JULIE works to prevent damage to Illinois underground utilities by connecting homeowners and professional excavators with member utility companies via our free and easy facility notification center.

Always contact JULIE at least 3 days—but not more than 10 days—before you plan to start digging. When making a locate request, remember that the day of the request, weekends and holidays are NOT considered days.

State law requires you to notify JULIE at least 3 but not more than 10 days before any digging project regardless of the project size or depth. Even if you are digging in the same area as a previous project, notify JULIE first.

Whether you’re planting, building, adding, or fixing anything outdoors, all you have to do is to contact JULIE before you dig. The service is FREE and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Enter your own information directly into the locate request form using the same maps and drop‑down tools as JULIE agents. Add attachments (photos or maps of the proposed dig area) — available exclusively to RTE users.

Contact JULIE before you dig and stay safe. We perform the vital role of connecting homeowners like you with utility companies so they can mark their underground lines and indicate where it’s safe to dig.

The state law requires that all member utility companies respond to every locate request notification they receive. Starting on January 1, 2026, all responses must be submitted through the Positive Response system. JULIE’s Positive Response system will be available later this year.

Thank you for contacting JULIE before you dig and doing your part to protect yourself, your family and underground utilities. The following outlines what to expect next.

JULIE offers a self-service, no-cost option for professional excavators working in Illinois who want to enter and submit their own locate requests. Excavators must complete a free, one-hour webinar training course to use Remote Ticket Entry (RTE).

Dig into JULIE’s Excavation Safety Resource for an overview of the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act, best practices to maintain a safe working environment near underground utility lines, and guidelines on JULIE processes.