An out of state driver charged with reckless driving in Illinois should know that the court appearances are mandatory.

In Illinois, we get a lot of folks from Wisconsin and a lot of folks from Indiana because it’s kind of that thoroughfare, Milwaukee to Chicago to Indianapolis up into Michigan.

What any out of state driver should know is that the court appearances are mandatory so you should plan on making return trips back to the state if you’re dealing with an open reckless driving charge.

What if I Miss My Court Date?

Skipping court can result in a bond forfeiture. If you put up any money to get either out of an arrest or to be released back onto the roadway by the officer, if you put up any sort of bond, not attending court can have that bond forfeited. You will not see that money again. It goes to the state.

It can also result in a bench warrant, meaning that the state requests that the judge sign a warrant for your arrest. If you’re out of state and you have a warrant for the State of Illinois, the next time you are driving through Illinois and you got a tail light out, you could find yourself in cuffs being escorted to the police station.

Also, several other states around the country could have access to the knowledge that you have an open warrant. If you’re pulled over for any other reason, you could find yourself in cuffs and transported back to the State of Illinois. Always, for out of state drivers, plan on being in court, even if you have to travel back to Illinois to do so.

Supervision Compliance Between States

The other thing that I would advise out of state drivers to be aware of is that not every state complies with the supervisions that Illinois offers.

Illinois is part of what is called the Interstate Compact. There are several states that have all compacted together to honor and respect each other’s supervisions and conviction rules. Meaning if you receive supervision in Illinois, it’s not a conviction and it’s not a conviction in those states. Other states do not honor that.

Specifically, I know that Michigan does not honor Illinois’ supervisions. If you receive a supervision in the State of Illinois as a Michigan licensed driver, Michigan itself will not recognize that supervision and it will go in as a conviction on your driving record in Michigan and will assess points to your license in Michigan. Out of state drivers would want to consult with their version of the Department of Motor Vehicles or secretary of state.

They would want to consult with that or consult with an attorney in their home state to find out if a supervision received in Illinois will translate back to their home state. If they are on the fence with getting their home state license suspended and they receive a supervision in Illinois that converts to a conviction, it could end up seriously damaging their driving record at home.