Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 6. Foreign Judgments and Foreign-Money Claims · Last amended 2012 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceLists contacts, personal service abroad, voluntary appearance, prior consent, domicile, a local business office, or operating a vehicle or plane there, that guarantee a foreign court had personal jurisdiction, without limiting recognition to only those bases.
(a)A foreign-country judgment may not be refused recognition for lack of personal jurisdiction if:
(1)the defendant was served with process personally in the foreign country;
(2)the defendant voluntarily appeared in the proceeding, other than for the purpose of protecting property seized or threatened with seizure in the proceeding or of contesting the jurisdiction of the court over the defendant;
(3)the defendant, before the commencement of the proceeding, had agreed to submit to the jurisdiction of the foreign court with respect to the subject matter involved;
(4)the defendant was domiciled in the foreign country when the proceeding was instituted or was a corporation or other form of business organization that had its principal place of business in, or was organized under the laws of, the foreign country;
(5)the defendant had a business office in the foreign country and the proceeding in the foreign court involved a cause of action arising out of business done by the defendant through that office in the foreign country; or
(6)the defendant operated a motor vehicle or airplane in the foreign country and the proceeding involved a cause of action arising out of that operation.
(b)The list of bases for personal jurisdiction in subsection (a) is not exclusive. The courts of this State may recognize bases of personal jurisdiction other than those listed in subsection (a) as sufficient to support a foreign-country judgment.
Plain-English Summary
Subsection (a) supplies a safe-harbor list: a foreign-country judgment can't be refused recognition for lack of personal jurisdiction if any of six things is true, personal service in the foreign country, a voluntary appearance beyond contesting jurisdiction or protecting seized property, prior agreement to submit to that court's jurisdiction, domicile or organization there, a local business office tied to the claim, or operating a vehicle or airplane there in a way that gave rise to the claim.
These bases echo, in structure, the kind of contacts Illinois's own long-arm jurisdiction analysis considers when deciding whether Illinois courts may reach an out-of-state defendant, adapted here to judge whether a foreign court's assertion of jurisdiction deserves recognition.
Subsection (b) makes clear the list isn't exhaustive. Illinois courts may recognize other bases for personal jurisdiction beyond the six enumerated, so a foreign judgment resting on a jurisdictional theory not listed here isn't automatically vulnerable to challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What contacts guarantee that a foreign court had jurisdiction over the defendant?
Personal service in the foreign country, a voluntary appearance beyond contesting jurisdiction or protecting seized property, prior consent to that court's jurisdiction, domicile or organization there, a local business office connected to the claim, or operating a vehicle or plane there connected to the claim.
Does voluntarily appearing in the foreign case waive a later jurisdiction challenge?
Under subsection (a)(2), an appearance for a purpose other than protecting seized property or contesting jurisdiction counts as submitting to jurisdiction.
Is the list of jurisdictional bases in this section exclusive?
No. Subsection (b) says Illinois courts may recognize other bases for personal jurisdiction beyond those listed.
Does having a local business office in the foreign country establish jurisdiction for any dispute?
No. Subsection (a)(5) requires the proceeding to involve a cause of action arising out of business done through that office.
Does operating a car or plane in the foreign country establish jurisdiction for an unrelated claim?
No. Subsection (a)(6) requires the proceeding to involve a cause of action arising out of that specific operation.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 97-140, eff. 1-1-12.)
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:personal jurisdiction bases foreign country judgment Illinoissafe harbor jurisdiction recognition actvoluntary appearance in a foreign courtdomicile or business office jurisdiction foreign judgment