How Long Is a Judgment Good for in Illinois?

An Illinois judgment does not last forever, but it lasts long enough to outlast most debtors who are trying to wait you out.

The Seven-Year Window

Under 735 ILCS 5/12-108, a judgment is enforceable for seven years from the date it was entered. During that time you can file citations, garnish wages, freeze bank accounts, and execute against property. The clock runs from the judgment date, not from the date you first attempt collection.

Real estate liens under 735 ILCS 5/12-101 follow the same seven-year lifespan. A Memorandum of Judgment recorded with the County Recorder expires seven years after the judgment date, even if you recorded it years later.

Reviving a Judgment

If the debtor has not paid in full by the time the seven years are running out, you can extend the judgment by filing a Petition to Revive under 735 ILCS 5/2-1601 and 2-1602 in the original case docket. The court enters an Order of Revival, and a new seven-year enforcement period begins.

You can record a fresh Memorandum of Judgment after revival to keep your real estate lien alive.

The Maximum Lifespan

For standard civil judgments, revival can extend enforcement up to 20 years from the original entry date. That is three seven-year periods (the original plus two revivals, with some overlap).

For consumer debt judgments entered from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2025, a revival petition must be filed within 10 years of entry, and the enforcement period is capped at 17 years. For consumer debt judgments entered on or after January 1, 2026, Public Act 104-120 bars revival and permits enforcement for 15 years from entry. Consumer debt is debt from a transaction primarily for personal, family, or household purposes; the $25,000 threshold applies to the reduced 5% interest rate, not to this definition.

Interest Keeps Running

While the judgment is alive, post-judgment interest accrues automatically — 9% per year for standard civil judgments, 5% for consumer debt. A $5,000 judgment at 9% accrues $450 per year. Over seven years without payment, the debtor owes $8,150 before you even count court costs.

Interest does not stop during the revival process. It accrues continuously from the original judgment date through full satisfaction.

What Happens if You Miss the Window

If the seven-year period expires without revival, new enforcement is generally barred. A wage-deduction or turnover proceeding already pending under court supervision may continue to conclusion, and real estate levied on within the seven-year period may be sold within one year after it expires. The debt still exists as a legal obligation, but other enforcement requires a timely revival.

File your Petition to Revive before the seven years run out — not after. Courts do not grant retroactive revivals.

The Practical Takeaway

Seven years is a long time. Debtors who are judgment-proof today — no job, no bank account, no property — often acquire assets later. You can file a Citation to Discover Assets periodically to check. And if you recorded a real estate lien, it sits there passively collecting interest until the property moves.

The Illinois judgment collection guide includes a judgment lifecycle timeline, the revival petition process, and the interest calculation worksheet to track your growing balance over the full enforcement period.

See more Illinois guides →