New Illinois Law Ends Fees for Removing Racist Language from Property Records (Cook County, IL) – Illinois homeowners will no longer be charged to remove racist language from property records under a new state law signed earlier this month, a measure praised by Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon.
House Bill 1575, backed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, amends the Illinois Counties Code to eliminate fees for filing modifications to strike unlawful racially restrictive covenants. These discriminatory clauses, common in property records during the 20th century, were used to block people of certain races or ethnicities from buying or occupying homes.
Clerk Gordon, who strongly advocated for the change, said the law represents more than a procedural fix. “This legislation is not just about eliminating a bureaucratic fee, it’s about correcting a legacy of exclusion and discrimination,” Gordon said. “This is a victory for transparency, fairness, and the future of inclusive homeownership in Illinois.”
The bill was sponsored by State Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago) and State Rep. Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D-Chicago), with support from a broad coalition of officials and housing equity advocates.
Illinois lawmakers first addressed the issue in 2022, passing legislation that allowed homeowners to request removal of racist covenants but permitted county recorders to charge up to $10 per filing. While the Cook County Clerk’s Office had already waived the fee, Gordon pushed for uniform statewide policy to ensure no resident faced costs for making the change.
Residents can learn more about the process of removing unlawful restrictive covenants at the Cook County Clerk’s website: www.cookcountyclerk.com/unlawful-restrictive-covenants
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New Illinois Law Ends Fees for Removing Racist Language from Property Records
