Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County)
Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County)
Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Room 601, Chicago, IL 60602
312-603-5116
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday
- Electronic filing via eFileIL (mandatory for attorneys under Ill. S. Ct. Rule 9; available to self-represented filers)
- In person at the Civil Division counter, Richard J. Daley Center Room 601, or a suburban district courthouse — paper filing requires an approved e-filing exemption
- By mail with an approved e-filing exemption
Walk-in filing is available at 6 locations: District 1 (First Municipal District) — Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602, District 2 — 5600 Old Orchard Rd., Skokie, IL 60077 (847-470-7250), District 3 — 2121 Euclid Ave., Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 (847-818-3000), District 4 — 1500 Maybrook Dr., Maywood, IL 60153 (708-865-6040), District 5 — 10220 S. 76th Ave., Bridgeview, IL 60455 (708-974-6500), District 6 — 16501 S. Kedzie Pkwy., Markham, IL 60428 (708-232-4551).
- Filing locations
- 6
- Hours
- 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday
- Filing fee
- $287–$379
- File without going in
- Yes, online
Every location that takes a small claims filing
Cook County accepts small claims filings at:
- District 1 (First Municipal District) — Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602
- District 2 — 5600 Old Orchard Rd., Skokie, IL 60077 (847-470-7250)
- District 3 — 2121 Euclid Ave., Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 (847-818-3000)
- District 4 — 1500 Maybrook Dr., Maywood, IL 60153 (708-865-6040)
- District 5 — 10220 S. 76th Ave., Bridgeview, IL 60455 (708-974-6500)
- District 6 — 16501 S. Kedzie Pkwy., Markham, IL 60428 (708-232-4551)
The Circuit Court of Cook County is organized into six Municipal Districts, each with its own courthouse serving a defined geographic area (District 1 = Chicago, at the Richard J. Daley Center; Districts 2-6 = suburban Cook County). Venue is generally the district where the defendant resides or where the events giving rise to the claim occurred (735 ILCS 5/2-101 to 5/2-104; and the statewide small-claims filing instructions, which direct filing 'where the Defendant lives or where the events of the case happened'). The case is filed in the district covering that location, so there is no single central filing office for the county; filing in the wrong district can lead to dismissal or transfer.
Is Cook County the right court for your case?
Which court may hear a small claims case turns on where the dispute belongs, not on where it is convenient for you to go. It is normally:
- Where the defendant lives — or, for a business, where it has its place of business.
- Where the events you are suing about actually happened.
- Where a contract was to be performed, where the claim is about an agreement.
The Circuit Court of Cook County is organized into six Municipal Districts, each with its own courthouse serving a defined geographic area (District 1 = Chicago, at the Richard J. Daley Center; Districts 2-6 = suburban Cook County). Venue is generally the district where the defendant resides or where the events giving rise to the claim occurred (735 ILCS 5/2-101 to 5/2-104; and the statewide small-claims filing instructions, which direct filing 'where the Defendant lives or where the events of the case happened'). The case is filed in the district covering that location, so there is no single central filing office for the county; filing in the wrong district can lead to dismissal or transfer.
We cannot advise you which venue to choose. Where two courts would both be proper, either is a valid filing.
Going to Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County) in person
If you are filing at the counter rather than by mail or online, this is the shape of the visit.
- Go during filing hours, not court hours. The counter is open 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Clerks stop accepting new filings before closing, so arriving in the last half hour is how people end up coming back.
- Bring the completed claim form and your copies. If your claim is based on a written agreement, a copy must be attached to the form. Bring a copy for the court, one for each defendant, and one for yourself.
- Bring the fee, in a form this clerk takes. The filing fee is $287–$379. Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County) accepts 2 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either.
- Know the defendant's exact legal name and address. The clerk will not look it up for you, and a judgment against a trade name that is not the legal entity is difficult to collect on afterwards.
- Leave with your court date. Cook County sets the first court date at filing, so you leave the counter knowing when to come back.
Court staff can explain procedure and check a form is complete. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether to bring it at all.
Ways to file without standing in line
Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County) accepts a filing:
- Electronic filing via eFileIL (mandatory for attorneys under Ill. S. Ct. Rule 9; available to self-represented filers)
- In person at the Civil Division counter, Richard J. Daley Center Room 601, or a suburban district courthouse — paper filing requires an approved e-filing exemption
- By mail with an approved e-filing exemption
Free help at the courthouse
Cook County runs a self-help center for people filing without a lawyer. It can:
- Point you at the right form for your case type
- Check a form is complete before you hand it in
- The First Municipal District has a Self-Represented Litigant (Pro Se) Court in the Civil Division for disputes up to $3,000.00; forms can be completed at the Self-Represented Litigant desk in Daley Center Room 602. Note: that $3,000 figure is the Pro Se Court section's limit, NOT the $10,000 small claims jurisdictional cap. Statewide self-help: Illinois Court Help, 833-411-1121, ilcourthelp.gov.
Court staff can explain procedure. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether you should file at all — that is the line they are not allowed to cross, and it is the part most people actually need.
Common questions
Where is small claims court in Cook County?
Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County), Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Room 601, Chicago, IL 60602.
What are the Cook County small claims court hours?
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.
Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Cook County?
Not necessarily. Cook County accepts a filing electronic filing via efileil (mandatory for attorneys under ill. s. ct. rule 9; available to self-represented filers); in person at the civil division counter, richard j. daley center room 601, or a suburban district courthouse — paper filing requires an approved e-filing exemption; by mail with an approved e-filing exemption.
Which Cook County location do I file at?
The Circuit Court of Cook County is organized into six Municipal Districts, each with its own courthouse serving a defined geographic area (District 1 = Chicago, at the Richard J. Daley Center; Districts 2-6 = suburban Cook County). Venue is generally the district where the defendant resides or where the events giving rise to the claim occurred (735 ILCS 5/2-101 to 5/2-104; and the statewide small-claims filing instructions, which direct filing 'where the Defendant lives or where the events of the case happened'). The case is filed in the district covering that location, so there is no single central filing office for the county; filing in the wrong district can lead to dismissal or transfer.
The Cook County filing packet — $49
Everything above, assembled and filled in with your facts:
- Your Cook County forms, completed with your claim
- A filing checklist with the address, hours and fee for Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County)
- A demand letter built from the same facts
- What to bring on the day
Answer a few questions first. See your claim written out before you pay anything.
Reviewed by Small Claims Desk · Last reviewed 2026-08-20 · Sourced from cookcountyclerkofcourt.org (Civil Division); Clerk Municipal Division Fee Schedule CCG-0603 (eff. 1/1/2022) + Miscellaneous Fees CCG-0140 (rev. 10/28/25); illinoiscourts.gov Ill. S. Ct. Rules 281-289 & 303 and statewide small claims forms; cookcountycourtil.gov district courthouse locations and Ill. S. Ct. Rules 281-289 (Small Claims). See how we verify.