McHenry County circuit clerk announces launch of HOPE Card Program
WOODSTOCK — To simplify the reporting of orders of protection violations, the McHenry County Circuit Clerk Kathy Keefe recently announced that McHenry County residents with plenary orders of protection will be able to obtain HOPE cards starting March 31. The goal is that this will make it easier for victims to report violations.
According to Keefe, a HOPE card is a laminated card that includes essential information about a plenary order of protection which can be presented to law enforcement when reporting a violation of an order of protection or other related crimes without having to present the actual court documents.
“We are excited to be a part of the next phase of pilot Circuit Clerk’s Offices that will be issuing HOPE cards,” stated Keefe in a press release. “While the concept seems very simple, the purpose behind the HOPE Card is to make it easier for victims and survivors of domestic violence to move on with their lives by eliminating the necessity of carrying around a bulky stack of court paperwork, replacing it instead with a small card that can easily be carried in a wallet.”
Other features of a HOPE card include having the recipient’s case number, the names of the petitioner and other people protected under the order of protection, as well as the name of the respondent and whether he or she has specific firearm restrictions under the order.
Upon being presented with a HOPE card, law enforcement will be required to verify the information through the Illinois Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.
Individuals with currently valid plenary orders of protection who are interested in obtaining a HOPE card may begin the process starting March 31 in Room 353 of the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center located at 2200 N. Seminary Avenue in Woodstock. There is no cost involved in obtaining a HOPE card.
A 2021 law (House Bill 3485) empowered the Illinois Supreme Court to implement the program, which is gradually being rolled out across the state. Five Illinois counties — DeKalb, DuPage, Jefferson, Grundy, and Madison—have already been issuing HOPE cards since last year.
“HB 3485 is a critical piece of legislation that will provide much-needed protection for children and families,” said Illinois State Representative Denyse Stoneback (D-Skokie), who filed the bill. “I came to the legislature with the full purpose of doing whatever was necessary to reduce violence in Illinois, and am positive that this legislation will help do just that. It has been my privilege to work with my colleagues across the aisle and I look forward to continuing to work with all of my colleagues in the House on how we can best protect Illinoisans who are victims of domestic violence.”
McHenry County will now join Kane, Winnebago, Marion, and Coles counties in this latest expansion.
The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) stated that in 2023 and 2024, Florida, New York, and Washington all adopted the HOPE card program by law. These statewide programs join Montana, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, and Virginia. In addition, Nevada’s legislature is considering the creation of a HOPE Card program in 2025.
