Bureau Circuit Court, Illinois Electronic Filing Rules

CRITICAL

The Clerk must provide a workstation for any filer to register and file documents electronically.

To facilitate electronic filing, the Clerk of the Circuit Court shall provide a computer workstation for use for any filer to register and file electronic documents.

CRITICAL

Filers must register with the EFM through an authorized EFSP before electronically filing any document.

All filers shall register with the EFM through an authorized EFSP, prior to filing any document electronically.

CRITICAL

Upon acceptance, the EFM must stamp the electronic document, and the stamped filing has the same force and effect as a conventionally stamped document.

Upon acceptance by the clerk, the EFM shall apply the file stamp to the electronic document. Filings so endorsed shall have the same force and effect as documents file stamped in the conventional manner.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Physical exhibits not suitable for electronic filing

Items unsuitable for electronic filing must be filed in physical form at the Clerk’s office or courtroom as directed by court order.

Items not conducive to electronic filing, such as physical exhibits for which an image will not suffice shall be filed in their physical form at the Clerk’s office or in the courtroom, as directed by order of court and in conformity with the Supreme Court’s Order M.R. 18368 filed January 22, 2016.

CRITICAL

Electronic filing is required in all civil case types effective January 1, 2018.

The Circuit Court hereby requires electronic filing in all civil case types effective January 1, 2018

CRITICAL

Applies to

Wills or other testamentary documents

Wills and other testamentary documents cannot be accepted for electronic filing.

Wills or other testamentary documents shall not be accepted for filing electronically.

CRITICAL

Electronic filing is mandated in civil case types effective January 1, 2018 through the authorized centralized EFM.

On January 22, 2016, the Supreme Court amended M.R. 18368, mandating electronic filing in civil case types effective January 1, 2018 through the utilization of a centralized electronic filing manager (EFM) authorized by the Supreme Court.

CRITICAL

The EFM must notify filers of receipt, acceptance, or rejection of electronically filed documents.

The EFM shall provide notification of a receipt, acceptance, or rejection of electronically filed documents.

WARNING

The Clerk may reject an electronically filed unapproved case or document type.

Any unapproved case or document type filed electronically by a filer may be rejected by the Clerk of the Court.

WARNING

The clerk may reject an electronic filing for procedural or technical nonconformance and may identify the deficiency to correct.

Rejection – The court clerk may reject any electronic filing for any procedural or technical nonconformance and may identify the deficiency to be corrected.

WARNING

Criminal and juvenile cases may be e-filed through e-FileIL only after initiation and case-number assignment; quasi-criminal types are excluded.

This Court hereby authorizes electronic filing in criminal case types (Criminal Felony (CF), Criminal Misdemeanor (CM), Driving Under the Influence (DT) and juvenile case types (Juvenile (J), Juvenile Abuse and Neglect (JA), and Juvenile Delinquency (JD)) in a permissive manner through e-File IL. Permissive e-Filing of criminal and juvenile cases through e-FileIL applies only to filings after the case has been initiated and assigned a case number. Permissive e-filing through eFileIL does not include quasi-criminal case types: Traffic (TR), Ordinance Violation (OV), Conservation (CV) and Civil Law (CL).

WARNING

Criminal and juvenile case initiation should continue under current practices.

Criminal and juvenile case initiation in the circuit courts should continue using current practices.

INFO

Applies to

Motion and notice of motion for permission to file physical items

A motion and notice of motion seeking permission to file physical items may be filed electronically.

The Motion and Notice of Motion for permission to file any of these physical items may be done electronically.

INFO

The Court encourages electronic filing in criminal cases, but conventional filings continue to be accepted.

and encourages criminal e-filing, although conventional filings in these case types will continue to be accepted.

INFO

Applies to

Physical items with substitutable photograph

Physical items that can be represented by a photograph may be imaged and filed electronically.

Physical items for which a photograph may be substituted may be electronically imaged and E-filed.

INFO

Incarcerated self-represented litigants are not required to e-file but are encouraged to do so if e-filing is available at their facility.

Self-represented litigants incarcerated in a federal, state or local correctional facility shall not be required to e-File documents but are encouraged to do so if e- Filing is available within the facility.