Illinois · Standard edition

Illinois Freelance Agreement Template

Create a Illinois freelance agreement online for a design, writing, development, or other freelance project. The Standard agreement covers the project, delivery and revision rounds, acceptance, fee and payment deadline, client materials, ownership of the work, confidentiality, independent contractor status, warranties, limitation of liability, termination, and Illinois freelance rules.

Start your Illinois Freelance Agreement

Illinois rules built into this template

  • Worker classification: For unemployment insurance, Illinois treats services as employment unless the hiring party proves the worker is free from control, the work is outside the usual course or places of its business, and the worker is in an independently established business (820 ILCS 405/212).
  • Freelance payment law: Illinois' Freelance Worker Protection Act (820 ILCS 193) applies when a freelance worker is paid $500 or more, alone or with other contracts in a 120-day period; the written contract must state the payment date, which may be no later than 30 days after the services are provided, and the hiring party must keep the contract for at least two years.
  • Federal tax: for payments made in 2026, a business generally reports payments of $2,000 or more to a contractor on IRS Form 1099-NEC.

What the Freelance Agreement includes

  1. Project
  2. Delivery and Revisions
  3. Acceptance
  4. Fee and Payment
  5. Client Materials
  6. Intellectual Property
  7. Confidentiality
  8. Independent Contractor
  9. Warranties
  10. Limitation of Liability
  11. Termination
  12. State Law
  13. General Provisions
  14. Governing Law

Frequently asked questions

Does Illinois require a written freelance contract?
Illinois' Freelance Worker Protection Act (820 ILCS 193) applies when a freelance worker is paid $500 or more, alone or with other contracts in a 120-day period; the written contract must state the payment date, which may be no later than 30 days after the services are provided, and the hiring party must keep the contract for at least two years.
Who owns the work in a freelance agreement?
Under the Standard agreement, the client owns the final deliverables once it has paid in full, while the freelancer keeps their pre-existing tools and know-how and may show the published work in a portfolio unless the client asks for confidentiality.
What is the difference between the Standard and Professional Freelance Agreement?
The Standard edition is a complete, state-aware Freelance Agreement for common situations. The Professional edition adds longer clause coverage, schedules, and optional modules for more complex matters. You can preview either edition free before you pay.

Freelance Agreement templates for other states

DraftMyDocu provides self-help document templates only. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.

Start your Illinois Freelance Agreement