Abortion in Chicago, what Illinois law allows and how to get care

• The Illinois Reproductive Health Act of 2019 treats abortion as a fundamental right and allows it on request until fetal viability.
• After viability, abortion is allowed when it is needed to protect the patient's life or health.
• There is no waiting period, no mandated counseling and, since June 2022, no parental notification requirement.
• People from other states can receive care in Illinois.

The Reproductive Health Act recognizes the right to continue or end a pregnancy. Abortion is available on request until viability, which a health care professional assesses in each case and which usually falls around 24 weeks. Later in pregnancy it is allowed when the professional judges it necessary to protect the patient's life or health.

In 2022 Illinois repealed the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, so a person under 18 does not need to inform a parent. The full facts, the official source and the date of our last check are on the Illinois abortion law card.

Chicago has several licensed abortion providers, including the health centers of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, which offers medication and procedural care and telehealth for patients in Illinois. Our abortion clinics directory lists verified providers with their source and verification date, and the national AbortionFinder locator covers every state.

Before you book, check how far along the pregnancy is, because each clinic sets its own upper limit within the law.

Illinois Medicaid and the state employee health plan cover abortion care, and many private plans regulated in Illinois do as well. Ask your plan what it covers before your appointment.

If you cannot pay the full cost, the Chicago Abortion Fund offers financial, logistical and emotional support to people facing barriers to care, including people traveling from other states. The National Abortion Federation Hotline at 1-800-772-9100 can also help with the cost of care. Read more in our guides to abortion cost and abortion funds.

Many patients travel to Chicago from states in the Midwest and the South where abortion is banned or restricted. Plan for the time between booking and the appointment, the documents the clinic asks for and the cost of travel and lodging, and ask a fund about practical support before you travel. Our travel for abortion guide explains how to plan legal care in another state.

In an emergency call 911. For confidential emotional support after an abortion, see our abortion support page. Some facilities look like clinics but do not provide abortion care, so check that a provider offers the care you need before you go.