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McDonough County resolves money disputes up to $10,000 in the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in McDonough County, court fees, the right courthouse, serving the defendant, the deadlines that apply, and the filing process itself. Squabble handles the documents and the filing if you want that.
Small claims in McDonough County are heard at the courthouse below. When you file, the court confirms the right location for your case based on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Locations change. The court publishes its current small-claims address on its own page; Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
McDonough County covers 11 ZIP codes, including the Adair, Bardolph and Blandinsville areas. Illinois Circuit Court (District: 4 | Circuit: 9th) McDonough County: Small Claims, in Macomb, is the courthouse listed for McDonough County.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
McDonough County, Illinois, home to approximately 26,662 residents, handles small claims matters through the Illinois Small Claims Court. Cases are heard at the Illinois Circuit Court (District: 4 | Circuit: 9th) McDonough County: Small Claims, located at #1 Courthouse Square in Macomb, 61455, which can be reached at (309) 837-4891. The court accepts claims up to $10,000. It serves communities across the county, including Macomb, Bushnell, Colchester, Blandinsville, Good Hope, Industry, Prairie City, Bardolph, Adair, Sciota, and Tennessee, covering ZIP codes such as 61455, 61422, 61420, 61411, 61416, 61438, 61440, 61470, 61475, 62326, and 62374. The county lies near Schuyler County, Fulton County, and Warren County, though matters filed here concern McDonough County. Electronic filing is available for small claims cases in this county, in addition to filings made at the courthouse in Macomb. The Illinois Circuit Court staff in Macomb can provide information about the small claims process by telephone at the number listed above.
These 11 places sit inside McDonough County:
Adair, Bardolph, Blandinsville, Bushnell, Colchester, Good Hope, Industry, Macomb, Prairie City, Sciota, Tennessee.
ZIP codes:
McDonough County holds about 26,662 people, 50th of the 102 counties in Illinois.
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
Filing is generally possible in the county of the events or the county of the defendant.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
The remedy here is money. Orders telling someone to do or stop something sit with higher courts.
Lawyers are allowed at a Illinois hearing but are not needed. The procedure is written for self-representation.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
Illinois Circuit Court (District: 4 | Circuit: 9th) McDonough County: Small Claims is the courthouse listed for McDonough County. They are the same across all 11 McDonough County ZIP codes, from 61411 onward.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $10,000, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
McDonough County takes in Adair, Bardolph and Blandinsville and the rest of the county. McDonough County has about 26,662 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Prepare the claim form, work out which court covers it, and pay the court's charge.
Papers are delivered to the defendant, who may answer them or settle the matter first.
The hearing itself is short and informal. Some courts allow video. The ruling comes then or later in writing.
Illinois Circuit Court (District: 4 | Circuit: 9th) McDonough County: Small Claims lists (309) 837-4891 as its number. This is the route a McDonough County case takes, whether it starts in 61411 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve the papers yourself. Courts in Illinois generally rely on personal delivery by an approved server, email service where the court allows it, delivery arranged by the court, the sheriff or constable or certified mail.
Who may serve depends on the court: law enforcement, a paid process server, the clerk by certified mail, or a disinterested adult. Costs and rules are local.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date. Certified mail requires green return receipt and signature card, must be completed by plaintiff directly.
After delivery, the server fills out a proof of service, and that goes on the court file before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Addresses in McDonough County include places such as Adair, Bardolph and Blandinsville. A McDonough County address carries one of its 11 ZIP codes, 61411, 61416 and 61420 among them.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Kind of claim | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 10 years |
| Oral contract | 5 years |
| Property damage | 5 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one McDonough County ZIP code to another, 61411 included. McDonough County, population about 26,662, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Illinois generally accrues interest at 5% per year before judgment (815 ILCS 205/2).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
It is the same rate across all 11 McDonough County ZIP codes. McDonough County is under the same state rate as nearby Schuyler County and Fulton County.
Check that the amount is within the limit and that you're inside the statute of limitations for your claim type.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the McDonough County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $40–$200 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
After the hearing date is issued, arrange delivery of the papers and file the proof with the court.
Sort the documents and exhibits in advance so they can be handed up in order.
Attend, in the courtroom or by video where the court allows it, put your case, and hear the ruling.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
Start for FREE →A claim form opens the case, a proof of service records that notice was given, and a fee waiver applies where you qualify. Titles differ between courts, and Squabble uses the ones your courthouse expects.
McDonough County takes in filings from 11 ZIP codes, 61411 first in the list. Adair, Bardolph and Blandinsville are among the places in McDonough County that filings come from.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
McDonough County has about 26,662 residents. Illinois Circuit Court (District: 4 | Circuit: 9th) McDonough County: Small Claims sits at the 61455 address shown above.
Winning and being paid are two different things. The judgment records what is owed; collecting it is its own process, backed by court remedies that vary from state to state.
Where the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
A levy lets the court reach money sitting in the debtor's bank account.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
The court can additionally require the debtor to appear and answer under oath about what they earn and own. An unsatisfied judgment usually carries statutory interest until it is paid.
Adair, Bardolph and Blandinsville are among the McDonough County places a judgment debtor may live in. Schuyler County and Fulton County are the counties nearest to McDonough County.
Last reviewed August 2026. Court fees, limits, and procedures change. Verify current details with the court before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your McDonough County case for you.
