Upon filing in the office of the recorder in any county of this State of a transcript, certified copy or memorandum of a judgment entered in this State by a court of the United States, such judgment shall be a lien upon the real estate of the person against whom the same is entered, in the county where filed, in like manner as judgments of courts of this State. The term "memorandum" as used in this Section means a memorandum or copy of the judgment signed by a judge of the court entering it and showing the court in which entered, date, amount, case number of the case in which entered, name of the party in whose favor and name of the party against whom entered. However, no such judgment shall be a lien on any real estate, registered under the provisions of "An Act concerning land titles", approved May 1, 1897, as amended, until the provisions of Section 85 of that Act have been complied with.
12-502.Lien of Federal judgments.
Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 5. Federal Judgments · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceExplains how a federal judgment entered in Illinois becomes a lien on the judgment debtor's real estate once a transcript, certified copy, or memorandum is filed with the county recorder, on the same terms as an Illinois judgment.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/12-502
Plain-English Summary
Section 12-502 turns a federal judgment into a real-estate lien through a filing step. Once a transcript, certified copy, or memorandum of a judgment entered in Illinois by a United States court is filed with the recorder in a county, the judgment becomes a lien on the real estate of the person against whom it was entered, in that county, in the same manner as judgments of Illinois courts.
The section defines "memorandum" precisely: it means a memorandum or copy of the judgment signed by a judge of the entering court, showing the court, the date, the amount, the case number, and the names of the prevailing and losing parties. That level of detail lets a recorder's office treat the memorandum as reliable proof of the judgment without needing the full record.
One qualification narrows the lien's reach for registered land. No such judgment becomes a lien on real estate registered under the state's land title registration Act until the requirements of Section 85 of that Act have been satisfied, so registered property follows its own separate compliance step before the federal judgment's lien attaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to be filed for a federal judgment to become a lien on real estate?
A transcript, certified copy, or memorandum of a judgment entered in Illinois by a court of the United States, filed in the office of the recorder in the county where the real estate sits.
What information must a "memorandum" of the judgment contain?
It must be signed by a judge of the court entering the judgment and show the court, the date, the amount, the case number, and the names of the prevailing and losing parties.
What kind of lien results from filing under this section?
The judgment becomes a lien on the real estate of the person against whom it was entered, in the county where filed, in like manner as judgments of Illinois courts.
Does this section apply the same way to registered land?
No. The judgment is not a lien on real estate registered under the state's land title registration Act until the requirements of Section 85 of that Act have been complied with.
How does this section connect to Section 12-501?
Section 12-501 allows federal judgments and related records to be registered and recognized in circuit courts; Section 12-502 addresses the separate step of turning a filed federal judgment into a real-estate lien.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 83-358.)
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: federal judgment lien on illinois real estatefiling memorandum of federal judgment illinoisregistered land federal judgment lien illinoisrecording a federal judgment illinois county