How to Pay Traffic Tickets in Illinois
The procedure to pay driving tickets in Illinois is available to drivers who are unable to beat a traffic ticket within the state. The methods available to provide your traffic tickets payments may vary from county to county due to the different practices of specific state courts.
Also, certain types of traffic tickets can only be settled by making a mandatory court appearance. Note that failure to provide the payment on time may lead to further fines, penalties and consequences against your driving record. Learn more about the process of paying driving fines in Illinois in the sections outlined below:
- How to pay a traffic ticket fine in Illinois
- Illinois traffic ticket attorneys
- Pleading not guilty in Illinois
- Dismissal of charges in Illinois
- Lost tickets in Illinois
How to Pay a Traffic Ticket Fine in Illinois
Depending on the type of Illinois traffic ticket that was issued, drivers will either be able to choose from several payment methods, or they will be required to pay the applicable traffic fine in person.
Paying traffic tickets online in IL is the most convenient method of settling the issue. However, not all state courts allow drivers to pay traffic fines online. In such cases, you can still provide your ticket violation payments via more conventional methods.
Paying an Illinois Ticket Online
If the court that is handling your Illinois traffic citation has implemented a traffic fines online payment system, you will be able to easily submit your payment via the internet.
When paying driving fines online, motorists will generally be required to access the official payment portal of their presiding court and enter their ticket number, driving license number and their name and birth date.
Note that certain IL ePayment sites may not ask for your traffic citation number. After locating your traffic violation case, the system will prompt you to provide your credit card information for payment purposes.
Paying an Illinois Ticket Via Other Methods
Drivers who cannot remit their Illinois traffic tickets payments via the internet can still complete the process via other alternative methods. Certain county courts may allow you to pay traffic citations in IL by phone or by mail, for instance. If these options are unavailable, you can still visit the corresponding court and submit your payment in person.
Prior to initiating the process to pay driving tickets in IL, contact your county court or study your traffic citation in order to review the available payment methods.
Illinois Traffic Ticket Attorneys
Instead of paying the Illinois traffic fine associated with the ticket, drivers can also utilize the option of fighting traffic tickets within the state. However, motorists who present an unsuccessful traffic ticket defense are at risk of additional fines and penalties.
To ensure the success of your attempt to fight traffic tickets in IL, you can hire an experienced traffic citation lawyer. Drivers who engage the services of an Illinois traffic ticket attorney have a higher chance of winning their case and avoiding the consequences of a traffic violation conviction.
A good lawyer can also help you keep your driver’s record clean and your car insurance premiums low. You can find an experienced ticket defense lawyer online by snapping an image of your ticket and inputting some basic information about your ticket citation.
Pleading Not Guilty in Illinois
Motorists who would like to dispute traffic tickets in Illinois can initiate the process by pleading “not guilty” and requesting a trial date with the court that is handling their traffic tickets. You can submit your decision to fight traffic tickets in IL via several methods, which may vary from court to court. After receiving your plea, the court will schedule your hearing date and send you all relevant details.
On the date of the traffic citation trial, drivers and/or their attorneys will be granted the opportunity to present their arguments, submit any relevant evidence and call on witnesses. If you are found guilty of the IL traffic violation, you will be required to pay the base traffic fine and any additional costs and fees.
Depending on the severity of the offense, you may also be subject to further penalties, such as jail sentences. To increase your chances of being found not guilty, it is essential to hire an attorney specializing in traffic citation defense. You can find the best attorney for you by starting your search online.
Dismissal of Charges in Illinois
Drivers who were incorrectly issued traffic citations in Illinois have the option to dismiss traffic tickets within the state. Prior to paying driving fines or initiating the process to fight traffic tickets in IL, check the veracity of the information contained within your citation. If the police officer included incorrect data regarding the date and type of the traffic violation, for instance, you can request a ticket dismissal.
For purposes of avoiding an Illinois traffic ticket convictions on your driving transcript, certain state courts also offer the option of completing an approved Traffic Safety School course. Note that utilizing this option will not grant you a complete traffic citation dismissal, as you will still be required to pay the applicable traffic fine.
Lost Tickets in Illinois
Regardless of whether you choose to fight traffic tickets in Illinois or pay the ticket violation payment, you will often be required to utilize the information contained within your traffic ticket to complete either procedure. In the event of a lost traffic citation, drivers can utilize several methods to retrieve the necessary information.
Note that the available option to recover a lost ticket may vary from county to county. In certain cases, you may be able to search for your IL traffic ticket via the presiding court’s official payment portal. If the online option is not unavailable, you can still contact the corresponding court and retrieve the ticket via more conventional methods.