Probation & Pretrial Services Frequently Asked Questions

You can pay your probation fees or restitution with cash, money order or a cashier's check. Personal checks are not accepted. Online payment via credit card will be available soon.

You can make any payments in person at the Cashier's Office located at 2650 S. California Avenue, Lower Level. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cash payments can only be made in person.

You can make a payment by mail via money order or cashier's check. Send your payments to the attention of the Cashier's Office at:

ATTN: Cashier's Office
2650 S. California Avenue, Lower Level
Chicago, IL 60608

If you cannot afford to make any payments towards your probation fees, you can talk with your officer about modifying your fees. Your officer cannot get rid of your fees, but they can work with you on a more affordable payment plan.

When you are ordered to pretrial or probation supervision, you will receive contact information for the officer assigned to supervise your case. If you did not receive this information or do not have this information available, you should call the reception desk for the court location where you were ordered to supervision. Be prepared to provide your name, case number or docket number, and other identifying information as needed. Contact information for each location is at the bottom of the page.

If you have questions about your conditions of release/probation, your next court date, or about the supervision process, you should contact your pretrial or probation officer.

If you missed a scheduled appointment with your pretrial or probation officer, you should immediately call them to reschedule. If you do not contact your officer, your officer can file a violation of probation or a non-compliance report with the court that can lead to sanctions. The judge may modify your conditions to be more restrictive.

To best prepare for your first appointment with your pretrial or probation officer, you should bring:

• A current, valid photo ID (driver's license, passport, state ID, military ID, school ID, etc.)
• Any paperwork you were given in court when you were sentenced to probation or ordered to supervision (sentencing order, list of special conditions, order of conditions for pretrial release, etc.)
• Documents that verify your address (utility bills, copy of a lease, mortgage agreement, property tax statements, etc.)
• Documents that verify your employment (pay stubs, official schedule, letter from your employer on letterhead, etc.)
• Documents that verify your school enrollment (class schedule, enrollment paperwork, etc.)
• Documents that verify your treatment enrollment (intake paperwork, letter from your treatment provider on letterhead, etc.)

For ongoing appointment with your pretrial or probation officer, you should bring any documents that verify updates to your address, employment, school enrollment or treatment enrollment. Your officer may also ask you to bring verification of steps you have taken towards completing special conditions, like community service, counseling sessions or offender registration (if required).

Before you travel or move to another state, you must receive written permission from the court. If you are on pretrial supervision, your court case will continue to be heard in Cook County, even if you are out of state.

If you are on probation and want to move out of Cook County, your supervision can be transferred to another county or state through the Intrastate and Interstate Compact System. This is a formal legal process that requires paying certain fees. Talk with your probation officer about this before making any arrangements.

If you know that you will be moving to a new address in Cook County, you should notify your officer as soon as possible. Having a current address where you can receive mail is important so you can receive notices about upcoming court dates and other documentation about your case. Notifying your officer of an address change is required as part of your special conditions of release or probation conditions.

If you plan to move outside of Cook County, you should talk with your officer as soon as possible. Probation supervision can be transferred to another county or state through the Intrastate and Interstate Compact System. This is a formal legal process that requires paying certain fees. Pretrial cases cannot be transferred to another county or state.

If you are on probation, you cannot possess a firearm or any other dangerous weapon. These include stun guns, Tasers, BB guns, hunting knives, or ammunition. Possession also means having these items in your vehicle or residence, even if they do not belong to you.

If you are on pretrial supervision, your conditions of release may require you to surrender any firearms and your Firearm Owner's ID Card (FOID Card). If you are unsure whether you are required to surrender any firearms and your FOID Card, talk to your Public Defender, defense attorney, or your pretrial officer. Failure to surrender your firearms and FOID Card when required may lead to sanctions, incarceration, or additional criminal charges.

Calling the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County will allow you access to any information that is considered public record. The Adult Probation Department is unable to release any information about specific individuals under supervision without a court order, based on 730 ILCS 110/12 (4):

“To preserve complete and accurate records of cases investigated, including a description of the person investigated, the action of the court with respect to his cases and his probation, the subsequent history of such person, if he becomes a probationer, during the continuance of his probation, which records shall be open to inspection by any judge or any other probation officers pursuant to order of court, but shall not be a public record, and its contents shall not be divulged otherwise than as above provided, except upon order of court.”

If you are a law enforcement official or a probation/court services official and are seeking information related to an arrest warrant or a Presentence/Pretrial Investigation (PSI or PTI), please contact the Public Information Officer at apd.publicinfo@cookcountyil.gov.