Sections 12-630 through 12-645 may be cited as the Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act. In those Sections, "this Act" means the Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act.
12-630.Short title; Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act.
Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 6. Foreign Judgments and Foreign-Money Claims · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceNames Sections 12-630 through 12-645 the Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act and defines what “this Act” means for the rest of that scheme, without creating any substantive right or duty on its own.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/12-630
Plain-English Summary
This section does one job: it tells a reader what to call the group of sections that follows and how to read the phrase “this Act” inside them. It creates no rights and imposes no duties on its own.
The Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act supplies Illinois courts with a common set of rules for handling claims and judgments stated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar — a contract priced in euros, a loss suffered in yen, a debt fixed in pounds. It answers questions about which currency controls a claim, how to convert between currencies, and how a judgment gets entered and paid.
Keep this Act separate from the two enforcement Acts that follow later in this Part. Those Acts decide whether a judgment entered somewhere else gets recognized in Illinois at all. This Act instead governs the currency mechanics of a claim litigated here, and applies whether the parties are litigating from scratch or working with an already-recognized foreign judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act?
It is the set of Illinois statutes, Sections 12-630 through 12-645, that tells courts how to handle a claim or judgment expressed in a currency other than the U.S. dollar.
Does this section create any independent rights or duties?
No. It is a naming and definitional section. The substantive rules appear in the sections that follow.
How does this Act differ from the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act or the Uniform Foreign-Country Money Judgments Recognition Act?
Those two Acts decide whether Illinois recognizes and enforces a judgment entered somewhere else. This Act instead governs currency questions — which money applies, how to convert it, and how a judgment stated in foreign money gets entered and paid.
When would a case involve the Foreign-Money Claims Act?
Any time a claim is measured in a foreign currency — a contract priced abroad, a loss suffered in another country's money, or a debt payable in a specified foreign currency.
Which sections make up this Act?
Sections 12-630 through 12-645, covering definitions, scope, currency selection, judgment form, interest, enforcement, and interpretation.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 86-1291.)
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: Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act Illinoisforeign currency judgment Illinoisciting the foreign money claims actcurrency of judgment Illinois lawsuit