The Cook County forms you need
Cook County requires 3 forms to open a small claims case:
- Small Claims Complaint (Illinois statewide standardized, approved 06/2024)
- Small Claims Summons (Illinois statewide standardized, approved 06/2024)
- How to File & Serve a Small Claims Complaint & Summons (SC-I 1802.4)
We keep the current Cook County versions. The forms are not the hard part — filling them out is. The claim has to describe what happened in the language the court expects, and that is where most first-time filers get sent home to try again.
If your claim is based on a written agreement, a copy must be attached to the claim form.
- Claim limit
- $10,000
- Filing fee
- $287–$379
- Court
- Circuit Court
- File online
- Yes
Where to file these forms
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).
Common questions
What forms do I need for small claims in Cook County?
Cook County requires: Small Claims Complaint (Illinois statewide standardized, approved 06/2024); Small Claims Summons (Illinois statewide standardized, approved 06/2024); How to File & Serve a Small Claims Complaint & Summons (SC-I 1802.4). File them at Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County).
Where do I file small claims forms 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. You may also be able to file online.
How much does it cost to file in Cook County?
The filing fee is $287–$379. Fees change — confirm with the clerk at 312-603-5116.
The Cook County filing packet — $49
Everything above, assembled and filled in with your facts:
- Both Cook County forms, completed with your claim in the language the court expects
- A demand letter built from the same facts
- A filing checklist with Circuit Court of Cook County, Municipal Department — Civil Division (Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County)'s address, hours, and fee
- What to bring to your hearing
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.