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Illinois Rules of Evidence – 2026

The Illinois Rules of Evidence, adopted in 2011 and modeled on the Federal Rules of Evidence, governing the admissibility of evidence in Illinois courts, including relevance, privileges, witnesses, expert testimony, hearsay, and authentication.

Browse all 61 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.

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Article I: General Provisions Article II: Judicial Notice Article III: Presumptions Article IV: Relevancy and Its Limits Article V: Privileges Article VI: Witnesses Article VII: Opinions and Expert Testimony Article VIII: Hearsay Article IX: Authentication and Identification Article X: Contents of Writings, Recordings, and Photographs Article XI: Miscellaneous

Article I: General Provisions

Rule 101 Scope Rule 102 Purpose and Construction Rule 103 Rulings on Evidence Rule 104 Preliminary Questions Rule 105 Limited Admissibility Rule 106 Remainder of or Related Writings or Recorded Statements

Article II: Judicial Notice

Rule 201 Judicial Notice of Adjudicative Facts

Article III: Presumptions

Rule 301 Presumptions in General in Civil Actions and Proceedings

Article IV: Relevancy and Its Limits

Rule 401 Definition of "relevant Evidence" Rule 402 Relevant Evidence Generally Admissible; Irrelevant Evidence Inadmissible Rule 403 Exclusion of Relevant Evidence on Grounds of Prejudice, Confusion, or Waste of Time Rule 404 Character Evidence Not Admissible to Prove Conduct; Exceptions; Other Crimes Rule 405 Methods of Proving Character Rule 406 Habit; Routine Practice Rule 408 Compromise and Offers to Compromise Rule 409 Payment of Medical and Similar Expenses Rule 410 Inadmissibility of Pleas, Plea Discussions, and Related Statements Rule 411 Liability Insurance Rule 412 Prior Sexual Activity or Reputation as Evidence Rule 413 Evidence of Other Offenses in Criminal Cases

Article V: Privileges

Rule 501 General Rule Rule 502 Attorney-client Privilege and Work Product; Limitations on Waiver

Article VI: Witnesses

Rule 601 General Rule of Competency Rule 602 Lack of Personal Knowledge Rule 603 Oath or Affirmation Rule 604 Interpreters Rule 605 Competency of Judge as Witness Rule 606 Competency of Juror as Witness Rule 607 Who May Impeach Rule 608 Evidence of Character of Witness for Truthfulness or Untruthfulness Rule 609 Impeachment by Evidence of Conviction of Crime Rule 610 Religious Beliefs or Opinions Rule 611 Mode and Order of Interrogation and Presentation Rule 612 Writing Used to Refresh Memory Rule 613 Prior Statements of Witnesses Rule 614 Calling and Interrogation of Witnesses by Court Rule 615 Exclusion of Witnesses

Article VII: Opinions and Expert Testimony

Rule 701 Opinion Testimony by Lay Witnesses Rule 702 Testimony by Experts Rule 703 Bases of Opinion Testimony by Experts Rule 704 Opinion on Ultimate Issue Rule 705 Disclosure of Facts or Data Underlying Expert Opinion

Article VIII: Hearsay

Rule 801 Definitions Rule 802 Hearsay Rule Rule 803 Hearsay Exceptions; Availability of Declarant Immaterial Rule 804 Hearsay Exceptions; Declarant Unavailable Rule 805 Hearsay Within Hearsay Rule 806 Attacking and Supporting Credibility of Declarant

Article IX: Authentication and Identification

Rule 901 Requirement of Authentication or Identification Rule 902 Self-authentication Rule 903 Subscribing Witness' Testimony Unnecessary

Article X: Contents of Writings, Recordings, and Photographs

Rule 1001 Definitions Rule 1002 Requirement of Original Rule 1003 Admissibility of Duplicates Rule 1004 Admissibility of Other Evidence of Contents Rule 1005 Public Records Rule 1006 Summaries Rule 1007 Testimony or Written Admission of Party Rule 1008 Functions of Court and Jury

Article XI: Miscellaneous

Rule 1101 Applicability of Rules Rule 1102 Title

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the Illinois Rules of Evidence cover and when do they apply?
The Illinois Rules of Evidence govern what evidence can be admitted in Illinois state court proceedings, covering topics like relevance, witness testimony, expert opinions, hearsay, privileges, and how documents and other items must be authenticated. They apply in both civil and criminal cases in Illinois courts. If you are researching a trial or hearing in an Illinois state court, these are the rules that will determine what evidence the judge allows.
How do the Illinois Rules of Evidence relate to the Federal Rules of Evidence?
Illinois adopted its rules of evidence in 2011, modeling them closely on the Federal Rules of Evidence, so the structure and many of the provisions look very similar between the two. However, they are separate rule sets, and Illinois courts follow the state version rather than the federal one. If a case is in federal court in Illinois, the Federal Rules of Evidence apply instead, so it matters which court system you are working in.
Where in the Illinois Rules of Evidence can I find rules about hearsay or expert witnesses?
The Illinois Rules of Evidence are organized into articles by topic, following the same numbering system as the federal rules, so hearsay rules are found in Article VIII (Rules 801 through 807) and expert witness rules appear in Article VII (Rules 701 through 706). With 61 rules spread across these articles, you can generally narrow down your search by thinking about the broad category your question falls under. The article on privileges (Article V) and the one on authentication (Article IX) are also frequently referenced in Illinois litigation.