Legal Question in Traffic Law in Illinois

In Illinois the "financial responsibility" laws require you to have valid insurance to obtain and/or renew and/or keep your registration. You in part got unlucky because you didn't have insurance at the time and got clipped for both. But they are considered separate. And if you have a car loan outstanding the lender will consider you in violation of the loan if you don't have insurance! If you got your insurance, take the card to a Secretary of State facility and see if they will reinstated the registration and take that to court. If they won't allow that then you should simply offer to pay the fees and costs (and possible fine) on the pre-trial date and get this behind you. Since it's not a moving violation, this should not ding your insurance.