(a) If recognition of a foreign-country judgment is sought
as an original matter, the issue of recognition shall be raised by filing an action seeking recognition of the foreign-country judgment.
12-666.Procedure for recognition of foreign-country judgment.
Article XII. Judgments - Enforcement · Part 6. Foreign Judgments and Foreign-Money Claims · Last amended 2012 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceLets a party seek recognition of a foreign-country judgment either as its own standalone action or, in a pending case, by counterclaim, cross-claim, or affirmative defense.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/12-666
(b) If recognition of a foreign-country judgment is sought in a pending action, the issue of recognition may be raised by counterclaim, cross-claim, or affirmative defense.
Plain-English Summary
This section supplies the procedural doorway into the Act's recognition standards. Subsection (a) covers recognition sought as an original matter: the party files an action seeking recognition of the foreign-country judgment.
Subsection (b) covers the more common scenario where recognition comes up inside a case already underway: the issue can be raised by counterclaim, cross-claim, or affirmative defense, without the need to open a separate lawsuit.
Neither path decides the recognition question itself; that turns on Sections 12-663 through 12-665. This section only tells a party how to put the question in front of an Illinois court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does someone ask an Illinois court to recognize a foreign-country judgment as an original matter?
By filing an action seeking recognition of that judgment, under subsection (a).
Can recognition of a foreign-country judgment be raised inside an existing lawsuit?
Yes. Subsection (b) allows the issue to be raised by counterclaim, cross-claim, or affirmative defense in a pending action.
What procedural vehicles work for raising recognition in a pending case?
A counterclaim, a cross-claim, or an affirmative defense.
Does a party need to file a brand-new lawsuit every time recognition comes up?
No, only when recognition is sought as an original matter rather than within an already-pending action.
Does this section decide whether the foreign judgment gets recognized?
No. It supplies the procedural path; the substantive standards for recognition come from Sections 12-663 through 12-665.
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: filing an action to recognize a foreign judgment Illinoiscounterclaim seeking foreign country judgment recognitioncross claim foreign judgment recognition Illinoisraising recognition as an affirmative defense