Q: I have a traffic ticket that's a year old unpaid as a temporary license. How can I get my license back?

A: First, it is wise that you are seeking answers on your driving record to ensure your license is not suspended. Driving on a suspended license is a serious offense. In Illinois, it is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in a county jail and/or a $2500 fine. Taking steps to verify your record is important as the penalties are steep for driving while suspended.

That said, you can get an easy answer to your question about whether your license is suspended by calling the Secretary of State at (800) 252-8980. There, they have a 24 hour automated service to inform you of whether your license is suspended so long as you have a social security number and license number. I would suggest you verify this fact first before driving.

If your license is suspended, you can speak to a representative by navigating the automated menu. You will want to press the key for driver's license related matters, then the key for the traffic violations section. They can inform you of any holds (things that will bar renewal) or suspensions (termination of driving privileges) on your license. Some issues can easily be addressed without an attorney such as paying parking tickets or tolls. Other issues such as failures to appear and mandatory suspensions for too many violations may require appearing in court and would be best suited with an attorney's assistance.

As for physically getting your license back, it normally requires payment on the ticket as the license was held as bond when you were issued the ticket. Generally speaking, this will allow you to reclaim your license but whether this is possible may depend on whether you appeared in court if you were required to. As of the writing of this answer, I have not had a client attempt to pay a ticket from a year ago to reclaim a license so I cannot say definitively if this will be the result as I cannot say with certainty that no complications have arisen.