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Small Claims Summons

Illinois · Illinois Supreme Court · Effective June 1, 2024

This form is a notice that you have been sued in small claims court and tells you what you must do next. It asks the court for the names of the people or businesses being sued and the amount of money involved.

Open the official PDFfrom Illinois Supreme Court

Where this fits in a case

Start a case

Stage: Start a case

This form is used when a person or business is starting a small claims case in the Circuit Court. It notifies the people being sued that a case has been filed against them.

Usually filed by the person starting the case.

Official instructions

How-to guides published by the court for this form.

Common questions

What does this form mean if I receive it?
It means that you have been sued in small claims court and you must attend court on the date listed on the summons. If you do not attend, the judge might decide the case without hearing from you.
Do I have to file an Answer/Response?
In a small claims case, you do not have to file a document called an Answer/Response unless the judge tells you to.

Revision history

No changes recorded since we started tracking this form on October 9, 2026. The current version took effect June 1, 2024.

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