Bilal Hameed, Illinois real estate broker, License #475.219071
Affiliated with Crosstown Realtors Inc. · 1455 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613
← All posts
Illinois Law and Paperwork

The Water Bill That Can Hold Up Your Chicago Closing

Why the City of Chicago wants a Full Payment Certificate before a deed can be recorded, plus who pays which transfer tax.

Bilal Hameed, Illinois real estate broker, License #475.219071 · Affiliated with Crosstown Realtors Inc.

6 cards
Illinois law and paperwork

No certificate, no deed

  • Chicago won't issue transfer tax stamps without a Full Payment Certificate (FPC). No stamps, no recorded deed.
  • The City says allow up to 10 business days. Many are same-day.
  • Skip it and the buyer and seller can both owe old utility bills.
  • Illinois sellers must hand over the disclosure report before the contract is signed.
The numbers

Who pays which transfer tax

TaxRatePaid by
State of Illinois$0.50 per $500Seller
Cook County$0.25 per $500Seller
City of Chicago$3.75 per $500Buyer
CTA add-on$1.50 per $500Seller

Source: City of Chicago transfer tax page and Illinois / Cook County rates, checked October 2026. Suburbs differ; ask your village.

Step by step

Your closing, step by step

Tap a step. Dates come from your contract, not a state calendar.

Tap a step above.
More detail: disclosure report and forms

Seller's disclosure report

Illinois law (765 ILCS 77): 24 numbered statements (flooding, structure, plumbing, radon, code violations). Seller delivers it before the contract is signed and keeps it current until closing. Homes built before 1978 also need a lead paint disclosure.

Forms

Chicago FPCCity page ($50; fee waived if exempt)
Disclosure report, form 108Blank form · Statute
Lead paint, form 420Blank form
PTAX-203 / MyDecIllinois Dept. of Revenue

Bilal Hameed, Illinois real estate broker, License #475.219071 · Affiliated with Crosstown Realtors Inc.

🏠 Equal Housing Opportunity. We never steer, screen or sort anyone by a protected trait. General information, not legal or financial advice.

Work With Bilal More posts