Petitioning the Court for Authorization to Issue Bond Certificates

Any automobile club, association, trade union, surety or insurance company that is requesting authority to issue bond certificates to their members and to act as guarantors on bond certificates issued in the Circuit Court of Cook County must comply with the following procedures:

1. Petitions requesting authorization to issue bond certificates and act as guarantors on bonds in the Circuit Court of Cook County must be filed between July 1, 2025, and July 14, 2025, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Room 801, Surety Desk, Richard J. Daley Center, which is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on legal court holidays.
    
2. Verified petitions and supporting documentation must be filed in duplicate in strict compliance with Part 9 of the Rules of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Bonds-Sureties. You may pick up a Guarantors Bond Certificates / Autobond Packet, containing filing materials, in Room 801 of the Daley Center at the Surety Desk. 
   1. One additional courtesy copy of verified petitions and supporting documentation must be served to the State’s Attorney of Cook County, Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Wojtowicz, Room 500, Daley Center. 
   2. Please also deliver a flash drive with PDF copies of the petition and filing documents in an envelope with the name of the insurance company written on it to the Surety Section, Room 2600-A, Daley Center. 
       
3. Hearings on petitions filed between July 1, 2025, and July 14, 2025, will be heard before Judge Carolyn Gallagher on Thursday, July 25, 2025, in a Zoom meeting. Petitions filed after July 14, 2025, will not be heard.
    
4. Notices must be published no later than July 14, 2025. If you choose to publish the notice in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, you may do so at the newspaper’s desk in Room 802 of the Daley Center, or by emailing PublicNotice@LawBulletinMedia.com, or by calling Tasha Grant, Law Bulletin’s Courts Department Public Notice Manager, at (312) 644-8297. However, please be aware that Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 2 p.m. is the deadline the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin has set to accept notice for publication for petitions for authorization to write bonds.
    
5. The registration fee is $100.00. 
    
6. Any additional bond certificate or guarantor matters must be brought by motion, filed, and spindled in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Room 801 of the Daley Center at the Surety Desk. The notice of motion, along with a copy of any pleadings, must be served upon the State’s Attorney of Cook County, Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Wojtowicz, Room 500 of the Daley Center. The statutory motion fee will be assessed by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. 

Inquiries may be directed to surety@cookcountyil.gov.

In order to obtain authorization to issue bond certificates and to act as guarantors on bond certificates issued in the Circuit Court of Cook County, the automobile club, association, trade union, surety or insurance company that is requesting authority must file a verified petition requesting authorization in the manner and form detailed in Bonds-Sureties, Part 9 of the Rules of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Contents of the Petition: According to Rule 9.3(a), the petition for authorization must contain language stating that the petitioner has complied with all applicable laws and regulations and requesting authorization to act as guarantor in the court. The petition shall also contain the following information:

1. If petitioner is an automobile club or association, a statement that petitioner has been in existence for more than 18 months and has a membership of 1500 or more;
2. If petitioner is a foreign corporation, a Certificate of Authority to transact business in Illinois under the Business Corporation Act, Section 13.15;
3. If petitioner is an insurance or surety company, a copy of the current Certificate of Authorization to conduct surety business under the Illinois Insurance Code;
4. Financial information of the petitioning company as specifically detailed in Rule 9.3(a)(iii)(A)-(C);
5. A verified schedule of unsatisfied judgments, actions pending against the petitioner, and claims of liability, as more fully described in Rule 9.3(a)(iv)(A)-(C);
6. A completed communication information sheet;
7. A completed guarantee agreement authorizing payments for fines, penalties, and costs;
8. A copy of both sides of all bond cards that the petitioner provides to its members or assured.
9. Name, address, and phone number for petitioner’s attorney of record; and
10. Name, address, and phone number for the Cook County agent upon whom process may be served for the petitioner.

Part 9. Bonds-Sureties: Read the full Rules of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Part 9, Bonds-Sureties online, or you can download a copy of Bonds-Sureties, Part 9 of the Rules of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Verification: The petition must be verified by an officer of the petitioning company.

Corporate Name: The petition must contain the complete corporate name of the petitioning company. Please eliminate abbreviations and include words like “the” if they are a part of the full corporate name on file with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Communication Sheet: In order to be authorized to issue bond certificates, the petitioner must execute and submit to the court with its petition the court-approved Communication Sheet.

Guarantee Agreement: In order to be authorized to issue bond certificates, the petitioner must execute and submit to the court with its petition the court-approved Guarantee Agreement Form.

Copy of Bond Card: A copy of both sides of all bond cards that the petitioner provides to its members or assured must be attached to the petition. The bond card must list the expiration date and must contain the corporate name of the issuing company.

Publication of Notice: The petitioner shall publish notice of the pending petition in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. Notice shall be published not less than 15 days before the date set for the hearing. Rule 9.3(b). As a suggestion, you may choose to publish the notice immediately following the filing of your petition. If you choose to publish the notice in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, you may do so either at the newspaper’s desk in Room 802 of the Daley Center, by emailing PublicNotice@LawBulletinMedia.com or by calling Tasha Grant, Law Bulletin’s Courts Department Public Notice Manager at (312) 644-8297.  However, please be aware that Wednesday, July 5, 2024, at 2 p.m. is the deadline the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin has set to accept notice for publication for petitions for authorization to write bonds. 

Deposit: At the time the petition is approved, the petitioner must deposit and maintain with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County the appropriate sum of money pursuant to Rule 9.4(b)(i). For truck bond certificates, the required sum is $50,000 of which $10,000 shall be in cash and the balance in cash or securities approved by the chief judge. For automobile bond certificates, the required sum is $25,000 of which $5000 shall be in cash and the balance in cash or securities approved by the chief judge. Rule 9.4(b).

Objections: Any person may file written objections to the petition with the Clerk of the Court not less than 10 days before the date set for the hearing, stating the reasons why the petition should not be allowed. The petitioner may file its answer to the objections not later than 5 days before the date set for the hearing. A copy of the objections shall be served upon the petitioner, and a copy of the answer shall be served upon the objector, not later than the time of the respective filings. Rule 9.3(c).

Petitioner’s Checklist: Here is a downloadable Petitioner's Checklist to assist you in successfully completing the petitioning process.

Information Online Only: All materials needed for filing a petition for authorization are now located on this website. All forms can be downloaded and printed. If you encounter problems with the downloadable forms, please email surety@cookcountyil.gov.