Illinois Post-Judgment Collection Forms: Where to Find Them and Which to File First

After winning a small claims case in Illinois, the forms you need to actually collect the money are different from the ones you used to file and win the case. The Illinois Supreme Court has approved statewide standardized form packets for every enforcement tool, and circuit court clerks are required to accept them.

Here is where to find them, what each one does, and which to use first.

Where the Official Forms Are

All approved post-judgment collection forms are available free from the Illinois Courts website (illinoiscourts.gov) under Approved Statewide Standardized Forms → Post-Judgment Collection. They come in fillable PDF format with English and Spanish instructions.

County clerk websites also host these forms. Cook County posts them as form suite SCC 1803. McLean, Madison, Lake, and other counties link to the same statewide packets.

The Five Form Packets

1. Citation to Discover Assets to Debtor

• Citation Application/Petition
• Citation Summons
• Income and Asset Form (the debtor fills this out)
• Citation Notice
• Proof of Service form

Use this when you do not know what the debtor owns. It compels them to appear in court and disclose everything.

2. Citation to Discover Assets to Debtor's Bank (Third-Party)

• Third-Party Citation Application
• Bank Interrogatories
• Citation Notice to Debtor (send a copy of the citation and notice within 3 business days of serving the bank)
• Exemption Claim Form

Use this when you know the debtor's bank. It freezes the account and forces the bank to report balances.

3. Wage Deduction

• Affidavit for Wage Deduction
• Wage Deduction Summons
• Interrogatories to Employer
• Wage Deduction Notice to Debtor
• Exemption Notice

Use this when you know the debtor's employer. The employer withholds a portion of each paycheck.

4. Non-Wage Garnishment

• Non-Wage Garnishment Affidavit
• Garnishment Summons
• Third-Party Interrogatories
• Garnishment Notice to Debtor
• Exemption Claim Form

The person serving a non-wage garnishment mails the summons and garnishment notice within two business days and files a certificate of mailing within four business days.

Use this to reach debts owed to the debtor by a third party (other than wages), such as contractor payments or insurance proceeds.

5. Satisfaction of Judgment

• Release/Satisfaction of Judgment form

Filed after you have collected everything owed — principal, interest, and recoverable costs. After full satisfaction and the debtor's request, Illinois law requires you to execute and deliver a written release; the statute does not set a general 28-day deadline.

Which to File First

If you do not know the debtor's employer or bank details, start with the Citation to Discover Assets to Debtor. The examination hearing reveals where they work, bank, and own property. Then file the specific enforcement tool that matches what you find.

If you already have the debtor's bank account number — common in landlord-tenant and freelance invoice disputes — skip straight to the bank citation. If you know their employer but not their bank, start with wage deduction.

The eFileIL Gotcha

Most filings go through the statewide eFileIL portal unless you qualify for an exemption under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(c). The most common rejection: uploading a fillable PDF without "flattening" it first. If the portal rejects your form, open the PDF, print it to a new PDF (this strips the interactive form fields), and re-upload the static version.

The Illinois judgment collection guide walks through each form packet step by step, including which fields to fill, what service method to use, and how to draft the sheriff instruction letter that accompanies personal service.

See more Illinois guides →