General Information

This page provides general contact information for the Clerk of the Circuit Court. We have also provided limited contact information for other government entities and local courts.

Legal Authority Governing Your Illinois Circuit Court Clerks

The 102 Illinois Circuit Court Clerks, including the Illinois Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, are State Judicial-Branch Offices governed by the Illinois Constitution, Illinois Supreme Court Rules, Illinois Supreme Court Orders, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) Policies, State Statutes, Circuit Court Rules, Circuit Court Orders and by County Board Ordinances on those limited fiscal matters permitted by law. 

By State law, each Illinois Circuit Court Clerk is mainly funded by the county in which they sit via annual budget. Due to the separation of powers, local county governments do not employ, supervise, control or set policy for the Illinois Circuit Court Clerks, which instead operate as part of one unified court system Statewide under the administration of the Illinois Supreme Court. Illinois Circuit Court Clerks are governed by:

• Constitution of the State of Illinois, Article VI, Section 18 
• Illinois Supreme Court Rules
• AOIC Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records of the Illinois Courts
• AOIC Standards for Accepting Electronic Pleas of Guilty Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 529 
• Illinois Clerks of Courts Act
• Illinois Circuit Court Clerk Regulation Act
• Illinois Fee Bill Act 
• Illinois Court Statistics Act 
• Rules of the Circuit Court of Cook County
• General Orders of the Circuit Court of Cook County 
• General Administrative Orders of the Circuit Court of Cook County  
• Ordinances of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (on those limited fiscal matters permitted by law)

In addition, the Illinois Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County complies with Federal Statutes and numerous other State Statutes, such as those governing the collection and disbursement of court fines, fees and costs; provision of court forms; holding funds in trust pursuant to order of court; deposit and disbursement of bail bond funds; child support payment disbursement; mortgage foreclosure surplus funds; provision of free services to those adjudicated as indigent; and delivery of notice to parties and other entities as required by law.

Illinois Practice Codes

• Illinois Code of Civil Procedure - 735 ILCS 5/ Code of Civil Procedure
• Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure - 725 ILCS 5/
• Illinois Vehicle Code - 625 ILCS 5/

Filing Fees

“Separate fee schedules are available for each civil area law at our Cook County Court Forms page.  Enter “filing fees” in the Court Forms Search window to get links to those schedules.  Contact the division in which you are filing to ensure that you have accounted for all applicable fees.”