Required Traffic Court Appearance Information

How do I plead for Supervision for a traffic citation?

In order to qualify for supervision the following criteria must be met:

You must appear before a judge on the court date listed on your citation

You must plead guilty and request  supervision.

You have less than three citations in a twelve month period

You have not received supervision for a twelve month period prior to the citation in Illinois.

State's Attorney agrees to the terms

It is up to the discretion of the judge if court supervision will be offered.  The judge can charge an extra fee for court supervision.  A standard fee is $25.00, however; the judge can charge more at his or her discretion.

In Sangamon County all dispositions for traffic citations are reported to the Illinois Secretary of State.  Court Supervision is a form of probation, if you receive supervision and do not receive any other type of violation during the supervision period the record is not reported as a conviction (supervision is not reported to your insurance company as a conviction - this can help to keep your insurance rate from increasing, saving you money). 

If you do receive a citation during your supervision period the supervision will be automatically revoked and the citation will be reported to the Illinois Secretary of State as a conviction.

How much do copies cost?

The costs to receive copies of documents in a file is $2.00 for the first page, $0.50 for the next 19 pages, and $0.25 for each page thereafter.  Note: if certification is required an additional fee will be charged.  

Example:

Divorce decrees $10.00, satisfaction of Judgments $4.00, (fees may vary according to documents).  Copies of docket sheets and other documents are $4.00 per page, when printed from the computer.  Criminal histories are $4.00 per year of search.

Can I get copies of documents in a file?

Records in the Circuit Clerk's Office are generally public accessible.  Some files and/or documents sealed by the court and /or by statutes are not.  Those will require an order from the court.  There are some exceptions which it is suggested that you contact the our office to be sure.

Generally, cases between the years 1980 through present day are electronically stored.  This means they can be found in the computer system.  It will require the entering of the last name, first name, and middle initial.  Case numbers prior to 1980 are listed in ledgers that are stored in the Vault.  These will require the same information, but must also include the date the case was initiated.