New Law Allows Drivers to Retain Driver’s License Following Traffic Offense

Deborah Bayliss | As of Thursday, August 21, 2014

Drivers normally post their license as security after certain traffic citations, ensuring they would guarantee to appear in court or pay a fine. Soon they will be able to simply sign the ticket and keep their licenses.
Drivers normally post their license as security after certain traffic citations, ensuring they would guarantee to appear in court or pay a fine. Soon they will be able to simply sign the ticket and keep their licenses.

The Illinois Association of County Officials (IACO) reportedly is happy with recent action taken by Illinois legislators for changing the law that once required drivers to give up their licenses following a traffic offense.

“The governor and lawmakers brought Illinois in line with the rest of the country,” said Chris Kachiroubas, IACO's Secretary-Treasurer and DuPage Circuit Clerk. “Illinois drivers will have the same rights as out-of-state drivers and will keep their licenses by signing their name, knowing they have to pay the fines or face stronger sanctions. We hope this is a change that benefits everyone.”

A statewide organization of affiliate county official groups, The Illinois Association of County Officials, is dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of county government through education.

The IACO membership promotes responsible public policy, ethical service and high standards of performance in single and multi-county units of government.

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Chris Kachiroubas, of the Illinois Association of County Officials and a Dupage County Clerk, helped spearhead a new law allowing Illinois drivers to sign a traffic ticket rather than give up their driver's license.

The new “Sign and Drive” legislation was signed into law over the weekend. Until now, drivers would post their license as security after certain traffic citations, ensuring they would guarantee to appear in court or pay a fine. Now they can just sign the ticket and keep their licenses.

Kachiroubas, whose office helped spearhead the law change, said his office had dealt with the problem since he took office a decade ago. Often, drivers’ licenses are people’s only form of government-issued identification. They could then face not getting on airplanes, renting cars, cashing checks or even getting into schools with new security procedures.

 There were also court administrative costs and headaches associated with tracking drivers’ licenses. Illinois is the last of the 50 states to make this change, and Kachiroubas says he and many other circuit clerks welcome it.

IACO, which represents circuit clerks along with other county officials, said the signing of Senate Bill 2583 is another example of the association’s campaign to show Why Counties Matter. 

“Chris and the other circuit clerks around Illinois recognized this was a law that needed a change and Illinois drivers are better for it,” said Larry Pfeiffer, IACO President and Regional Superintendent of Schools in west-central Illinois. “We will continue to find ways to serve taxpayers and ensure government policies make sense.”

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