Q: I have unpaid traffic tickets, can tazewell IL suspend my license or will it go to collections only?

A: To the best of my knowledge, there is no mechanism for suspending a license based solely on unpaid traffic tickets with the exception of red light camera tickets (5 unpaid tickets), parking tickets (10 unpaid tickets), and tollway violations (10 unpaid violations). Additionally, while not traffic tickets themselves, unpaid judgments for accidents can cause a suspension as well.

That said, I would be careful about allowing them to go to collections. This can make the fines jump considerably to as much as double the amount. If you are going to prioritize which tickets you want to pay, contact the clerk's office and ask which tickets, if paid in full, result in waived collection fees. Save those tickets for last. Cook county is one of these counties that often does this. If the ticket requires judicial action to waive the fines, pay those tickets first. Kane County is like this.

That said, just because they can't suspend doesn't mean it won't get suspended. If you drive on an expired license for over one year, you will face a class B misdemeanor if stopped by the police. This is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and or a fine of up to $1500. This is problematic because unpaid fines prevent you from renewing the license so it is a matter of time before this offense can start nailing you.

Additionally, if you have never been issued a driver's license, face a minimum of a 2 month suspension if you are convicted for the offense and an even longer time if you have previous history with suspensions by a factor of 2 months per prior suspension.

All these are important factors to consider before choosing to simply let traffic tickets sit.