What are the consequences of not going to traffic court?

It is understandable to feel scared or angry about going to court after a police officer cites you for a traffic violation. However, if you have a date in traffic court coming up, you should not ignore it in the hopes your problem will go away. The state of Illinois may take action against you if you do not appear in court. You could lose your driving privileges.

According to state law, if you fail to appear in traffic court, the state government will have the authority to revoke your driver’s license.

A failure to appear

If your court date comes and goes and you have not appeared, the court has the authority to keep the case going for no more than 30 days. During this time, the clerk of court can send you notices of the ongoing court date. If you do not show up, the court will enter a failure to appear notice and send it to the state Secretary of State. This will result in the suspension of your driving license.

It is important to remember that some people have life circumstances that make it impossible to come to traffic court. You may suffer from a medical condition that makes mobility difficult if not impossible. It is possible your explanation will satisfy the court. If not, you may have to deal with how to restore your driving privileges.

Removing the suspension

The state will not give you back your driving license until you have gone to court and resolved your traffic violation. Once this has occurred, the court will let the state Secretary of State know about your cooperation. The clerk of court should give you notice of compliance. This document can prove that you have dealt with your traffic violation. The notice will have the seal of the court.

Keep in mind that you may have to pay a suspension fee to get your license back. The time and money you spend to remove a license suspension is likely not worth it, so it is important to handle a traffic violation as soon as possible.