What Happens If You Don’t Pay a Traffic Ticket in Illinois? While we’d all rather ignore a traffic ticket, it’s not a good idea. When you don’t pay your ticket on time, you’ll build up late fees and potentially have the debt sent to a collections agency. If you’ve received a ticket you don’t want to pay and are looking for alternative options, you should contact a Southern Illinois traffic violations lawyer to advise you on if it makes sense to contest the ticket.
If you’ve received a ticket and aren’t sure what to do, call our Southern Illinois traffic violations lawyers today to discuss your options. At Combs Waterkotte, we take a client-centered approach to every case and draw on our extensive knowledge of the Illinois traffic law and court system.
Get in touch today for a free consultation – call us at (314) 900-HELP or contact us online.
Financial Costs of Ignoring a Traffic Ticket in Illinois
In Illinois, the deadline to either pay the fine or request a hearing will be listed on the ticket. After this time, potentially significant fees will be added on top of the original fine. Added fees are particularly damaging, because oftentimes, if you couldn’t afford to pay the initial ticket, it will be even harder to pay a higher cost.
If you’re already facing a fine of hundreds of dollars, it can be tempting to ignore the traffic ticket, but that’s never a good idea. Working with an experienced Southern Illinois traffic attorney can give you options to reduce the cost without adding more penalties.
Additionally, after enough time has passed, many Illinois counties will send debt collection agencies to recover the unpaid fine and additional fees. This can be stressful in and of itself, but what makes it worse is the collection agencies will add the owed debt to your credit report, negatively impacting your credit score. Many people don’t consider this long-term impact, but it’s one of the most serious consequences of not paying a traffic ticket.
Do Illinois Traffic Tickets Ever Expire?
Unfortunately, unpaid traffic tickets never expire in Illinois. They remain outstanding until either contested or paid, which is why it’s better to take care of them sooner rather than later. There have even been reports of Illinois counties sending debt collection agencies for decades-old fines.
How Long Do Traffic Ticket Convictions Stay on Your Record in Illinois?
If you pay a fine and receive a conviction, how long it remains on your record depends on the type of violation. Most moving violations will remain on your driver’s record for 4-5 years after the conviction. The exceptions to this are if your license was suspended, or if it was for a DUI. After a suspension, the ticket will remain on your record for 7 years after your license is reinstated. For DUIs, the ticket will remain on your record for the rest of your life, making it critical to hire a top Southern Illinois DUI defense lawyer.
How to Fight an Illinois Traffic Ticket
If you have a traffic ticket and want to avoid the conviction, or can’t afford to pay by the due date, you do have another option: Fight the ticket in court. However, you won’t want to do it alone. With the help of an experienced Illinois traffic attorney, you increase your chances of:
- Receiving a sentence of court supervision, where you can avoid a conviction on your record.
- Entering a plea deal for reduced charges, possibly even a non-moving violation.
- Paying a fine but avoiding points on your license.
- Having the case dismissed entirely because of an effective defense strategy.
Even in cases where you did commit the alleged violation, a lawyer can help reduce the penalties. For example, with a sentence of court supervision, you will likely still have to pay the fine, but we can prevent the other penalties that would come with a conviction.
Working with a knowledgeable law firm like Combs Waterkotte gives you someone in your corner who knows how the Illinois traffic courts work, and how to protect your interests. We will build a fierce defense using tactics like these:
- Lack of Intent – Some actions can only be convicted if they were done intentionally.
- No Violation – An officer might have made a mistake when issuing the ticket.
- Necessity – You could have committed the alleged violation, but needed to do so to avoid greater harm.
- Broken Equipment – If something went wrong with your vehicle, it could have caused the violation without your control.
- Health Problems – If something happened with your health that prevented you from obeying the traffic law, you may not be responsible.
Have an Illinois Traffic Ticket? Call Combs Waterkotte Today to Protect Your Wallet and License
Combs Waterkotte are experienced Southern Illinois traffic lawyers who have handled over 10,000 cases, many just like yours. We’ve secured victories for people who cannot defend themselves, and take pride in being Southern Illinois’ leading traffic attorneys.
If you have a traffic ticket, we can help. Before paying the fine, call us at (314) 900-HELP, reach out online, or use the form below to upload an image of your ticket. Don’t fight it alone – you have options to reduce your fine and pay your license.
