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Illinois · Understand the process

How long does foreclosure take in Illinois?

An Illinois foreclosure of a home you live in takes at least about 11 months from the first missed payment to the sale, and usually longer. The law builds in a 90-day reinstatement period and a redemption period that lasts until the later of 7 months after you are served or 3 months after the judgment. After the sale there is still a confirmation hearing and then 30 more days before the buyer can take possession. These are minimums, and court schedules, mediation and loss mitigation reviews often add time.

The short answer: At the very least, about 11 months from your first missed payment to a sale of a home you live in: federal rules generally make the servicer wait until you are more than 120 days behind before filing, and the redemption period lasts at least 7 months after you are served. This is a legal minimum, not a prediction. Most cases take longer, and the time is much shorter if the court finds the home is abandoned.

Ask for help in Illinois Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

Reviewed against Illinois law and official sources on October 11, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

The foreclosure timeline in Illinois, phase by phase

  1. Missed payments before the lawsuit

    Day 1 to 120

    Your servicer generally cannot file the foreclosure case until you are more than 120 days behind. Illinois no longer adds its own grace period notice on top of that.

    12 C.F.R. § 1024.41(f)

  2. Time to answer the complaint

    30 days after you are served

    File your Mortgage Foreclosure Appearance and Answer within 30 days. If you miss the date you can ask for more time with a Motion to Extend Time to File, but do not count on it being granted.

    Illinois Courts approved form instructions

  3. Reinstatement period

    90 days after you are served

    For 90 days after all borrowers are served or come into the case, you can end the case by paying the past-due amount plus allowed costs. The judge may enter a judgment before the 90 days end, but your right to reinstate continues until they do.

    735 ILCS 5/15-1602

  4. Judgment of foreclosure

    Varies; depends on the court's schedule and whether you contest the case

    The judgment sets the amount owed and the last date to redeem. Contested cases, mediation in counties that offer it, and loss mitigation reviews can all push this date out.

    735 ILCS 5/15-1506

  5. Redemption period

    Until the later of 7 months after service or 3 months after judgment

    No sale can be held until this period ends. It drops to 30 days after judgment if the court finds the home is abandoned, and it can be shortened in some cases where the home is worth less than 90% of the debt and the lender waives any deficiency.

    735 ILCS 5/15-1603(b)

  6. Sale notice and judicial sale

    At least 3 weeks of published notice

    The notice of sale runs for 3 weeks in a row, starting no more than 45 days before the sale. The lender may start giving notice before the redemption period ends, so the sale can follow soon after your last day to redeem.

    735 ILCS 5/15-1507(b), (c)

  7. Confirmation and possession

    30 days after the order confirming the sale

    After the sale, the judge holds a hearing to confirm it. The buyer's right to possession begins 30 days after the confirmation order is entered.

    735 ILCS 5/15-1508, 15-1701(d)

Illinois deadlines written into the law

File your Appearance and AnswerIllinois Courts approved form instructions (How to Respond to a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint)Within 30 days after you are served
Reinstate the loan (catch up)735 ILCS 5/15-1602Within 90 days after you are served
Redeem the home (pay off the judgment)735 ILCS 5/15-1603(b)(1)Later of 7 months after service or 3 months after the judgment
Published notice before the sale735 ILCS 5/15-1507(c)3 weeks in a row; first notice no more than 45 days and last at least 7 days before the sale
Special right to redeem after the sale735 ILCS 5/15-160430 days after the sale is confirmed, only if the lender bought for less than the redemption amount
Right to stay in the home after the sale is confirmed735 ILCS 5/15-1508(g), 15-1701(d)30 days after the confirmation order

Your own dates are on the notices you received. If a notice and this page disagree, trust the notice and ask a counselor or lawyer.

Common questions in Illinois

How long is the redemption period in an Illinois foreclosure?

For residential real estate it ends on the later of 7 months from the date you were served with the summons, or 3 months from the date the judgment of foreclosure was entered. If there is more than one borrower, the 7 months is counted from when all of them were served or came into the case. The judgment of foreclosure must state the last date to redeem.

Can an Illinois foreclosure go faster if the house is empty?

Yes. If the court finds the home has been abandoned, the redemption period ends 30 days after the judgment of foreclosure, and the reinstatement period cannot run past that shortened date. Illinois law has a detailed definition of abandoned residential property, based on signs such as boarded windows, shut-off utilities or statements showing intent to abandon.

When does the 90-day reinstatement clock start in Illinois?

It starts on the date you were served with the summons, or served by publication, or otherwise came into the case. If there are several borrowers, it runs from the date the last of them was served. When service is by publication, the first date of publication is used.

Step by step

More on foreclosure in Illinois

Understand the process

What is happening and how much time there is.

Weigh your options

What can stop it, and what happens if it goes ahead.

Get help now

Who to call, and what to do when a sale is scheduled.

Back to the Illinois overview

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Sources for this page

  1. 735 ILCS 5/15-1503: Notice of foreclosure
  2. 735 ILCS 5/15-1504: Pleadings and service
  3. 735 ILCS 5/15-1508.5: Notice by holder or purchaser to known occupants
  4. 735 ILCS 5/15-1509: Transfer of title and title acquired
  5. 735 ILCS 5/15-1200.5: Abandoned residential property (definition)
  6. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 113: Practice and Procedure in Mortgage Foreclosure Cases (forms)
  7. Illinois Courts: How to Ask the Court to Delay a Foreclosure Sale
  8. Illinois Courts: How to Ask the Court to Vacate a Default Judgment of Foreclosure
  9. Illinois Legal Aid Online: Delay a foreclosure sale (Easy Form)
  10. Illinois Legal Aid Online: Vacate default judgment of foreclosure (Easy Form)
  11. 11 U.S.C. § 362: Automatic stay
  12. 735 ILCS 5/15-1502.5 (grace period notice, repealed effective 7-1-16)
  13. 735 ILCS 5/15-1504.5: Homeowner notice to be attached to summons
  14. 735 ILCS 5/15-1505.5: Payoff demands
  15. 735 ILCS 5/15-1506: Judgment
  16. 735 ILCS 5/15-1507: Judicial sale
  17. 735 ILCS 5/15-1508: Report of sale and confirmation of sale
  18. 735 ILCS 5/15-1511: Deficiency
  19. 735 ILCS 5/15-1512: Application of proceeds of sale and surplus
  20. 735 ILCS 5/15-1602: Reinstatement
  21. 735 ILCS 5/15-1603: Redemption
  22. 735 ILCS 5/15-1604: Special right to redeem
  23. 735 ILCS 5/15-1701: Right to possession
  24. 735 ILCS 5/15-1401: Deed in lieu of foreclosure
  25. 735 ILCS 5/15-1402: Consent foreclosure
  26. 735 ILCS 5/15-1219: Residential real estate (definition)
  27. 765 ILCS 940/15: Mortgage Rescue Fraud Act, rescission of consultant contract
  28. 765 ILCS 940/35: Mortgage Rescue Fraud Act, cancellation of conveyance contract
  29. 765 ILCS 940/50: Mortgage Rescue Fraud Act, violations
  30. 765 ILCS 940/70: Mortgage Rescue Fraud Act, consultant compensation
  31. Illinois Supreme Court Rules (index showing Rule 99.1 and Rule 114)
  32. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 99.1: Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Programs (amended Dec. 2, 2025, eff. Mar. 1, 2026)
  33. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 114: Loss Mitigation Affidavit (form)
  34. Illinois Courts: Approved Statewide Forms, Mortgage Foreclosure
  35. Illinois Courts: How to Respond to a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint
  36. Circuit Court of Cook County: Chancery Division Mediation
  37. Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt
  38. 17th Judicial Circuit Court: Mortgage Foreclosure Program
  39. Illinois Attorney General: Home Ownership and Rental Issues
  40. Illinois Legal Aid Online: Mortgage foreclosure
  41. Illinois Legal Aid Online: Options for dealing with foreclosure
  42. Illinois Legal Aid Online: Collecting a surplus after a foreclosure sale
  43. State of Illinois press release on the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (opened April 11, 2022, closed October 31, 2023)
  44. U.S. Department of the Treasury: Homeowner Assistance Fund
  45. Illinois Housing Development Authority: Saving My Home
  46. Illinois Department of Revenue: Property Tax Relief (Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program)
  47. IDFPR Division of Banking: File a Complaint
  48. Illinois State Bar Association: Illinois Lawyer Finder