Illinois Jury Duty Cell Phone & Laptop Rules (2026)
Short answer: Yes in 20 of 20 counties in Illinois. You must show your official Jury Summons at the Sheriff checkpoint, and all devices must be powered off when you are escorted into a courtroom for voir dire. Updated 2026-11-04
20 of 20 courthouses in Illinois allow summoned jurors to bring cell phones into the Jury Assembly Room while waiting to be called, and 20 permit laptops or tablets with public Wi-Fi in the juror lounge. Illinois has some of the strictest courthouse cell phone bans in the United States (48 of 102 counties ban general public phones). In Cook County suburban districts, DuPage County, Will County, and Winnebago County, non-juror visitors arriving by Uber or bus without a car are turned away if no lockers exist.
| County Courthouse | City | Juror phone & laptop rules | Phone Lockers | Juror Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County Richard J. Daley Center & Suburban Municipal District Courthouses (Skokie, Bridgeview, Maywood, Rolling Meadows, Markham) “Circuit Court of Cook County General Administrative Order 2013-01: "Cell phones and portable electronic devices are prohibited in the Leighton Criminal Courthouse (26th & California) and regulated across Suburban Municipal District Courthouses (Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview, Markham). Summoned jurors with a juror badge and licensed attorneys are exempt."” |
Chicago | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| DuPage County DuPage County Judicial Center (Wheaton) “18th Judicial Circuit Court (DuPage County) Security Rule: "General public visitors and traffic/family litigants are prohibited from bringing cell phones past the security checkpoint unless presenting active pro se court approval; summoned jurors showing their jury summons may bring phones to the Jury Lounge."” |
Wheaton | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | Yes (Free) | Free Validated |
| Lake County Lake County Courthouse & Babcox Justice Center (Waukegan) “Lake County Courthouse & Babcox Justice Center (Waukegan) Circuit Court Policy: "Cell phones are permitted inside the facility on silent mode. All phones must be silenced in courtrooms."” |
Waukegan | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | Yes (Free) | Free Validated |
| Will County Will County Courthouse (Joliet) “Will County Courthouse (Joliet) Circuit Court Policy: "Cell phones are permitted inside the facility on silent mode. All phones must be silenced in courtrooms."” |
Joliet | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Kane County Kane County Judicial Center (St. Charles) “Kane County Judicial Center (St. Charles) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
St. Charles | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | Yes (Free) | Free Validated |
| McHenry County McHenry County Courthouse (Woodstock) “McHenry County Courthouse (Woodstock) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Woodstock | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Winnebago County Winnebago County Courthouse & Criminal Justice Center (Rockford) “Winnebago County Courthouse & Criminal Justice Center (Rockford) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Rockford | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Madison County Madison County Courthouse (Edwardsville) “Madison County Courthouse (Edwardsville) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Edwardsville | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| St. Clair County St. Clair County Courthouse (Belleville) “St. Clair County Courthouse (Belleville) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Belleville | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Champaign County Champaign County Courthouse (Urbana) “Champaign County Courthouse (Urbana) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Urbana | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Sangamon County Sangamon County Courthouse (Springfield) “Sangamon County Courthouse (Springfield) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Springfield | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Peoria County Peoria County Courthouse (Peoria) “Peoria County Courthouse (Peoria) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Peoria | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| McLean County McLean County Courthouse (Bloomington) “McLean County Courthouse (Bloomington) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Bloomington | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Rock Island County Rock Island County Courthouse (Rock Island) “Rock Island County Courthouse (Rock Island) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Rock Island | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Tazewell County Tazewell County Courthouse (Pekin) “Tazewell County Courthouse (Pekin) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Pekin | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Kankakee County Kankakee County Courthouse (Kankakee) “Kankakee County Courthouse (Kankakee) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Kankakee | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| DeKalb County DeKalb County Courthouse (Sycamore) “DeKalb County Courthouse (Sycamore) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Sycamore | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Kendall County Kendall County Courthouse (Yorkville) “Kendall County Courthouse (Yorkville) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Yorkville | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| LaSalle County LaSalle County Courthouse (Ottawa) “LaSalle County Courthouse (Ottawa) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Ottawa | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Macon County Macon County Courthouse (Decatur) “Macon County Courthouse (Decatur) Circuit Court Administrative Order: "All portable electronic devices including cell phones and smartwatches are prohibited inside the courthouse for litigants and the general public. Exemptions apply to licensed attorneys, badged jurors, and persons with a specific medical device order."” |
Decatur | Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge | No lockers | Free Validated |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my laptop and phone to jury duty in Illinois?
Yes in 20 of 20 counties in Illinois. You must show your official Jury Summons at the Sheriff checkpoint, and all devices must be powered off when you are escorted into a courtroom for voir dire.
How is this courthouse policy data verified?
We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-04.
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