Traffic Court Supervision Lawyer for Kane & DuPage County

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Keeping Traffic Tickets Off Your Driving Record

Court Supervision Can Keep a Ticket from Becoming a Conviction

For many Illinois drivers, the best result on a traffic ticket is court supervision. When it is completed successfully, supervision does not count as a conviction, so the ticket is not reported to the Secretary of State as a conviction and does not add points to your driving record. Attorney Joseph S. Angelillo helps drivers seek supervision and other favorable outcomes on traffic tickets in Kane County and DuPage County. Call (630) 688-7511 for a free consultation.

This page is general information about Illinois law, not legal advice about your situation, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts, and no lawyer can promise a particular result.

What Is Court Supervision?

Court supervision is a type of sentence in which the court does not enter a judgment of conviction right away. Instead, you agree to certain conditions for a set period. If you meet them, the charge is dismissed at the end of the supervision period. If you do not, the State can ask the court to revoke supervision and enter a conviction.

Typical conditions for a traffic ticket include:

• paying a fine and court costs;
• completing a traffic safety school or driver improvement course;
• not receiving any new traffic or criminal charges during the supervision period; and
• any other conditions the judge sets.

Why Supervision Matters for Your Driving Record

Illinois uses a point system. Too many moving-violation convictions in a short time can lead to a suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, and drivers under 21 face stricter rules. Because successfully completed supervision is not a conviction, it generally does not count toward those limits and is not reported to the Secretary of State as a conviction, although the Secretary of State does keep an internal record of it.

Avoiding a conviction can also help keep your insurance rates lower, protect a job that requires driving, and avoid problems for drivers on a graduated license.

Who Is Eligible for Traffic Supervision?

Many common moving violations, including most speeding tickets, failure to yield, disobeying a traffic signal and improper lane usage, may be eligible for supervision. Eligibility is not automatic, and the law limits it in several ways:

• Frequency limits. Illinois law limits how often a driver can receive supervision for moving violations within a short period, and a judge can consider your driving history.
• Commercial drivers. Federal and Illinois rules generally prevent supervision from being used to keep moving violations off a CDL holder’s record, even in a personal vehicle.
• Excluded offenses. Some offenses are not eligible for supervision at all, and others, such as certain driving on a suspended license charges, have special rules.
• DUI. Supervision for DUI is available only once in a lifetime and works differently from supervision for an ordinary ticket.
• Serious speeding. Very high speeds are treated as misdemeanors and are reviewed closely by prosecutors and judges.

Commercial drivers should review our CDL traffic violations page, and drivers facing a DUI should see our DUI defense page.

How a Lawyer Can Help

You can sometimes request supervision on your own, but having a lawyer can make the process easier and can improve your options, especially when the ticket is more serious or your record is not clean. We can:

• review whether you are eligible and whether supervision is the best option, or whether the ticket should be challenged or amended;
• appear for you on many tickets so you may not need to miss work, depending on the charge and the court’s requirements;
• negotiate with the prosecutor for supervision or for an amendment to a less serious, non-reportable or non-moving violation;
• help you understand the conditions and deadlines so you complete supervision successfully; and
• address misdemeanor traffic charges, such as reckless driving or driving on a suspended license, that carry greater risk.

Supervision Compared to Other Outcomes

Supervision is not the only possible result. Depending on the facts, a ticket may be dismissed, amended to a less serious or non-moving violation, or contested at trial, where the State must prove the violation. A conviction, by contrast, is reported to the Secretary of State and can add points. Paying a ticket online without considering these options may result in a conviction you did not need to accept.

What to Do After You Get a Ticket

• Read the ticket carefully to find the court date, the courthouse and whether a personal appearance is required.
• Do not simply pay the ticket before understanding whether that will result in a conviction.
• Check your driving record and any prior supervisions, since they affect eligibility.
• If you hold a CDL, are under 21, or the ticket is a misdemeanor, talk to a lawyer before your court date.

Traffic Court in Kane and DuPage County

In Kane County, most traffic tickets are heard at the branch courts in St. Charles, Aurora and Elgin. In DuPage County, traffic courtrooms are located at the DuPage County Judicial Center in Wheaton. For more on these courthouses and how traffic cases proceed, see our Kane County criminal defense guide and DuPage County criminal defense guide, our main traffic violations page, and our blog article on court supervision for traffic tickets in DuPage County.

If you received a traffic ticket and want to protect your driving record, contact Angelillo Law or call (630) 688-7511.

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Angelillo Law

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2325 Dean Street, Ste 800F

St. Charles, IL 60175

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