Illinois Living Will

Last reviewed: August 2026.

Illinois Living Will

This Illinois Living Will lets you declare, in advance and in writing, that death-delaying procedures should be withheld or withdrawn if you are diagnosed with an incurable and irreversible injury, disease, or illness judged to be a terminal condition, and your death is imminent except for those procedures. It directs that you be permitted to die naturally while still receiving medication, sustenance, and any medical procedure your attending physician considers necessary for your comfort care.

The Illinois statutory declaration form

The declaration text in this download is the form set out in the Illinois Living Will Act at 755 ILCS 35/3(e). Illinois law provides this statutory declaration language directly, and this product reproduces that statutory text word for word. The full text appears in the free preview below so you can read every word before you decide.

Signing and witnessing requirements

Under 755 ILCS 35/3, the declaration must be signed by you, or by another person at your direction if you are unable to sign. Your signature must be witnessed by two individuals who are at least 18 years old. A witness must not be entitled to any portion of your estate under the laws of intestate succession or under any will or other instrument taking effect at your death, and must not be directly financially responsible for your medical care.

What you download

Your purchase includes the Illinois Living Will declaration in two formats: an editable Word (.docx) file you can complete on your computer, and a print-ready PDF of the same document.

Related Illinois forms

A living will states your treatment wishes but does not appoint anyone to speak for you. Many Illinois residents pair it with the Illinois Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney for Health Care, which names an agent to make health care decisions if you cannot. For financial and property matters, see the Illinois Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney for Property.

This form is not legal advice and does not replace the advice of an Illinois attorney about your specific situation.

---

Free preview: full text of the Illinois Living Will declaration

ILLINOIS LIVING WILL
(Authorized Under 755 ILCS 35/3)

DECLARATION

This declaration is made this _____ day of __________________, 20_____.

I, __________________________________________, being of sound mind, willfully and voluntarily make known my desires that my moment of death shall not be artificially postponed.

If at any time I should have an incurable and irreversible injury, disease, or illness judged to be a terminal condition by my attending physician who has personally examined me and has determined that my death is imminent except for death delaying procedures, I direct that such procedures which would only prolong the dying process be withheld or withdrawn, and that I be permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medication, sustenance, or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary by my attending physician to provide me with comfort care.

In the absence of my ability to give directions regarding the use of such death delaying procedures, it is my intention that this declaration shall be honored by my family and physician as the final expression of my legal right to refuse medical or surgical treatment and accept the consequences from such refusal.

Signed: _____________________________________

City, County and State of Residence: ___________________________________________

STATEMENT OF WITNESS

The declarant is personally known to me and I believe him or her to be of sound mind. I saw the declarant sign the declaration in my presence (or the declarant acknowledged in my presence that he or she had signed the declaration) and I signed the declaration as a witness in the presence of the declarant. I did not sign the declarant’s signature above for or at the direction of the declarant. At the date of this instrument, I am not entitled to any portion of the estate of the declarant according to the laws of intestate succession or, to the best of my knowledge and belief, under any will of declarant or other instrument taking effect at declarant’s death, or directly financially responsible for declarant’s medical care.

Signature of Witness #1: _____________________________________

Signature of Witness #2: _____________________________________