How to Register a Judgment from Another State in Illinois

Out-of-state judgments are referred to as foreign judgments. A judgment obtained in another state can be registered in Illinois pursuant to the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act found at 735 ILCS 5/12-650 et. seq. To register a foreign judgment in Illinois, you will need to prepare (1) a civil action cover sheet (selecting foreign judgment registration as the case type); (2) a foreign judgment registration cover sheet; (3) a notice of filing of the foreign judgment; (4) an authenticated copy of the judgment; and (4) an affidavit setting forth the name and last known address of the judgment debtor and judgment creditor. When our firm is retained to register a foreign judgment, the first thing we request is an authenticated (often referred to as certified or exemplified) judgment from the state it was obtained in because it must be provided as part of the pleading that is required to register an out-of-state judgment in Illinois. In almost every jurisdiction, the authenticated judgment can be obtained at the courthouse where the underlying judgment that is being registered was obtained. Once the pleadings are prepared, they are filed with the clerk of court in and the Clerk is required to promptly mail notice of the filing of the foreign judgment to the judgment debtor at the address given and shall make a note of the filing on the Electronic docket. The fee for filing a foreign judgment is a fee to the circuit clerk that is equivalent to the fee that would be required were the person filing a complaint seeking the amount awarded in the foreign judgment, i.e., Illinois charges the same amount they would if you were filing a brand-new lawsuit for the same amount of damages. Our firm routinely registers out-of-state judgments for other law firms across the country as well as for individuals and businesses seeking to collect from a judgment debtor who resides in or is primarily based in Illinois. Registering a foreign judgment in Illinois requires following the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act strictly and retaining an experienced attorney to assist you in the process is highly recommended. Contact us today to set up a consultation if you are seeking to register a judgment you obtained in a different state in Illinois.