All traffic offenses in Chicago are heard in the Traffic Division, located in the Daley Center. Traffic offenses written outside of Chicago are assigned for hearing in the municipal district where the violation was alleged to occur.
If you need any additional information regarding your Traffic Ticket, please contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court at (312) 603-2000.
Main Location & Contact Information 50 W. Washington St.The following is a list of the most frequently cited violations punishable by fine only that require a court appearance:
The initial court date for violations punishable by fine only is the trial date. Continuances will be granted only for good cause.
Traffic violations classified as misdemeanors can be punishable by a fine (up to $2,500), a jail sentence (up to 364 days) or a combination of both. Persons charged with such offenses should consult an attorney immediately.
The most commonly prosecuted misdemeanor traffic offenses include the following:
For the initial court date for a traffic violation classified as a misdemeanor, it is recommended that a person appear with an attorney or ask to speak to an assistant public defender.
This section provides a short list of judges serving in the Traffic Division together with their courtroom location, room number, and telephone number. Click into each judge’s page to view their standing orders (if the judge has a standing order). Click “view all judges” to see a list of all Judges assigned to the Traffic Division.
Richard J. Daley Center Courtroom 400 (312) 603-2600 Richard J. Daley Center Courtroom 400 (312) 603-2600 Richard J. Daley Center Courtroom 400 (312) 603-2600 Richard J. Daley Center Courtroom 400 (312) 603-2600 Richard J. Daley Center Courtroom 400 (312) 603-2600 Richard J. Daley Center Courtroom 400 (312) 603-2600 Richard J. Daley Center Courtroom 400 (312) 603-2600
This section contains helpful information to assist persons who have received traffic tickets in Cook County. Explanations on traffic court procedures and policies, the rights of all persons in traffic violations cases and possible penalties for traffic violations are presented. Other important topics covered include reinstating driving privileges in DUI cases and in other instances.
PLEASE NOTE:
This section DOES NOT contain information on tickets issued for parking violations, red light camera violations, vehicle impoundment and most vehicle equipment violations. To adjudicate cases related to those violations, many municipalities have established administrative hearing programs such as the City of Chicago's Department of Administrative Hearings. If you receive a citation or violation notice for these types of violations, you are urged to read the instructions accompanying the notice before assuming you must come to traffic court to resolve the matter. The rights, procedures and policies in those cases are substantially different from those that apply in traffic court.
The judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County encourage all drivers to:
The Illinois Supreme Court has divided all traffic violations (other than parking) into two categories. The difference is simply that some violations can be settled without a court appearance while the remainder require attendance at court.
The issuing police officer will designate on the ticket how you must respond to settle the violation. Check your ticket carefully. The ticket will state that either you:
The distinction between which violations require a court appearance and which do not is found in Supreme Court Rule 551.
For example, persons must appear in court if charged with the following:
The following rights are applicable to defendants in all traffic cases:
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is required by law to report convictions for most violations to the Illinois Secretary of State. These may affect an individual's privilege to drive a car. The Illinois Secretary of State upon receipt of a notice of conviction for certain offenses is required to revoke a person's driving privileges. In some instances a conviction grants the Illinois Secretary of State discretion to suspend driving privileges. Different rules apply to drivers under age 21 and commercial driver's license operators.
The following is a summary of actions the Illinois Secretary of State can take upon receipt of a report of conviction from the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
These are not complete lists of all violations which will result in a license revocation or suspension. Full information can be obtained from the Illinois Secretary of State.
