Shelby County Contract for Deed Form (Illinois)
All Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby County compliant document last validated/updated 4/23/2025
The following Illinois and Shelby 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 Shelby County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:
Shelby County Clerk/ Recorder
Courthouse - 301 E Main St, Rm 8 / PO Box 230, Shelbyville, Illinois 62565
Hours: 8:00 to 4:00 M-F
Phone: (217) 774-4421
Local jurisdictions located in Shelby County include:
- Cowden
- Findlay
- Herrick
- Lakewood
- Mode
- Oconee
- Shelbyville
- Sigel
- Stewardson
- Strasburg
- Tower Hill
- Windsor
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 Shelby 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 Shelby County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Shelby County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Shelby 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 Shelby County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Shelby County.
What are supplemental forms?
Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Illinois or Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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.
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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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June 30th, 2025
Great service! Recording was smooth and swiftly performed. Deeds.com is an excellent service.rn
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Henry J.
July 15th, 2021
Worked out Great!
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Barbara W.
June 9th, 2021
Easy website to navigate. Found the form I needed within seconds. Thank you
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Karen T.
April 22nd, 2019
Thank you for the feedback. I reviewed this with my client/friend and she is following up with the appropriate people, including the Police and a lawyer. Thank you for your help.
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Daniel Z.
September 13th, 2022
All is well that ends well and this form service seemed to work quite smoothly, even though my printer gives me fits at times, having to hand feed the blank paper.
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Victor K.
January 27th, 2023
The form I needed was correct and paginated as required. It was accepted w/o penalties. I was not happy about the information which I found way too scant. One sample form does not cover enough possibilities, more would be helpful. The instruction page is a bit better but sometimes it is not clear enough - sometimes it is not clear what the numbered items in the form correspond to. There is no guidance about the process and it would take very little to provide it. Example about "description", say where to find. There is a bunch of "free forms" attached but no guide on which are needed and when. Example: at the counter I was given a paper "conveyance" form and asked to fill it - I did not know it was needed and what it did and so I had not d
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Theadore L.
January 4th, 2024
Bought a transfer on death deed form and it worked great. Easy to fill out and record with the County. Got some helpful information from the county recorders office before filling out the form. I found out that I could use one deed for 2 properties. Saved me money not having to pay fees for 2 deeds.
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Susan S.
May 19th, 2020
Ordered the forms, completed them, had them notarized, then erecorded all in under 2 hours. Would have been faster but had to wait for the bank to open for notary. Might try the online notary next time. Fantastic experience.
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janice b.
April 29th, 2021
This is a very helpful site when you don't know exactly what to do. Very clear in explaining the wording on deeds. Thank you it made a big difference knowing the right way to do things.
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Toni M.
June 24th, 2019
I liked having the forms. Some may need to know they can look at the legal Description from online county records, then type up in Word document line by line, the degree sign in Word program is achieved by using alt and 248 on number pad. Then on the form page one write SEE Exibit A and title your Word program description as Exibit A. Goes without saying the legal description should be looked over many times and it is easier to do so if you format your Word the same lineage as the legal description online which is usually not text which is why you have to retype it.
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Robert H.
March 17th, 2021
Just what I needed to file in Orange County.
East to use and reasonably priced. Will use again if needed.
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Stacey H.
October 23rd, 2024
This was my first time using Deeds.com and I was very impressed on the professionalism and the expediency of the recording. Will definitely be using them again. rnrnStacey H.
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Linda A.
April 21st, 2022
This was perfect for providing the necessary forms. Easy to enter needed information. I would recommend this for legal documents.
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