WHEN A DRIVER FAILS TO RESPOND OR APPEAR IN COURT ON VIOLATIONS PUNISHABLE BY FINE ONLY

• Drivers licensed in or residents of the State of Illinois
• Drivers licensed in other states

Drivers licensed in or residents of the State of Illinois

If a person ignores the ticket or fails to appear in court on any court date scheduled, the judge will enter an ex parte judgment of conviction and assess a fine against that person in the amount set by the Illinois Supreme Court. The conviction will be reported to the Illinois Secretary of State for entry on that person's driving record. The Clerk of the Circuit Court will send that person a notice for the fine. If a person fails to pay the fine within 46 days, the Illinois Secretary of State will be notified and he or she will not be allowed to renew, replace or re-classify his or her driver's license until the fine is paid.

Ex parte judgments can be vacated by filing a motion in writing with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and paying a non-refundable $45.00 fee. Persons filing motions should be aware of the following:

• If the motion is filed more than 30 days but less than two years after the date of the ex parte judgment, relief will be granted only if due diligence and a meritorious defense can be shown.
• If the motion is filed more than two years since the date of the judgment, relief can only be granted on proof the ticket was issued to someone else.

Drivers licensed in other states

If a person is licensed to drive in a state other than Illinois and fails to respond to the ticket or fails to attend any court date scheduled, the court will enter that fact on the record and continue the case until the next scheduled court date and he or she will be notified. If a person still does not respond or appear, an order of failure to appear will be entered and forwarded to the Illinois Secretary of State. If a person is a resident of one of the 46 states in the Driver's License Compact, the appropriate driver's licensing authority will be notified and his or her driving privileges will be suspended until the ticket is resolved. A ticket can be resolved by paying the amount of the fine (see Option A under "You must mail") plus a $35.00 penalty set by the Illinois Supreme Court. Payment must be made by check or money order payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Current Illinois law does not allow payment by credit card. DO NOT SEND CASH.