(35 ILCS 200/20-25)

Sec. 20-25. Forms of payment.

(a) Taxes levied by taxing districts may be satisfied by payment in legal money of the United States, cashier's check, certified check, post office money order, bank money order issued by a national or state bank that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or by a personal or corporate check drawn on such a bank, to the respective collection officers who are entitled by law to receive the tax payments or by credit card in accordance with the Local Governmental Acceptance of Credit Cards Act. A county collector may refuse to accept a personal or corporate check within 45 days before a tax sale or at any time if a previous payment by the same payer was returned by a bank for any reason.

(b) Beginning on January 1, 2012, subject to compliance with all applicable purchasing requirements, a county with a population of more than 3,000,000 is required to accept payment by credit card for each installment of property taxes; provided that all service charges or fees, as determined by the county, associated with the processing or accepting of a credit card payment by the county shall be paid by the taxpayer. If a taxpayer elects to make a property tax payment by credit card and a service charge or fee is imposed, the payment of that service charge or fee shall be deemed voluntary by the taxpayer and shall not be refundable. Nothing in this subsection requires a county with a population of more than 3,000,000 to accept payment by credit card for the payment on any installment of taxes that is delinquent under Section 21-10, 21-25, or 21-30 of the Property Tax Code or for the purposes of any tax sale or scavenger sale under Division 3.5, 4, or 5 of Article 21 of the Property Tax Code. A county that accepts payment of property taxes by credit card in accordance with the terms of this subsection shall not incur liability for or associated with the collection of a property tax payment by credit card. The public hearing requirement of subsection (a) of Section 20 of the Local Governmental Acceptance of Credit Cards Act shall not apply to this subsection. This subsection is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised by the State.

(Source: P.A. 96-1248, eff. 7-23-10; 96-1250, eff. 7-23-10; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)