Cook County, Illinois · checked 10 October 2026
Cook County Board of Review appeal 2026
The Board of Review is your second chance to lower your assessment, after the Assessor. It's a separate office that looks at your case fresh, it's free, and you can file whether or not you appealed to the Assessor first.
Open now
| Township | Filing closes | Main towns |
|---|---|---|
| Northfield | Fri 6 Nov | Glenview, Northbrook, Northfield, Golf |
| Lyons | Fri 6 Nov | La Grange, Western Springs, Countryside, Summit, Lyons, Justice |
| Stickney | Fri 6 Nov | Burbank, Stickney, Forest View |
| West Chicago | Fri 6 Nov | Chicago's West Town, Humboldt Park and Garfield Park areas |
These four opened on 8 October. More townships open as the Assessor finishes each one, including the ten still open with the Assessor now (Wheeling, Palatine, Schaumburg, Orland, Thornton and others; see their dates). Your township's Board of Review window opens later, so watch the Board's site or get a reminder from us.
Board of Review or Assessor: what's the difference?
- The Assessor sets your value and hears the first appeal for your township.
- The Board of Review is a separate three-member board that can lower (or, rarely, raise) the Assessor's final value. It hears every township once a year, even in years when your home wasn't reassessed.
- You can appeal to both in the same year. Many owners who got nothing from the Assessor win at the Board of Review.
- If the Board turns you down, you can still go to the state Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) or apply for a certificate of error in some cases.
How to file
- Find your 14-digit PIN on your tax bill or assessment notice.
- File online at cookcountyboardofreview.com before your township closes. You can also file in person at 118 N Clark St, Chicago, weekdays 9am to 5pm. There's no fee and you don't need a lawyer.
- Upload your evidence: 3 to 5 recent sales of similar homes nearby, or similar homes assessed lower than yours, plus photos of any damage or needed repairs.
- You can ask for a hearing, but most homeowner appeals are decided on the paperwork.
- Decisions come out after the township closes. If you win, the lower value shows on next year's second-instalment tax bill.
What evidence works best
Recent sales of homes like yours (same neighbourhood, similar size, age and style, sold in the last year or two) for less than the market value implied by your assessment. Your market value is your assessed value times 10, so an assessed value of $40,000 means the county thinks your home is worth $400,000.
Uniformity: similar homes on your street assessed at a lower value per square foot. The Board takes this seriously, and it's the easiest case to build from public data.
Help: the Board's help desk is on 312-603-5542.
Check if my home is over-assessed
Source: Cook County Board of Review, Group 3 opening notice, read 10 October 2026. The dates on the Board's site are the ones that count.