For defendants of regular class D driver’s licenses who are found guilty after a trial or plead guilty in traffic court, a sentence of supervision is the best outcome. Supervision is a sentence where the court defers judgment until a later date. During this period of time, the defendant is considered to be supervised by the court. If the defendant does not violate the law and complies with all the terms and conditions of supervision, then the charge will be dismissed. However, holders of a commercial driver’s license do not receive the same privileges as Class D license holders. Motorists holding a CDL must be aware that the Illinois Secretary of State considers a sentence of court supervision as a conviction with respect to certain traffic citations issued against a commercial driver’s license. With respect to commercial driver’s licenses, the law in Illinois defines a “conviction” as:

"an unvacated adjudication of guilt or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or by an authorized administrative tribunal; an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court; a plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted by the court; the payment of a fine or court cost regardless of whether the imposition of sentence is deferred and ultimately a judgment dismissing the underlying charge is entered; or a violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended or probated." (625 ILCS 5/6-500, Emphasis Added)

In Illinois you can be disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for repeated serious traffic violations committed in a commercial motor vehicle. Specifically, the law states that you will be disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle:

-If you are convicted of two serious traffic violations, committed in a commercial motor vehicle, arising from separate incidents, occurring within a three year period, in which case the disqualification will be for at least two months; or

-If you are convicted of three serious traffic violations, committed in a commercial motor vehicle, arising from separate incidents, occurring within a three year period, in which case the disqualification will be for at least four months. 

Serious traffic violations include reckless driving, speeding 15mph or more over the speed limit, improper passing, following too closely, and many others. Due to a finding of court supervision being useless when the driver is charged with a serious traffic violation, the only option the driver has is to find a loophole in the law. Currently, the best option is to try to amend any moving violation to a nonmoving violation and take a conviction. Surprisingly, a conviction on a nonmoving violation will not impact a CDL as a finding of court supervision on a serious traffic violation.