Traffic Tickets in Illinois

SUMMARY: Illinois Traffic Tickets

Illinois traffic tickets can generally be paid online, by mail, or in person, depending on your court and violation. Your traffic ticket will tell you whether a court appearance is mandatory. If you've lost your ticket, contact the county court handling your case for information.

Continue reading this page to find out about traffic tickets, plus information about fines and penalties in Illinois for both regular drivers and commercial drivers.

Traffic Ticket Fines and Penalties

In Illinois, traffic ticket fines, court costs and surcharges vary by violation and county court. On top of all the fines and surcharges, the IL Secretary of State (SOS) may add points to your Illinois driving record. In serious cases, you could have your license suspended, revoked, or cancelled.

Take a look at our page about Traffic Ticket Fines & Penalties for more details. If you have a commercial driver's license (CDL), see below.

Pay a Traffic Ticket in Illinois

If you wish to plead guilty and pay the fine, check your traffic ticket for costs and payment methods. Depending on the county where you were ticketed, you may be able to submit payment:

  • Online.
  • By mail.
    OR
  • In person.

For more information, visit our Paying Traffic Tickets page.

Traffic School Course

If eligible, you may have points removed from your driving record by completing traffic school.

For more information, please read our page about Traffic Schools in Illinois.

You can also visit our following pages to learn more about how points affect your driving record:

Fight an IL Traffic Ticket

If you do not believe you violated Illinois traffic law, you can plead “not guilty" in traffic court and fight your ticket. Check your traffic ticket for instructions, or contact the local county court where you received the citation.

For additional details, please see our page about Fighting a Traffic Ticket in Illinois.

NOTE: You might want to consider speaking to a traffic ticket attorney if you plan on fighting your traffic ticket.

Lost Your Traffic Ticket?

If you've lost your traffic ticket, you may be able to search for your ticket online, depending on where you committed the violation.

Contact the Illinois county court handling your ticket for information.

NOTE: You can also contact the Illinois SOS at (800) 252-8980 for specific ticket details. When you provide your driver's license number, they can provide the citation number and other related information.

Fines & Penalties for Commercial Drivers

If you were ticketed as an Illinois CDL holder, you must notify your employer within 30 days of receiving your citation.

A serious offense can result in a “disqualification" of your CDL, which prohibits the operation of a commercial vehicle. Such offenses include:

  • Reckless driving.
  • Refusing a chemical test.
  • Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI).

For details about how serious traffic violations can affect your IL CDL, please refer to our page about Ticket Fines & Penalties and CDL Suspensions.

Check Your Driving Record

When you receive an IL traffic ticket, the DMV will add points to your driving record in Illinois, which can significantly increase your car insurance rates.

Purchase your IL driving record to make sure points weren't added by mistake.

Major Traffic Violations in Illinois

Your fines and penalties can be very high if you receive an IL traffic ticket for a serious traffic violation, such as:

Often, these types of violations can result in a long-term license suspension or revocation. For specific details, read our Ticket Fines and Penalties and Illinois Suspended License pages.

Traffic Tickets: Frequently Asked Questions

You can find more information about Illinois traffic tickets at our Traffic Ticket FAQ page. Some of the topics include:

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