If you fail to pay fines or court costs for a traffic ticket, the court may request that the Illinois Secretary of State to place a hold on your driver’s license which would prevent you from renewing an expired license or obtaining a license for the first time. This hold is also referred to as a “Failure to Pay Stop”. Technically, it is not a license suspension. In order to clear your driver’s license, you must satisfy the amount due to the court and/or file a motion to reopen the case.
You may attempt to contact the specific courthouse where the ticket is assigned by phone to determine the amount owed and your payment options. However, it may be beneficial to appear in-person at the Clerk’s Office located within the courthouse to obtain this information.
Once you pay the amount owed on the traffic ticket, you should obtain a Failure to Pay Fines Receipt for the Illinois Secretary of State. This receipt should be submitted to the Secretary of State either in-person or by mail. You may rely on the courthouse to notify the Secretary of State, but this can take additional time. However, in Cook County, the Clerk’s Office will notify the Secretary of State electronically and you do not need obtain and submit the paperwork yourself. Once it is processed by the Secretary of State, the hold will come off of your driving record.
Often, it may be worthwhile for you or your attorney to file a motion to bring the case back into court. Primarily, the purpose of this would be to seek the removal of a conviction that was entered for a violation of your sentence. For example, if you went to court and received court supervision and subsequently failed to pay fines, the court likely revoked your supervision and entered a conviction. Under these circumstances, a motion to vacate may be worthwhile in order to secure the removal of the conviction.
The attorneys at The Davis Law Group, P.C. often represent client’s seeking to clear Failure to Pay stops on their record. Contact us to discuss your options.