Turkish-Speaking Immigration Attorney in Chicago

1. Book an appointment. Under Skip-the-Line, in force since September 1, 2023, every Chicago and suburban facility requires an appointment for license, state ID and REAL ID services and for in-car road tests. Book through the SOS appointment system. The Chicago facilities share one phone line, 312-793-1010; the statewide line is 800-252-8980.
2. Bring one document from each of four groups. Signature (Group A), date of birth and lawful status (B), Social Security number (C) and Illinois residency (D). A REAL ID needs two residency documents. Originals only. The full table of what counts in each group is in our Illinois guide.
3. Surrender your old license. SOS asks for every out-of-state and foreign license and ID to be handed in.
4. Take the tests. A vision screening, a written exam of at least 35 questions for Class D with a 80 percent pass mark, and a road test if SOS requires one. The fee covers up to three attempts within a year. In Chicago the car road test is given at Chicago West; bring the insurance card for the vehicle you drive to the test.
5. Wait for the card. You leave with a secure paper license valid 90 days; the permanent card arrives by mail within 15 business days. Licenses run four years, state ID cards five. Report an address change to SOS within 10 days.

Chicago driver services facilities

The old "Chicago Central" and "Chicago Public Service" facilities are permanently closed, and the printed SOS facility list is out of date, so use the Facility Finder. Chicago West, Chinatown, the REAL ID Supercenter and the Flagship Center are closed Monday, October 12, 2026 for the holiday. If you live in the suburbs, Des Plaines (1533 Lee St.), Schaumburg (1227 E. Golf Rd.) and Naperville (1771 W. Diehl Rd., Unit 110) use the same appointment system.

What if I have no Social Security number?

Illinois stopped issuing the Temporary Visitor Driver's License (TVDL): Public Act 103-0210 barred any TVDL after July 1, 2024. People who cannot get an SSN now apply for the same standard four-year license, printed "Federal Limits Apply", which is not a REAL ID. If USCIS or DHS gave you a document authorizing your presence in the United States, you present that instead of an SSN. If you have no such document, the SOS leaflet of June 17, 2025 requires proof of 12 months of Illinois residency for a first license. Be careful: the SOS website's TVDL page still shows the repealed rules, so do not plan around it. Details are in our Illinois guide.

Do I need a REAL ID?

Domestic flights and some federal buildings require a REAL ID or another accepted document such as a passport; a REAL ID carries a gold star in the top right corner. Per the SOS REAL ID page, TSA accepts only the permanent printed card, not the temporary paper license. The walk-in Supercenter at 191 N. Clark St. is extended through the end of 2026, so check again for 2027.

• Test language: the written exam is given in English. The rule (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.80) allows other languages where the Secretary of State finds identifiable demand, but we found no Turkish exam and no Turkish Rules of the Road. A facility supervisor may provide an interpreter "if readily available"; otherwise you bring your own. Interpreters are not allowed for commercial license tests.
• Road test: the SOS text for new residents says "possibly a drive exam". We found no official statement that foreign-license holders are exempt, so plan on taking it. In Chicago the car road test is given at Chicago West.
• Do not let the 90 days run out: appointments are required, documents take time to gather, and without an SSN the 12-month residency rule applies. Look at the appointment calendar in your first weeks.
• Visitors: people who are not becoming Illinois residents may use their foreign license for the whole stay. The same applies to the spouse and children of someone studying at an Illinois college.
• Do you even need a car? The CTA, Metra and Pace network inside Chicago is strong and parking around the Loop is expensive. Plenty of newcomers start with public transit instead of rushing the license.

Documents, appointments and fees are in the license section above.

1. The state side: title and plates

1. Buy Illinois insurance first. The minimums are $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for more than one person and $20,000 for property damage. Keep the insurance card in the car. Driving uninsured costs at least $500 and suspends your plates.
2. Book an appointment. The Chicago Flagship Center (125 W. Monroe St.) requires a vehicle appointment for title and plate work. Book through the SOS appointment system.
3. Bring the documents and the form. Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) VSD-190, the original out-of-state title (if a lienholder keeps it, copies of the title, registration and bill of sale plus a copy of the loan agreement), the odometer reading, the VIN and the owner signatures. An Illinois title does not need notarization.
4. File the tax form. A vehicle titled and registered elsewhere for at least three months before you moved is exempt from Illinois tax, but you still file the Department of Revenue form showing the exemption: RUT-50 if you bought from an individual, RUT-25 from an out-of-state dealer.
5. Get the emissions test. All of Cook County is inside the testing area. The test is every two years, free and needs no appointment. Inside Chicago the station at 6959 W. Forest Preserve Dr. is open Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a 24-hour self-service kiosk; there are also partner Car-X sites and a kiosk at 3101 S. Pulaski Rd. Check whether your car is due by plate or VIN on the Illinois Air Team site, or call 844-258-9071. Plates cannot be renewed without the test.

2. The city side: the Chicago city sticker

The sticker the Office of the City Clerk sells is a wheel tax, and the money goes to street repair. The Clerk's page says every Chicago resident who drives, parks, leases or owns a vehicle in the city must buy one. Having the car registered at a suburban address or in another state is not an exemption.

These prices took effect January 1, 2026. Third-party sites still quote the old amounts ($96.85 or $100.17), so confirm the figure on the Clerk's own page.

• Deadline: 30 days from the day you move into the city or buy the vehicle. The sticker term starts on the first day of that month.
• If you are late: a new record carries a $60 late fee ($30 for seniors) and possible back charges by the month. To avoid it, prove your move-in date with a lease or a mortgage or deed, and for a new vehicle with a bill of sale, executed title, Illinois form ST-556 or SOS form VSD-190, plus a copy of the Illinois registration ID card and a photo ID.
• Tickets: a missing or expired sticker brings a ticket of at least $200, repeatable every 24 hours. After a sticker expires there is a 30-day purchase grace period with no late fee, and tickets start 15 days after expiry.
• Where to buy: online through EzBuy, by mail, or in person at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Room 107; the North Side office, 5430 W. Gale St.; or the South Side office, 5672 S. Archer Ave. All weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., phone 312-742-5375. Mail delivery takes 10 to 12 business days. In person, bring the vehicle registration ID card, a photo ID and proof of address. A replacement for a lost sticker is $20 and needs a police report.
• Motorbikes: the medallion for the rear plate is sold only at City Clerk offices and online.

• How to get one: I-PASS is a prepaid account. The sticker tag is free at a Tollway Customer Service Center or can be ordered online; retailers such as Jewel-Osco and Road Ranger charge a service fee. A tag bought online or at a store must be activated (1-800-824-7277 or online).
• Auto-replenishment: linking the account to a card for automatic top-ups is the simplest way to avoid fees.
• Pay By Plate: with no transponder you can open an account within 14 days of the trip and backdate it to your first travel date, with no fine or fee. It works for rentals, borrowed cars and visitors. Tolls bill the card twice weekly and can take up to 30 days to appear.
• If you miss the 14 days: an invoice is mailed 30 days after the unpaid toll, with further invoices at 60 and 90 days, each adding a fee per toll. The first invoice adds $3 per toll for passenger vehicles.
• Upgrading: a Pay By Plate account can be migrated to an I-PASS account in the settings. Customer service is 1-800-824-7277.
• Do not let tolls pile up: SOS lists a tollway suspension among its license reinstatement categories, with a $70 reinstatement fee.

If you stay inside the city you may never use the Tollway at all; the transponder earns its keep on trips toward O'Hare, the north and west suburbs and out of state. Current rates are on the Tollway rate page, with separate daytime (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and overnight rates.

CTA fares

Two additional rides within two hours are free. Unlimited passes work on CTA and Pace, and with an unlimited pass the O'Hare boarding charge is waived. The reduced 30-day pass is $35 but only with a reduced-fare permit issued by the regional transit authority (NITA).

Getting a Ventra card

• Where: from the Ventra vending machines at every 'L' station (they take cash), online, by phone or at participating retailers. The card costs $5 and the $5 is returned as transit value if you register the card within 90 days.
• Loading it: cash or card at vending machines and participating retailers. No bank account needed.
• Contactless bank card: you can tap a bank card, Apple Pay or Google Pay straight at the reader, but that pays single fares only and cannot buy passes.
• Paper tickets: station machines sell a single-trip ticket for $3 (three rides in two hours; $5 at O'Hare), a 1-day pass for $5 and a 3-day pass for $15, the 3-day only at the O'Hare and Midway machines.
• Help: Ventra customer service 1-877-669-8368; the office is at 567 W. Lake St., 2nd floor.

Metra and Pace: out to the suburbs

Metra commuter rail is priced by four fare zones. Zone 1 is downtown and the stations inside Chicago; on the BNSF line Naperville is Zone 4, and on the UP-N line Glencoe is Zone 3.

A trip that never touches Zone 1 costs $3.75 one-way, $7.50 for a day pass and $75 a month. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays a $7 day pass covers the whole system, and the weekend pass in the Ventra app is $10. Monthly pass holders can add the $30 Regional Connect Pass to ride CTA and Pace too. Buy at a station machine, in the Ventra app or from the conductor on board; riding without a valid ticket can bring a citation and removal. A paper one-way expires three hours after purchase and a day pass at 3 a.m. Children under 7 ride free, up to three per paying adult, and ages 7 to 11 pay a reduced fare. Metra customer service is 312-696-3872 and the regional travel information line is 312-836-7000. Pace, which runs the suburban buses, charges $2.25 cash on a regular route and $4.50 on a premium route.

One access note: the South Water Street elevator at Millennium Station is closed until winter 2026-27, so use the Van Buren St. or 11th St. entrance.

From the airport into the city

• O'Hare (ORD): per CTA the Blue Line serves O'Hare 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The station is on the lower-level concourse that links Terminals 1, 2 and 3. From Terminal 5, where international flights leave, take the free Airport Transit System to Terminal 2 and follow the "CTA Trains" signs (there is no Terminal 4). Downtown takes 40 to 45 minutes, and $5 is deducted when you board at O'Hare. CTA's own comparison puts a taxi at about $40 and rideshare at $35 to $50, surging past $140 at busy times.
• Midway (MDW): the Orange Line reaches the Loop in 20 to 25 minutes for $2.50. The station connects to the terminal by an enclosed walkway, and the overnight alternative is the N62 Archer bus. A taxi is about $25 and rideshare $25 to $40.
• Construction: the State/Lake 'L' station in the Loop is closed for reconstruction into 2029; use Clark/Lake or Washington/Wabash instead.

1. Electricity: ComEd. Per the ComEd Start Service Guide, the applicant must be 18 or older and show two forms of ID, at least one a government photo ID. The accepted list includes a foreign passport, an ITIN, a Matricula Consular, a military ID and an SSN. If you are turned down over ID or credit rules you get it in writing within two business days. Phone 800-334-7661.
2. Gas: Peoples Gas. Peoples Gas is the gas utility for the City of Chicago. The account holder may be asked to prove identity in person at a payment location within 14 days of applying: two primary IDs, or one primary plus one secondary. The primary list names a foreign passport and a consular ID outright; the secondary list includes a Social Security card, a birth certificate, banking information and a W-2. Customer line 866-556-6001. Gas leaks and emergencies: 866-556-6002. If you smell gas, leave the building and call from outside; if you suspect carbon monoxide, get out and call 911.
3. If a deposit comes up. Under state law, since September 16, 2021 electric and gas utilities may not charge a deposit to low-income households and may not charge them electric late fees; deposits already paid must be refunded. "Low income" means household income at or below 80 percent of the area median, or at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, or eligibility for LIHEAP, PIPP or Lifeline.
4. Do not rush a supplier offer. Illinois has retail supplier choice for electricity, but it is optional. ComEd always owns the wires, the meter and the outage line. You can rescind a new enrollment within 10 days, and since January 1, 2020 residential customers can end any supplier contract at any time with no termination fee. The number to compare any offer against is ComEd's Price to Compare: 10.103 cents per kilowatt hour from October 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. It will change in January 2027 when the transmission piece resets, so check the current figure on PlugIn Illinois. Complaints go to the ICC at 800-524-0795.
5. Internet. For low-income households, Xfinity Internet Essentials is $14.95 a month for up to 75 Mbps and Internet Essentials Plus $29.95 for up to 100 Mbps. Qualifying runs through programs such as the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid or SNAP, or household income at or below 200 percent of the poverty level; you must not have been an Xfinity internet customer in the last 90 days. Apply at internetessentials.com/apply or call 1-844-389-4681. The federal ACP subsidy ended in 2024, so do not count on it. Library branches have free computers and Wi-Fi (below).

Can my power be cut off in winter?

Per the Illinois Commerce Commission, between December 1 and March 31 electric and gas utilities may not disconnect for non-payment any household receiving LIHEAP or PIPP, any electric space-heating customer, or military personnel and veterans. Other residential customers who used gas or electricity as their main heat the previous winter cannot be disconnected unless the utility first offered a Deferred Payment Arrangement with a down payment of no more than 10 percent. Disconnection is also barred on days forecast at or below freezing, and since January 1, 2024 on days forecast at 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above, or under a National Weather Service excessive-heat alert, where the utility is the only source of cooling.

Help with the bill: LIHEAP and discount rates

• Where to apply in Chicago: the City's Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) takes LIHEAP applications. In suburban Cook County the agency is CEDA instead, so the office changes if you move out of the city.
• Dates: the 2026-27 season opened October 1, 2026 for households with someone 60 or older, a person with a disability, a child aged 5 or under, or a disconnection, and opens November 1, 2026 for every other income-eligible household. The period runs to August 13, 2027 unless funds run out first.
• Income limit: 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Gross income over 30 days: $3,990 for one person, $5,410 for two, $6,830 for three, $8,250 for four, plus $1,420 for each additional person.
• No SSN or ITIN: the program page says plainly that residents without an ITIN or SSN can still apply and the local administering agency will advise.
• If heat is included in the rent: renters can apply with a lease showing heat is included, the rent amount and the landlord's contact details, and may receive a one-time cash benefit.
• How: the online Request for Services at helpillinoisfamilies.com or 1-833-711-0374. The agency contacts you; if you hear nothing in three weeks, call them.
• Separate from LIHEAP: all four gas utilities and ComEd run income-based discount rates, ComEd's running from 5 to 80 percent. The state's starting point is powerbilldiscount.com.

One bill, four line items

The Department of Water Management runs the system and the Department of Finance bills it. The unified bill carries water, sewer, the water-sewer tax and, in buildings of up to four units, the garbage fee. Customer service 312-744-4426, email [email protected]; for meter questions, Water Management on 312-747-2862.

The water rate rises every June 1 with the Chicago consumer price index; the June 1, 2026 step was 1.85 percent. Unmetered buildings are billed a flat monthly estimate based on building size, lot size and fixtures; metered homes are billed monthly or every two months. The MeterSave program installs a free meter in single-family homes and two-flats, with a seven-year promise that the bill will not exceed what it would have been unmetered.

If you rent

The water account belongs to the owner, and a tenant cannot take over the liability. The owner may ask for the bill to be mailed "attn: tenant" but remains responsible for paying it. Water is included in the rent in most Chicago apartments; read the lease to see what is covered.

Garbage and recycling

• The fee: $9.50 per dwelling unit per month in buildings of four units or fewer. So a single-family home pays $9.50, a two-flat $19, a three-flat $28.50 and a four-unit building $38. Metered homes are billed every two months, so each cycle shows $19 per unit. Households cannot opt out of city service. The 2026 budget did not raise the fee.
• Buildings with five or more units: the City does not collect; the building hires a private hauler and the cost normally arrives through the rent. The City page cites roughly $10 to $16 per unit per month.
• Carts are free: the City supplies a free 96-gallon black cart to single-family homes and buildings of up to four units, and replaces a missing or damaged cart free. Request through 311 or online.
• Collection: weekly, Monday through Friday. Find your day through 311 or the City schedule tool.
• Recycling costs nothing extra: the Blue Cart program serves households in buildings of one to four units with no separate charge. Put the cart in the alley or at the curb the night before, because trucks can arrive from 7 a.m. and crews cannot enter private property. Recyclables go in loose and together, with no plastic bags. City drop-off centers take the same materials seven days a week during daylight hours. In larger buildings the owner or property manager arranges collection.
• Yard waste and bulky items: no extra charge for either.

The low-income discount: Utility Billing Relief

The City's Utility Billing Relief (UBR) program takes 50 percent off water, sewer and the water-sewer tax going forward, applies no late penalties or collection, and forgives an old balance after 12 successful months. The garbage fee is not included. ID can be "a Social Security Number (SSN), Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), or other form of identification", and proof of identity and income is asked for every household member "regardless of age or legal residency", so no SSN is required. The portal is in English, Spanish, Chinese and Polish; the application must be finished in one session (a 30-minute timeout) and processing can take 30 days. For help applying, CEDA is on 800-571-2332.

The catch: UBR is open only to the owner-occupant of a single-family home or a two-unit or three-unit property, with income under the LIHEAP limit (300 percent of the poverty level). Renters are not eligible. If you pay for water through your rent, the owner is the one who would have to apply.

Owners aged 65 and over who live in the property can also claim the Senior Sewer Exemption and a 50 percent garbage-fee discount ($4.75 per unit per month), regardless of income.

What happens if the bill goes unpaid?

A late balance carries a 1.25 percent penalty. An orange notice means the property is eligible for shut-off for non-payment: pay or enter a payment plan before the date on the notice. A yellow notice means the meter could not be accessed; call Water Management on 312-747-9090 within 10 days. Water that has been off for more than 30 days needs a Release of Liability before restoration, and restoring it illegally carries a $500 fine.

311 and CHI311

• What it covers: non-emergency city services, the status of a request you opened, information on city programs and events, and non-emergency police reports through the Chicago Police Department's Alternate Response Section. If something is happening right now, call 911.
• How: 311 inside the city, 312-744-5000 from outside, TTY 311. The CHI311 app is on iOS and Android and lets you report potholes, graffiti, rodents or a missed garbage pickup, pay bills and fines, and find rent and debt help. The current version includes automated translation.
• Language: the City says 311 has a language bank with interpreters for more than 100 languages. Turkish is not named, so do not count on Turkish-language service.
• Carts, collection day, meters: cart requests and garbage-day lookups go through 311 (see water and trash).

A Chicago Public Library card

• Free and in person: the card costs nothing and you apply at any branch in person. None of the library's pages asks for a Social Security number.
• For a Full Access Card: you need a current, valid ID with your name, photo and Chicago address (an Illinois state ID, for example). If your photo ID does not carry a Chicago address, bring the photo ID plus a piece of mail with your name and current Chicago address. P.O. boxes are not accepted. People with no fixed address can use a letter from a social-service agency certifying Chicago residency.
• Is a foreign passport accepted? The library pages we read do not name a foreign passport or a consular ID; they only say "a current, valid ID with name, photo and Chicago address". So we will not promise it: take your passport together with a piece of mail showing your Chicago address, and if the branch cannot accept them, ask for a Temporary Access Card.
• Temporary Access Card: available since May 1, 2025 for ages 14 and up who cannot provide enough documentation. Valid 90 days and not renewable; 5 physical items and 5 holds; no e-book apps, Wi-Fi hotspot kits or museum passes. You can upgrade to Full Access within the 90 days.
• What the Full Access Card gives: 50 physical items, 12 holds, 10 OverDrive items, 5 hoopla items a month, one Wi-Fi hotspot kit per card and museum passes, with no expiration date. The old eCard was discontinued on May 1, 2025.
• Children and students: under 14 gets a juvenile card, signed by a parent or guarantor who shows one ID with a Chicago address. Chicago students can get the 81 Club student card at any branch.
• Living outside Chicago: Illinois residents of reciprocal-library communities can get a CPL card with their home-library card, without hotspots, museum passes or the e-book apps. Property owners who live outside the city need ID plus their current City of Chicago property tax bill.
• Computers and internet: every branch has free computers and Wi-Fi; the computers need a card. The Assistive Resource Center is on 312-747-4001.

Security deposit rules (RLTO)

• Receipt and account: the landlord must give a written receipt with their name, the date and a description of the unit. The money sits in a federally insured, interest-bearing account at an Illinois bank, kept separate from the landlord's own money.
• 14 days: the landlord must say in the lease, or in writing within 14 days, which bank holds the deposit.
• Interest: a deposit held more than six months earns interest every year, either paid or credited. The City Comptroller sets the rate: 0.01 percent for January 1 through December 31, 2026. It has been 0.01 percent since 2015, so the money is token; what matters is that failing to pay it is a violation.
• At move-out: if the landlord withholds for damage, an itemized statement with paid receipts is due within 30 days, otherwise the whole deposit comes back within 45 days. After a fire, the deposit is returned within 7 days of the tenant's notice.
• Cost of a violation: twice the deposit plus interest.
• No dollar cap: the RLTO summary sets no ceiling on the amount. The suburbs are different (see below).

Fair Notice: how much warning you get

Under the Fair Notice Ordinance a landlord who wants to raise the rent, decline to renew a lease or end a month-to-month tenancy must give:

This applies to every tenant, with a written lease or an oral one. If the landlord gives too little notice, the tenant may stay for the required notice period, or pay the old rent for that period. An amendment passed April 15, 2026 (Ordinance 2025-0019933) spells out a right to remain: after proper notice, up to 60 days for a tenancy under three years and 120 days for a longer one, on the existing lease terms. The City says the amendment takes effect once the rules are adopted and has not given a date, so check the City page for the current position.

The rest of the RLTO

• Not covered: units in owner-occupied buildings of six units or fewer, hotels, motels and rooming houses (unless the rent is monthly and the stay is 32 days or more), dormitories, shelters, owner-occupied co-ops and condos, and employee housing. The Fair Notice periods and the lockout ban apply to every rental unit, covered or not. The landlord must attach the City's RLTO Summary to every written lease and renewal.
• Late fee cap: at most $10 a month on rent under $500, plus 5 percent of the part above $500.
• Lockouts are illegal: changing the locks or cutting heat, water or power to force a tenant out carries a fine of $200 to $500 a day, enforced by the Chicago Police.
• Entry: two days' notice, except in an emergency.
• Repairs: 14 days after a written request the tenant may withhold a reasonable part of the rent, or repair and deduct up to $500 or half a month's rent. Loss of heat, water, power, gas or plumbing triggers 24-hour rules.
• Eviction for non-payment: a 5-day written notice. The tenant can end the case once by paying all back rent plus the landlord's court filing fees before a judge issues an order of possession. That does not apply where the landlord lives in the building and it has six units or fewer.
• Disclosures: the landlord must tell new and renewing tenants about code citations in the previous 12 months, pending housing-court actions, any utility shut-off notice and any foreclosure filing. On a sublease the landlord must accept a reasonable subtenant.
• Free help: the City's Fair Notice page lists the Metropolitan Tenants Organization, Legal Aid Chicago and the Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing. Legal Aid Chicago is on 312-341-1070. The Fair Notice flyer exists in English, Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Korean, but not Turkish.

I have no SSN. Can a landlord refuse me?

No. Since January 2024 the Illinois Human Rights Act bars housing discrimination based on immigration status. The Illinois Department of Human Rights lists as unlawful screening out applicants who have no Social Security number, refusing applicants whose status has an expiration date, and threatening to report tenants to immigration authorities, and it tells housing providers to accept alternatives such as an ITIN for credit and background checks. Lawful source of income, including vouchers, has been protected since 2023. You can complain to IDHR within one year, free and without a lawyer (Chicago 312-814-6200, in-person filing 312-814-6202), or sue in state court within two years.

If you move to the suburbs: Cook County rules

Suburban Cook County outside the city limits, places such as Evanston, Skokie, Des Plaines and Schaumburg, is covered not by the city RLTO but by the county ordinance (RTLO), in force since June 1, 2021. The biggest difference: the deposit is capped at 1.5 times the monthly rent and must be returned within 30 days of move-out, with the itemized statement also due within 30 days. The late fee is $10 on rent of $1,000 or less plus 5 percent of the amount above that, and non-renewal needs 60 days' notice. A violation costs twice the deposit plus attorney's fees. No agency enforces the county ordinance, so a tenant enforces it by suing; the free legal aid line is 855-956-5763. Individual villages may add rules of their own.

The new fee law

Public Act 104-0479 caps rental application fees at $50, requires every non-optional fee to appear on the first page of the lease, and bans fees for lease renewal, eviction notices, contacting the landlord, calling a maintenance hotline and move-in or move-out walk-throughs. The General Assembly's bill page gives the effective date as January 1, 2027 while the enrolled text says July 1, 2026; treat 2027 as the date and check the current status. The law does not apply to owner-occupied buildings of six units or fewer.

• The calendar is not fixed. For tax year 2025 the first instalment fell due April 1, 2026 and the second October 1, 2026, with bills mailed around September 1, 2026. Recent due dates have landed on December 15, 2025, March 4, 2025 and August 1, 2024. The Treasurer's older pamphlet, which says the first business day of March and August, is out of date; check the Treasurer's due-dates page each year.
• The first instalment is 55 percent: it is automatically 55 percent of the prior year's total bill. The second instalment is the balance once the reassessment, the tax rates and the exemptions are known. That is why a new owner's first bill can be bigger than expected.
• Late interest: 0.75 percent a month (9 percent a year) for tax year 2023 and later. Interest runs for about 13 months up to the annual tax sale, and the 2026 annual tax sale is December 15, 2026. The Treasurer publishes guidance on avoiding it in English, Spanish and Polish.
• How to pay: online from a bank account free, by card with a 2.1 percent convenience fee, by mail (PO Box 805438, Chicago IL 60680-4116, where only a USPS postmark counts, not a meter), at any Chase branch in Illinois, or in person at 118 N. Clark St. Partial payments and payment plans are allowed. Payments from foreign banks are returned, so do not send money from an account in Turkey. If you have a mortgage with an escrow account, the lender pays the bill.

The Homeowner Exemption

• How much: $10,000 off the equalized assessed value (EAV). The saving equals $10,000 times your local tax rate; the Assessor's example works out to roughly $800 at an 8 percent rate, but the rate varies by neighborhood.
• Who qualifies: you own the home, or have a lease or contract that makes you liable for the property tax, and you live in it as your principal residence on January 1 of the tax year. Once granted it renews automatically and shows up on the second-instalment bill issued in the summer.
• Which ID? The Assessor's page asks for no SSN. You need one photo ID from List A: an Illinois driver's license or state ID, a Matricula Consular, or a City of Chicago ID card. If the address on the ID does not match the property, you use List B instead (which adds a U.S. military ID, a passport, a naturalization certificate, a green card, a refugee travel document and an I-766 work permit) plus one List C proof of occupancy (a bank statement, a landline, cable or internet bill, a pay stub or an SSA letter). Tax liability is shown by your name on the recorded deed, or by a deed, contract, trust or occupancy agreement.
• How to apply: the online form includes the occupancy affidavit. Paper forms come in English, Spanish and Polish; mail to 118 N. Clark St., Room 320, Chicago IL 60602. If the normal filing period for tax year 2025 has closed, a late claim goes through a Certificate of Error.
• Other exemptions: the Assessor also lists the Senior Exemption ($8,000 off EAV for owners 65 and over, auto-renewing and including the Homeowner Exemption), the Senior Freeze, Persons with Disabilities, Longtime Homeowner, Home Improvement and Veterans exemptions.

When is my home reassessed?

Cook County reassesses on a three-year cycle. Chicago was reassessed in 2024 and is next due in 2027; the south and west suburbs were reassessed in 2026 and the north suburbs in 2025. The residential assessment level is 10 percent of market value, multiplied by the state equalizer to reach EAV. A reassessment shows up on the following year's second instalment. Appeals run through the Assessor and the Board of Review, and you can look your property up at cookcountypropertyinfo.com.

1. Find your neighborhood school. Type your address into the CPS School Locator to see which school you are assigned to. For K-12 the neighborhood seat is yours by right and there is no application; you call the school and set up a registration appointment. Children living in Chicago can enroll from birth up to age 20.
2. Gather the documents. Four headings, none of which asks for an SSN:
   • Proof of guardianship (any one): the latest tax return listing the child, the child's original birth certificate naming the adult, a court order, a health-insurance record or a public-aid document.
   • The child's age and identity (any one original): a certified birth certificate, a U.S. or foreign passport or visa, a baptismal record or a medical record. The Pre-K list is narrower.
   • The adult's photo ID: an unexpired U.S. passport, an employee ID, an unexpired driver's license or state ID, or a Chicago CityKey.
   • Chicago address (any two): a utility bill from the last 90 days (gas, electric, landline, water, cable or internet), a deed, a current mortgage or lease, a Medicaid card, a voter card, court documents, an Illinois public-aid card, a stamped USPS change-of-address form, an Illinois state aid or Social Security check, or another identification card issued by a federal or state agency or a foreign government consulate, such as a Matricula Consular. The address on the ID need not match the address proof, but the names on the address documents must match the person registering.
3. If you cannot produce a birth certificate: enroll anyway and, within 30 days, give either the original birth certificate or other proof of identity and age with an affidavit (a passport, visa, I-94 or State Department travel document).
4. Line up the health papers. You may enroll before they are ready, but October 15 is a real deadline: without proof of the required vaccines (DTP/Td, polio, MMR, hepatitis B, varicella, Hib for young children, MCV4 in the older grades) the child can be excluded from school. The same date applies to the physical exam for Pre-K, entering kindergarten, 1st, 6th and 9th grade and anyone entering Illinois schools for the first time, and to the vision exam for kindergarten and anyone new to Illinois schools. The dental exam (kindergarten, 2nd, 6th and 9th grade) is due May 15.
5. Fill in the Home Language Survey. Every family new to CPS completes it, and the result decides whether the child takes the English-proficiency screener. A school with 20 or more English learners sharing a home language runs transitional bilingual education; with fewer it runs a transitional program of instruction (TPI). Turkish-speaking children are usually supported through TPI.

If you want a seat outside your neighborhood: GoCPS

GoCPS is the single online application for schools other than your neighborhood school: all district and charter high schools, plus magnet, selective and choice elementary programs. You do not need it for the neighborhood school. From what we could read on the CPS pages, the 2027-28 application opened September 9, 2026 and closes Friday, November 13, 2026 at 5 p.m., with high-school offers on February 12, 2027 and elementary offers on March 12, 2027. We could not confirm those dates on the page itself, so check GoCPS before you apply. The help line is 773-553-2060, [email protected].

Pre-K: not automatic at the neighborhood school. Applications go through Chicago Early Learning, and the City offers free full-day Pre-K for every 4-year-old.

Who to call

Families without stable housing: the Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) program under the federal McKinney-Vento Act covers families who are new to the country and do not have settled housing. Those children can enroll immediately without the documents.

Library: CPS students can pick up the 81 Club student card at any Chicago Public Library branch (see the library section).

What CareLink is, and how to apply

Per Cook County Health, CareLink is a discount program: not insurance and not a government program. It applies only at Cook County Health hospitals and clinics, and applying is free.

• Who qualifies: uninsured adults aged 19 to 64 who have been Cook County residents for 30 days or more. The page states it directly: a person's immigration status will not stop them from qualifying. Anyone eligible for Medicaid is excluded, because the program is the payer of last resort, as is anyone with employer or spousal insurance; B2 visitors are excluded too.
• Discount tiers: 100, 50 and 30 percent, by income. The 100 percent discount runs to $39,900 a year for a household of one, $54,100 for two, $68,300 for three and $82,500 for four. The 50 percent tier runs to $55,860 for one, $75,740 for two, $95,620 for three and $115,500 for four.
• How: you apply in person with a financial counselor. For information and appointments, 866-223-2817, Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Coverage is renewed yearly.
• What it covers: primary and hospital care plus limited dental and vision, with prescriptions at Cook County Health pharmacies at $4 each up to $20 a month.
• Where: financial counselors work at these sites, Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. unless noted: Stroger Hospital, 1969 W. Ogden Ave., Room 1290 (7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.); Provident Hospital, 500 E. 51st St.; Dr. Jorge Prieto Health Center, 2424 S. Pulaski Rd.; Belmont Cragin, 5501 W. Fullerton Ave.; Austin, 4800 W. Chicago Ave.; Englewood, 1135 W. 69th St.; Sengstacke, 500 E. 51st St.; North Riverside, 1800 S. Harlem Ave. The scheduling line is 312-864-0200.
• Do not confuse it with CountyCare: CountyCare is a Medicaid health plan for Medicaid members living in Cook County, which is a different thing entirely. Member services 312-864-8200.

Children and pregnancy

• All Kids: the state's children's health insurance covers children under 19 who live in Illinois regardless of immigration status. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) says it does not report undocumented children and that All Kids is not a public charge issue except for long-term institutional care. The All Kids unit is 1-877-805-5312; apply at ABE.illinois.gov or 1-800-843-6154. CPS runs a Healthy CPS line on 773-553-5437 to help families enroll.
• Pregnancy: the Moms and Babies program covers pregnancy and the 12 months after birth regardless of immigration status.
• Vaccines: Chicago Department of Public Health immunization clinics give routine childhood vaccines at no out-of-pocket cost to uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid and CHIP children aged 0 to 18. Since September 1, 2026 the 2026-27 flu vaccine has been available to any Chicago resident regardless of insurance. The hubs are Greater Lawn (4150 W. 55th St.), Pilsen (1713 S. Ashland Ave.), Roseland (200 E. 115th St.) and Uptown (West Wilson Ave.). Book at getvaxchi.chicago.gov or 312-746-9096; the CareVan line is 312-746-6181. Walk-ins are welcome but registration is encouraged; bring the shot record, and proof of Chicago residence may be requested.

Adults: where the state and federal rules stand

• HBIA is closed: Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults, which covered undocumented and some other immigrants aged 42 to 64, closed July 1, 2025, with June 30, 2025 the last day of coverage. HBIS for people 65 and over continues, but the HFS page, still live on October 1, 2026, says enrollment into HBIS has been paused and no new applications should be submitted.
• The October 1, 2026 federal change: federal law HR 1 removed refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and survivors of domestic violence and trafficking from federally funded Medicaid, leaving them emergency Medicaid only. HFS mailed notices to affected people in July, August and September 2026. Helplines: ABE 1-800-843-6154, ICIRR 1-855-435-7693, the state's Immigrant Family Resource Program 312-793-7120.
• Buying insurance: Illinois runs its own marketplace, Get Covered Illinois. Open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027; the customer center is 1-866-311-1119. From January 1, 2027 premium tax credits are limited to green card holders, certain Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA citizens. Undocumented adults can buy insurance directly from insurers.
• Emergency Medicaid: Emergency Medical for Noncitizens continues for people who lost coverage, and hospitals can apply on a patient's behalf.

If a hospital bill arrives

The Illinois Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act bars hospitals from charging uninsured Illinois residents with family income and assets up to 600 percent of the poverty level more than cost plus 35 percent (300 percent at rural and critical-access hospitals), and caps what you pay in a year at 25 percent of family income. Apply within 60 days of the service or discharge; it covers medically necessary hospital services over $300. The hospital may require you to apply for Medicaid first, and the bill has to explain how to apply. The Illinois Attorney General's Health Care Bureau hotline is 877-305-5145.

Mental health crisis: the 988 suicide and crisis line works with interpreters.

Addresses and phone numbers for the free clinics and the sliding-fee health centers are in the next section, free and low-cost clinics.

Free clinics (volunteer-staffed, free or a nominal fee)

The Illinois Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (IAFCC) describes these as volunteer-based nonprofit safety-net clinics that provide care at no cost or for a nominal fee: typically $10 to $20 per medical visit, $20 to $60 for routine dental work and $5 to $20 per prescription. The association says none of the clinics on its list deny service to a patient who cannot pay the requested fee.

CommunityHealth · West Side

The largest volunteer-based free clinic in Chicago, offering primary care, specialty care, medications, labs, mental health care and dental care. To qualify you must be uninsured, or your only coverage must be HBIA or HBIS, with household income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Proof of address, income and identity is requested. All visits are by appointment and new patients register online. Polish and Spanish are spoken.

Address: 2611 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60622. Other sites: Onward House, 5413 W. Diversey Ave. 60639; Enlace, 2759 S. Harding Ave. 60623; The Resurrection Project, 4600 S. Wood St. 60609 (same phone).
773-395-9900 · IAFCC clinic directory

Old Irving Park Community Clinic · Northwest Side

Chronic disease care, gynecological services, STI testing and mental health care. Open to households at or below 250 percent of the poverty level; bring two pay stubs or a tax form. Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Polish and Spanish are spoken.

Address: 5425 W. Addison St., Chicago, IL 60641.
773-427-0298 · oipcc.org

Chicago Women's Health Center · Uptown

Women's and gender health care, STI and HIV testing and counseling. Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spanish is spoken.

Address: 1025 W. Sunnyside Ave., Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60640.
773-935-6126

Norma Jean Sanders Free Clinic · Bronzeville

Walk-ins on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The directory lists no income or insurance criteria, only medical need. Services are limited and English only.

Address: 1049 E. 46th St., Chicago, IL 60653.
773-624-8987

Care For Friends · Lincoln Park (podiatry only)

Foot care only, on the first, third and fourth Saturdays of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Address: 530 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Chicago, IL 60614.
773-932-1010

Mobile services

Mobile Care Chicago brings physicals, immunizations and dental care to children through Chicago Public Schools and partner organizations; phone 773-570-5338. Vision for Chicago does vision screening only; phone 312-394-9163.

Sliding-fee health centers (not free)

These are federally funded community health centers (FQHCs): they bill insurance, and they charge uninsured patients a discounted fee based on household income and size. The fee comes down, but the care is not free.

ACCESS Community Health Network

Thirty-three locations across Cook and DuPage counties, accepting new patients. Its own site says uninsured patients get a sliding fee scale depending on income and that you will not be turned away regardless of your ability to pay.

866-267-2353 · achn.net

Erie Family Health Centers

Primary medical, dental and behavioral health care provided to all, regardless of ability to pay. Its site states directly that Erie does not ask for patients' immigration status and will not share health information with law enforcement without consent or a valid court order.

City 312-666-3494, suburban 847-666-3494 · eriefamilyhealth.org

Alivio Medical Center · Pilsen and Little Village area

Says it serves patients regardless of insurance, immigration status or ability to pay. Benefits counselors at Casa Maravilla help walk-in patients with Medicaid applications and renewals, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

773-254-1400 · aliviomedicalcenter.org

Tapestry 360 Health · North Side and suburbs

Formerly Heartland Health Centers. It describes itself as a federally qualified health center with 15 locations and publishes a sliding fee scale.

773-751-7800 · Sliding fee scale

The county hospitals: CareLink

Cook County Health's CareLink is not a free clinic but a discount of up to 100 percent, by income, at county hospitals and clinics. You must be 19 to 64, uninsured and a Cook County resident for more than 30 days, you apply in person, and immigration status is not a barrier. Details are in the health section above.

Ask before you book

• Are you accepting new patients, and is there an age, income, insurance or residency requirement?
• Are the visit, labs, medications, dental work and outside referrals charged separately?
• What documents should I bring, and is an interpreter provided?

For more options, search the free clinics in the IAFCC directory and the federally funded centers in the IPHCA locator; not every center on that second list is free. For hospital bills and emergency care, see the health section.

• Where: at one of the Cook County Clerk's four Vital Records offices. The Chicago office is 118 N. Clark St., Room 120, phone (312) 603-7790, Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The others are Skokie (5600 W. Old Orchard Rd., Room 149, 847-470-7233), Markham (16501 S. Kedzie Ave., Room 238, 708-232-4150) and Maywood (1311 Maybrook Dr., Room 104, 708-865-6010).
• Fee: $60.
• Timing: the license becomes effective one day after issuance, not the same day, and stays valid for 60 days. It works only for a ceremony in Cook County, so you cannot marry on it in another county. Return the signed license to the Clerk within 10 days of the ceremony.
• ID: the Clerk's marriage-specific list includes a foreign passport among the documents accepted on its own. That comes from an older capture of the page, so call the office to confirm before you go. The other single documents are a U.S. driver's license or state ID, a U.S. passport, a military ID, a FOID card and a Global Entry card. Alternatively, two documents from the list: a certified birth certificate (with a notarized English translation), a naturalization certificate, a green card, a consulate ID, a work permit card or a tribal document.
• Special cases: if you divorced within the last six months, bring the certified decree. Ages 16 and 17 need parental consent. First cousins may marry only if both are over 50.
• Where the ceremony happens: civil ceremonies take place at Marriage Court, 119 W. Randolph St., lower level.
• Surname: changing it is not required. A name change through marriage is not a court matter: you take the marriage certificate to the Social Security Administration and update your record for free.

Changing a name outside marriage

Since March 1, 2025 an adult name change has been easier: the county residency requirement dropped from six months to three, and newspaper publication is no longer required. In Cook County you file with the County Division at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Room 1202, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the information line is (312) 603-5710 and questions about the changes go to (312) 603-5030. Sources disagree on the filing fee, so confirm the current amount with the clerk of the court; a fee waiver is available if you cannot pay.

• Cook County Clerk (births in Chicago and Cook County): in person the certificate is printed while you wait, with cash, debit and credit cards accepted but no checks. Order online through VitalChek with a $13.45 surcharge, by phone on (866) 252-8974, or by mail to the Bureau of Vital Records, PO Box A3390, Chicago, IL 60690 (about 20 working days). Orders placed at a Currency Exchange carry a $5 surcharge. The offices are the four Vital Records addresses listed in the marriage section.
• Death certificates: the Clerk appears to charge $17 for the first copy and $6 for each additional one. We could not confirm those two figures on the page, so check with the office.
• IDPH (anywhere in Illinois): a long-form birth certificate is $15 for the first copy and a short form $10, with $2 for each additional copy; a certified death certificate is $19 first and $4 each additional; correcting a record or adding a legal name change is $15 plus $2. Pay by check or money order to IDPH, and bring a readable, unexpired government photo ID. Mail processing takes about 12 weeks with no status updates. The IDPH Springfield office moved on September 14, 2026 from 925 E. Ridgley Ave to 110 W. Lawrence Ave, Springfield, so do not send documents to the old address. Email [email protected].
• Which is faster: the Clerk, if the birth happened in Cook County, because you can walk in and leave with the certificate. IDPH is for people born elsewhere in Illinois.
• Ask for certified copies: a U.S. passport application and registration in Turkey both need a certified copy, not a photocopy. Because extra copies are cheap, taking several usually makes sense.
• Apostille: for a birth certificate you will use in Turkey, the Illinois Secretary of State's Index Department issues the apostille at just $2 per document. The Chicago office is at 160 N. LaSalle St., Suite 100 (see the apostille section).
• The baby's SSN: if you request a Social Security number while the birth is being registered at the hospital, the card comes in the mail and you do not have to visit an SSA office.
• Vaccines: the city's immunization clinics give routine childhood vaccines at no out-of-pocket cost to uninsured, underinsured and Medicaid children aged 0 to 18 (see the health section).

• What to bring: current immigration documents (green card, I-94 or EAD) with a valid passport, and a birth certificate if you have one. No photocopies or notarized copies. SSA suggests waiting 10 days after arrival so DHS records can be verified.
• F-1 and J-1: an SSN is available only once you are authorized to work (on-campus job, CPT, OPT), not just for enrolling in school.
• Your ZIP code decides which office serves you, not which one is nearest. With several offices in Chicago that distinction matters: the branch five blocks from your flat may not be yours. Check the SSA office locator before you go.
• Hours: every SSA office in Illinois is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The national line is 1-800-772-1213.
• After a name change through marriage: update your SSA record at any office, free of charge. In Illinois a name change on marriage is not a court matter; you take the marriage certificate to SSA.

SSA offices in Chicago

In the suburbs there are offices in Evanston (2116 Green Bay Rd), North Riverside (7222 W. Cermak Rd), Hillside (230 N. Mannheim Rd), Mount Prospect (705 N. Wheeling Rd), Chicago Heights (104 S. Halsted St) and Palos Hills (10718 S. Roberts Rd). These come from SSA's own office file; confirm with the locator anyway, because offices do move.

What can I do in Chicago without an SSN?

• Driver's license: Illinois abolished the Temporary Visitor Driver's License on July 1, 2024. Applicants without an SSN now get a standard four-year license marked "Federal Limits Apply", after proving at least 12 months of Illinois residency. The consular IDs the state accepts belong to five Latin American countries, and Türkiye is not among them, so a Turkish applicant relies on a passport. See the driver's license section.
• Electricity and gas: ComEd accepts a foreign passport, a consular ID or an ITIN as identification for a new account. Peoples Gas, the gas utility in Chicago, treats a foreign passport and a consular ID as primary identification.
• Renting: since January 1, 2024, an Illinois landlord may not screen out an applicant purely for not having an SSN, and must accept an ITIN.
• School: no SSN is needed to enroll a child. See the school enrollment section.
• Property tax relief: the Cook County Assessor does not ask for an SSN on the Homeowner Exemption; an Illinois license, a Matricula Consular or a City of Chicago ID card is enough. See the home ownership section.
• Taxes: people who cannot get an SSN but have to file use an ITIN (see the tax section below).

SSA says itself that an SSN is not required for a driver's license, for school enrollment or for private health insurance.

Income tax

• Flat rate: the Illinois Department of Revenue sets individual income tax at 4.95 percent of net income. No brackets, so the rate does not change with your salary.
• No city tax: unlike New York City, Chicago has no separate municipal income tax. Local governments receive a share of state income tax collections instead. If you are moving from New York or Philadelphia, that difference is in your favour.
• Exemption: $2,925 per person for the tax year beginning January 1, 2026 (it was $2,850 in 2025), with another $1,000 for people 65 or over and for people who are blind. It is not available if federal adjusted gross income is over $500,000 on a joint return or $250,000 otherwise.
• Two returns: the federal return goes to the IRS and the state return (IL-1040) to the Department of Revenue. The 2026 return is due in April 2027. There is no separate state tax number; your federal SSN or ITIN is used on the state return too.
• Credits with an ITIN: Illinois gives its own Earned Income Tax Credit to ITIN filers, and families with a child under 12 can also claim a state Child Tax Credit worth 40 percent of it. A qualifying child may have an ITIN rather than an SSN. That is different from the federal rule.

Sales tax and the Chicago-only taxes

• Combined rate: the state rate on general merchandise is 6.25 percent. On August 1, 2026 the transit tax rose by 0.25 point in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, taking the combined Chicago rate from 10.25 percent to about 10.5 percent. Check the exact rate for your address with the MyTax Illinois rate finder; the component parts are disputed.
• Groceries: the state's 1 percent grocery tax ended on January 1, 2026 and Chicago did not adopt a local replacement. The Cook County transit share still applies to groceries.
• Small items: the city's list of 2026 tax changes includes a 15-cent checkout bag tax and a 1.5 percent tax on alcohol consumed off the premises. Small amounts, but you will see them on your first grocery receipt.
• Coming from Texas or Florida? There was no state income tax there. Build the 4.95 percent into your budget from the start.

How do I get an ITIN?

1. Complete Form W-7 and attach it to your federal return unless an exception applies.
2. Have your documents verified. Three routes: mail the passport to the IRS in Austin, use a Certifying Acceptance Agent, or book an IRS office that reviews ITIN documents in person. With a CAA or an IRS office you do not put your passport in the mail; the documents are handed back at the end of the appointment.
3. Wait. Processing usually takes 7 weeks, or 9 to 11 weeks in filing season (January 15 to April 30).

• ITIN document review in Chicago: the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center at 230 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604 is on the IRS list of offices that review ITIN documents. In the suburbs, Orland Park (14479 John Humphrey Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462), Downers Grove and Schiller Park also offer it; get the last two addresses from the IRS locator.
• Appointments: IRS offices are appointment-only, on 844-545-5640. Confirm hours with the IRS office locator.
• Expiry: an ITIN not used on a return for three consecutive years expires.

1. Articles of Organization: filed with the Illinois Secretary of State for $150 (about 10 business days). Online 24-hour service is $250. A series LLC is $400, or $500 for 24-hour service. Expediting by mail or in person adds $100 and is only done at the Springfield and Chicago offices.
2. Registered agent: required. It can be an individual who lives in Illinois or an entity authorized to act as one. The registered office must have an Illinois street address; a PO box on its own is not accepted. If you plan to use your Chicago home address, check that your lease allows it.
3. Annual report: $75 a year, plus $50 to expedite. Filing late costs the company its good standing.
4. City license: apply online through Chicago Business Direct or in person at the Small Business Center, 121 N. LaSalle Street, 8th Floor, Room 800, Chicago, IL 60602, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone 312-744-6249 (312-74-GOBIZ), e-mail [email protected].
5. Check zoning first: confirm the zoning of an address before you sign a lease. A shop in the wrong zoning district will not get a license, and you pay the rent anyway. Signs and awnings need a separate public way use permit.
6. Working from home: a business run from a home address needs its own home occupation license. Confirm the fee and the term with the Small Business Center before you apply, because figures circulating online may be out of date.
7. Assumed name (DBA): an LLC trading under another name files Form LLC 1.20 with the Secretary of State. Sole proprietors and general partnerships register an assumed business name with the Cook County Clerk instead; the fee is reported as $50, but confirm it and the LLC 1.20 fee with the office before you file.

Illinois allows an LLC with foreign members; there is no requirement that members be U.S. citizens or Illinois residents. The statewide detail is in our Illinois guide.

• Where to apply: SNAP, Medicaid and cash assistance go through ABE (Application for Benefits Eligibility) or a local IDHS office. The ABE Call Center is 1-800-843-6154. Every noncitizen applicant's status is checked on the first application and at each renewal.
• SNAP: the federal law that took effect on July 4, 2025 narrowed SNAP for noncitizens. Broadly, green card holders (after the five-year wait or with an exception), Cuban and Haitian entrants and citizens of the COFA countries remain eligible; refugees, asylees and some humanitarian categories lost it. Have your own situation checked before you apply.
• Medicaid from October 1, 2026: the same law removed refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and survivors of domestic violence and trafficking from full Medicaid, leaving them emergency Medicaid only. Green card holders who have completed or are exempt from the five-year wait are generally still covered. HFS sent notices to the people affected in July, August and September 2026; do not leave that letter unanswered. HFS states plainly that the change is required by federal law and was not the state's decision.
• The state's own programs: HBIA, the state-funded program for immigrant adults aged 42 to 64, closed on July 1, 2025. HBIS for people 65 and over continues, but the HFS page says new applications are paused. So Illinois does not currently run a health program open to undocumented adults. In Chicago the practical routes for an uninsured adult are the Cook County Health CareLink discount and the free or sliding-fee clinics; both are covered in the health section.
• Children and pregnancy: children under 19 can get All Kids coverage regardless of immigration status, and pregnant people get Moms & Babies coverage during pregnancy and for 12 months after birth. HFS says All Kids does not create a public charge problem except for long-term institutional care, and that it does not report undocumented children. The All Kids unit is 1-877-805-5312.
• What CountyCare is: a Medicaid health plan that people who already qualify for Medicaid in Cook County can choose. It is not a separate benefit, just how Medicaid is delivered here. Member services 312-864-8200.
• Buying insurance: Illinois runs its own marketplace. Get Covered Illinois open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, with a help line on 1-866-311-1119. From January 1, 2027 premium tax credits are limited to green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA citizens.
• The new public charge rule: for green card applications filed on or after September 18, 2026, an officer may consider means-tested benefits received after that date, SNAP, Medicaid and housing assistance included. For anything received earlier, only cash assistance and long-term care count. Benefits a family member receives in their own name, your child for example, generally do not count. Humanitarian categories such as asylum and refugee status, T and U visas, VAWA and TPS are exempt.
• Free advice: the ICIRR family support hotline is 1-855-435-7693, and the IDHS Immigrant Family Resource Program line in Chicago is 312-793-7120.

1. Sign in to your USCIS account and open the Change of Address screen. Reporting online satisfies the legal requirement, so you do not also need to mail a paper AR-11.
2. List the receipt number of every pending application. Otherwise notices can still go to the old address.
3. Tell USPS separately. A post office change of address does not update USCIS records, and USPS does not forward USCIS mail.
4. If you have a court case, file Form EOIR-33/IC within 5 days. The court changes an address only with that form.
5. If you report to ICE (for example because you have scheduled check-ins), update your address through the ICE Portal as well. ICE asks for the update within 5 business days of the move.

A and G visa holders and visitors who entered under the Visa Waiver Program are exempt from the USCIS reporting requirement.

Does moving apartments inside Chicago count?

Yes. The rule turns on your address changing, not on crossing a state line. Lincoln Park to Rogers Park, or even a different unit in the same building, starts the 10-day clock. Spending the first year in two or three different rentals is common here, so repeat the same filing after every move.

Which office does what?

• Chicago Field Office: where green card and citizenship interviews happen. It covers most of Illinois plus four counties in northwest Indiana. There are no walk-ins, and forms are not mailed to it. The USCIS page for this office is currently broken, so we do not print its address or hours here: the address, floor and time on your appointment notice govern. Do not travel on the strength of an address you found on a forum.
• Chicago Asylum Office: 181 W. Madison Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60602. Phone 312-849-5201, e-mail [email protected]. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., by appointment only. Since April 20, 2026 the office no longer provides in-person information services, so turning up at the door to ask about a case does not work; call the Contact Center on 800-375-5283 instead.
• Application Support Centers (biometrics): the four Illinois centers are in Burbank (listed by USCIS as Chicago South), Norridge, Naperville and Waukegan, all open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Note that none of them is inside the city limits, so a fingerprint appointment may mean a drive or a Metra ride out of town. You do not choose which one; your Form I-797C notice names it and gives the street address. If a center closes unexpectedly, the appointment is rescheduled automatically.

• Plan the journey: biometrics slots are usually early in the morning. If you are heading to Naperville or Waukegan in rush hour, allow an extra hour; missing the slot means waiting for a new one.
• Appointments and questions: USCIS Contact Center 800-375-5283, or request an appointment online. Appointments are free. Track a case at uscis.gov/casestatus.
• Processing times: on the USCIS processing times page, pick your form, category and "Chicago IL" as the office. The figures update monthly.
• What to bring: we list what to take to a biometrics appointment in our article on the fingerprint appointment. Never go to a center without the notice.
• Attorneys at interviews: since May 18, 2026, attorneys can no longer appear remotely at field office interviews except in limited cases. If your attorney will attend, they must come in person with you.

We set out how the offices are spread across the state in our Illinois guide.

• The address changed, and old paperwork can mislead you: the court is now at 55 E. Monroe Street. If a notice you received before 2026, a sample filing or a page you found online says 525 W. Van Buren, that address is out of date, and going to the wrong building on a hearing morning means missing the hearing. Confirm on EOIR's court page, but your own hearing notice is what controls.
• Getting in: there is security screening on every visit, so arrive early. The building has paid parking and the Adams & Wabash Self-Park is nearby at 17 E. Adams; the CTA Adams/Wabash station is a short walk and is served by most Loop lines. E-mail [email protected].
• Internet-based hearings: some hearings are held over Webex. Your notice says whether yours is in person or online.
• Checking online: ACIS needs only your A number (A plus 8 or 9 digits). The hearing notice is still the official record; the system can be slow to show new dates.
• ICE: the Chicago field office covers Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky and Kansas. Check-ins are scheduled through ICE's own systems. If you have a check-in obligation, speak with your attorney before you go, and do not go alone.

Where do I find my I-94, and what if it is wrong?

You can download the I-94 for your most recent entry from CBP's website. Mistakes made at entry, such as the wrong visa class, a misspelled name or the wrong period of stay, are corrected by CBP Deferred Inspection. The Chicago office is on the lower level of Terminal 5 at O'Hare, opposite carousel 12, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; from the Blue Line O'Hare station you take the ATS train to Terminal 5. Correction requests can also go to [email protected]. The office only fixes errors made at the time of entry.

• The jury list is more than the voter roll: Illinois law puts holders of an Illinois driver's license, an Illinois Identification Card or a Person with a Disability ID card, and people who claimed unemployment insurance, into the list alongside registered voters (705 ILCS 310/2 and 705 ILCS 305/1). Cook County says the same thing about its own process: each year its jury office takes lists from the Secretary of State and from the county and Chicago election boards, merges them and draws names at random. So a noncitizen who never registered to vote can surface through the license file, and a summons is not evidence that somebody made a mistake.
• In Chicago the notice can come from two courts: the Circuit Court of Cook County or the federal court. The heading on the notice tells you which one sent it, so take the contact details from there.
• Jurors have to be citizens: the qualifications are county residence, being 18 or over, understanding English and being a U.S. citizen. The Cook County court states it plainly: if you do not meet all of them, contact the Office of Jury Administration before the date you are supposed to serve, on (312) 603-5879. If the notice came from another court, the instruction and the number are printed on it, so follow those. Never ignore the letter or throw it away.
• A license is not voting eligibility: since 1 July 2024 Illinois issues a four-year standard license to applicants without an SSN, marked "Federal Limits Apply". It is an identity and driving document and has nothing to do with voter eligibility.
• Watch the REAL ID application: an application for a license or ID that meets REAL ID requirements also serves as a voter registration application. If you do not want the registration you have to tick the box declining it, and no reason is needed; if you leave it unticked, your signature attests under penalty of perjury that you meet the voter qualifications. The Secretary of State checks the identity documents you handed over, and if they show the applicant is not qualified the application is marked incomplete and no registration is sent (10 ILCS 5/1A-16.1). A standard license applied for without an SSN is left out of that dual-purpose process altogether.
• What to do at the counter: read the voter registration part of the form. If you are not a citizen, do not sign that part and do not tick its box; tick the decline box if there is one. The same goes for volunteers handing out forms door to door, at events or on campus: do not take one and do not fill it in.
• The penalty is heavy: a false statement in an affidavit, certificate or sworn declaration required by the Election Code is perjury in Illinois, a Class 3 felony (10 ILCS 5/29-10). Registering or voting without citizenship can also have serious immigration consequences (USCIS Policy Manual). As the State Board of Elections puts it, automatic registration does not allow noncitizens to be registered automatically.
• Scams: courts do not ask for your SSN by phone or email, and never ask for a fine or a bail payment over the phone. If you get a call like that, hang up and call the court yourself on the official number printed on the letter.

Recently naturalized? You can register through the Illinois State Board of Elections or your county election authority. Online registration usually asks for an Illinois driver's license or state ID and the last four digits of your SSN. Check the deadlines, and which authority handles your address, weeks before an election.

• Find an acceptance facility: put your ZIP code into the passport facility locator. Post offices and many suburban public libraries, such as River Grove, Northlake and Prospect Heights, offer this service. These locations accept new applications (DS-11) only, and the acceptance fee is paid separately from the passport fee.
• Routine applications downtown: the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County runs Passport Services at the Richard J. Daley Center, Room 1202, 50 W. Washington Street. Its page shows hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. but is not up to date, so call to confirm the hours and whether an appointment is needed before you go.
• Children: a passport book for a child under 16 costs $100 plus the $35 acceptance fee.
• Urgent travel: you need proof of travel within 14 days, or of a foreign visa needed within 28 days. The expedite fee is an extra $60.

• Appointments: free, at passportappointment.travel.state.gov, for up to seven people in one household. If you have already applied, call 877-487-2778. Third-party sites that charge to book an appointment are scams. The agency is closed on weekends and federal holidays.
• Watch for a stale address: the Cook County Circuit Clerk's passport page still lists the agency at the Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 South Dearborn Street. That address is out of date; go to 101 Ida B. Wells Drive.

How do the museums' Illinois resident days work?

Adults bring an Illinois driver's license, a state ID, or a photo ID together with an Illinois utility bill, lease or pay stub. A license marked "Federal Limits Apply" still shows your Illinois address, so it works as residency proof. Children do not need ID if they are with a resident adult. Some museums ask for your ZIP code as a discount code at checkout. Free slots are limited, so reserve in advance; at Shedd an online reservation carries a $5 fee per order, while booking by phone does not.

Getting between them

Most of the museums are a walk or a short bus ride apart, between the Loop and Museum Campus. Lincoln Park Zoo and the Conservatory are to the north, Griffin MSI to the south in Hyde Park. The lakefront path links them all, and in good weather a bike is the fastest way to do it. For transit cards and fares, see the public transit section.

Always free

• Lincoln Park Zoo: free 365 days a year, no reservation needed, on the north side within walking distance of the lake.
• Lincoln Park Conservatory: four display houses of palms, ferns, orchids and seasonal shows at 2391 N. Stockton Drive, open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free and it is a warm stop in winter, right next to the zoo, so you can do both in one afternoon.
• Millennium Park: open daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., no admission. In summer the Crown Fountain is where every child ends up; in winter look to Maggie Daley Park next door.
• Chicago Cultural Center: 78 E. Washington Street, open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., no ticket needed, with exhibitions and free concerts. Closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026.
• Navy Pier: entry to the pier is free and there are free fireworks displays through the year. Rides and attractions are ticketed.
• The lakefront: 26 miles of lakefront and the beaches are free. The swim season has ended and the 2027 season starts May 28; there is no swimming without lifeguards.
• Public libraries: Chicago Public Library branches are free and run children's programs. For getting a card, see the city services section.

Free days for Illinois residents

• Field Museum: Wednesdays, from October 14, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
• Shedd Aquarium: Tuesday evenings 5 to 9 p.m. (October 6, 13, 20 and 27; November 3, 10, 17 and 24; December 1, 8 and 15).
• Griffin Museum of Science and Industry: October 5, 6, 7, 13, 14 and 18, 2026. The museum adds later dates to its page. Up to six children can come with one adult.
• Adler Planetarium: October 26, 27 and 28, and November 9, 10, 16, 17 and 18, 2026.
• Art Institute of Chicago: the third Thursday of the month, 5 to 8 p.m. (October 15, November 19 and December 17, 2026). Children under 14 are always free, and so are Chicago teens under 18.
• With a library card: Chicago Public Library members aged 18 and over can reserve free or discounted passes to many museums, the Art Institute and Griffin MSI among them, through Explore More Illinois at chipublib.org/digitalpasses.
• Lower-income families: through Museums for All, households with a LINK, EBT or WIC card get in free or at a deep discount at the Art Institute, Griffin MSI and Adler. At Griffin MSI it covers up to two adults and six children; call (773) 684-1414.

Autumn and winter plan

• ZooLights: the light show at Lincoln Park Zoo runs November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays are free except December 21 and 28, with free tickets released a week ahead at 11 a.m. Other nights are ticketed.
• Maggie Daley Park in the Loop: 20 acres with a climbing wall, mini golf and playgrounds, linked to Millennium Park by the BP pedestrian bridge. The ice skating ribbon runs November 13, 2026 to March 7, 2027. If you bring your own skates, the 11 a.m. weekday session and the 8 a.m. weekend session are free and other sessions are $5; rental skates are $17 on weekdays and $21 at weekends. Each session is booked separately, and bookings open in blocks, with November 13 to 29 released on November 2.
• Magnificent Mile Lights Festival: Saturday, November 21, 2026. Daytime activities along Michigan Avenue, then an evening lights parade starting at Oak Street and fireworks afterwards. Free to watch; check the event's own page for the times.
• Thanksgiving parade: Thursday morning, November 26, 2026, on State Street between Ida B. Wells Drive and Randolph Street. Free to watch. The Chicago Cultural Center is closed that day.
• Farmers markets: Green City Market runs outdoors in Lincoln Park (1817 N. Clark St) and the West Loop (900 W. Monroe St) through November 21, 2026.

Which museum with children?

The dinosaur halls at the Field Museum and the coal mine tour at Griffin MSI are what children remember, though the mine tour is a separate ticket. Shedd's free Tuesday hours can run late for small children, so plan around that. Some Adler planetarium shows sit outside general admission; check which show is included when you book a free day. For vaccinations and children's health, we cover the free city clinics in the health section.

If you live in Chicago you have the shortest trip of any reader in this series: renewing a passport, signing a power of attorney or registering a birth needs no travel to another city, let alone another state. NBC Tower sits just east of Michigan Avenue and is an easy ride from the Loop.

There is a flip side. The district covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin, so people coming from Detroit, Minneapolis or Cincinnati share the same calendar. Demand from twelve other states closes slots weeks ahead. Living here buys you a short journey, not a short wait: open the booking screen the day you realise you need something, rather than in the last month of your passport.

To book: konsolosluk.gov.tr → Randevu Al → Türk Vatandaşları İçin Konsolosluk İşlemleri → Chicago. The "Randevu Al" button on the consulate's own site opens the same national system, where you can also check or cancel an appointment. Cancelled slots go back into the system, so checking the screen on several consecutive days does pay off. The 24/7 Consular Call Center is +90 312 292 29 29. E-mail [email protected], fax +1 312 263 1449.

Which service works how?

• Passport: in person only, by appointment, because fingerprints are taken.
• Turkish ID card: in person, by appointment.
• Birth and marriage registration: when you register a Chicago-born child or a marriage made here with the Turkish civil registry, use a certified long-form copy. You get it from the Cook County Clerk or the Illinois Department of Public Health, then have it apostilled. The document detail is in the birth certificate section.
• Power of attorney: issued at the consulate building only. If it is for a sale, an inheritance or a case in Türkiye, get the wording from your lawyer beforehand, because the appointment itself is short.
• Fees: these change by service and by year. Confirm the current schedule with the consulate or the call center before your appointment rather than relying on figures found online.
• Closures: the consulate is closed on U.S. federal holidays as well as Turkish public holidays. Its online announcements page is not kept current, so a relative travelling in from out of state should call the call center first.
• Military service (askerlik): men born in 2007 must complete their registration (yoklama) by December 31, 2026. The paid military service option (dövizle askerlik) for July to December 2026 is the foreign-currency equivalent of 472,653.60 TL, collected in U.S. dollars at the Turkish central bank rate on the day of payment, plus a transfer fee (ask the consulate for the current amount); the amount changes on January 1, 2027, and late-December slots are the hardest to get. Applications are in person only. Dual citizens born in the U.S., or who came before 18 and naturalized, can defer until the end of age 35 after registering their U.S. citizenship. F-1 students defer through the Education Attaché in the same building, [email protected].

1. Get the original first. An apostille goes only on an original certified by the official who issued it. In Chicago that means a certified copy of a birth record from the Cook County Clerk or the Illinois Department of Public Health, a certified copy of a marriage record from the Cook County Clerk, and a certified copy of a divorce record from the Cook County Circuit Clerk.
2. If notarization is needed: a private document such as a power of attorney, affidavit or declaration must be notarized by an Illinois notary. Illinois cannot certify the signature of an out-of-state official or notary, so a document notarized across the line in Indiana, in Hammond for instance, cannot be apostilled here. Do not take a document signed by a circuit clerk or a judge to a notary; it is already an official record.
3. Apostille: Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department, 160 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60601, phone 312-814-8218, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (the last half hour, 4:00 to 4:30, is document review only).
4. Fee: $2 for each apostille or certificate, and every document needs its own. Pay with a single check or money order made out to the Illinois Secretary of State; ask the office about cash and cards.

• The Chicago locations authenticate documents for foreign use only, which is exactly what a document bound for Türkiye needs.
• Federal documents: an FBI background check or a naturalization certificate is apostilled by the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications instead, on Form DS-4194, at $20 per document.
• Translation: an apostille does not translate the document. A sworn translation may still be needed where you use it.

• U.S. clock changes: daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November: November 1, 2026 and March 14, 2027. Türkiye does not change its clocks, so the gap shifts twice a year on its own.
• Planning a call: Turkish government offices and banks generally work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., which is 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. here. Put calls to an office in Türkiye in the earliest part of your morning. The Chicago consulate's own phone enquiry hours, by contrast, are 2 to 4 p.m. local time, which falls in your normal working day.
• ORD to Istanbul: Turkish Airlines flies nonstop between O'Hare and Istanbul Airport (IST). Frequency changes by season, so we do not print a number here: check the current schedule before you book.
• Which airport: the Istanbul nonstop leaves from O'Hare, not Midway. The CTA Blue Line runs to O'Hare around the clock. International departures generally use Terminal 5, but check the terminal a few days before you fly, because assignments change.
• Connecting options: when the nonstop is expensive or full, routings through Europe open up. Check whether the country you connect in requires a transit visa; that is not the same for a Turkish passport everywhere.