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Illinois state courts: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: Illinois courts accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Certified translator; no friends or family
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 29, 2026
Guidance published by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice says all court filings in Illinois must be in English, and a litigant who submits a document in another language must include a certified translation of it, at the litigant's own cost.
The same guidance says a friend or family member may not translate documents for the court and points litigants to the American Translators Association directory of certified translators. eVerbary provides certified translations with a signed statement of accuracy; it is not a court interpreter and does not file papers.
Illinois courts at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
The Commission on Access to Justice's guidance asks for "a certified translation" of any filing in another language and refers litigants to the ATA directory (Justice Corner, September 2018); it bars only translations by friends or family, so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 29, 2026.
- Translation
- Certified translation with any non-English filing
- Who may translate
- Certified translator; no friends or family
- Translator affidavit
- Not specified
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Certificate
- SignedCertificate of translation accuracy, PDF
Checked on October 29, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Illinois courts's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Illinois courts
Certified only
A friend's or relative's translation is not accepted.
Litigant pays
The court pays only for incarcerated litigants.
File in English
Translated court forms are for reference only.
Illinois courts requirements in detail
Translation
All court filings must be submitted in English; a filing in another language must include a certified translation (Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, Justice Corner, September 24, 2018).
Who may translate
A certified translator; the guidance refers litigants to the American Translators Association directory and excludes friends and family members.
Cost
Paid by the litigant; the court pays translation fees only when the litigant is incarcerated.
Court forms
Standardized forms translated into Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Korean are for reference; the forms are completed and filed in English.
Status of the rule
A published guidance column of the Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, based on the Language Access Policy and the State Designations Act; not a numbered Supreme Court Rule.
Interpreters
Spoken interpreting at hearings is a separate service arranged through the court's language access program.
Where the Illinois rule comes from
Illinois has no numbered Supreme Court Rule on translating filed documents.
The statewide answer comes from the Justice Corner, a guidance column of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice for judges and court staff.
Asked what a court should do with a motion that attached a document in Spanish, it reasoned from the Supreme Court Language Access Policy and the State Designations Act, which makes English the official language of Illinois, that all court filings must be in English (Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, Justice Corner, September 24, 2018).
From there it set three practical points: a litigant who files a document in another language must include a certified translation; the litigant pays for it, unless incarcerated; and the litigant should be told that only a certified translation will be accepted, so a friend or family member cannot translate the document for them.
The column names the American Translators Association's online directory as a place to find certified translators.
What this means for a divorce or custody case
A foreign marriage certificate filed with a petition for dissolution, a child's birth certificate in a parentage or allocation case, or a foreign judgment attached to a motion is a filing in another language under this guidance, so it needs a certified translation filed with it.
Translating it yourself, or asking a bilingual relative, is the specific practice the guidance excludes.
The Illinois Courts website offers many standardized forms in six other languages, but those versions are for reference: litigants complete and file the English forms. Local circuit court rules can add requirements, so check the rules of the county where the case is pending.
Need a certified translation for Illinois courts?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents people usually translate for court
- Marriage certificates filed with a petition for dissolution
- Birth certificates in parentage, custody and support cases
- Foreign divorce, custody and support judgments
- Bank statements and property records from another country
- Letters, messages and other documents attached to motions
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
- Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.
Submitting the translation to Illinois courts
File the certified translation together with the foreign-language document (Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, Justice Corner, September 24, 2018); if you file electronically, attach both as part of the same filing.
We deliver the translation as a PDF with a signed certificate of translation accuracy; notarization can be added at checkout for $34.90 per order if the court or your attorney asks for it.
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents and signs the translator's certificate; it is not a law firm and does not give legal advice, file papers or provide courtroom interpreters through this service. For Illinois courts, we do not arrange the court interpreter for your hearing.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Do Illinois courts accept documents in another language?
Only with a certified translation: the Commission on Access to Justice guidance says filings must be in English and a filing in another language must include a certified translation (Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice, Justice Corner, September 24, 2018).
Can a family member translate my documents for an Illinois court?
No. The guidance says litigants should be told that only a certified translation will be accepted and that a friend or family member cannot translate documents for the court.
Who pays for the translation?
The litigant, unless incarcerated, in which case the court pays.
Can I file the Spanish version of an Illinois court form?
The translated forms on the Illinois Courts website are for reference; complete and file the English form.
How much does it cost?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for 1 to 3 pages.
Sources
Illinois state courts's own pages, read on October 29, 2026.
Translating documents for Illinois courts?
Upload a scan of your certificate, decree or record and see the price and delivery time before you pay.