Article VIII. Evidence · Part 10. Judicial Notice · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceTrial-level Illinois courts must take judicial notice of every municipal and county ordinance in the state, laws of a public nature from any other state or territory, and the rules of practice of a court from which a case was transferred.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/8-1001
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Every court of original jurisdiction, in addition to the matters of which courts of original jurisdiction have heretofore been required to take judicial notice, shall take judicial notice of the following: All general ordinances of every municipal corporation within the State. All ordinances of every county within the State.
All laws of a public nature enacted by any state or territory of the United States.
All rules of practice in force in the court from which a case has been transferred by change of place of trial or otherwise.
Plain-English Summary
This section adds to the list of matters a court of original jurisdiction already had to notice before it was enacted. It requires mandatory judicial notice of every general ordinance passed by a municipal corporation in Illinois and every ordinance passed by an Illinois county.
It also reaches beyond Illinois, requiring notice of laws of a public nature enacted by any other state or territory of the United States, so a party need not prove the text of such a law as an ordinary fact.
Finally, when a case has been transferred to a court by a change of place of trial or otherwise, that court must take notice of the rules of practice in force in the court the case came from, keeping procedural continuity across the transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What local ordinances must a trial court take judicial notice of?
All general ordinances of every municipal corporation in Illinois and all ordinances of every county in the state.
Must a court notice laws of other states without a party proving them?
Yes. The section requires judicial notice of all laws of a public nature enacted by any state or territory of the United States.
What happens to a case's original court's rules of practice after a change of venue?
The receiving court must take judicial notice of the rules of practice in force in the court from which the case was transferred.
Does this section replace the categories of judicial notice courts already recognized?
No. It applies in addition to the matters of which courts of original jurisdiction were already required to take judicial notice.
Does a party need to plead or prove these ordinances and laws separately?
No. Judicial notice means the court accepts them without a party having to offer formal proof.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
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:illinois judicial notice municipal ordinancesjudicial notice trial court illinoisjudicial notice of county ordinances illinoischange of venue rules judicial notice illinois