Every court of this state shall take judicial notice of the common law and statutes of every state, territory and other jurisdiction of the United States.
8-1003.Common law and statutes.
Article VIII. Evidence · Part 10. Judicial Notice · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceEvery Illinois court must take judicial notice of the common law and statutes of every other state, territory, and jurisdiction of the United States, without a party having to prove that law as a fact.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/8-1003
Plain-English Summary
This section states the central duty of the Uniform Judicial Notice of Foreign Law Act, later named in Section 8-1009. It requires every court in Illinois to take judicial notice of both the common law and the statutes of every other state, territory, and jurisdiction of the United States.
The duty covers two distinct bodies of law at once, judge-made common law and enacted statutes, so a litigant relying on a sister state's rule need not separately prove either source.
The reach of this section stops at the border of the United States. Section 8-1007 addresses the law of a foreign country separately and does not subject it to this mandatory notice duty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must Illinois courts notice case law from other states, or only statutes?
Both. The section requires judicial notice of the common law and the statutes of every other state, territory, and jurisdiction of the United States.
Which jurisdictions are covered by this mandatory notice duty?
Every state, territory, and other jurisdiction of the United States.
Is the law of a foreign country covered by this section?
No. Section 8-1007 treats the law of a foreign country as a separate issue for the court, outside this section's mandatory notice duty.
Where does this duty fit within the surrounding sections?
Sections 8-1003 through 8-1008 are cited together as the Uniform Judicial Notice of Foreign Law Act under Section 8-1009.
Do parties still need to raise the applicability of another state's law?
Yes, in practice. Section 8-1006 requires a party to give adverse parties reasonable notice before offering evidence of such law or asking that notice be taken of it.
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: uniform judicial notice of foreign law act illinoisjudicial notice sister state law illinoisillinois notice of out of state statutes