Q: My license was last suspended in 2004 through 2006. Will that suspension still show up on my record at present date?

A: Yes, it may still show up. I've seen driving records that show incidents that go back to the 70's. That said, there are circumstances where an older suspension is removed from the record. This is known as a rescission. A rescission occurs when a suspension was entered but the underlying basis of the suspension didn't give rise to it. For example, if you had a requirement to hold SR-22 insurance under threat of suspension, your license would be suspended if the policy lapsed. If the insurance company, by its own failure, did not report that you were current on your policy, your license would be suspended. Upon providing proof that the suspension was the result of the Insurance company and that no lapse ever occurred, the secretary of state would rescind the suspension. This would effectively annul it and make it as if it never happened because it shouldn't have happened.

In the event that it was not rescinded language such as "clearance" or "termination" of suspension are written on the driving record. These will appear on the record in addition to the underlying suspension they relate to. If you want to see if you have a suspension on your record, you should go to the secretary of state and ask for a court purposes abstract. It will cost you $12.00. You can use online cheat sheets like these to read them: http://www.vrslegal.com/illinois-drivers-abstract/ Alternatively, you can call the secretary of state and they can often look it up.

If you did not motion it back into court to lift the suspension, I can almost certainly assure you that some record of it exists on your driving record. Because that is usually required to get a rescission except in situations such as the SR-22 example I used above.