Illinois Supreme Court Rules — Appellate Procedure – 2026

Articles III and VI of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules, covering civil and criminal appeals, including appellate jurisdiction, briefing, oral argument, and post-conviction proceedings.

Last updated October 09, 2026

Browse all 78 rules of the 2026 edition below. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules. Use the search box to find rules by keyword or number.

Article III: Civil Appeals | PART A. APPEALS FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT

Rule 301 Method of Review Rule 302 Direct Appeals to the Supreme Court Rule 303 Appeals from Final Judgments of the Circuit Court in Civil Cases Rule 304 Appeals from Final Judgments That Do Not Dispose of an Entire Proceeding Rule 305 Stay of Judgments Pending Appeal Rule 306 Interlocutory Appeals by Permission Rule 307 Interlocutory Appeals as of Right Rule 308 Certified Questions Rule 309 Dismissal of Appeals by the Trial Court Rule 310 Prehearing Conference in the Appellate Court Rule 310.1 Appellate Settlement Conference Program Rule 311 Accelerated Docket Rule 312 Docketing Statement Rule 313 Fees in the Reviewing Court

Article III: Civil Appeals | PART B. APPEALS FROM THE APPELLATE COURT TO THE SUPREME COURT

Rule 314 Reserved Rule 315 Leave to Appeal From the Appellate Court to the Supreme Court Rule 316 Appeals from Appellate Court to Supreme Court on Certificate Rule 317 Appeals from the Appellate Court to the Supreme Court as of Right

Article III: Civil Appeals | PART C. RECORD ON APPEAL

Rule 318 General Rules Governing All Appeals from the Appellate Court to the Supreme Court Rule 321 Contents of the Record on Appeal Rule 322 Reserved Rule 323 Report of Proceedings Rule 324 Preparation and Certification by the Circuit Clerk of the Record on Appeal Rule 325 Transmission of Record on Appeal Rule 326 Time for Filing Record on Appeal Rule 327 Notice of Filing Record Rule 328 Supporting Record Rule 329 Supplement to the Record on Appeal Rule 330 Captions in Reviewing Courts Rule 331 Return of Record on Appeal

Article III: Civil Appeals | PART D. BRIEFS

Rule 335 Direct Review of Administrative Orders by the Appellate Court Rule 341 Briefs Rule 342 Appendix to the Brief Rule 343 Times for Filing and Serving Briefs Rule 344 Reserved

Article III: Civil Appeals | PART E. ORAL ARGUMENT

Rule 345 Briefs Amicus Curiae Rule 351 Sequence and Manner of Calling Cases for Oral Argument

Article III: Civil Appeals | PART F. OTHER PROVISIONS

Rule 352 Conduct of Oral Arguments Rule 361 Motions in Reviewing Court Rule 362 Amendment of Pleadings and Process in the Reviewing Courts Rule 363 Inspection of Original Exhibits on Appeal Rule 364 Privacy Protection for Documents Filed in Courts of Review Rule 365 Appeal to Wrong Court Rule 366 Powers of Reviewing Court; Scope of Review and Procedure; Lien of Judgment Rule 367 Rehearing in Reviewing Court Rule 368 Issuance, Stay, and Recall of Mandates from Reviewing Court Rule 369 Filing of Mandate in Circuit Court and Proceedings Thereafter Rule 370 Process in Reviewing Court Rule 371 Confidential Records When On Review Rule 372 Removing Records from Reviewing Court Rule 373 Date of Filing in Reviewing Court Rule 374 Costs in the Reviewing Courts

Article III: Civil Appeals | PART G. ORIGINAL ACTIONS IN SUPREME COURT

Rule 375 Failure to Comply With Rules; Frivolous Appeals−Sanctions Rule 381 Original Actions in the Supreme Court Pursuant to Article VI, Section 4(a), of the Constitution Rule 382 Original Actions in the Supreme Court Pursuant to Article IV, Section 3, and Article V, Section 6(d), of the Constitution Rule 383 Motions for Supervisory Orders Rule 384 Proceedings for the Transfer and Consolidation of Multicircuit Actions

Article VI: Criminal Appeals and Juvenile Proceedings

Rule 601 Supersedure of Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 Rule 602 Method of Review Rule 603 Court To Which Appeal is Taken Rule 604 Appeals from Certain Judgments and Orders Rule 605 Advice to Defendant Rule 606 Perfection of Appeal Rule 607 Appeals by Indigent Defendants Rule 608 The Record on Appeal Rule 609 Stays Rule 610 Motions Rule 611 Oral Argument Rule 612 Number of Copies to Be Filed; Procedural Matters Which Are Governed by Civil Appeals Rules Rule 613 Mandate of Reviewing Court Rule 614 Notifying Prisoner of Affirmance by Appellate Court Rule 615 The Cause on Appeal Rule 651 Appeals in Post-Conviction Proceedings Rule 660 Appeals in Cases Arising Under the Juvenile Court Act Rule 660A Expedited Appeals in Delinquent Minor Cases Rule 661 Appeals as Poor Persons by Minors Found To Be Delinquent Rule 662 Adjudication of Wardship and Revocation of Probation or Conditional Discharge Rule 663 Adoption-Appointment of a Guardian With Power to Consent

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the Illinois Supreme Court Rules on Appellate Procedure cover?

These rules govern how appeals work in Illinois state courts, covering civil and criminal cases from the initial notice of appeal through briefing, oral argument, and post-conviction proceedings. They come from Articles III and VI of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules and apply any time a party wants to challenge a trial court decision in an Illinois appellate court or the Illinois Supreme Court.

How do these Illinois appellate rules differ from federal appellate rules?

These rules apply strictly to Illinois state court appeals, while the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure govern appeals in the federal circuit courts. If your case was decided in an Illinois state court, you follow these Illinois Supreme Court Rules; if it was decided in a federal district court, you look to the federal rules instead. The two systems have different deadlines, formatting requirements, and procedures, so it matters which court your case is in.

Where in these rules can I find information about filing deadlines and brief requirements?

Briefing schedules, page or word limits, and formatting standards for appellate briefs are addressed in the civil appeals rules under Article III, particularly in the rules covering the mechanics of appeals. Deadlines for filing a notice of appeal are also found in this section and vary depending on whether your case is civil or criminal, so it is worth checking the specific rule that matches your type of case.