Rule 471.Transcripts for Poor Persons Bringing Post-Conviction Proceedings
Article IV. Rules on Criminal Proceedings in the Trial Court · Part D. Post-Conviction Proceedings · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 471 lets an indigent petitioner in a post-conviction case get a transcript of the proceedings that led to the conviction without paying for it.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 471
Text size
If a petition filed under the provisions of article 122 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of
1963, dealing with post-conviction hearings, alleges that the petitioner is unable to pay the costs of the proceeding, the trial court may order that the petitioner be permitted to proceed as a poor person and order a transcript of the proceedings resulting in the conviction delivered to petitioner in accordance with paragraph (b) of Rule 607.
Plain-English Summary
A post-conviction petition can be hard to pursue without access to the record of what happened at trial. Rule 471 addresses that: if a petition filed under the state's post-conviction hearing statute alleges that the petitioner can't afford the costs of the proceeding, the trial court can let the petitioner proceed as a poor person and order that a transcript of the proceedings resulting in the conviction be provided.
The transcript itself is delivered following the same procedure used for indigent appeals under Rule 607(b), so the mechanics of getting the record don't have to be reinvented for post-conviction cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must a petitioner allege to get a transcript under Rule 471?
That the petitioner is unable to pay the costs of the post-conviction proceeding.
Does the court automatically grant the request?
The rule gives the trial court authority to order the transcript once the inability to pay is alleged; it's the court's call based on that showing.
What does it mean to 'proceed as a poor person'?
It means the court allows the petitioner to pursue the post-conviction case without paying the costs normally required, based on inability to pay.
Which proceedings does the transcript cover?
The proceedings that resulted in the conviction being challenged in the post-conviction petition.
How does Rule 471 connect to Rule 607?
The transcript is delivered to the petitioner following the same procedure Rule 607(b) uses for indigent appeals.
Committee Comments
This is paragraph (1) of former Rule 27-1 with necessary minor changes but no changes of substance.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:post-conviction transcript indigent petitionerfree transcript post-conviction case illinoispoor person transcript rulepost-conviction hearing transcript requestindigent post-conviction proceeding