Chicago Court Runner Service
One flat price per run. Two runs every business day.
Amata's court runs file, deliver and pick up documents at the Daley Center, the Dirksen Federal Building and Cook County offices for a flat $40 per run, or $55 for counter service. Runs leave at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. every business day, and a 1-hour rush is $35 more. Any attorney or firm can order.
Prices effective January 1, 2027.
Supporting Chicago attorneys since 2002
Why pay a flat price for court runs?
A flat price tells you what a run costs before it leaves your office. You don't pay for the line at the clerk's counter or the trip to pick up your documents in the Loop. Amata paralegals and admin staff make every run, so filings reach the right desk, and you get a scan of the stamped copy.
What is a court run?
A court run is one trip by an Amata paralegal or admin staff member to file, deliver or pick up documents in person at one Chicago courthouse or government office. Typical runs carry courtesy copies to chambers, file documents at the clerk's counter, order certified copies or deliver complaints to the Sheriff for service.
How much does a court run cost?
A standard court run is $40 and a counter-service run is $55, effective January 1, 2027. A 1-hour rush adds $35 to either one. Pick-up from your Loop office, counter wait time and a scan of the stamped copy are included. Amata clients who pay with prepaid Amata Coins save 32% on every run.
Standard run
$40 per run
- Courtesy copies delivered to chambers
- Filing documents at the clerk's counter
- Dropping off or picking up documents
With Amata Coins: $27.20
Counter-service run
$55 per run
- Certified copies and court file copies
- Complaints delivered to the Sheriff for service
- Recordings at the Cook County Recorder
- Illinois Secretary of State filings
With Amata Coins: $37.40
1-hour rush: $35 more on either run ($75 standard, $90 counter service). With Amata Coins: $51.00 / $61.20.
Included in every run
- Pick-up from your Loop office
- Counter wait time
- A scan of the stamped copy
- No weather surcharge and no add-on fees
Billed separately
Court and agency filing fees are billed at cost plus 30% and aren't discounted with Amata Coins. Document preparation, such as eviction or Sheriff service packets, plus e-filing, docket research and printing, are billed separately, on top of the run price.
Prices effective January 1, 2027.
When do court runs leave?
Amata runs twice every business day. The morning run leaves at 10:30 a.m. for requests and documents received by 9:45 a.m. The afternoon run leaves at 2:30 p.m. for requests received by 1:45 p.m. A request that misses a cutoff goes on the next run, unless you choose a 1-hour rush.
| Run | Leaves | Request and documents in by |
|---|---|---|
| Morning run | 10:30 a.m. | 9:45 a.m. |
| Afternoon run | 2:30 p.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| Rush run | Within 1 hour of receiving documents | Any time during business hours |
All times Central. Business days only.
Where do Amata court runs go?
Amata court runs cover the Chicago courthouses and county, state and federal offices attorneys use most, from the Daley Center and the Dirksen Federal Building to the Cook County Recorder and the Illinois Secretary of State. Each run goes to one building. A trip with stops at two buildings counts as two runs.
- Circuit Court of Cook County, Daley Center
- Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
- U.S. District Court, Dirksen Federal Building
- U.S. Immigration Court, Chicago
- Cook County Clerk's office and Cook County Recorder
- Cook County Sheriff's office (documents for service of process)
- Cook County Assessor's office
- Illinois Secretary of State
- Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission
- Agencies such as IDHR and EEOC
Suburban courthouses aren't part of the run service. We send those through a courier and quote each one before it goes out.
How does a flat-price run compare with other options?
A flat-price run costs the same whether the clerk's line is five minutes or fifty. An hourly runner bills the wait as time, and walking it over yourself costs you hours you could have billed. With Amata, you know the price, the run time and what comes back before you hand off.
| Amata court run | Hourly runner | Going yourself | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price known before the run | Yes: $40 or $55 | No: depends on time | Your time |
| Waiting at the counter | Included | Billed as time | Your time |
| Pick-up from your Loop office | Included | Varies | Not applicable |
| Scan of the stamped copy | Included | Varies | You make it |
| Set run times | 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. | Varies | When you can get away |
How do I request a court run?
Call 312.924.0200, email [email protected] or use our contact form. Tell us the building, floor and room, the recipient or filing desk, the run you want and whether you'd like a scan of the stamped copy. Amata clients are billed on their regular invoice. Non-clients arrange prepayment with our team before the run goes out.
- Send the request by 9:45 a.m. for the morning run or 1:45 p.m. for the afternoon run: call, email or use the contact form.
- Get your documents to us. Have them ready for pick-up at your Loop office, or arrange delivery with our team.
- Get the stamped copy back. We file or deliver, and send you a scan of the stamped copy if you asked for one.
Court run questions
No. Court runs are open to any attorney or law firm, whether or not you have an office or virtual office with Amata. Clients are billed on their regular invoice. Non-clients contact our team to arrange prepayment before the run goes out. Either way, you get the same flat price, the same run times and the same included scan.
A standard run, at $40, covers courtesy copies to chambers, filing documents at the clerk's counter, and dropping off or picking up documents. A counter-service run, at $55, covers work done at the counter: certified copies and court file copies, complaints delivered to the Sheriff for service, Recorder recordings and Secretary of State filings.
It goes on the next scheduled run. The morning run leaves at 10:30 a.m. with a 9:45 a.m. cutoff, and the afternoon run leaves at 2:30 p.m. with a 1:45 p.m. cutoff. A request that misses the 1:45 p.m. cutoff goes out the next business morning, unless you choose a 1-hour rush instead.
A rush run leaves within one hour of Amata receiving your documents, any time during business hours. It adds $35 to the run price, so a rush standard run is $75 and a rush counter-service run is $90. Ask for rush when you send the request, and get your documents to us as soon as they're ready.
No. Counter wait time is included in every run, along with pick-up from your Loop office and a scan of the stamped copy. There's no weather surcharge and no other add-on fee. The only charges on top of the run price are court or agency filing fees and any separate work you ask for.
No. Court and agency filing fees are paid on your behalf and billed at cost plus 30%. They aren't discounted with Amata Coins. Document preparation, such as eviction or Sheriff service packets, plus e-filing, docket research and printing, are also billed separately, on top of the run price.
Each building is its own run. A trip that stops at the Daley Center and then at the Dirksen Federal Building counts as two runs, priced by the type of work at each stop. List both destinations in your request, with the building, floor and room for each stop, so nothing waits on a follow-up call.
Suburban courthouses aren't part of the flat-price run service. When you need a filing or delivery at a suburban courthouse, Amata sends it through a courier and quotes the price before it goes out. Call 312.924.0200 or email [email protected] with the courthouse and the deadline, and we'll come back with a quote.
Amata Coins are prepaid service credit for Amata clients. When you pay for a run with Coins, you save 32%: a standard run is $27.20 and a counter-service run is $37.40, with the discount applying to rush runs too. There's no minimum purchase, and Coins don't expire while you keep an Amata membership.
No. A court run is in-person work at a courthouse or government office. E-filing is handled separately by Amata's paralegals and billed at the hourly paralegal support rate. If a filing has to go in person, or you need a courtesy copy delivered to chambers after you e-file, that's a court run.
Related pages
Hourly and program paralegal help, including e-filing.
On-site admin help billed by the hour or by program.
A Loop business address with mail handling and live reception.
Need something at the courthouse today?
Send the request by 9:45 a.m. for the morning run or 1:45 p.m. for the afternoon run. Flat price, counter time included, scan of the stamped copy back to you.