Public Act 103-0884
 
SB0694 EnrolledLRB103 03147 AWJ 48153 b

    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing
Sections 3-5010 and 3-5018.2 as follows:
 
    (55 ILCS 5/3-5010)  (from Ch. 34, par. 3-5010)
    Sec. 3-5010. Duties of recorder. Every recorder shall, as
soon as practicable after the receipt of any instrument in
writing in the office, entitled to be recorded, record the
same at length in the order of time of its reception, in well
bound books or computer databases to be provided for that
purpose. In counties of 500,000 or more inhabitants, the
recorder may microphotograph or otherwise reproduce on film or
store electronically any of such instruments in the manner
provided by law. In counties of less than 500,000 inhabitants,
the recorder may cause to be microphotographed or otherwise
reproduced on film any of such instruments or electronic
method of storage. When any such instrument is reproduced on
film or electronic method of storage, the film or electronic
method of storage shall comply with the minimum standards of
quality approved for records of the State Records Commission
and the device used to reproduce the records on the film or
electronic method of storage shall be one which accurately
reproduces the contents of the original.
(Source: P.A. 103-400, eff. 1-1-24.)
 
    (55 ILCS 5/3-5018.2)
    Sec. 3-5018.2. Predictable fee schedule for recordings in
first and second class counties.
    (a) The fees of the recorder in counties of the first and
second class for recording deeds or other instruments in
writing and maps of plats of additions, subdivisions, or
otherwise and for certifying copies of records shall be paid
in advance and shall conform to this Section. The fees or
surcharges shall not, unless otherwise provided in this
Section, be based on the individual attributes of a document
to be recorded, including, but not limited to, page count;
number, length, or type of legal descriptions; number of tax
identification or other parcel-identifying code numbers;
units; number of common addresses; number of references
contained as to other recorded documents or document numbers;
or any other individual attribute of the document. The fees
charged under this Section shall be inclusive of all county
and State fees that the county may elect or is required to
impose or adjust, including, but not limited to, GIS fees,
automation fees, document storage fees, and the Rental Housing
Support Program State and county surcharges.
    (b) A county of the first or second class shall adopt and
implement, by ordinance or resolution, a predictable fee
schedule as provided in subsection (c) that eliminates
surcharges or fees based on the individual attributes of a
document to be recorded. If a county has previously adopted an
ordinance or resolution adopting a predictable fee schedule,
the county must adopt an ordinance or resolution revising that
predictable fee schedule to be consistent with this Section.
After a document class predictable fee is approved by a county
board consistent with this Section, the county board may, by
ordinance or resolution, increase the document class
predictable fee and collect the increased fees if the
established fees are not sufficient to cover the costs of
providing the services related to the document class for which
the fee is to be increased.
    For the purposes of the fee charged, the ordinance or
resolution shall divide documents into the classifications
specified in subsection (c), and shall establish a single,
all-inclusive county and State-imposed aggregate predictable
fee charged for each classification of document at the time of
recording for that document. Each document, unless otherwise
provided in this Section, shall fall within one of the
document class predictable fee classifications set by
subsection (c), and fees for each document class shall be
charged only as allowed by this Section.
    Before approval of an ordinance or resolution under this
subsection that creates or modifies a predictable fee
schedule, the recorder or county clerk shall post a notice in
the recorder's or clerk's office at least 2 weeks prior, but
not more than 4 weeks prior, to the public meeting at which the
ordinance or resolution may be adopted. The notice shall
contain the proposed ordinance or resolution number, if any,
the proposed document class predictable fees for each
classification, and a reference to this Section and this
amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly. A predictable
fee schedule takes effect 60 days after an ordinance or
resolution is adopted, unless the fee schedule was previously
created and the ordinance or resolution is a modification
allowed under this Section.
    Nothing in this Section precludes a county board from
adjusting amounts or allocations within a given document class
predictable fee when the document class predictable fee is not
increased or precludes an alternate predictable fee schedule
for electronic recording within each of the classifications
under subsection (c).
    The county board may, by ordinance or resolution, increase
the fees allowed in the predictable fee schedule if the
increase is justified by an acceptable cost study or internal
analysis of a minimum of 3 years showing that the fees allowed
by this Section are not sufficient to cover the cost of
providing the service.
    A statement of the cost of providing each service,
program, and activity shall be prepared by the county board.
All supporting documents to the statement are public records
and subject to public examination and audit. All direct and
indirect costs, as defined in the United States Office of
Management and Budget Circular A-87, may be included in the
determination of the costs of each service, program, and
activity.
    If the Rental Housing Support Program State surcharge is
amended and the surcharge is increased or lowered, the
aggregate amount of the document predictable fee attributable
to the surcharge in the document may be changed accordingly.
If any fee or surcharge is changed by State statute, the county
may increase the document class fees by the same amount
without any cost study.
    (c) A predictable fee schedule ordinance or resolution
adopted under this Section shall list document fees, including
document class predictable fees. The document classes shall be
as follows:
        (1) Deeds. The aggregate fee for recording deeds shall
    not be less than $31 (being a minimum $13 county fee plus
    $18 for the Rental Housing Support Program State
    surcharge). Inclusion of language in the deed as to any
    restriction; covenant; lien; oil, gas, or other mineral
    interest; easement; lease; or a mortgage shall not alter
    the classification of a document as a deed.
        (2) Leases, lease amendments, and similar transfer of
    interest documents. The aggregate fee for recording
    leases, lease amendments, and similar transfers of
    interest documents shall not be less than $31 (being a
    minimum $13 county fee plus $18 for the Rental Housing
    Support Program State surcharge).
        (3) Mortgages. The aggregate fee for recording
    mortgages, including assignments, extensions, amendments,
    subordinations, and mortgage releases shall not be less
    than $31 (being a minimum $13 county fee plus $18 for the
    Rental Housing Support Program State surcharge).
        (4) Easements not otherwise part of another
    classification. The aggregate fee for recording easements
    not otherwise part of another classification, including
    assignments, extensions, amendments, and easement releases
    not filed by a State agency, unit of local government, or
    school district, shall not be less than $31 (being a
    minimum $13 county fee plus $18 for the Rental Housing
    Support Program State surcharge).
        (5) Nonstandard Irregular documents. Any document
    presented that does not conform to the following
    standards, even if it may qualify for another document
    class, may be recorded under this document class (5) if
    the nonstandard document irregularity allows a legible
    reproduction of the document presented:
            (A) The document shall consist of one or more
        individual sheets measuring 8.5 inches by 11 inches,
        not permanently bound, and not a continuous form.
        Graphic displays accompanying a document to be
        recorded that measure up to 11 inches by 17 inches
        shall be recorded without charging an additional fee.
            (B) The document shall be legibly printed in black
        ink by hand, type, or computer. Signatures and dates
        may be in contrasting colors if they will reproduce
        clearly.
            (C) The document shall be on white paper of not
        less than 20-pound weight and shall have a clean
        margin of at least one-half inch on the top, the
        bottom, and each side. Margins may be used only for
        non-essential notations that will not affect the
        validity of the document, including, but not limited
        to, form numbers, page numbers, and customer
        notations.
            (D) The first page of the document shall contain a
        blank space, measuring at least 3 inches by 5 inches,
        from the upper right corner.
            (E) The document shall not have any attachment
        stapled or otherwise affixed to any page.
            (F) The document makes specific reference to 5 or
        fewer tax parcels, units, property identification
        numbers, or document numbers.
        The aggregate fee for recording a nonstandard an
    irregular document shall not be less than $31 (being a
    minimum $13 county fee plus $18 for the Rental Housing
    Support Program State surcharge). A county may adopt by
    ordinance and publish with its fee schedule an additional
    fee or formula for a document that makes specific
    reference to more than 5 tax parcels, units, property
    identification numbers, or document numbers.
        (6) (Blank). Blanket recordings. For any document that
    makes specific reference to more than 5 tax parcels or
    property identification numbers, or makes reference to 5
    or more document numbers, the aggregate fee shall be not
    less than $31 (being a minimum $13 county fee plus $18 for
    the Rental Housing Support Program State surcharge). A
    county may adopt by ordinance and publish with its fee
    schedule an additional fee or formula for each parcel,
    property identification number, or document reference,
    above 5, contained in an accepted document.
        (7) Miscellaneous. The aggregate fee for recording
    documents that do not otherwise fall falling within
    classifications under paragraphs (1) through (6) or
    paragraph (8) or (9) and that are not otherwise exempted
    documents shall not be less than $31 (being a minimum $13
    county fee plus $18 for the Rental Housing Support Program
    State surcharge).
        (8) Maps or plats of additions, subdivisions, or
    otherwise. (d) For recording maps or plats of additions,
    subdivisions, or otherwise, the minimum fee shall be $50
    (including the spreading of the same of record in well
    bound books), $100 plus $2 for each tract, parcel, or lot
    contained in the map or plat.
        (9) Other. (e) Documents presented that meet the
    following criteria shall be charged as follows,
    notwithstanding document classes (1) through (8) otherwise
    provided by law or ordinance:
            (A) A (1) a document recorded pursuant to the
        Uniform Commercial Code shall be charged as provided
        in the Uniform Commercial Code or as otherwise by law.
        ; or
            (B) A (2) a State tax lien or a federal tax lien
        shall be charged as otherwise provided by law or
        ordinance, except that .Notwithstanding any other
        provision in this Section: (i) the minimum maximum fee
        that shall may be collected from the Department of
        Revenue for filing or indexing a tax lien, certificate
        of lien release or subordination, or any other type of
        notice or other documentation affecting or concerning
        a tax lien is $11, and $5; and (ii) the minimum maximum
        fee that shall may be collected from the Department of
        Revenue or Internal Revenue Service for indexing each
        additional name in excess of one for any lien,
        certificate of lien release or subordination, or any
        other type of notice or other documentation affecting
        or concerning a lien is $1.
            (C) A document recorded by a unit of local
        government, State agency, or public utility, as that
        term is defined in Section 3-105 of the Public
        Utilities Act, may be charged a minimum fee for any
        instrument presented for recording that falls under
        the guideline of the predictable fee schedule as
        follows: a $12 county fee, a $3 GIS fee, and a $3
        automation fee, document storage fee, or both. Fees
        under this subparagraph may be increased or any other
        applicable fee may be imposed if adopted by a county
        board resolution or ordinance and justified by an
        acceptable cost study showing that the fees allowed by
        this subparagraph are not sufficient to cover the cost
        of providing the service.
            (D) (f) For recording any document that affects an
        interest in real property, other than documents which
        solely affect or relate to an easement for water,
        sewer, electricity, gas, telephone, or other public
        service, the recorder shall charge a minimum fee of $1
        per document to all filers of documents not filed by
        any State agency, any unit of local government, any
        public utility, as that term is defined in Section
        3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, or any school
        district. Half of the fee shall be deposited into the
        county general revenue fund. The remaining half shall
        be deposited into the County Recorder Document Storage
        System Fund and may not be appropriated or expended
        for any other purpose. The additional amounts
        available to the recorder for expenditure from the
        County Recorder Document Storage System Fund shall not
        offset or reduce any other county appropriations or
        funding for the office of the recorder.
    (d) (g) For certified and non-certified copies of records,
the recorder and county may set a predictable fee for all
copies that does not exceed the highest total recording fee in
any established document classes, unless the copy fee is
otherwise provided in statute or ordinance. The total fee for
a certified copy of a map or plat of an addition, subdivision,
or otherwise may not exceed $200.
    The fees allowed under this subsection apply to all
records, regardless of when they were recorded, based on
current recording fees. These predictable fees for certified
and non-certified copies shall apply to portions of documents
and to copies provided in any format, including paper,
microfilm, or electronic. A county may adopt a per-line
pricing structure for copies of information in database
format.
    (e) (h) As provided under subsection (c), the recorder
shall collect an $18 Rental Housing Support Program State
surcharge for the recordation of any real estate-related
document. Payment of the Rental Housing Support Program State
surcharge shall be evidenced by a receipt that shall be marked
upon or otherwise affixed to the real estate-related document
by the recorder. The form of this receipt shall be prescribed
by the Department of Revenue and the receipts shall be issued
by the Department of Revenue to each county recorder.
    The recorder shall not collect the Rental Housing Support
Program State surcharge from any State agency, unit of local
government, or school district.
    On the 15th day of each month, each county recorder shall
report to the Department of Revenue, on a form prescribed by
the Department, the number of real estate-related documents
recorded for which the Rental Housing Support Program State
surcharge was collected. Each recorder shall submit $18 of
each surcharge collected in the preceding month to the
Department of Revenue and the Department shall deposit these
amounts in the Rental Housing Support Program Fund. Subject to
appropriation, amounts in the Fund may be expended only for
the purpose of funding and administering the Rental Housing
Support Program.
    As used in this subsection, "real estate-related document"
means that term as it is defined in Section 7 of the Rental
Housing Support Program Act.
    (f) A county board in counties of the first and second
class may allow, by ordinance, a recorder to charge the
following fees in addition to those fees otherwise allowed
under this Section:
        (1) Automation fee. A minimum automation fee of $3 may
    be charged for filing every instrument, paper, or notice
    for record in order to defray the cost of converting the
    recorder's document storage system to computers or
    micrographics and in order to defray the cost of providing
    access to records through the Internet. A special fund
    shall be established by the treasurer of a county, and the
    moneys collected through the automation fee shall be
    deposited into the special fund and used for a document
    storage system to provide the equipment, materials, and
    necessary expenses incurred to help defray the costs of
    implementing and maintaining the document record system
    and for a system to provide electronic access to those
    records.
        (2) GIS fee. In a county that provides and maintains a
    countywide map through a geographic information system, a
    minimum GIS fee of $3 may be charged for filing every
    instrument, paper, or notice for record in order to defray
    the cost of implementing or maintaining the county's
    geographic information system and in order to defray the
    cost of providing electronic or automated access to the
    county's geographic information system or property
    records. Of that amount, a minimum of $2 must be deposited
    into a special fund established by the treasurer of the
    county, and any moneys collected through the GIS fee shall
    be deposited into that special fund and used for the
    equipment, materials, and necessary expenses incurred in
    implementing and maintaining the geographic information
    system and to defray the cost of providing electronic
    access to the county geographic information system
    records. The remaining $1 must be deposited into the
    recorder's special funds created under Section 3-5005.4.
    The recorder may, at the recorder's discretion, use moneys
    in the funds created under Section 3-5005.4 to defray the
    cost of implementing or maintaining the county's
    geographic information system and to defray the cost of
    providing electronic access to the county's geographic
    information system records.
(Source: P.A. 103-400, eff. 1-1-24.)

Effective Date: 1/1/2025