Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 1. In General · Last amended 2014 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceA judgment becomes a lien on a debtor's unregistered real estate only once a transcript, certified copy, or memorandum is recorded with the county recorder, and that lien lasts up to seven years unless revived.
With respect to the creation of liens on real estate by judgments, all real estate in the State of Illinois is divided into 2 classes. The first class consists of all real property, the title to which is registered under "An Act concerning land titles", approved May 1, 1897, as amended.
The second class consists of all real property not registered under "An Act concerning land titles".
As to real estate in class one, a judgment is a lien on the real estate of the person against whom it is entered for the same period as in class two, when Section 85 of "An Act concerning land titles", has been complied with.
As to real estate included within class two, a judgment is a lien on the real estate of the person against whom it is entered in any county in this State, including the county in which it is entered, only from the time a transcript, certified copy or memorandum of the judgment is filed in the office of the recorder in the county in which the real estate is located. The lien may be foreclosed by an action brought in the name of the judgment creditor or its assignee of record under Article XV in the same manner as a mortgage of real property, except that the redemption period shall be 6 months from the date of sale and the real estate homestead exemption under Section 12-901 shall apply. A judgment resulting from the entry of an order requiring child support payments shall be a lien upon the real estate of the person obligated to make the child support payments, but shall not be enforceable in any county of this State until a transcript, certified copy, or memorandum of the lien is filed in the office of the recorder in the county in which the real estate is located. Any lien hereunder arising out of an order for support shall be a lien only as to and from the time that an installment or payment is due under the terms of the order. Further, the order for support shall not be a lien on real estate to the extent of payments made as evidenced by the records of the Clerk of the Circuit Court or State agency receiving payments pursuant to the order. In the event payments made pursuant to that order are not paid to the Clerk of the Circuit Court or a State agency, then each lien imposed by this Section may be released in the following manner:
(a)A Notice of Filing and an affidavit stating that all installments of child support required to be paid pursuant to the order under which the lien or liens were imposed have been paid shall be filed with the office of recorder in each county in which each such lien appears of record, together with proof of service of such notice and affidavit upon the recipient of such payments.
(b)Service of such affidavit shall be by any means authorized under Sections 2-203 and 2-208 of the Code of Civil Procedure or under Supreme Court Rules 11 or 105(b).
(c)The Notice of Filing shall set forth the name and address of the judgment debtor and the judgment creditor, the court file number of the order giving rise to the judgment and, in capital letters, the following statement:
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT ON (insert date) THE ATTACHED AFFIDAVIT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF .... COUNTY, ILLINOIS, WHOSE ADDRESS IS ........, ILLINOIS. IF, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, YOU FAIL TO FILE AN AFFIDAVIT OBJECTING TO THE RELEASE OF THE STATED JUDGMENT LIEN OR LIENS, IN THE ABOVE OFFICE, SUCH JUDGMENT LIEN WILL BE DEEMED TO BE RELEASED AND NO LONGER SUBJECT TO FORECLOSURE. THIS RELEASE OF LIEN WILL NOT ACT AS A SATISFACTION OF SUCH JUDGMENT.
(d)If no affidavit objecting to the release of the lien or liens is filed within 28 days of the Notice described in paragraph (c) of this Section such lien or liens shall be deemed to be released and no longer subject to foreclosure. A judgment is not a lien on real estate for longer than 7 years from the time it is entered or revived, unless the judgment is revived within 7 years after its entry or last revival and a new memorandum of judgment is recorded prior to the judgment and its recorded memorandum of judgment becoming dormant. When a judgment is revived it is a lien on the real estate of the person against whom it was entered in any county in this State from the time a transcript, certified copy or memorandum of the order of revival is filed in the office of the recorder in the county in which the real estate is located. A foreign judgment registered or filed pursuant to Sections 12-630 through 12-672 of this Act is a lien upon the real estate of the person against whom it was entered only from the time (1) a copy of the affidavit required by Section 12-653 with a copy of the foreign judgment attached showing the filing in a court of this State or (2) a transcript, certified copy or memorandum of a final judgment of the court of this State entered on an action to enforce a foreign judgment is filed in the office of the recorder in the county in which the real estate is located. However, no such judgment shall be a lien on any real estate registered under "An Act concerning land titles", as amended, until Section 85 of that Act has been complied with. The release of any transcript, certified copy or memorandum of judgment or order of revival which has been recorded shall be filed by the person receiving the release in the office of the recorder in which such judgment or order has been recorded. Such release shall contain in legible letters a statement as follows:
FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE OWNER, THIS RELEASE SHALL BE FILED WITH THE RECORDER OR THE REGISTRAR OF TITLES IN WHOSE OFFICE THE LIEN WAS FILED.
The term "memorandum" as used in this Section means a memorandum or copy of the judgment signed by a judge or a copy attested by the clerk of the court entering it and showing the court in which entered, date, amount, number of the case in which it was entered, name of the party in whose favor and name and last known address of the party against whom entered. If the address of the party against whom the judgment was entered is not known, the memorandum or copy of judgment shall so state. The term "memorandum" as used in this Section also means a memorandum or copy of a child support order signed by a judge or a copy attested by the clerk of the court entering it or a copy attested by the administrative body entering it.
This Section shall not be construed as showing an intention of the legislature to create a new classification of real estate, but shall be construed as showing an intention of the legislature to continue a classification already existing.
Plain-English Summary
Illinois splits real estate into two classes for lien purposes: land registered under the old land-titles registration act, and everything else. For the second class, which covers most property in the state, entering a judgment doesn't by itself put a lien on the debtor's land. The lien attaches only when a transcript, certified copy, or memorandum of the judgment is filed with the recorder in the county where the land sits, and it can reach property in as many counties as the creditor bothers to file in.
A judgment lien on real estate caps out at seven years from entry or from the last revival. Reviving the judgment before it goes dormant, and recording a new memorandum before that happens, buys another seven years. A lien foreclosed under this section follows the same procedure as a mortgage foreclosure under Article XV, but with a shorter six-month redemption window and the homestead exemption under Section 12-901 still in play.
Child support liens work a little differently: they attach as each payment comes due, and payments made through the clerk of the circuit court or a state disbursement agency shrink the lien automatically. The section also lets an obligor who has paid support in full release the lien without going back to court, by recording a notice and affidavit of full payment and serving it on the recipient; if no one files an objection within 28 days, the lien is deemed released.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a judgment lien last on real estate in Illinois?
Up to seven years from the date the judgment was entered or last revived. Reviving the judgment within that seven-year window, and recording a new memorandum before the lien goes dormant, extends it for another seven years.
When does an Illinois judgment become a lien on someone's property?
For real estate not registered under the old land-titles act, the lien attaches only when a transcript, certified copy, or memorandum of the judgment is filed with the recorder in the county where the property is located.
Does a judgment entered in one Illinois county create a lien on land in another county?
Only if the creditor files the required transcript, certified copy, or memorandum with the recorder in that other county. Recording is what creates the lien, county by county.
Can a child support lien be released without going to court in Illinois?
Yes. The obligor can file a notice and affidavit stating that all required support has been paid, serve it on the recipient, and if no objection is filed within 28 days, the lien is deemed released.
What happens if a creditor never records the judgment before it becomes dormant?
The lien lapses. The creditor would need to revive the judgment within seven years of entry or the last revival and record a new memorandum before the existing lien goes dormant to keep it alive.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
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