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Cook County Clerk Launches E-Citation Pilot for Traffic Tickets

The initiative links police software with the court system to reduce delays in opening cases.

Overview

  • About 40 suburban municipalities and the Cook County sheriff’s office are issuing electronic moving-violation citations, with roughly 20 more towns expected to join by the end of March and talks underway with the Chicago Police Department.
  • The clerk’s office is receiving about 1,200 e-citations per day covering minor moving violations such as seat-belt offenses, failure to stop, license or registration issues, and certain speeding violations.
  • Officers enter ticket data on in-car tablets or computers with auto-populated driver information, the citation is reviewed at the station, and it is transmitted to the clerk electronically within one to two days instead of a week or more.
  • Auto-population and digital transfer can cut officer ticket-writing time by about half and eliminate errors tied to deciphering handwritten forms, according to the clerk’s office.
  • Parking and camera tickets are not part of the pilot, payment options remain available online, by mail, or in person, and the e-citation rollout complements a new mobile app, an online records center, and expanded live-interpretation services.