Any person who hides or conceals any property so that it cannot be taken by virtue of an order or judgment or, on the officer's request therefor, refuses to deliver property to the officer having an order or judgment for the taking of the property is guilty of contempt of court and subject to punishment therefor.
12-301.Contempt for concealing property.
Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 3. Concealing Property · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceMakes it contempt of court to hide property so it cannot be taken under a court order or judgment, or to refuse an officer's request to hand over property covered by such an order.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/12-301
Plain-English Summary
Section 12-301 backstops the enforcement machinery elsewhere in Article XII. If a court has entered an order or judgment directing that specific property be taken, hiding or concealing that property so the officer cannot reach it is contempt of court, and the person doing the hiding is subject to punishment for it.
The section reaches a second kind of conduct too: refusing to deliver the property to the officer once the officer, holding the order or judgment, requests it. Concealment and outright refusal are treated the same way, as conduct that obstructs the court's own order rather than a private dispute between debtor and creditor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What conduct does this section punish?
Hiding or concealing property so it cannot be taken under a court order or judgment, and refusing to deliver such property to the officer who requests it under the order or judgment.
What is the consequence for violating this section?
The person is guilty of contempt of court and subject to punishment for it, as the statute states directly.
Who enforces this against someone concealing property?
The officer holding the order or judgment for the taking of the property is the one who requests delivery; refusal of that request is what triggers the contempt exposure described in the section.
Does this section require proof of intent to hide the property?
The text frames the offense around hiding or concealing property so it cannot be taken, and around refusing an officer's request, without spelling out an additional mental-state requirement beyond that conduct.
How does this section relate to a citation to discover assets?
Both address a debtor's efforts to keep assets away from a judgment creditor, though this section addresses concealment of property already subject to an order or judgment for its taking rather than the discovery process itself.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 83-352.)
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: illinois contempt for hiding property from judgmentrefusing to turn over levied property illinoisconcealing assets from sheriff illinoiscontempt of court judgment enforcement illinois