County prosecutor who focuses his practice on clearing exactly this kind of hold. He has helped clients throughout Texas — from Houston and Dallas to San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso — resolve their Illinois revocations without ever setting foot back in Illinois. Every step of the process is handled by video.

Why an Illinois Hold Stops You from Getting a Texas License

Texas is one of the most thorough states in the country when it comes to checking a new applicant's driving history. The Texas DPS participates in both the National Driver Register (NDR) and the State-to-State (S2S) Verification Service — an electronic system that checks every other state's records the moment you apply for a Texas license. If Illinois has a revocation or hold on your record, the Texas DPS will flag it immediately and refuse to issue your license.

This catches many Texas residents by surprise. You may have left Illinois years or even decades ago. You may have completed all your court requirements, paid every fine, and served your sentence in full. But under Illinois law, none of that automatically restores your driving privileges. The revocation is a separate administrative action by the Illinois Secretary of State, and it remains active in the national database until you complete a formal reinstatement process that is entirely independent of the criminal court system.

Texas law gives new residents 90 days to obtain a Texas driver's license after establishing residency. If an Illinois hold is blocking you, that 90-day window creates a real problem — you could be driving on an expired or invalid credential, putting your insurance coverage, your employment, and potentially your legal standing at risk.

Making matters more complicated, the S2S system that Texas implemented ensures that you cannot simply hold licenses in two states or bypass the issue. Texas will electronically invalidate any other state credential you hold when you apply, meaning there is no workaround — the Illinois hold must be resolved directly with Illinois before Texas will issue you a valid license.

How Attorney Zaremba Clears Illinois Holds for Texas Residents

Attorney Zaremba's practice was built specifically for people in your situation — living in another state but stuck dealing with an Illinois license problem. From your initial phone call through the day your hold is cleared, the entire process is handled remotely so that you never have to travel back to Illinois.

Why Most People Cannot Do This on Their Own

The Illinois Secretary of State's reinstatement process is not a simple paperwork exercise. It is a formal administrative hearing where you are cross-examined by a Secretary of State hearing officer — often an experienced attorney — who will ask 80 to 100 questions about your arrest history, your drinking patterns, your treatment, and the specific changes you have made in your life.

Any inconsistency between your testimony and your documents is grounds for denial. Any gap in your treatment records or your evaluation can result in denial. Clients who attend these hearings without experienced representation are denied at a significantly higher rate than those who come prepared with an attorney who understands what the Secretary of State expects.

As a former prosecutor, Attorney Zaremba has spent his career in hearing rooms and courtrooms. He knows how to prepare clients to testify under pressure and how to present a case that addresses every element the Secretary of State is looking for. That preparation is the reason his clients achieve a 95% first-hearing success rate.

Common Questions from Texas Residents

We Help Clients Across the Country

Attorney Zaremba has cleared Illinois license holds for clients nationwide. Click your state below for details on how Illinois holds affect your state's licensing process.

Learn more about our out-of-state practice:

• Out-of-State Hearing Process
• Out-of-State Resident FAQ
• Successful Case Results