The numbers we have verified
The lowest figure we verified is $89 (Champaign County Circuit Clerk, Champaign County) and the highest is $379 (Circuit Court of Cook County, Cook County).
Counts and ranges are generated from our verified data when this page is built. A county without a verified fee says so on its own page and never gets an estimated number.
State law sets caps, the county sets the fee
A small claim in Illinois is a civil action based on tort or contract "for money not in excess of $10,000, exclusive of interest and costs" (Illinois Supreme Court Rule 281). That limit is the same in every county. The filing fee is not.
The Clerks of Courts Act sets the framework. Unless the statute says otherwise, "the amount of a fee shall be determined by ordinance or resolution of the county board" (705 ILCS 105/27.1b). The fee to start a civil case follows schedules tied to case categories set by the Illinois Supreme Court, and each schedule has a maximum. The clerks' own fee schedules place small claims up to $2,500 in Schedule 3 and small claims from $2,500.01 to $10,000 in Schedule 2, which is why every Illinois county page shows two fees.
Cook County has higher caps
The statute sets one set of caps for a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more, which in Illinois means Cook County, and lower caps for every other county. Schedule 3 is capped at $265 in Cook County and $89 elsewhere; Schedule 2 at $357 in Cook County and $266 elsewhere (705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)).
The tables below are generated from the fees we verified on each clerk's own published schedule.
| Cook County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court of Cook County | $287 to $379 |
| Lake County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court of Lake County (19th Judicial Circuit) | $114 to $284 |
Kane and Will counties can add up to $30
Two counties have their own extra charge written into the statute. "In Kane County and Will County civil cases, there is an additional fee of up to $30 as set by the county board," paid by each party when it files its first pleading or appearance (705 ILCS 105/27.1b(b-5)).
| Kane County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court of Kane County (16th Judicial Circuit) | $144 to $314 |
| Will County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court of Will County (12th Judicial Circuit) | $144 to $314 |
Published totals can be above the cap
Most Illinois clerks publish a total small claims fee that is higher than the Schedule 3 cap on its own. Their schedules show the total, not each part of it, so we do not try to split it up. We report the total the clerk publishes and link to the schedule, which is the amount you pay at the counter.
Some counties charge right at the cap and others well above it, which is the main reason two neighboring Illinois counties can differ.
| McHenry County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court of McHenry County (22nd Judicial Circuit) | $89 to $264 |
| Champaign County court | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Champaign County Circuit Clerk | $89 to $248 |
Defendants pay no appearance fee
Since October 1, 2025, a defendant in an Illinois small claims case does not pay a fee to file an appearance. The Illinois Supreme Court moved small claims to the $0 appearance schedule "to encourage defendant participation in small claim cases," and the statute now says "No fee may be charged for the filing of an appearance by any defendant in a small claim proceeding" (705 ILCS 105/27.1b).
A counterclaim is different. A defendant who files one pays the filing fee for the relief it seeks, less any appearance fee already paid (705 ILCS 105/27.1b(c)).
What this means if you are filing in Illinois
Find the county where your case will be filed, and check that clerk's fee schedule for your claim amount. Our Illinois county pages list the clerks we have verified, show both fee tiers, and link to each clerk's own schedule. If your county is not verified yet, its page says so instead of guessing, and the clerk can tell you the exact total.
Service of the summons (by the sheriff or a process server) and a jury demand are charged separately. If the fee is a hardship, Illinois courts accept fee waiver applications; see our Illinois fee waiver guide.
A professionally written demand letter template that puts the other party on notice before you file. Courts expect a demand letter before you sue — and it gets you paid 40% of the time without ever stepping foot in a courtroom. Works in all 50 states.
See exactly what you get- 6 variants included: General, Landlord/Tenant, Contractor, Unpaid Loan, Property Damage, Follow-Up Notice
- Fillable HTML — open in any browser, click fields to type, print to PDF when done
- Editable Word (.docx) — fill in Microsoft Word using Find & Replace
- Certified mail instructions included — how to send, what to keep as proof
- Instant download — ready to fill in and send today
HTML, Word (.docx)
Secure checkout via Payhip · Instant delivery · 30-day guarantee
Sources
- 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, Circuit court clerk fees (source note through P.A. 104-120, eff. January 1, 2026) (read October 2026, archived copy of 2026-03-07)
- Illinois Supreme Court Rule 281, Definition of Small Claim (amended eff. January 1, 2022) (read October 2026)
- Illinois Supreme Court, Illinois Supreme Court eliminates fees in minor guardianship and small claims cases (April 30, 2025) (read October 2026)
- Lake County Circuit Clerk, Fee Schedule (effective September 16, 2026) (read October 2026)
The Illinois General Assembly site was not reachable from our location, so 705 ILCS 105/27.1b was read from the Internet Archive's copy on the capture date shown. A later amendment would not appear in that copy; check the current text before relying on it for a filing.
This is general information, not legal advice. Fees change; confirm the current amount with the court before you file. How we check our data: methodology.