# How Do I Order an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption in Cook County? Canonical page: https://sellmyhousetosam.com/order-estimate-cost-redemption-cook-county Publisher: Sell My House To Sam Published: 2026-10-10 Last content update: 2026-10-10 > Use the Cook County Clerk's official order form for an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption. Provide your contact details, the property's PIN, and the tax years requested; select the redemption-estimate option and include the required fee. Submit it to the Clerk's Real Estate & Tax Services Division at 118 N. Clark Street, Room 434, Chicago, IL 60602. General educational information, not legal, tax, credit, or financial advice. Property-specific decisions require current source information and qualified professional advice. ## Key takeaways - Use the Clerk's form for Cost of Redemption or Other Delinquent Tax Bills, not the proofs-of-payment form. - The form asks for the PIN, requested tax years, contact information, and the type of bill. - The published search fee is $10 per PIN for one year of delinquency and $3 for each additional year. - The document-order fee is separate from the taxes, penalties, and costs needed to redeem a sale. - Confirm the current amount, correct parcel, and deadline before making the actual redemption payment. ## What is an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption? An Estimate of the Cost of Redemption calculates the amount required to redeem a tax sale. The Clerk's guidance says to obtain it promptly if your taxes have been sold. It is not a receipt, a prior-payment certificate, or evidence that the taxes have already been redeemed. The amount can include taxes, fees, penalties, and costs. Scheduled increases and other added charges can change the balance. Obtaining an estimate does not freeze the amount due or replace checking the last day to redeem. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) ## Prepare the PIN, tax years, and contact information Download the official Cost of Redemption or Other Delinquent Tax Bills Order Form from the Clerk's website. It asks for your first and last name, mailing address, phone number, email address, Property Index Number, and the tax years requested. Select the Estimate Cost of Redemption option for taxes that have been sold. The same form also lists forfeited-tax and open-item bills, which are different requests. If you are unsure which document or years to choose, ask the Clerk at (312) 603-5645 before submitting the order. Use your deed, tax bill, or purchase documents to find the PIN, and compare it with the legal description on the deed. If a property has multiple parcels or more than one tax sale, ask which PINs, years, and estimates your request needs to cover. Sources: [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills); [Cook County Clerk: finding and verifying your Property Index Number](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/about-property-index-number-pin); [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) ## Include the published fee and submit the request The official form lists a fee of $10 for one year of delinquency for each PIN searched, plus $3 for each additional year. For example, two requested years for one PIN would total $13 under that published schedule. Confirm the fee with the Clerk if the years, parcels, or document type are unclear. The form directs checks, money orders, and cashier's checks for the document order to be payable to Cook County Clerk. It gives the mailing destination as the Clerk's Real Estate and Tax Services Division, 118 N. Clark Street, Room 434, Chicago, IL 60602. The Clerk's brochure also describes ordering tax bills and documents in person at the downtown office. This fee pays for the search or document request; it is not the amount needed to redeem the sold taxes. Do not apply the order form's payment wording to the separate redemption payment, which has stricter accepted-payment rules and requires payment in full. The linked official form is the place to check current instructions before ordering. This guide does not promise a document turnaround time; ask the Clerk how an order's timing relates to your actual redemption deadline. Sources: [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills); [Cook County Clerk: tax redemption e-brochure](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/tax-redemption-ebrochure); [Cook County Clerk: Redemption Payments](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/redemption-payments) ## Check the estimate before paying the redemption When the estimate arrives, verify that it is for the correct parcel and that the documents cover all the relevant delinquencies. Review any scheduled penalty increases and ask the Clerk about the current total if you plan to pay after the estimate was issued. For more than one tax sale, the Clerk advises checking priority and each last day to redeem. If the estimate includes taxes you believe you already paid, supply proof to the Clerk before making the redemption payment. The payment page requires the original estimate, completed with the property owner's name, mailing address, and telephone number. It says that if the original amount has changed, you will be instructed to purchase a new estimate; photocopies are not allowed to redeem. See [redemption payment instructions](/make-tax-redemption-payment-cook-county) for that next step. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption); [Cook County Clerk: Redemption Payments](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/redemption-payments) ## Who can help with an order? For information about an order already placed, the Estimate of Redemption page directs callers to the Accounting Department at (312) 603-3851. General tax redemption questions go to (312) 603-5645 or tax.redemption@cookcountyil.gov. Cook County Clerk's Office, Real Estate & Tax Services Division, 118 N. Clark Street, Room 434, Chicago, IL 60602. Published office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; check the official site for closures before visiting. For tax redemption questions, call the Clerk at (312) 603-5645 or email tax.redemption@cookcountyil.gov. This website is an independent educational resource, not the Cook County Clerk. Our property-sale contact form does not order county documents, submit a redemption payment, or provide legal advice. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption); [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills); [Cook County Clerk: Redemption Payments](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/redemption-payments) ## Frequently asked questions ### Which form should I use to order a redemption estimate? Use the Clerk's Cost of Redemption or Other Delinquent Tax Bills Order Form and select the Estimate Cost of Redemption option. The proofs-of-payment form is for payment certificates, not the estimate needed for a sold-tax redemption. Sources: [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills); [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) ### How much does ordering the estimate cost? The linked official form lists $10 per PIN for one year of delinquency and $3 for each additional year. This is a document/search fee, separate from the full tax redemption balance. Confirm the current charge if your request involves several PINs or unclear tax years. Sources: [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills) ### What information should I include? The official form requests your name, mailing address, phone number, email address, PIN, tax years, type of bill, and fee totals. Verify the PIN against the deed's legal description before requesting or paying for the wrong parcel. Sources: [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills); [Cook County Clerk: finding and verifying your Property Index Number](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/about-property-index-number-pin) ### Does ordering an estimate extend the redemption period? Do not treat an order as an extension or a payment. The Clerk says failure to redeem within the permitted timeframe can result in loss of the property. Confirm the specific sale's last day to redeem and ask how to obtain the required document in time. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption); [Cook County Clerk: Redemption Payments](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/redemption-payments) ### Can I redeem using a photocopy of the estimate? No. The Clerk's Redemption Payments page requires the original estimate and says photocopies are not allowed to redeem. If the original amount has changed, the page says you will be instructed to purchase a new estimate. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Redemption Payments](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/redemption-payments) ### Who should I call about an existing estimate order? The Clerk's Estimate of Redemption page lists the Accounting Department at (312) 603-3851 for orders already placed. General tax redemption assistance is available at (312) 603-5645 or tax.redemption@cookcountyil.gov. Sources: [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) ## Sources - [Cook County Clerk: Estimate of Redemption](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/estimate-redemption) - [Official order form: redemption estimates and delinquent tax bills](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/order-form-estimate-cost-redemption-or-other-delinquent-tax-bills) - [Cook County Clerk: finding and verifying your Property Index Number](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/about-property-index-number-pin) - [Cook County Clerk: Redemption Payments](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/property-taxes/tax-redemption/redemption-payments) - [Cook County Clerk: tax redemption e-brochure](https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/publications/tax-redemption-ebrochure)