Unpaid parking tickets are fines levied on you for parking violations. Every state in the United States has different rules and regulations vis-a-vis unpaid parking tickets. When we specifically talk about Illinois, the state passed a law on July 1, 2020, which mentions that unpaid parking tickets or toll charges will no longer culminate in the suspension of or revocation of people’s licenses.
And, in case, a person’s license has been suspended for these reasons, the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) will automatically reinstate the license at no extra cost. However, it is essential to remember that just because the license suspension mandate has been revoked, there are no repercussions for an unpaid parking ticket in Illinois. Join us, as well delve into the nitty-gritty of what to do when you have unpaid parking tickets.
What happens if you don’t pay your parking ticket in Illinois?
The failure to pay parking tickets in Illinois has several outcomes. You may be issued additional fines or the registration of your vehicle might be suspended. In case of a prolonged delay, you might be faced with legal actions, as well. In other words, unpaid parking tickets can escalate into bigger problems and cause financial strain, legal issues and potential damage to your driving record.
Before you pay your parking ticket
Just because you have been slapped with a parking ticket does not mean that you pay it immediately. Before you pay for the ticket, it is essential to do a basic hygiene check.
Find the relevant details
The first step is to find relevant details of the ticket. Who is it issued by, why have you been issued a ticket, and what is the precise amount?
Verify the ticket
The second and pretty obvious step is to verify the ticket and check its legitimacy. You can explore your options and gauge the validity of the parking by visiting the Illinois Legal Aid website.
How can you pay for your parking ticket?
Now let us delve into the crux of the topic – how to pay unpaid parking tickets in Illinois –
Online
You can pay your parking ticket online via Illinois’ E-pay system. Usually, this will be printed on your traffic ticket if this option is available. However, the E-pay website makes it very easy to reach out to the government entity in charge of your ticket and find out if the possibility of paying online is available.
On-ground
You can also pay for your parking ticket on-ground. For this, you will have to refer to the IL traffic ticket or contact the traffic court directly.
By Mail or Phone
The third way to pay for your parking ticket in Illinois is by mail or the phone. You can mail your payment to the concerned traffic court of your county.
Set up a payment plan
Last but not least, you can also set up a payment plan with the concerned authorities to streamline the process of paying your parking tickets.
What to do if you decide to appeal your parking ticket in court?
Now that we have touched upon the nitty-gritty of how to pay your parking ticket in Illinois, let us wrap up the article by checking out what you can do to appeal your parking ticket in court.
In case you feel that a parking ticket has been unlawfully and wrongly slapped on you, then you fight the ticket and appeal in court. You can plead not guilty and hire an attorney to represent yourself in the court and then also bargain for lesser penalties.
So, there we have it, a crisp overview of the basics of unpaid parking tickets in Illinois.
