How to File a Small Claim in Cook County, Illinois

Which court hears the case

Small claims cases in Illinois are civil cases in the Circuit Court, handled under streamlined procedures in Illinois Supreme Court Rules 281 to 289. In Chicago, the court is the Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department, First Municipal District - Chicago, at the Richard J. Daley Center. The court's First Municipal District page lists the Daley Center as the primary location for its judges. The First Municipal District covers the City of Chicago; the Second through Sixth Municipal Districts serve suburban Cook County. If the defendant or the dispute is outside Chicago, confirm the correct municipal district with the clerk before filing; this guide does not state suburban courthouse assignments, which were not verified on court pages this run.

The limit

The limit is $10,000 or less, exclusive of interest and court costs. The statewide Small Claims Complaint form states "$10,000 or less" on its face, and Rule 282 requires the complaint to state the nature and amount of the claim within that limit. A claim above $10,000 does not belong in small claims; this guide gives no advice on reducing a claim or filing elsewhere.

The forms

Illinois uses approved statewide forms. The Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice has approved the Small Claims Complaint, the Small Claims Summons, a "How to File & Serve a Small Claims Complaint & Small Claims Summons" instruction set, and additional-defendant and additional-reasons forms. The complaint and summons forms were approved June 2024. The Illinois Courts forms page states that all Illinois courts must accept these forms.

Rule 282 states what the complaint must contain: the plaintiff's name, residence address, and telephone number; the defendant's name and place of residence, or place of business or regular employment; and the nature and amount of the claim, giving dates and other relevant information. If the claim is based on a written instrument, a copy of the instrument, or the relevant part of it, must be copied into or attached to the original and all copies of the complaint, unless the plaintiff attaches an affidavit stating facts showing the instrument is unavailable. A corporation may not appear as a claimant, assignee, subrogee, or counterclaimant in a small claims proceeding unless represented by counsel, under Rule 282(b).

Filing through eFileIL

File the Small Claims Complaint and Small Claims Summons with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Illinois filing is electronic through eFileIL, the statewide system. The Illinois Courts forms pages state the e-filing step for these forms directly: a completed fillable form must be "flattened" so it cannot be changed after completion, by printing to PDF in Adobe Acrobat or Reader and saving the flattened copy for e-filing. Ask the clerk about any e-filing exemption or waiver process before filing in person or by mail; no exemption rule was verified on the pages opened for this guide, so none is stated here.

Service follows the "How to File & Serve" instructions. Only the Circuit Clerk, not the filer, may mail the Small Claims Complaint and Small Claims Summons by the clerk-mailing method described in those instructions. This guide does not state service deadlines or return-date rules, which were not verified on primary pages this run.

Filing fees, with a currency warning

The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County publishes a Municipal Division Fee Schedule. The schedule copy located for this guide lists, under Small Claims new-case filing: $287.00 for claims over $0.00 to $2,500.00, and $379.00 for claims over $2,500.00 to $15,000.00, with an appearance fee of $151.00 on the lower tier and $251.00 on the higher tier. The schedule copy is dated: the spreadsheet file is dated July 16, 2019, and the PDF copy in the clerk's document store is filed April 2022. The clerk's general-information page states that separate fee schedules are available for each civil area at the Court Forms page and directs filers to contact the division in which they are filing to ensure all applicable fees are accounted for.

Because the schedule copy located is dated, the $287 and $379 figures are stated here as the figures on that schedule copy, not as confirmed current fees. Secondary pages state widely conflicting Cook County figures, including about $97, $141, $207, $221, and $301. None of those figures is carried here, because none was verified on a clerk page. Contact the First Municipal District division and confirm the current new-case filing fee for the claim amount before filing. Do not rely on any secondary fee figure.

What this guide does not state

No advice is given on whether to file, what to claim, or what a case is worth. No hearing, mediation, jury, or appeal rule is stated here, because none was verified on the primary pages opened. No fee-waiver form or income test is stated here; ask the clerk about fee relief when filing.

For small claims filing in other counties, see the Small-Claims Courts by County directory. To compare courts, limits, forms, and fees by county, use the Small-Claims Court Finder.

Source

Sources: Circuit Court of Cook County, First Municipal District - Chicago page (district, Daley Center location); Illinois Courts, Approved Statewide Forms, Small Claims Complaint page (approved forms, all courts must accept, approval dates, e-filing flattening step); Illinois Supreme Court Rule 282 (complaint contents, written-instrument rule, corporation representation); Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Division Fee Schedule (fee figures, dated copy); Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, General Information page (confirm fees with the division). Facts verified 2026-11-03. Open flags: the fee schedule copy located is dated 2019/2022 and the figures require confirmation with the division; secondary fee figures ($97, $141, $207, $221, $301) were not verified and are not carried; suburban district assignments, service deadlines, and fee-waiver rules were not verified on primary pages this run.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to the court.