Villanueva law to protect driving privileges

SPRINGFIELD - A new law, championed by State Senator Celina Villanueva, will allow driver's license holders more notice for court appearances prior to suspension.

"Drivers are not receiving notice of court dates and unknowingly having their driving privileges revoked. This is a major issue that leads to severe consequences," said Villanueva (D-Chicago). "This law will allow drivers the curtesy of electronic notice of court dates to reduce the possibility of suspension or further legal issues."

Under House Bill 277, if a person fails to appear in court, the court may text, call or email the person's last known contact information with notice regarding the continued court dates. The notice will include a statement that a future failure to appear could result in a warrant or consequences affecting their driving privileges. The current penalty for failure to appear in court is immediate license suspension by the Secretary of State.

"In this digital age where we are likely to get unknown driving citations due to cameras on every corner, we need to make sure people are being notified in the same manner and snail mail is simply unreliable," said Villanueva. "Driving privileges are a necessity and this will reduce the possibility of legal penalties and cycles of legal non-compliance."

House Bill 277 was signed into law last Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.