Rule 606 - Perfection of Appeal(a) How Perfected. Appeals shall be perfected by filing a notice of appeal with the clerk of the trial court. The notice may be signed by the appellant or his attorney. Except as provided in Rule 604(h), if the defendant requests in open court at the time he or she is advised of the right to appeal or later in writing, the clerk of the trial court shall prepare, sign, and file forthwith a notice of appeal for the defendant. No step in the perfection of the appeal other than the filing of the notice of appeal is jurisdictional.(b) Time. Except as provided in Rule 604(d) and 604(h), the notice of appeal must be filed with the clerk of the circuit court within 30 days after the entry of the final judgment appealed from or if a motion directed against the judgment is timely filed, within 30 days after the entry of the order disposing of the motion. A notice of appeal filed after the court announces a decision, but before the entry of the judgment or order, is treated as filed on the date of and after the entry of the judgment order. When a timely posttrial or postsentencing motion directed against the judgment has been filed by counsel or by defendant, if not represented by counsel, any notice of appeal filed before the entry of the order disposing of all pending postjudgment motions shall have no effect and shall be stricken by the trial court.
Upon striking the notice of appeal, the trial court shall forward to the appellate court within 5 days a copy of the order striking the notice of appeal, showing by whom it was filed and the date on which it was filed. This rule applies whether the timely postjudgment motion was filed before or after the date on which the notice of appeal was filed.
A new notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days following the entry of the order disposing of all timely postjudgment motions. Within 5 days of its being so filed a copy of the notice of appeal or an amendment of the notice of appeal shall be transmitted by the clerk of the circuit court to the clerk of the court to which the appeal is taken. Except as provided in paragraph ( c) below, and in Rule 604( d), no appeal may be taken from a trial court to a reviewing court after the expiration of 30 days from the entry of the order or judgment from which the appeal is taken. The clerk of the appellate court shall notify any party whose appeal has been dismissed under this rule.
(c) Extension of Time in Certain Circumstances. Except as provided in Rule 604(h), on motion supported by a showing of reasonable excuse for failing to file a notice of appeal on time filed in the reviewing court within 30 days of the expiration of the time for filing the notice of appeal, or on motion supported by a showing by affidavit that there is merit to the appeal and that the failure to file a notice of appeal on time was not due to appellant's culpable negligence, filed in the reviewing court within six months of the expiration of the time for filing the notice of appeal, in either case accompanied by the proposed notice of appeal, the reviewing court may grant leave to appeal and order the clerk to transmit the notice of appeal to the trial court for filing. However, when the appellant is filing the motion pro se from a correctional institution, the appellant may submit, in lieu of the affidavit refen-ed to herein, a certification as provided in section 1-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/1-109).(d) Forms of Notice of Appeal. The notices of appeal under article 110 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 when the defendant is the appellant or the State is the appellant shall be prepared by using, or substantially adopting the appearance and content of, the forms provided in the Article VI Forms Appendix. In all other cases, the notice of appeal shall be prepared by utilizing, or substantially adopting the appearance and content of, the form provided in the Article VI Forms Appendix. Except as provided in Rule 604(h), the notice of appeal may be amended as provided in Rule 303(b)(5).(e) Notice of Appeal to be Sent by Clerk.(1)When Defendant Is Appellant and Action Is Prosecuted by the State. When the defendant is the appellant and the action was prosecuted by the State, the clerk shall send the notice of appeal to the State's Attorney of the county in which the judgment was entered.(2)When Defendant Is Appellant and the Action Is Prosecuted by a Governmental Entity Other Than the State. If the defendant is the appellant and the action was prosecuted by a governmental entity other than the State for the violation of an ordinance, the notice of appeal shall be sent to the chieflegal officer of the entity (e.g., corporation counsel, city attorney), or if his name and address do not appear of record, then to the chief administrative officer of the entity at his official address.(3)When the Prosecuting Entity Is the Appellant. When the State or other prosecuting entity is the appellant, the notice of appeal shall be sent to the defendant and to his counsel. (f) Docketing. Upon receipt of the notice of appeal transmitted to the reviewing court pursuant to paragraph (a) of this rule, or the entry of an order granting a motion for leave to appeal under paragraph ( c) of this rule, the clerk of the reviewing court shall enter the appeal upon the docket.(g) Docketing Statement; Filing Fee. Within 14 days after the filing of the notice of appeal and pursuant to notice to the appellee's attorney, except as provided in Rule 604(h), the party filing the notice of appeal shall file with the clerk of the reviewing court a docketing statement, together with proof of service thereof, and the filing fee as required by Rule 313. The docketing statement shall be prepared by utilizing, or substantially adopting the appearance and content of, the form provided in the Article VI Forms Appendix.Amended October 21, 1969, effective 1/1/1970; amended effective 7/1/1971,7/1/1975, and2/17/1977; amended July 15, 1979, effective 10/15/1979; amended April 27, 1984, effective 7/1/1984; amended 8/27/1999, effective immediately; amended October 22, 1999, effective 12/1/1999; amended 12/13/2005, effective immediately; amended July 27, 2006, effective 9/1/2006; amended 3/20/2009, effective immediately ; amended Dec. 12, 2012, eff. 1/1/2013; amended 2/6/2013, eff. immediately; amended 12/11/2014, eff. immediately; amended June 22, 2017, eff. 7/1/2017; amended Mar. 12, 2021, eff. immediately; amended December 23, 2022, eff. 1/1/2023; amended July 18, 2023, eff. 9/18/2023; amended Oct. 19, 2023, eff. 10/19/2023 immediately; amended Dec. 7, 2023, eff. 12/7/2023 immediately; amended March 15, 2024, eff. 4/15/2024.