To start a civil lawsuit in Cook County, you file the summons form that matches your case type together with your complaint through the eFileIL system, the Clerk issues the summons with an electronic seal, and you then have 30 days to get it served on the defendant. The right Cook County summons form for a standard money-damages case is Form CCG 0001; eviction and small claims cases each use their own form. Filing fees run from $287 to $388 depending on how much you’re seeking.
Which Form to Use
The Clerk will reject a filing that uses the wrong summons, so match the form to your case before you do anything else.
- For a general civil lawsuit — breach of contract, personal injury, property damage, fraud, or any other claim for money damages — use Form CCG 0001.
- For an eviction, whether for unpaid rent or another lease violation, use the statewide Eviction Summons. All residential eviction summonses in Illinois must include a notice about court-based rental assistance in English and Spanish, and Cook County adds local requirements on top.1Illinois Courts. Eviction
- For a claim of $10,000 or less, use the small claims summons.
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice has approved standardized versions of these forms on the Illinois Courts website.2Illinois Courts. Approved Statewide Standardized Forms Cook County-specific versions are on the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s form search page.3Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Court Form Search
What to Put on the Form
Before you open the form, pull together every defendant’s full legal name and current physical address, your own contact information, and the facts of your complaint. Most filers submit the summons and complaint together in a single e-filing.
Parties and Attorney
Enter each defendant’s full legal name and address exactly as they appear on your complaint. If you’re suing more than one defendant, prepare a separate summons for each. The form also asks for your name, address, and phone number as plaintiff, plus your attorney’s Illinois ARDC registration number. If you’re representing yourself, fill in your own contact details in the attorney section.
Courthouse
Cook County’s First Municipal District hears cases filed at the Richard J. Daley Center downtown. Five suburban districts cover the rest of the county, based in Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview, and Markham.4Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Suburban Districts Where you file depends on where the events behind your claim occurred and, for some case types, the nature of the action. Filing in the wrong location won’t necessarily kill your case, but a transfer will cost you time.
Return Date
The return date is the deadline by which the defendant must respond, and this is where filers most often slip. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 101 sets three different windows depending on the case:5Illinois Courts. Rule 101 – Summons and Original Process – Form and Issuance
- Money cases up to $50,000 and mandatory arbitration cases: the defendant must appear on a specific date no fewer than 40 and no more than 61 days after the summons is issued.
- Eviction and property recovery: the appearance date must be no fewer than 7 and no more than 40 days after issuance.
- All other civil cases, including claims over $50,000 and injunctions: the defendant has 30 days after being served to file an appearance or answer, not 30 days after issuance.
Count from the date the Clerk issues the summons, not the date you upload it.
E-Filing and Fees
Electronic filing is mandatory for all civil cases in Cook County and has been since July 1, 2018.6Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. eFile You create an account with an e-filing service provider through the eFileIL portal, upload your summons and complaint as PDFs, and pay the filing fee electronically. If you lack internet access or have a disability that prevents electronic filing, you can request an exemption and file in person or by mail.5Illinois Courts. Rule 101 – Summons and Original Process – Form and Issuance
Civil filing fees are tiered by the amount of damages you seek. Under the fee schedule effective October 1, 2025:7Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Civil Division Filing Fees – Small Claims Civil Actions
- $0.01 to $2,500: $287
- $2,500.01 to $15,000: $379
- Over $15,000: $388
A possession-only eviction costs $287; a joint eviction action for possession and back rent runs $379 to $388 depending on the rent claimed. Some case types also carry a statutory mailing fee plus postage per defendant on top of the base fee.7Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Civil Division Filing Fees – Small Claims Civil Actions
Once the Clerk reviews your submission and approves it, the system applies an electronic seal and the Clerk’s signature, officially issuing the summons. You receive an email with the file-stamped copy. Only this issued version is valid for service. A copy you printed before filing has no legal effect.
If You Can’t Afford the Fee
You can file an Application for Waiver of Court Fees alongside your complaint and summons. You qualify if you currently receive public aid or a qualifying government benefit such as SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, or SSI; if your household’s net income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level; or if your income exceeds 125% of the poverty level but paying the fees would cause serious hardship for your family. The court reviews the application and grants or denies the waiver before your case proceeds.
Getting It Served Within 30 Days
The issued summons cannot be served later than 30 days after its date. The form itself says so. If 30 days pass with no service, the summons expires and must be returned to the court with an explanation.8Illinois Courts. Rule 101 – Summons and Original Process – Form and Issuance
Illinois law allows two main methods of personal service on an individual defendant:9Illinois General Assembly. 735 ILCS 5/2-203
- Personal delivery, where someone hands the summons and complaint directly to the defendant.
- Abode service, where a copy is left at the defendant’s usual residence with a household member at least 13 years old, and the server also mails a copy to the defendant at that address in a sealed, postage-paid envelope.
Most plaintiffs in Cook County use the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Civil Process Division. Sheriff’s fees are $60 per defendant through e-filing and $95 per defendant for in-person or mailed requests.10Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Serving Process (Summons) You can also hire a licensed private process server, or ask the court to appoint a special process server if the Sheriff can’t locate the defendant.11Illinois Courts. Eviction Summons Submit the summons for service promptly after you receive the issued copy, because every day you wait eats into your 30 days.
If the Defendant Can’t Be Found
If the Sheriff returns the summons unserved, you request an alias summons from the Clerk. This is the same document reissued with a new date, giving you a fresh 30-day window. You can request multiple alias summonses, though eventually the court will expect a different approach.
When you’ve genuinely exhausted efforts to find the defendant, Illinois law allows service by publication as a last resort. You file an affidavit stating that the defendant has left the state, cannot be found after due inquiry, or is concealing themselves. The Clerk arranges for a notice to run in a Cook County newspaper, and you must also mail a copy to the defendant’s last known address within 10 days of the first publication.12Illinois General Assembly. 735 ILCS 5/2-206 Judges scrutinize these affidavits because a defendant is unlikely to actually see a newspaper notice, so expect to show you really tried personal and abode service first.
Filing Proof of Service
After the defendant is served, the server files a proof of service with the Clerk. When the Sheriff handles service, the Sheriff’s office fills out this form and either files it directly or returns it to you to file.13Illinois Legal Aid Online. Serving a Summons A private process server prepares the same proof, documenting when, where, and how service happened. Standardized Proof of Delivery forms are available on the Illinois Courts website.14Illinois Courts. Approved Statewide Forms – Proof of Delivery
This filing is not optional. Without proof of service on the record, the court has no evidence that the defendant was notified, you cannot get a default judgment, and the case can be dismissed for lack of proper notice.13Illinois Legal Aid Online. Serving a Summons If you haven’t received confirmation from the Sheriff within a few weeks, follow up.
Mistakes That Will Cost You Time
A handful of errors show up again and again on Cook County civil filings:
- Misspelling the defendant’s legal name or using an outdated address. Service fails, and you burn your 30-day window. Verify names against public records before filing.
- Picking a return date outside the Rule 101 window for your case type. The Clerk may reject the filing, or the defendant may successfully challenge service later. Count from the issuance date and apply the correct category.
- Serving a copy you printed before the Clerk issued the summons. Only the sealed, stamped version counts.
- Sitting on the issued summons too long before sending it for service. Thirty days passes quickly.
- Failing to file proof of service after the defendant is actually served. The case stalls until the proof is on the record.