The person in whose favor any judgment is entered, may have the judgment enforced by the proper officer of any county, in this State, against the lands and tenements, goods and chattels of the person against whom the judgment is entered, or against his or her body, when the same is authorized by law. Upon the filing in the office of the clerk of any circuit court in any county in this State of a transcript of a judgment entered in any other county of this State, enforcement may be had thereon in that county, in like manner as in the county where originally entered.
12-106.Enforcement in other counties.
Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 1. In General · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceA judgment creditor can enforce a judgment in any Illinois county, not just the one where it was entered, once a transcript of the judgment is filed with that county's circuit clerk.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/12-106
Plain-English Summary
A debtor's land, goods, or body may sit far from the county where the judgment was entered. This section lets the creditor reach them anyway. Once a transcript of the judgment is filed with the clerk of the circuit court in any other county, enforcement can proceed there in the same manner as if the judgment had been entered in that county to begin with.
The text places no separate condition on this beyond filing the transcript: the proper officer in the new county can then act against the debtor's lands, tenements, goods, chattels, or body there just as an officer in the county of entry could.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Illinois judgment be enforced in a county other than where it was entered?
Yes, once a transcript of the judgment is filed with the circuit clerk in that other county.
What does a creditor need to file to enforce a judgment in a new county?
A transcript of the judgment entered in the original county.
Does enforcement in the new county work the same as enforcement in the county of entry?
Yes, the section says enforcement proceeds there in like manner as in the county where the judgment was originally entered.
Who is allowed to enforce a judgment in another county under this section?
The person in whose favor the judgment was entered.
Does filing a transcript under this section also create a real estate lien?
The section addresses enforcement against goods, lands, or the debtor's body; a lien on unregistered real estate still depends on the recording requirement in Section 12-101.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 83-707.)
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
Also known as: enforce illinois judgment in a different countytranscript of judgment illinois circuit clerkcross-county judgment enforcement illinoisfiling a foreign county transcript of judgment illinois