Overview

In Illinois, the cost to file a Civil No Contact Order (CNCO) is $0. State law explicitly prohibits the clerk from charging a filing fee and prohibits the sheriff from charging for service of CNCO papers. Many circuits also publish local fee schedules confirming a $0 filing and $0 appearance fee for CNCOs. That said, petitioners should plan for incidental costs that are not court fees (e.g., printing, certified copy charges in some counties, transportation, time away from work/class) and understand how fee waivers work for any peripheral expenses that might arise. This article explains the statutory cost rules, how sheriff’s service works without charge, what “no fee” does and does not cover, and a practical 10-step process for budgeting, tracking, and minimizing out-of-pocket expenses without compromising safety or speed.

Who Typically Benefits and Who Can Apply

A CNCO protects anyone who has experienced nonconsensual sexual conduct or nonconsensual sexual penetration. There is no requirement of a domestic relationship. You can file for yourself; a parent/guardian can file for a minor; and appropriate representatives can file where the victim cannot practically file. Venue options (where to file) keep travel costs manageable: the county where you live, where the respondent lives, or where the incident occurred. Understanding the $0 filing and $0 sheriff’s service rules helps survivors, families, campus advocates, and legal aid clinics plan realistic budgets and eliminate unnecessary hesitation due to cost fears.

Benefits of Knowing the Cost Rules Up Front

Knowing that the clerk cannot charge a filing fee and the sheriff cannot charge for service removes major financial barriers. You can prioritize speed and precision (clear addresses, entrances, and online channels in the order) instead of price-shopping process servers or delaying to save money. Clear cost expectations also let you reserve funds for practical items that do matter—transportation to hearings, certified copies if you need them for schools or landlords, and printing exhibits that are crisp and readable. When you’re confident the court will not bill you to start or serve your CNCO, you can file sooner, request enforcement if needed, and plan any extensions before expiration without worrying that each appearance will trigger new fees.

Detailed 10-Step Process (Cost-Focused Planning)

Step 1: Confirm the Core Rule—$0 to File and $0 for Sheriff’s Service, Statewide

Illinois statute squarely addresses CNCO costs. Under the Civil No Contact Order Act, the clerk of the court may not charge a fee to file, modify, or certify CNCO orders, and the sheriff may not charge a fee to serve CNCO petitions, rules, motions, or orders. Multiple circuits also publish fee schedules showing $0 for “Petition for Order of Protection, Civil No Contact, Civil No Stalking, and Firearms Restraining Order,” and $0 for the related appearance fee. Practically, this means you should not pay to open your case or to have the sheriff serve the respondent—two of the most expensive components in ordinary civil litigation. It also means you can treat time, not money, as the scarce resource: move quickly to file, and push service forward without budget anxiety.

What does this rule not cover? If you want extra certified copies for your employer, school, or landlord, some clerks charge a small per-copy certification fee (often a few dollars). Many waive that fee in CNCO contexts, but policy can vary—ask the clerk at filing whether certified copies are free and how many you can receive. You may also incur printing costs for petitions, exhibits, and proposed orders if you don’t print at home or school. Finally, there are real-world transportation costs (rideshare, parking, or transit) and potential time costs (unpaid time off). None of these are imposed by the court to bring a CNCO—yet they matter to planning, and this article treats them as “incidental costs” to budget and minimize.

Action items: (1) Note the statutory “no fee to file; no fee to serve” in your case notebook so you can push back politely if anyone misinforms you. (2) Ask the clerk: “How many certified copies can I get today? Is there a charge for additional ones?” (3) Decide whether you’ll print at home/school or need a print shop—if the latter, time your printing to avoid rush pricing. (4) Map your travel costs to the courthouse once for filing and again for the hearing; set reminders so you don’t book last-minute expensive rides. Eliminating uncertainty at Step 1 keeps every downstream choice focused on safety and precision rather than money.

Step 2: Budget for Incidental but Predictable Expenses—Copies, Printing, Transit, and Time

Even when courts and sheriffs charge no fees, realistic planning includes small but predictable costs. Start with copies. You’ll want: one full set for the court, one for you, one to hand to the respondent at hearing (if needed), and optionally one for an advocate or campus office. If you rely on a print shop, estimate per-page pricing in advance and reduce cost by formatting exhibits sensibly: two screenshots per page, large enough to read, with visible timestamps/handles. If your clerk offers certified copies at no charge, request a few for institutions (school safety, HR/security, property management). If there’s a small fee, buy only what you need today; you can request more after the plenary order is signed.

Next, transportation. Filing and the plenary hearing may require in-person trips depending on your county’s procedures. Price out transit versus rideshare and consider off-peak travel when safe. If the clerk schedules your hearing early morning, aim to arrive 20–30 minutes early to clear security without paying for rush transport. Parking downtown can exceed transit costs; compare total door-to-door expense and stress. Also budget time: if you’re hourly, the “cost” of two hours away from work can exceed any printing spend. Plan with your supervisor or professors so you minimize time lost and avoid last-minute scrambling that leads to pricier choices.

Finally, opportunity costs—energy and focus. Creating a clean, short packet (petition + exhibits + proposed order) reduces repeat trips and re-printing. If you find yourself copying names/addresses across multiple static PDFs, that repetition increases error risk and can lead to re-prints or continuances. If you’d like to avoid that, you can prepare the Illinois CNCO forms by answering friendly questions in LegalAtoms; your names, addresses, entrances, and channel lists are stored once and flow consistently into the petition and proposed orders, helping you sidestep duplicate printing and extra clerk lines caused by typos. The result is fewer incidental costs and a smoother day in court.

Step 3: Use the Statutory Service Rule to Your Advantage—$0 Sheriff Service and How to Keep It Fast

Illinois law removes cost from the service of process equation for CNCOs: the sheriff must serve without charging you. Use that to move fast instead of price-shopping private servers. Right after filing, ask the clerk if your county automatically transmits papers to the sheriff or if you must deliver a packet. If you must deliver, go the same day and attach a one-page cover sheet listing: (1) all viable addresses (home with unit; workplace with hours; school buildings/entrances); (2) access notes (concierge, rear gate, broken buzzer); (3) a safe callback number; and (4) any alternate names/handles. Because you aren’t paying per attempt, give the sheriff options so the first week isn’t wasted on a single locked door.

Track service like a project. Start a service log with attempt dates/times and outcomes. Call the civil division two business days after submission to confirm receipt and expected attempt windows; check the docket one week before hearing for a filed return of service. If the return hasn’t posted, call again and be ready with additional addresses (e.g., shift change location). If attempts fail repeatedly, ask the clerk about alternative service according to local practice. None of these steps cost you money; they cost attention. Investing attention early prevents continuances that create hidden costs (extra transit, re-printing, additional time off).

Why not hire a private process server anyway? In many civil cases, you would consider it to save time, but here the statute’s $0 sheriff service, combined with your diligence (multiple addresses; clear access notes; quick follow-through), often gets the job done at no cost. If you do choose a private server for speed, confirm with the clerk first that it’s permitted and that you’re not duplicating what the sheriff is already doing. Either way, the key budget insight is: service speed is a function of clarity and follow-up, not dollars.

Step 4: Keep Forms Current and Consistent—Avoid the Hidden Costs of Typos, Re-Printing, and Continuances

There is no filing fee to start a CNCO, but mistakes can generate real costs: repeated trips, re-printing, or a continuance that forces you to rearrange work, childcare, or classes. The best way to avoid hidden costs is to treat your forms like a single source of truth. Always download the current statewide standardized forms from the Illinois Courts site, and confirm you’re using the CNCO suite (not stalking or domestic) unless your facts require a different track. Then, standardize your labels across every document: addresses with unit numbers; building names exactly as security uses them; entrances by compass direction; and the same list of communication channels in every proposed order (phone, SMS, email, social media, indirect/third-party). When petition, summons, and proposed orders match, judges move faster and clerks spend less time correcting, meaning fewer repeat prints and fewer surprise delays.

Before printing, run a consistency pass: compare names, addresses, and dates across petition, proposed emergency order (if used), and proposed plenary order. Look for easy-to-miss drift (Apt. 4B vs. 4-B; “Arts Hall south entrance” vs. “south door”). If you find drift after filing, fix it before the hearing so you don’t burn time (and money) seeking bench edits. If you don’t have reliable access to a printer, plan one consolidated print session near the hearing after your last consistency pass so you don’t pay twice. And if manual form-filling is causing errors, consider preparing the Illinois CNCO paperwork by answering friendly questions in LegalAtoms; it keeps your canonical names/addresses/entrances/channels consistent across all documents so you print once, file once, and spend $0 on do-overs.

Step 5: Fee Waivers—What They Cover, What They Don’t, and How to Avoid Surprise Costs

In Illinois Civil No Contact Order (CNCO) cases, the most important cost fact is straightforward: you pay $0 to file and $0 for sheriff’s service. That rule exists to eliminate financial barriers at the courthouse door. But many petitioners still ask about “fee waivers” because they’ve encountered waivers in other civil cases (like standard lawsuits) where filing fees are normally charged. Here’s the key distinction: a typical fee waiver is used to forgive fees that would otherwise apply. In CNCO matters, the legislature has already removed those core fees, so you do not need a fee waiver to open your case or to have the sheriff serve. That said, it’s still wise to know what a waiver can and cannot accomplish for the incidental costs that sometimes pop up around the edges.

Start with certified copies. Many clerks provide one or more certified copies of a CNCO at no charge, especially for distribution to schools, employers, and property managers. Others may charge a small per-copy fee after the first set. If your county is in the latter camp, a fee waiver may be available to cover those certification charges if the court treats them as court-imposed costs. Ask the clerk directly at filing: “How many certified copies can I receive at no cost today, and what is the price for additional certified copies if needed?” If there is a charge, ask whether the court will consider a waiver based on your financial situation. Document the answer on your case checklist so you can plan distribution without overspending.

Next, consider record retrievals and transcripts. Most CNCO petitioners will never need a transcript, but if you do (for example, for a school hearing or a parallel matter), there can be third-party charges from court reporters or copy vendors. Fee waivers generally do not force a private vendor to work for free. If you genuinely need a transcript, ask the clerk whether the court has a reduced-cost arrangement or whether the judge will take judicial notice of a recording in lieu of a paid transcript. In practice, the better tactic is to keep your order text precise and distribute certified copies—few institutions require transcripts when a clear, current order is on the table.

What about private process servers? In CNCO cases, there’s no need to hire one to avoid sheriff fees (because the sheriff must serve at $0). If you still consider a private server due to timing, remember a fee waiver won’t obligate a private business to serve for free. A smarter alternative is to improve the sheriff’s odds: provide multiple viable addresses, access notes (concierge hours, rear gate), a safe callback, and any “also known as” information. Monitor attempts and ask the clerk about alternative service if the respondent is evasive. Your attention—not your wallet—tends to be the bottleneck.

For printing, fee waivers won’t cover a copy shop’s bill. To minimize printing expense, format evidence efficiently: two screenshots per page with visible timestamps/handles, crop to relevant portions while keeping metadata, and eliminate duplicates. Print clean, single-sided pages for the court set and use staple-friendly bundles for your set and the respondent’s. If you have campus or workplace printing privileges, use them; if not, time your print run close to the hearing after a final “consistency pass” so you don’t pay twice for corrections.

Finally, think about time and travel. No fee waiver pays for rideshares, parking, or hourly wages. But good planning can reduce those costs: schedule your filing trip during off-peak transit hours; arrive early to avoid re-queues; and bundle tasks (file + pick up certified copies + confirm sheriff transmission) in one visit. If your county accepts e-filing for CNCO documents, that can eliminate one trip entirely—confirm local procedure with the clerk. And if you want to reduce error-driven reprints and re-filings, consider preparing Illinois CNCO forms by answering friendly questions in LegalAtoms; the guided flow keeps names, addresses, entrances, and communication channels consistent across petition and proposed orders, which cuts down on fix-and-reprint loops that quietly drain your budget.

Step 6: Read Your County’s Fee Schedule Like a Pro—Spot $0 Lines, Avoid Mislabels, and Verify Before You Pay

County fee schedules can be dense, and sometimes they use legacy headings that confuse first-time filers. Your goal is to quickly confirm two things: (1) that the line for “Civil No Contact Order” (or the broader protective-order grouping) is explicitly $0 for filing and appearance; and (2) that sheriff service is $0 for CNCO documents. If you can’t find “Civil No Contact Order” by name, look for a grouped category that lists “Orders of Protection / Civil No Contact / Stalking No Contact / Firearms Restraining” with uniform $0 entries. Because different protective orders share the same access policy, some fee schedules place them under a single umbrella row instead of listing each in isolation.

Watch for misleading context. Some schedules attach dollar amounts to “civil filings” generally, then carve out exceptions for protective orders in a footnote or separate table. Don’t stop reading after the first table—scan the entire document for exception language. If anything is unclear, ask the clerk’s counter directly: “For a Civil No Contact Order, is the filing fee $0 and is sheriff service $0?” Clerks handle these cases routinely and can point you to the correct row or policy note. If the schedule on the website looks outdated, rely on what the clerk tells you in person or by phone and ask for the updated PDF if you need it for your records.

Understand appearance fees versus filing fees. A schedule may list “appearance fee—general civil” with a dollar amount. Protective-order matters (including CNCOs) are typically excepted from that charge as well, which means you should not pay an appearance fee when you show up for a CNCO hearing. Confirm the exception applies by locating the CNCO or protective-order row showing $0 across both filing and appearance columns. If a payment portal tries to charge you during e-filing, stop and call the clerk; sometimes e-filing systems rely on generic civil categories until the clerk assigns the correct case type.

Check copy and certification lines. Some fee schedules break out per-page copy charges and per-document certification charges. These may be waived for CNCOs; in other circuits they remain nominally priced. If certified copies are not clearly listed as free for protective orders, assume you’ll pay a small amount per certification after the first set. Budget accordingly (for example, one copy for your school and one for your property manager) and plan to request additional certified copies only if a specific institution demands them.

Don’t forget sheriff service exceptions. A general “service of process” table may list standard per-attempt fees—but there’s often a separate line or footnote: “No charge for service of Orders of Protection / Civil No Contact / Civil No Stalking.” If your county does not display that clearly, the clerk can confirm the statutory rule. When in doubt, request that the sheriff’s civil division note “CNCO—no fee per statute” on the intake form, which prevents billing confusion down the line.

Finally, preserve proof of $0 for your records. Screenshot or print the fee schedule row that applies, or jot the page reference and date. If a third party later questions why you didn’t pay, you’ll have the authoritative line in hand. This matters most when a campus or landlord finance office is unfamiliar with Illinois protective-order cost rules; producing the $0 row can resolve the conversation in seconds without escalation or delay.

Step 7: Plan Costs for Extensions and Modifications—Still $0 to File and Serve, With Smart Budgeting for Incidentals

A CNCO doesn’t end with a single court date. You may extend a plenary order before it expires, or modify terms midstream to add a door, entrance, or online channel. The good news for your budget: in Illinois, extensions and modifications of CNCOs are also $0 to file, and sheriff service remains $0 if new service is required. That means your long-term cost planning focuses on incidentals—printing, certified copies (if charged), transportation, and time away from work or class—rather than on court-imposed fees.

Build a renewal calendar on day one. Set reminders at 60, 30, and 14 days before the plenary order expires. At 60 days, run a coverage audit: do the named buildings, entrances, and lots still match your routine? Do you need to add a new entrance or tune a distance? Did contact shift online such that you should add “no doxxing / no posting images / no new accounts” language? If yes, decide whether to file a targeted modification now or bundle the change into your extension motion. Bundling can reduce trips and printing, but separating can be faster if a new risk has appeared. Either way, your filing cost remains $0.

Minimize printing by preparing a clean, short packet: one-page declaration of continued need, two to five exhibits proving proximity or violations, and a clean proposed order that mirrors the existing one word-for-word except for date updates and any narrowly tailored additions. Format exhibits two per page with readable timestamps/handles; crop extraneous margins and eliminate duplicates. Print the court set single-sided; your set and the respondent’s can be stapled bundles. If you’re prone to last-minute edits that cause reprints, lock your text by generating the Illinois forms through a guided interview (e.g., LegalAtoms), then print once after a final consistency pass.

Plan transportation for extensions the same way you did for filing: pick off-peak transit when safe, arrive early to avoid re-queues, and combine errands (e.g., filing and certified copies) to limit trips. If your county supports e-filing for CNCO extensions, use it to eliminate travel altogether. For distribution, print the fewest certified copies you need (school safety, HR/security, property management); provide others as PDFs unless an institution insists on certified copies.

Finally, do not spend money to fix consistency problems. The most expensive thing in CNCO practice is not a fee—it’s delay. Typos in addresses, mismatched building labels, or inconsistent distances lead to bench edits or continuances that cost you time, missed class, or lost wages. Keep a single canonical list of addresses, entrances, and channels in a note you copy across every document. Read the signed order before leaving the courtroom and ask for corrections immediately, which costs $0 and saves you a second trip.

Step 8: Distribute Smartly—Get Maximum Safety From Minimal Copies at School, Work, and Housing

You don’t need to print stacks of orders to achieve coverage. Aim for strategic distribution that turns one or two certified copies into campus-, workplace-, and housing-level enforcement. Start by asking the clerk how many certified copies you can receive at $0 today. If at least two are free, earmark one for your primary institution (Title IX/campus safety or HR/security) and one for property management. When you deliver, provide a short, consistent script: “This is a Civil No Contact Order. It prohibits contact by any means and requires stay-away from these exact places: [list the named buildings, entrances, and lots]. Please share with security and keep a copy at the front desk.” That ninety-second briefing reduces the risk of vague enforcement and avoids repeat visits.

Use digital distribution to avoid over-printing. Most institutions will accept a PDF copy of the signed order, especially if you also show the certified copy once in person. Store a clean PDF in your phone and cloud drive; label it with the date so staff can see it’s current (“CNCO_plenary_signed_2025-03-18.pdf”). If an office insists on “wet ink,” ask whether one certified copy kept in a central file is sufficient while copies circulate digitally to staff. Many institutions prefer this approach; it keeps their records accurate and saves you certification fees when they exist.

Coordinate internal handoffs. At schools, ask Title IX or campus safety to notify dispatch and patrol of the exact entrances and lots named; request that those names be added to any “hot spot” list. At work, give HR/security the order and ask them to deliver an all-staff security note without sharing your personal details—only the practical restrictions relevant to safety. For housing, provide the order to management and ask them to brief front-desk personnel on the ban, including “no waiting” in specified lobbies. These targeted handoffs transform a single certified copy into real-world coverage across shifts, doors, and desks.

Re-distribute efficiently when staff change. If a dean or manager leaves, email the PDF to the new contact with a short introduction and ask where the certified copy is stored. If campus security rotates officers mid-term, ask the dispatcher to re-brief your named entrances during shift change. Keep a simple “distribution log” (date, person, department) so you know who has what. Logging avoids repeat trips and duplicate prints because you’ll see at a glance whether the student union has already been briefed or the new building manager has received the order.

Finally, remember: distribution is an ongoing workflow, not a one-time task. Add a recurring calendar reminder to re-check coverage at the start of each term or after a move. If you find a gap, fill it with a PDF and a short briefing before it becomes a safety incident. Doing the easy, free work (emails, PDFs, briefings) saves you from the expensive work (late trips, emergency reprints, escalations) and keeps enforcement tight without expanding your budget.

Step 9: Make Evidence Affordable and Legible—Printing Economics for Screenshots, Photos, and Logs

Evidence shouldn’t drain your wallet. Judges need legible, chronological, and relevant exhibits—not glossy color albums. A few layout choices cut page counts and print costs while improving readability. First, capture screenshots with handles, timestamps, and (if feasible) URLs visible. Crop away unrelated portions, but keep the metadata. Place two screenshots per page in chronological order, and add a tiny caption under each: “3/14 9:21 PM—‘stop’ text.” This approach halves page count compared to single-image sheets and helps the court follow the narrative without flipping back and forth.

For photos and doorbell stills, prefer still frames with embedded timestamps over video clips. If a clip is crucial, bring it on a phone or USB per local rules, but print two key stills with time overlays so the judge has something to reference at a glance. Use grayscale unless color conveys meaning (e.g., highlighting a specific area on a map or distinguishing read/unread indicators). Grayscale costs less at copy shops and remains perfectly readable when contrast is high. If color is necessary for one or two images, isolate those pages rather than printing the whole packet in color.

Keep a one-page exhibit index up front: “A—Texts 03/14–03/15; B—Door camera still 03/16 10:42 PM; C—Instagram DMs 03/17.” The index reduces time the judge spends hunting through pages and reduces your risk of overprinting “just in case.” Two to five exhibits are usually enough for CNCO steps (emergency, plenary, extension). Over-stuffing the packet increases costs and can obscure your most persuasive pieces.

Use a clean, consistent violation log template to convert messy events into compact printouts: date, time, place, what happened in one or two sentences, who witnessed, and file references (“see Exhibit C”). Keep the log digital day-to-day to avoid constant printing; print only when heading to court. When you do print, single-sided pages for the court set ensure easy scanning; your own and the respondent’s copies can be stapled bundles. If you’re printing off campus, do a final proofreading pass before you hit “print” so you don’t pay twice for corrected pages.

Finally, control consistency to prevent reprints. Names, addresses, unit numbers, building labels, entrances, and distances must match across petition, proposed orders, and exhibits. If you find a mismatch after printing, don’t throw away the entire packet; reprint only the affected page and update page numbers by hand if permitted. Better yet, reduce mismatch risk by generating your Illinois CNCO packet via a guided interview that reuses your canonical data across every document—so the first print is the last print.

Step 10: A No-Surprises Budget Checklist—From Day 0 Filing to Final Order (and Beyond)

Wrap your CNCO plan with a simple, reusable checklist that keeps costs at—or near—zero while maximizing enforcement. Day 0 (Filing): Confirm with the clerk that CNCO filing and sheriff service are $0. Ask how many certified copies are free today and whether additional certifications carry a charge; request what you need for immediate distribution (school/work/housing). If you must deliver service papers to the sheriff, do it the same day with a cover sheet listing all viable addresses, access notes, and a safe callback. Start a service log (date/time/result). If you’re entering an emergency phase, leave with the return date in hand and calendar reminders.

Printing Plan: Format exhibits efficiently (two screenshots per page, readable timestamps/handles, grayscale unless color is essential). Do a final consistency pass before printing: names, addresses with unit numbers, building labels, entrances, distances, dates. Print the court set single-sided; your copy and the respondent’s can be stapled. Save PDFs on your phone and in the cloud so reprints are rarely necessary. If you need help ensuring consistency across documents, prepare the Illinois forms by answering friendly questions in LegalAtoms; it reduces errors that cause costly reprints or continuances.

Distribution: Deliver one certified copy to your primary institution (Title IX/campus safety or HR/security) and one to property management. Provide a one-minute briefing on exact locations and channels covered. Send the PDF to relevant contacts so they can disseminate internally without asking you for more paper copies. Log who received what and when.

Service & Hearing: Two business days after sheriff intake, call to confirm attempts; one week before the hearing, check for the filed return of service. If it’s missing, escalate that day and prepare for alternative service if available. Appear on the hearing date even if service is incomplete and request a continuance plus extension of any emergency order to avoid a gap. These steps cost $0 and prevent the most expensive “cost” of all: lost time and repeated trips.

Post-Order & Maintenance: Read the signed order before leaving; correct typos on the spot. Request certified copies if needed; otherwise distribute PDFs. Set renewal reminders at 60/30/14 days before expiration. At 60 days, run a coverage audit: do you need to add an entrance, adjust a distance, or include online clauses like “no doxxing/no images/no new accounts”? Decide whether to file a targeted modification now or bundle with the extension—either way, $0 to file and $0 to serve.

Budget Snapshot: Court filing—$0. Sheriff service—$0. Certified copies—often $0 for initial set; small charge possible for extras (ask the clerk). Printing—minimize with smart layouts; print once after a final consistency pass. Transportation—reduce by bundling tasks and using e-filing where allowed. Time—protect it with checklists, service logs, and precise drafting. If any step forces detailed form work (e.g., multiple entrances, online clauses), prepare the packet through a guided interview so your first print is your last. Follow this checklist and your CNCO moves from “How much will this cost?” to “How quickly can I get precise, enforceable protection without surprises?”—the answer, in Illinois, is: quickly, and usually for $0.

Costs

Core court costs for CNCO petitioners are $0 to file and $0 for sheriff’s service. Potential incidentals: certified copy charges (often waived for CNCOs in some counties), printing at a copy shop, transportation/parking, and time away from work/class. Use current statewide forms to avoid re-printing and plan one consolidated print run before your hearing.

Time Required

Emergency CNCOs can be issued quickly. The plenary hearing timing depends on service and the court calendar. Cost planning is front-loaded: confirm certified copy policy at filing, plan your printing and transit once, and maintain a clean packet so you don’t pay with extra trips or missed classes.

Limitations

“No fee” applies to filing and sheriff service for CNCO matters. It does not obligate third parties (e.g., private couriers or private servers) to work for free, and it does not guarantee unlimited free certified copies. Always confirm your circuit’s copy policy and print only what you need.

Risks and Unexpected Problems

Common pitfalls that create avoidable cost: using outdated forms; inconsistent addresses/names leading to continuances; missing service milestones and needing extra trips; and over-printing exhibits that a judge can’t read. Solve these by using current statewide forms, keeping a single canonical list of addresses/entrances/channels, tracking service with a simple log, and formatting exhibits for readability (and economy).

Sources

• Illinois General Assembly — Civil No Contact Order Act (740 ILCS 22), including subsection stating the clerk shall not charge a filing/certifying fee and the sheriff shall not charge for service of CNCO papers.
• Illinois Courts — Civil No Contact & Stalking No Contact Order Forms (statewide standardized forms required to be accepted in all Illinois courts).
• Illinois Courts — Approved Statewide Standardized Forms (forms hub and guidance).
• Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County — Fee Schedules showing $0 for CNCO filing/appearance (illustrative of local publication aligning with state law).
• 19th Judicial Circuit (Lake County) — Filing page noting no fees charged for Orders of Protection and related protective orders; includes CNCO routing resource.