Q: Cannot make $140 speeding ticket on due date. Can I get an extension for following week?

A: You must ask the court for an extension. The answer to the question depends on whether this is your first request and what court your ticket is pending.

A: Hello Asker,

It depends on the county. If this is cook county (judging by your location), you should call to find out what can be done on the ticket. Cook County is one of the few counties where inaction on a ticket will not result in an automatic court date and will be seen as a failure to comply. It may require a motion to vacate to eliminate a potential conviction. The best number to call is the Daley Center by way of their traffic division at (312) 603-2000. Cook County's Clerk is notoriously bad about phone service but Daley Center is pretty reliable for reaching a live person.

If it is another county, there is a high likelihood that you will be automatically assigned a court date. The time for paying this $140 is past and the only way to resolve it will be to go to court where court costs will likely be included. As a silver lining, you do have a higher chance of getting court supervision by way of a court appearance especially for a ticket for speeding 21-25 mph over the limit as you are facing.

Either way, the solution is to contact the clerk of the circuit court in the county of the ticket for your answer. In most circumstances outside Cook, you should plan for a court date. In cook, well...it varies but suffice it to say whatever happens, it will be rather messy as procedures for missing the payment window get weird and its hard to give a consistent answer what will happen.

I hope that helps and let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jason A. Wilkins

Traffic Attorney

(630) 445-2293