Check Ticket Status
Submit Online Request
Check Ticket Status
Submit Online Request

Protect Your Family, Your Property And Yourself

Planting, building, adding, or fixing anything outdoors? Illinois law requires you have underground utility lines on your property marked before you start digging. It’s a FREE service that could save you time, utility repair costs, and even your life.
Submit a Locate Request Online

Ready To Start Digging?

Contact JULIE Before You Dig. Every Project. Every Time.
You can submit a locate request to JULIE online or over the phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The process is easy!

1. Identify Your Dig Area

Designate where you plan to dig on your property by pre-marking the area and communicate that information to JULIE. You may provide a clear and concise verbal or written description of your specific dig area when you submit your locate request to JULIE. Alternatively, you may physically identify the proposed excavation site using white paint, stakes or flags. Both methods indicate to underground utility line locators where they should focus on marking.

2. Submit a Request

It’s easy…and it’s FREE. At least 3 days before you plan to start your digging project, submit a locate request to JULIE. You can contact JULIE online at any time…and avoid possible hold times…or you can call 811. But first, have the following information handy to speed up the process.
  • Contact name, email and phone number
  • Property address including county, city or township
  • Type and location of digging project
  • Earliest date and time the project will start

While the law requires you contact JULIE at least 3 days before you plan to start digging, don’t submit a locate request
for work that’s more than 10 days in the future. View our handy locate request calendar that makes planning simple. Weekends and holidays are not considered days when scheduling, so be sure to check out the
list of holidays here.

Submit A Locate Request Online

3. Wait for the Paint or Flags

After you submit your locate request, you’ll receive a ticket—also known as a notice—from JULIE with specific details including a Dig Number, the underground utility companies notified of your project, and most importantly a start date and time. Once notified, underground utility company representatives will come to your property to locate buried utility lines and mark them with colored paint and flags. They may mark an All Clear with a painted OK or contact you if nothing is in conflict with your site. Make sure all underground utility companies listed on your ticket have responded to your locate request before you dig.

JULIE personnel are not locators and will not visit your property. Each underground utility company is responsible for marking its own lines.

Learn More

4. Respect the Marks

Knowing where underground utility lines are located helps keep you safe! So don’t move or destroy any flags, paint or other marks until you have finished your digging project.

5. Dig With Care

Always use caution when digging. To be safe, dig at least 18 inches away from where underground utility lines are marked. If you must dig more closely, dig by hand with extra care. Contact the underground utility company, as well as JULIE, if you think you have struck or damaged an underground utility line. Never try to repair it yourself. In case of an emergency such as leaking gas or a cut electric cable, call 911 immediately.

Every Project. Every Time.

Wondering if you need to contact JULIE before you dig? You do! Click here for examples of common DIY projects that require a locate request. Remember, the service is always FREE.

Professional excavator?

Click here to learn more about the benefits of our Remote Ticket Entry process.