How Do I Order Proof of Property Tax Payment in Cook County?

The Clerk's Certificate of Payment page says a Certificate of Payment verifies tax payments for a particular property and tax year, including the dates paid. Its estimate guidance says this certificate shows the tax amount due, principal tax paid, and interest paid for the year.

For a redeemed tax sale or forfeiture, the page describes a Duplicate Certificate of Redemption. It shows the amount paid, the redeeming party, payment date, and the taxes, penalties, and costs included. This is a different record from an ordinary tax-year payment certificate.

Choose the record that answers your actual question. If a title company, attorney, lender, or another party requests proof, ask which property, tax years, sale years, and certificate type it needs rather than assuming any certificate is interchangeable.

The Clerk's brochure describes a Certificate of Deposit for Redemption as certification of the date and amount deposited with the Clerk to redeem a particular tax sale on a particular property. It identifies the redeeming party and itemizes taxes, penalties, costs, and fees.

The current linked Order Form for Proofs of Payment labels its redemption-proof request as a Duplicate Certificate of Deposit for Redemption. The certificate webpage uses the shorter wording Duplicate Certificate of Redemption. Those are the official terms used in the sources, not a reason to select the Certificate of Payment option when proof of a redemption is needed.

If the requesting party uses a different certificate name or asks for a particular original or duplicate record, confirm the appropriate request with the Clerk. This guide does not decide whether a document will satisfy a court, closing, or other legal requirement.

For a Certificate of Payment, the proofs-of-payment form asks for the PIN and tax years requested. For a Duplicate Certificate of Deposit for Redemption, it asks for the PIN, tax years sold, and, if available, the receipt number and redemption date.

The form also collects the requester's name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. Confirm the PIN using your deed or tax records so that the request does not retrieve payment information for a different parcel.

The form notes that if you are unsure of the fee or certificate type, you can call the Clerk at (312) 603-5645. An unavailable online tax search is not a substitute for confirming the records with the office.

The form lists Certificates of Payment at $5 per PIN per tax year requested. The webpage lists a duplicate redemption certificate at $10 per redemption of sold or forfeited taxes; the form describes its $10 duplicate charge per PIN per sale year requested. Ask the Clerk to confirm the fee when a request involves multiple years, parcels, or redemptions.

For an in-person order, bring your PIN to the downtown office. For a mail order, submit a letter or the official Order Form for Proofs of Payment with the requested information and fee. The form directs checks, money orders, and cashier's checks for the order to be payable to Cook County Clerk.

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.

The webpage says mailed orders receive their documents by return mail. These certificate-order fees are separate from any taxes or redemption balance. Paying a certificate fee does not redeem a delinquent tax sale.

The certificate webpage states that no certificates are issued until three weeks from the date the payment was processed. The separate redemption-payment page says an initial Certificate of Redemption is mailed approximately four weeks after payment is received. Ask the Clerk about actual status if proof is needed for an approaching transaction.

A Certificate of Payment records prior payments; the Clerk explicitly says it is not an Estimate of the Cost of Redemption for taxes sold at a tax sale. If you need the unpaid amount, use the redemption estimate process or the appropriate forfeited or open tax calculation.

Keep the official records with your tax and property documents. If there is a dispute about ownership, a redemption deadline, or whether a record satisfies a legal requirement, ask an Illinois attorney about the facts.

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.