Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
Washington County, Illinois, has about 14,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in Washington County is a court case in the Circuit Court of Washington County, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the Illinois Secretary of State. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Washington County public records, Washington County arrest records, Washington County warrants, Washington County inmate search, Washington County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in Washington County Goes
A traffic ticket written in Washington County is answered in the Circuit Court of Washington County. The ticket itself is a court case, and the court's index is the record of it.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at washingtonco.illinois.gov/circuit-clerk (page title: Circuit Clerk | Washington County, Illinois), phone (618) 327-4800, Mon-Fri 8:00am - 4:00pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Illinois has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
Who Writes the Tickets in Washington County
The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Nashville, Okawville and Irvington write the traffic tickets in Washington County.
The Wamac Police Department and the Centralia Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Washington County, so their arrests are not broken out for Washington County here.
The Driving Record and the Illinois Secretary of State
The driving record is a separate document from the court file. It is kept by the Illinois Secretary of State, which adds each conviction the court reports and handles suspensions; the court does not issue driving records.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the Illinois Secretary of State like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
A DUI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before the Secretary of State (see Washington County DUI).
Cities in Washington County
Wherever in the county a ticket is written, it is answered in the Circuit Court of Washington County.
The cities and towns in the county are Nashville, Okawville, Irvington, Hoyleton, Ashley, Addieville, Richview, Oakdale, Radom, Du Bois, New Minden and Venedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Washington County?
With the Circuit Court of Washington County, whose page SearchSystems verified is at washingtonco.illinois.gov/circuit-clerk, phone (618) 327-4800.
Who keeps my driving record in Illinois?
The Illinois Secretary of State. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in Washington County?
The Circuit Court of Washington County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Is this the official Washington County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.