2-805.Judgments in class cases.
Article II. Civil Practice · Part 8. Class Action · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/2-805
Plain-English Summary
The whole point of a class action is to resolve one dispute for everyone affected at once, and Section 2-805 supplies the mechanism that makes that possible. Any judgment entered in a class action brought under Section 2-801 binds every member of the class, as the class is defined by the court's certification order. That binding effect is what lets a single lawsuit settle the rights of people who never filed anything and never appeared before the judge.
The one carve-out is for class members who properly excluded themselves from the class under Section 2-804(b). Because those members opted out, the judgment does not reach them at all, regardless of how the class action was ultimately decided. Everyone else who falls within the class as the court defined it — including under a certification limited to particular issues or divided into subclasses under Section 2-802(b) — is bound by the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is bound by a judgment entered in an Illinois class action?
Every member of the class as the court has defined it in its certification order. Section 2-805 makes the judgment binding on the whole class, not just the named representative parties.
What is the one exception to being bound by a class action judgment?
Class members who properly requested and obtained exclusion from the class under Section 2-804(b). The judgment does not apply to them.
Does the judgment's binding effect depend on how the class was defined?
Yes. Section 2-805 binds the class “as the class is defined by the court,” so the certification order entered under Section 2-802 sets the boundaries of who is bound.
Does Section 2-805 apply if the class action covered only certain issues under Section 2-802(b)?
Yes. Section 2-802(b) allows certification limited to particular issues or divided into subclasses, and the resulting judgment binds the class as so defined, subject to the same exclusion exception.
Why is the binding effect of a class judgment important to defendants?
It lets a defendant resolve claims from an entire class of people in a single case, rather than facing repeated individual lawsuits over the same conduct, so long as the class was properly certified and defined.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)