Chicago cases belong to the First Municipal District at the Daley Center; suburban Cook County has its own courthouses. Illinois small claims run to $10,000, but the Pro Se Small Claims Court only takes claims up to $3,000, so a claim from $3,000.01 to $10,000 is a regular Civil Division case.
| Limit | $10,000 |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court of Cook County, First Municipal District (Pro Se Small Claims Court at the Daley Center) |
| Address | Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Room 602, Chicago, IL 60602 |
| Phone | 312-603-5116 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Clerk's Civil Division) |
| File online | eFileIL, https://efile.illinoiscourts.gov/ |
| Fees | $287 to file a claim up to $2,500, and $379 for more than $2,500 up to $15,000. A defendant's appearance fee is $0 at $2,500 or less and $250 above that. Clerk's schedule dated 21 May 2026. |
| Serving papers | Cook County Sheriff: $60 per defendant if requested through its e-file system, or $95 in person or by mail. Certified mail is allowed if the claim is $10,000 or less and the defendant is in Illinois; the Clerk calls the fee nominal but gives no amount. |
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General information to help you get organized, last checked November 1, 2026. It isn't legal advice, and SueYou isn't a law firm. Laws change and every case is different, so confirm anything important with a lawyer or the court. No lawyer has reviewed this page yet.
