Chicago Drivers to Now Pay Tickets Online

August 4, 2009

On Thursday, officials in Cook County, Illinois said that residents of Chicago will now be able to pay their traffic tickets online for many common offenses. Thousands of residents have complained about the long lines at the County Clerk’s office. Now, they can actually “plead guilty” to a traffic offense and pay their fines online.

The Illinois Supreme Court has said that it will recognize guilty pleas that are entered into the site. Only a limited group of violations can actually be handled on the Web. These include speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt, and failure to stop at a stop sign. Minors are not allowed to pay their tickets online, nor are those who have had multiple traffic offenses or who have been accused of a DUI or DWI.

The county hopes that it will be able to hire less staff in the future to handle traffic tickets, thereby saving a great deal of money. However, officials have said that no layoffs are, as of yet, planned.