Driving through Illinois can be exciting. Maybe you are visiting Chicago. Maybe you’re spending time on Lake Michigan. Or, maybe you’re just driving through the state as part of a longer road trip. Whatever your reason for visiting, it can be spoiled by a speeding ticket. If you got a speeding ticket in Illinois and you are an out of state driver, you probably aren’t familiar with Illinois’ motor vehicle laws. Most likely, they are similar to the laws in your home state. But, they probably differ in some ways. Here, you can learn more about Illinois speeding tickets. This information will help you if you got a speeding ticket.

Speeding Ticket Information

Like in other states, most of the information that you need about the ticket will be found on the actual speeding ticket. A police officer will give you this ticket after pulling you over. The ticket will state the fine that you will pay if you plead guilty. It will also state exactly what you get charged with. The ticket should give contact information if you have questions about your ticket. If you have to appear in court, the courthouse information will be on the ticket.

Ways To Plead

In Illinois, you have three major options when it comes to a speeding ticket. You can plead not guilty and take the case to traffic court. If you do this, you can fight the ticket. If you win the case, you will not face any penalties. But, if you are found guilty by the court, you have to pay the fine. Illinois also uses a point system for driving violations. If you are found guilty, you can have points assessed against your license. Illinois will notify your home state of what happened.

If you choose to plead guilty, you have two ways of going about this. The first way is just pleading guilty and paying the fine. This means that you will get a conviction of speeding on your driving record.

The other option is pleading guilty but attending a traffic school. If you go to traffic school you won’t have a conviction on your driving record. But, you have to pay for the traffic school. This option is available to a lot of drivers, but not everyone. Your eligibility depends on the county that you got a ticket in.

As an out of state driver, fighting an Illinois speeding ticket can get complicated. If you live far away, it can be difficult to get back to Illinois to go to court. You should discuss this situation with an attorney. This can help you figure out the best decision for you. For more information, please contact our office.