Madison County Traffic Court Records

How to Search Madison County Traffic Court Records

The Madison County Circuit Clerk runs the official online traffic case search. The Court Records Search hosts traffic case results alongside other case types. The county warns that the search screen can be slow during high-volume use. Help with the search system is at (800) 250-9884.

1. Open the Circuit Clerk's Court Records Search.
2. Click through to the live search at clericusmagnus.com:8443.
3. Search by driver name or citation case number in YYYY-TR-###### format.
4. Allow about two weeks from the date of the citation for a new ticket to appear in the system.
5. Click the case to open the Case Overview screen with the Next/Last Court Date.
6. For a certified court copy, file a Circuit Clerk copy request through the online form, email, fax, or in person.

Note: The Circuit Clerk says the search screen can lag during heavy use; be patient after clicking the link.

Which Courts Handle Madison County Traffic Cases

Illinois does not use justice-of-the-peace courts. Traffic cases in Madison County go to the Circuit Court. The State's Attorney's Traffic and Misdemeanor Division prosecutes high-volume traffic and misdemeanor offenses, with court days in Edwardsville and at the Alton Satellite Office on Tuesdays and Fridays. First and second DUI offenses also run through the same division.

Felony traffic charges such as aggravated DUI move to the General Criminal Division or the Violent Crimes Unit depending on the facts. Juvenile traffic offenses can route through Children's Justice in some situations.

Types of Madison County Traffic Cases

Traffic cases run across a range of offenses. The Circuit Clerk's case-type codes help users identify the category quickly.

• TR – standard traffic citation.
• DT – DUI cases.
• CM – misdemeanor traffic where the case is filed as a misdemeanor.
• CF – felony traffic such as aggravated DUI.
• MT – traffic matters routed through the mental treatment track in some situations.

What Madison County Traffic Court Records Show

The Case Overview for a traffic case includes the driver, the citation number, the case type, the date filed, the next or last court date, and the disposition. Officer name and badge information may appear inside the case documents but not always in the public docket entries.

Citation Lookup Search Fields

The case search supports two main lookup paths for a traffic ticket: by name or by case number. The live system could not be inspected for this site, but the published fields are summarized below.

Paying or Contesting a Madison County Traffic Ticket

The Circuit Clerk FAQ explains the two ticket categories. Tickets marked "Court required" must be answered in person at the designated time to speak with the prosecuting attorney. Tickets marked "No Court Required" can be paid through the Circuit Clerk's no-court-appearance system.

1. Find your ticket. The court date and "Court required" or "No Court Required" status is printed on the citation.
2. For a "No Court Required" ticket, allow two weeks from the date of arrest for the ticket to show in the Circuit Clerk's payment system.
3. Use the Circuit Clerk's online payment portal or call to pay.
4. For a "Court required" ticket, appear at the designated court time to speak with the prosecuting attorney.
5. To contest, plead not guilty and request a trial date through the Circuit Clerk.
6. To request supervision or defensive driving in eligible cases, work with the prosecuting attorney at the court date.
7. Keep a copy of any plea, supervision order, or final disposition for your records.

Public Access Laws for Traffic Court Records

Traffic court records are court records under the Circuit Clerk's keeping. Most are public unless restricted by state statute or sealed by court order. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, covers agency records. Court files are addressed through Circuit Clerk copy requests and Supreme Court rules instead.

Personal identifiers in traffic filings are redacted under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 138. The Rule 138 PDF is linked from Illinois Courts when needed.

Court Traffic Record vs State Driver Record

The court traffic record at the Circuit Clerk is not the same as the Illinois state driver record. Each one has its own source agency, its own contents, and its own correction process. Confusing the two leads to mismatched paperwork at jobs, licensing, and insurance reviews.

CDL and Commercial Driver Records

Commercial driver's license holders are held to a stricter standard than other drivers. The Illinois Secretary of State maintains the CDL record under federal commercial motor vehicle rules. Court supervision in lieu of conviction is not always available for CDL holders even on minor violations because federal rules require certain offenses to appear on the driving record.

A CDL holder who gets a ticket in Madison County should consult an attorney before pleading. Even a moving violation in a personal vehicle can affect the CDL because the federal rules look at all moving violations for the holder.

DUI Cases in Madison County

First and second DUI offenses in Madison County are prosecuted by the State's Attorney's Traffic and Misdemeanor Division. Aggravated DUI cases move to the General Criminal Division. The Circuit Court hears DUI cases under DT case-type codes for misdemeanor DUI and CF for felony DUI. For the broader criminal walkthrough see criminal records.

DUI cases generally involve a statutory summary suspension of driving privileges, a court appearance, and possible loss of license. The Illinois Secretary of State handles the license suspension separately from the criminal court case.

Court Supervision and Defensive Driving

Court supervision is a disposition that allows the case to be dismissed at the end of the supervision period if all conditions are met. In Illinois, eligible drivers can sometimes use court supervision to keep a conviction off the driving record. Defensive driving programs are accepted in some traffic dispositions, and the Circuit Clerk's office can confirm whether the local court requires a certificate of completion.

Supervision is not available for every offense. Excluded categories include certain DUI scenarios, some moving violations for CDL holders, and offenses that exceed statutory speed thresholds. The State's Attorney has discretion on what to offer at the court date.

Sealing or Expunging Traffic Records

Most non-conviction traffic dispositions, including dismissed and acquittal outcomes, may be eligible for expungement under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2. Convictions are usually not expungable but may be sealable under the same statute. The Illinois Courts expungement and sealing forms are the statewide petitions used in Madison County. A petitioner files in the Circuit Court where the citation issued, serves the State's Attorney and arresting agency, and waits for any objection before a hearing.

Fees for Traffic Record Copies

Copy fees follow the Circuit Clerk's general schedule under 705 ILCS 105/27.1a.

Photo Enforcement and Local Ordinance Tickets

Photo enforcement tickets are typically administrative rather than criminal. Cities and counties can run their own administrative adjudication systems for red-light or speed-camera violations. Those administrative cases are not Madison County Circuit Court cases and do not appear in the Circuit Clerk's case search. If the ticket says it is from a city's administrative system, payment and contest both go to that city rather than the Circuit Clerk.

Some local ordinance violations, including certain Edwardsville or Alton city ordinance cases, can still end up filed in the Circuit Court as ordinance violations. Those cases use an OV case-type code on the Circuit Clerk's case search and appear alongside other Madison County Circuit Court traffic and ordinance records.

Related Madison County Searches

For the case search see court records. For DUI and felony traffic see criminal records. For the daily call schedules see court dockets. For the Circuit Clerk's office see Circuit Clerk.