(750 ILCS 46/605)

Sec. 605. Notice to presumed parent.

(a) In any action brought under Article 3 or Article 6 of this Act where the individual signing the petition for an order establishing the existence of the parent-child relationship by consent or the individual alleged to be the parent in a petition is different from an individual who is presumed to be the parent of the child under Article 2 of this Act, a notice shall be served on the presumed parent in the same manner as summonses are served in other civil proceedings or, in lieu of personal service, service may be made as follows:

(1) The person requesting notice shall pay to the clerk of the circuit court a mailing fee of $1.50 and furnish to the clerk of the circuit court an original and one copy of a notice together with an affidavit setting forth the presumed parent's last known address. The original notice shall be retained by the clerk of the circuit court.

(2) The clerk of the circuit court shall promptly mail to the presumed parent, at the address appearing in the affidavit, the copy of the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested. The envelope and return receipt shall bear the return address of the clerk of the circuit court. The receipt for certified mail shall state the name and address of the addressee and the date of mailing and shall be attached to the original notice.

(3) The return receipt, when returned to the clerk of the circuit court, shall be attached to the original notice and shall constitute proof of service.

(4) The clerk of the circuit court shall note the fact of service in a permanent record.

(b) The notice shall read as follows:

"IN THE MATTER OF NOTICE TO .......... PRESUMED PARENT.

You have been identified as the presumed parent of ......... , born on ......... The birth parent of the child is .........

An action is being brought to establish the parent-child relationship between the named child and a parent named by the person filing this action, .........

As the presumed parent, you have certain legal rights with respect to the named child, including the right to notice of the filing of proceedings instituted for the establishment of parentage of the named child and, if named as a parent in a petition to establish parentage, the right to submit to, along with the birth parent and child, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests to determine inherited characteristics, subject to Section 610 of the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015. If you wish to assert your rights with respect to the child named in this notice, you must file with the Clerk of this Circuit Court of ......... County, Illinois, whose address is ........ , within 30 days after the date of receipt of this notice, a declaration of parentage stating that you are, in fact, the parent of the named child and that you intend to assert your legal rights with respect to the child, or that you request to be notified of any further proceedings with respect to the parentage of the child.

If you do not file a declaration of parentage or a request for notice, then whatever legal rights you have with respect to the named child, including the right to notice of any future proceedings for the establishment of parentage of the child, may be terminated without any further notice to you. When your legal rights with respect to the named child are terminated, you will not be entitled to notice of any future proceedings.".

(c) The notice to a presumed parent under this Section in any action brought by a public agency shall be prepared and mailed by the public agency, and the mailing fee to the clerk of the circuit court shall be waived.

(Source: P.A. 99-85, eff. 1-1-16.)