Arrested for DUI by the Joliet Police Department?

Getting a towed car released in Joliet

Joliet publishes a real release process, and it is worth reading before you go. Per the department's Towed Vehicle Release page, you can get the release form at either station:

• Main Station, 150 W Washington St, Joliet, IL 60432
• West Sub-Station, 7196 Caton Farm Rd, Plainfield, IL 60586

The department lists these requirements:

1. The car is released only to the legal owner.
2. Bring proof of ownership, either the title or the current registration.
3. Pay any administrative fees that apply.
4. Bring a driver's license, and proof of insurance if the car was towed for an insurance violation.
5. If the owner has no license, a notarized letter signed by the owner and the person picking up the car is required.

The page says tow and storage fees are a separate expense, paid straight to the tow company. It also says the West Sub-Station takes exact cash only, while the Main Station takes exact cash and cards and other payment types. The page does not post the dollar amount of the administrative fee, so ask before you go.

Owner or driver: who can pick it up

This rule trips people up after a DUI arrest. If a friend, spouse or parent owns the car and you were driving, the owner is the person the department will release it to. If you own it and cannot pick it up yourself, the notarized letter route above is the written way to authorize someone else. Do not send a friend to the desk without the paperwork.

Station hours and phone numbers

The department's contact page gives these numbers: non-emergency 815-726-2491, records 815-724-3100, Traffic Unit 815-724-3010, Evidence Unit 815-724-3040, West Sub-Station 815-439-5202. The Main Station is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The West Sub-Station is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed weekends.

Which courthouse: Joliet and the Kendall County line

A DUI is heard in the county where the arrest happened. Most of Joliet is in Will County, so cases go to the Will County Courthouse at 100 W Jefferson St. A small part of Joliet lies in Kendall County. For an arrest on that side, the case belongs in Kendall County instead. Plainfield's police site lists the Kendall County Circuit Clerk's office at 807 W. John Street in Yorkville. Check the county on your citation.

Bond and the license clock

The department's site does not describe how release after arrest works. Illinois no longer uses cash bail; the Will County Sheriff page explains the statutes.

Separately, 625 ILCS 5/11-501.1(g) starts the statutory summary suspension on the 46th day after notice. Put that date on a calendar the day you read this, then run it through the deadline calculator.

Reviewed by Jeff McCarthy, Attorney, Inspired Law Group, 136 E 9th St, Lockport, IL 60441.