On May 17, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed into law Public Act 102-005, which immediately provided for automatic and mandatory sealing of residential eviction cases filed beginning with the State’s COVID-19 emergency declaration (March 9, 2020) through March 31, 2022, and residential eviction case files that were pending and not sealed as of May 17, 2021. 735 ILCS 5/9-122(a)(b).
However, unsealing motions can be submitted if the residential eviction case was not in part or wholly related to non-payment of rent during the COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period (March 9, 2020 – March 31, 2022), and (1) the interests of justice in sealing the court file does not outweigh the public interest in maintaining a public record; (2) the parties to the eviction action do not agree to seal the court file; (3) there was material violation of the terms of the tenancy by the tenant; or (4) the case was not dismissed. 735 ILCS 5/9-122.