For purposes of venue, the following definitions apply: (a) Any private corporation or railroad or bridge company, organized under the laws of this State, and any foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this State is a resident of any county in which it has its registered office or other office or is doing business. A foreign corporation not authorized to transact business in this State is a nonresident of this State.
2-102.Residence of corporations, voluntary unincorporated associations and partnerships defined.
Article II. Civil Practice · Part 1. Venue · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceDefines, for venue purposes, when a corporation, partnership, or voluntary unincorporated association counts as a resident of a county, generally wherever it has an office or does business, and when it instead counts as a nonresident of Illinois.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/2-102
(b) A partnership sued in its firm name is a resident of any county in which any partner resides or in which the partnership has an office or is doing business. A partnership sued in its firm name, of which all partners are nonresidents of this State and which does not have an office or do business in this State, is a nonresident of this State.
(c) A voluntary unincorporated association sued in its own name is a resident of any county in which the association has an office or, if on due inquiry no office can be found, in which any officer of the association resides. A voluntary unincorporated association sued in its own name, of which all its members are nonresidents of this State and which does not have an office or do business in this State, is a nonresident of this State.
Plain-English Summary
Venue rules often turn on where a party resides, but corporations, partnerships, and associations do not reside anywhere in the way people do. This section supplies the needed definitions. Under subsection (a), an Illinois corporation, railroad, or bridge company, and any authorized foreign corporation, is a resident of any county where it has a registered office, another office, or is doing business; an unauthorized foreign corporation is a nonresident of Illinois.
Subsection (b) applies the same logic to a partnership sued in its firm name: it is a resident of any county where a partner resides or where the partnership has an office or does business, and it is a nonresident of Illinois if every partner is a nonresident and the partnership has no Illinois office and does no business here.
Subsection (c) covers a voluntary unincorporated association sued in its own name, treating it as a resident of any county with an association office, or, if none can be found on due inquiry, of a county where an association officer resides, and as a nonresident of Illinois under conditions matching those for partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a corporation a resident of a county under this section?
An Illinois corporation, railroad, or bridge company, or an authorized foreign corporation, is a resident of any county where it has a registered office, another office, or is doing business.
What about a foreign corporation not authorized to do business in Illinois?
Subsection (a) makes it a nonresident of Illinois.
How is a partnership's residence determined when sued in its firm name?
It is a resident of any county where a partner resides or where the partnership has an office or does business, under subsection (b).
Can a partnership be a nonresident of Illinois entirely?
Yes, if every partner is a nonresident and the partnership has no office and does no business in Illinois.
How does the section treat a voluntary unincorporated association sued in its own name?
Under subsection (c), it is a resident of any county with an association office, or, if none can be found on due inquiry, of a county where an association officer resides.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 83-901.)
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: corporate residence for venue Illinoispartnership residence venue Illinoisunincorporated association venue Illinoiswhen is a corporation a resident of a county