How Serious is a Speeding Ticket?

A speeding ticket can be a serious matter in Illinois. If you are ticketed for speeding in or near the Chicago area, you will need the advice and services of a Chicago speeding ticket attorney, and you will need to contact that attorney at once.

Is speeding a misdemeanor or a felony in Illinois? What are your rights if you are ticketed for speeding in this state, and what steps will you have to take? When should you reach out to a Chicago speeding ticket lawyer for the legal advice and services you may need?

If you will continue to read this brief discussion of speeding, your rights, and the law in Illinois, you will find the answers you may need, and you will learn what steps to take after you have received a speeding ticket.

What is “Petty” Speeding?

Law enforcement officers in Illinois issue two types of speeding tickets, for “petty” speeding and for “aggravated” speeding. Tickets for petty speeding are issued to motorists who are driving up to twenty-five miles per hour above the posted speed limit.

While paying the fine for a petty speeding ticket may seem like the expedient option, the consequences of a speeding ticket do not disappear just because you’ve paid the fine. Paying the fine is an admission of guilt that will add penalty points to your Illinois driving record.

When penalty points are added to your driving record, your automobile insurance rates will probably skyrocket, and if you accumulate too many penalty points, your Illinois driver’s license may be suspended or revoked.

What is “Aggravated” Speeding?

Aggravated speeding is driving twenty-six or more miles per hour over the posted speed limit, and unlike petty speeding, aggravated speeding is considered a criminal offense in this state.

Driving from twenty-six to thirty-four miles per hour over the posted speed limit is a Class B misdemeanor in Illinois. Driving at thirty-five or more miles per hour over the posted speed limit is a Class A misdemeanor in this state. Speeding is not considered a felony in Illinois.

A conviction for aggravated speeding may be penalized with jail time and/or a fine, and it also establishes a criminal record. A conviction for aggravated speeding, like a conviction for petty speeding, will increase your auto insurance rates and add penalty points to your driving record.

How Does the Point System Work?

A conviction for any moving violation in this state places penalty points on your driving record. The number of points and how long those points stay on your record depend on the nature of the violation. For example, for Illinois drivers over the age of 21:

  1.  Five points are added to your record for speeding up to ten miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
  2.  Fifty points are added to your record for speeding up to twenty-five miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

The points you accumulate within a twelve-month period determine how long your driver’s license will be suspended. For Illinois drivers over the age of 21, your license will be suspended for:

  1.  two months if you accumulate 15 to 44 points in a twelve-month period
  2.  three months if you accumulate 45 to 74 points in a twelve-month period
  3.  six months if you accumulate 75 to 89 points in a twelve-month period
  4.  nine months if you accumulate 90 to 99 points in a twelve-month period
  5.  twelve months if you accumulate 100 or more points in a twelve-month period

Charged With Speeding? You Must Act Quickly

If you’re ticketed for speeding in or near the Chicago area, do not ignore that ticket. Speeding tickets do not go away, and ignoring, overlooking, or forgetting about a speeding citation will lead to additional penalties and a license suspension or revocation.

Most of the drivers ticketed for speeding in Illinois simply pay the fine, but when you consider the long-term consequences of paying the fine – higher auto insurance rates and points on your driving record – it makes more sense to fight a speeding ticket with an attorney’s help.

How Will Your Attorney Help You?

A Chicago speeding ticket lawyer will scrutinize every detail of the ticket and the case against you. Anything in error on the ticket works in your favor, and any missing or inaccurate information could be grounds for a dismissal of the charge.

If you are charged with petty speeding, fight the charge, and contact a Chicago speeding ticket attorney immediately. If the charge is aggravated speeding, it’s even more critical to contact an attorney at once, because you are facing a criminal charge and a possible jail sentence.

Of course, the smartest way to avoid insurance rate hikes, penalty points, or a license suspension is to avoid tickets – and to avoid convictions – for speeding and other moving violations. If you’re ticketed for speeding, can you avoid a conviction?

When Should You Contact a Speeding Ticket Lawyer?

You can’t be convicted for speeding until and unless an Illinois prosecutor can prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If you are ticketed for either petty speeding or aggravated speeding – now or in the future – contact an Illinois speeding ticket lawyer immediately.

No guarantee can ever be made about the final outcome of a legal proceeding, but a good speeding ticket attorney will seek to have the charge against you dismissed, and if that’s not possible, your attorney will fight in court for your acquittal.

But how can you know that you are choosing the right Illinois speeding ticket attorney?

Meet the Team

If you are ticketed for speeding, you should be advised and represented by an attorney who has substantial experience handling speeding cases. Driver Defense Team will defend you aggressively and effectively, and we will ensure that you are treated fairly and justly by the court.

Your attorney at Driver Defense Team will prepare an appropriate legal strategy and bring your speeding case to its best possible resolution. Driver Defense Team represents clients in Lake County, Kane County, DuPage County, and Cook County, and we are prepared to represent you.

If you are ticketed for speeding or any other moving violation in or near the Chicago area – now or in the future – call us immediately at 312-940-8330. You will receive personalized legal advice, and a member of theDriver Defense Team will review your case without any obligation or cost.