Rule 589.Uniform Civil Law Citations—Processing

Article V. Rules on Trial Court Proceedings in Traffic and Conservation Offenses, Ordinance Offenses, Petty Offenses, Misdemeanors, and Civil Law Violations · Part F. Rules and Procedures for Civil Law Violations · Last amended 2023 · Last verified July 20, 2026

In one sentenceRule 589 standardizes the citation form and the paperwork trail — case numbering, complaint, disposition report — behind every civil law violation.

Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 589

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Uniform Civil Law Citation forms shall be in a form, which may from time to time be approved by the Conference of Chief Circuit Judges and filed with this court. The uniform form shall be adapted for use by municipalities. The law enforcement officer shall complete the form or citation and, within 48 hours after the issuance, shall transmit the portions entitled “Complaint” and “Disposition Report,” either in person or by mail, to the clerk of the circuit court of the county in which the violation occurred. Each Uniform Civil Law Citation form shall, upon receipt by the clerk, be assigned a separate case number, numbered chronologically. A final disposition noted on the reverse side of the “Complaint” shall be evidence of the judgment in the case. Upon final disposition of each case, the clerk shall execute the “Disposition Report” and promptly forward it to the law enforcement agency that issued the citation. This rule does not prohibit the use of electronic or mechanical systems of record keeping, transmitting, or reporting.

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Plain-English Summary

Every civil law violation uses a Uniform Civil Law Citation form, approved by the Conference of Chief Circuit Judges and adaptable for use by municipalities. Rule 589 sets the mechanics: the law enforcement officer completes the form and, within 48 hours, transmits the complaint and disposition report portions to the circuit clerk in the county where the violation occurred.

Each citation gets its own case number, assigned chronologically as the clerk receives it. Once the case wraps up, the clerk completes the disposition report and sends it back to the agency that issued the citation. As with traffic tickets, none of this rules out electronic or mechanical recordkeeping and reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Uniform Civil Law Citation?

The standard form used statewide for civil law violations under this Article.

How quickly must the officer submit my citation to the court?

Within 48 hours of issuing it.

How is my case tracked once it reaches the clerk?

It gets its own case number, assigned in chronological order as citations come in.

What happens once my case is resolved?

The clerk completes a disposition report and sends it back to the issuing agency.

Can the citation be processed electronically?

Yes, the rule allows electronic or mechanical recordkeeping and reporting.

Amendment History

Adopted Sept. 1, 2016, eff. immediately; amended Sept. 29, 2021, eff. Jan. 1, 2022; amended Oct. 27, 2022, eff. Sept. 18, 2023.

Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules, promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026. · Official source

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