The Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, formally the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, is codified at 815 ILCS 505. It serves as the state's principal law against deception in selling. The Attorney General and county State's Attorneys enforce it, and anyone who suffers actual damage can sue. This page is for owners of U.S. businesses with ties to Canada or India, including online sellers whose customers live in Illinois. General information, not legal advice.
Who does the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act cover?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who can violate it? | Any "person": individuals, partnerships, corporations, trusts and associations, plus their agents, officers and employees. |
| What conduct? | Acts in trade or commerce that are unfair or deceptive, including advertising, offering and selling services and property of any kind. |
| Who may sue for damages? | Anyone who suffers actual damage. This page does not cover whether one business can sue another; that is a case-law question. |
| Any exemptions? | Several. They include transactions specifically authorized by laws that a regulator administers, but not products or services that cause bodily injury, death or property damage. |
| Can a contract waive it? | No. A waiver of rights or remedies under the Act is void. |
What it means for a foreign-owned or cross-border business
| Situation | What the law says | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Online seller abroad with Illinois customers | The Act reaches trade that directly or indirectly affects people in Illinois. | Ask an attorney how it applies to a seller with no U.S. presence; this page does not decide that. |
| Illinois company run by a nonresident or visa-holding owner | "Person" includes companies and their officers, directors, members, agents and employees. | Ask your attorney how that applies to you as an owner or officer. |
| Customer terms written for another country | A consumer contract may not waive the consumer's right to comment on the seller or its goods. | Have an Illinois attorney read the terms before launch. |
| New company receives an invoice-style mailing | "Advertisement" includes solicitations disguised as renewals, invoices or bills, and the Attorney General's small-business flyer warns of unauthorized invoices and false "renewals". | Match every invoice to a real order before paying. |
The rules and checklist page adds the 2026 numbers, recent changes and the Fox River Honest-Offer Audit. Two related laws: the Automatic Contract Renewal Act and the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
For the tax side, see our guides to sales tax for foreign sellers, foreign-owned LLCs and record retention, or the entry guides for Canadian and Indian companies.
Official sources
- Illinois General Assembly: Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505
- Illinois Attorney General: Protecting Small Businesses (flyer dated 09/25)
- Illinois Attorney General: File a consumer complaint
This page summarizes public guidance in plain language. If anything here differs from the official source, the official source controls.