Knox County Contract for Deed Form (Illinois)
All Knox County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:
Contract for Deed Form

Fill in the blank Contract for Deed form formatted to comply with all Illinois recording and content requirements.
Included Knox County compliant document last validated/updated 3/18/2025
Contract for Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the Contract for Deed form.
Included Knox County compliant document last validated/updated 6/5/2025
Completed Example of the Contract for Deed Document

Example of a properly completed Illinois Contract for Deed document for reference.
Included Knox County compliant document last validated/updated 7/8/2025
Real Property Disclosure Form

An executed installment sales contract shall include a statement acknowledging that the seller provided the buyer with the installment sales contract disclosure
Included Knox County compliant document last validated/updated 6/23/2025
Lead Based Paint Disclosure Form

A Contract for Deed is subject to the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act
Included Knox County compliant document last validated/updated 6/10/2025
3-day Cancellation Notice Form

Illinois State law requires a 3-day cooling-off period for installment sales contracts
Included Knox County compliant document last validated/updated 4/23/2025
The following Illinois and Knox County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:
When using these Contract for Deed forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Knox County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:
Knox County Recorder
Courthouse - 200 S Cherry St, 3rd floor, Galesburg, Illinois 61401
Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 M-F
Phone: (309) 345-3818
Local jurisdictions located in Knox County include:
- Abingdon
- Altona
- Dahinda
- East Galesburg
- Galesburg
- Gilson
- Henderson
- Knoxville
- Maquon
- Oneida
- Rio
- Saint Augustine
- Victoria
- Wataga
- Williamsfield
- Yates City
How long does it take to get my forms?
Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.
How do I get my forms, are they emailed?
Immediately after you submit payment, the Knox County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.
What does "validated/updated" mean?
This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:
- Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
- Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Knox County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Knox County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Knox County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.
Can the Contract for Deed forms be re-used?
Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Knox County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Knox County.
What are supplemental forms?
Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Illinois or Knox County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.
What type of files are the forms?
All of our Knox County Contract for Deed forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.
Do I need any special software to use these forms?
You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.
Do I have to enter all of my property information online?
No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.
Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?
Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.
Are there any recurring fees involved?
No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.
In Illinois, ("Installment sales contract" or "contract" means any contract or agreement, including a contract for deed, bond for deed, or any other sale or legal device whereby a seller agrees to sell and the buyer agrees to buy a residential real estate, in which the consideration for the sale is payable in installments for a period of at least one year after the date of sale, and the seller continues to have an interest or security for the purchase price or otherwise in the property.) ((765 ILCS 67/5) Sec. 5. Definitions)
Key requirements and considerations for a Contract for Deed in Illinois:
1. Written Agreement: The contract must be in writing and signed by both parties. It should include all the terms of the sale, such as the purchase price, payment schedule, interest rate, and responsibilities for taxes and maintenance.
2. Disclosure Requirements: The seller is required to provide certain disclosures to the buyer, including:
o Property Condition: Any known material defects in the property.
o Installment Payment Terms: Detailed terms of the installment payments, including interest rates and payment schedules.
3. Recording the Contract: The buyer should ensure the contract is recorded with the county recorder’s office to protect their interest in the property. This helps in providing notice to third parties and securing the buyer’s interest.
4. Equitable Title: While the seller retains legal title, the buyer receives equitable title, giving them the right to occupy and use the property.
5. Default and Forfeiture: The contract should outline what constitutes a default and the consequences, which may include forfeiture of the property. Illinois law provides some protections for buyers, such as requirements for notice and an opportunity to cure the default before forfeiture.
6. Interest and Fees: (The interest rate being charged, if any, expressed only as an annual percentage rate.) (765 ILCS 67/10) (5))
7. Compliance with Local Laws: Ensure the contract complies with all relevant local, state, and federal laws, including consumer protection laws.
8. Legal Description of Property: The contract should include a legal description of the property being sold.
9. Transfer of Title: The contract should specify that the seller will transfer the legal title to the buyer once all payments have been made and the terms of the contract are fulfilled.
10. Insurance and Taxes: The contract should specify who is responsible for paying property taxes and maintaining insurance on the property during the installment period.
11. Right to Prepay: (Prepayment penalties prohibited. The seller may not charge or collect a prepayment penalty or any similar fee or finance charge if the buyer elects to pay the outstanding principal balance of the purchase price under the contract before the scheduled payment date under the contract.) (765 ILCS 67/60)Sec. 60.)
12. (An amortization schedule, as defined in Section 5.) (765 ILCS 67/10)(23.)
[As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Amortization schedule" means a written schedule which sets forth the date of each periodic payment, the amount of each periodic payment that will be applied to the principal balance and the resulting principal balance, and the amount of each periodic payment that will be applied to any interest charged, if applicable, pursuant to the contract.] [765 ILCS 67/5] Sec. 5. Definitions]
13. A versatile Contract that can be used for installment payment and/or with ballon payment option. Use for residential, condominiums and rental properties. Residential property has additional requirements, a 3 day notice of Right to Cancel, RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY DISCLOSURE REPORT, residential homes built before 1978 require a Disclosure of Information and Acknowledgement-Lead-Based Paint and/or Lead-Based Paint Hazards. Included for your convenience.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Knox County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.
Save Time and Money
Get your Knox County Contract for Deed form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.
4.8 out of 5 - ( 4564 Reviews )
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July 14th, 2025
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July 10th, 2025
Slick as can be and so convenient.rnrnWorked like a charm
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MARY LACEY M.
June 30th, 2025
Great service! Recording was smooth and swiftly performed. Deeds.com is an excellent service.rn
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Rebecca H.
May 22nd, 2021
I thought the forms were reasonably priced, the instructions included in the packet were thorough, and the examples helpful. Thank you for the additional CDR forms too. I contacted the Recorder's office via email with a question and Jennifer Bowser answered promptly. Job well done! However, when I delivered the deed and Real Property Transfer Declaration to the Clerk's office in Lafayette, the clerk was unfamiliar with the Declaration document being submitted and it took some time to convince her to submit the form without charging the recording fee. She even tried to phone the recorder's office for clarification, but no one answered. There then was an additional form at that office that I had to complete called Recording Request/Transmittal Form. I would suggest including that form with instructions in your on-line packet to speed up the process when a Deed is delivered to the County Clerk's satellite office. I do not expect every clerk to know all the particulars of recording requirements but a little knowledge wouldn't hurt.
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Christi W.
December 9th, 2020
Very simple and made recording a breeze. Worth the fee!
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December 16th, 2020
Seamless and prompt service.
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Robert C.
December 24th, 2020
Amazingly easy process and excellent response time - very impressed!
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David C.
January 17th, 2020
Very fast service
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James J.
July 28th, 2024
Ive been looking for a complete packet with all the forms needed!!
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Dana P.
October 6th, 2020
Thank you for making a difficult time a little easier. The forms are easy to download and complete and the Guide is very helpful.
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Nancy R.
October 25th, 2024
Deeds.com is very precise, helpful and friendly. I found the form I needed without any effort and everything worked perfect and smooth. I recommend it 100%. rnThank you.
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Glenda R.
June 16th, 2020
My experience with deeds.com during this pandemic that has us inconvenienced has made it easy for personal business to continue as usual. I will recommend deeds.com to anyone I learn of needing the assistance.
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Diane W.
January 3rd, 2020
The forms were immediately available for download, which was nice. However, I was not impressed by the lack of several features: 1) there was no way to edit set text in the form, such as where it says you should consult an attorney. That is not necessary for recording the deed and I wanted to deleted it, but could not. 2) Also, under the "Notes" section, there is a limited area to write; I tried adding a fuller explanation of something, but the form would not accept or include it when I printed the final document. The form may do the job, but it's not very sophisticated or elegant.
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Terrence L.
April 29th, 2020
Awesome service! 4 services wouldn't handle a 1-time filing, but Deeds.com got the job done in less than 21 hours, for only $15 (plus filing fees). This saved me days of difficulty and aggravation, esp. during COVID-19 lockdown!
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Robert R.
September 1st, 2019
Just joined. Recommended by a strong source. Looking forward to doing business.
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