Sued for Debt in Illinois? Here’s What to Do.

Statute of limitations

5 years in Illinois

Illinois’s statute of limitations on debt is 5 years, codified at 735 ILCS 5/13-205. The clock typically runs from: date of last payment or first missed payment.

If the time-bar has run, the debt may not be legally collectible in court — but you generally have to raise the defense yourself. It is not raised automatically.

Your rights

What Illinois law gives you

• Illinois Collection Agency Act (225 ILCS 425) gives you state-level protections beyond federal debt-collection law.
• Illinois Supreme Court Rule 280 requires sworn affidavit and account documentation attached to the complaint.
• Illinois courts enforce arbitration clauses in credit card agreements under the Federal Arbitration Act.
• Cases in Illinois are heard in Illinois Circuit Court.

The one thing most people miss