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Illinois court records

Who holds it: Illinois Supreme Court, Appellate Court and Circuit Courts; the circuit court (25 judicial circuits) is the court of original jurisdiction; in each county voters elect a Circuit Clerk (4-year term) who maintains the records of all cases1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. What is public and what is sealed
  2. More details
  3. Related records in Illinois
  4. How Illinois handles it
  5. Court records in Illinois counties with a full guide
  6. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  7. Sources

Statewide case search

re:SearchIL (researchil.tylerhost.net/…), statewide repository of documents filed through eFileIL; public users must register and see only limited case types remotely2

What is public and what is sealed

Remote access public
Under the Supreme Court Remote Access Policy, the public (User Group 3, registration required) is authorized for remote access only to Arbitration, Eminent Domain, Law, Law Magistrate, Municipal/Governmental Corporation and Tax case records; remote access to criminal, family/dissolution, probate, traffic and other listed case types is authorized only for User Group 5 (Illinois licensed attorneys/legal services providers)3
What is public
Court documents presumptively open unless restricted by court order, rule, law or policy; viewable at the courthouse3
Sealed and confidential records
Excluded from remote access for everyone: adoption, juvenile, juvenile abuse/neglect, juvenile delinquency, mental health cases; expunged, impounded, sealed records are restricted3

More details

FOIA
Circuit clerks are not subject to FOIA; request court records directly from the clerk5
Expunge seal
Petition the circuit court with the statewide Request to Expunge and/or Seal; sealing hides convictions from most of the public6
Circuits
25 judicial circuits; seven are single-county circuits (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, St. Clair, Will)1
Criminal history checks: state repository
Illinois State Police, Bureau of Identification (Joliet)7
Criminal history checks: who may order
Anyone may obtain conviction information under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635); only convictions are released to the public8
Criminal history checks: fee
UCIA name-based inquiry: $16.00 manual/paper, $10.00 electronic; UCIA fingerprint card $20.00 paper / $15.00 Live Scan9
Divorce records: who holds it
Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the dissolution was granted10
Probate: who holds it
Clerk of the Circuit Court (probate division/cases) in the county11

How Illinois handles it

  • Cook County consolidated clerk. Cook County Clerk handles recordings (deeds), vital records, assumed names and suburban elections; Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County is a separate office for court, divorce and probate records.11
  • Courts outside FOIA. Circuit clerks are not 'public bodies' under FOIA; court records are requested from the clerk under court rules.5

Court records in Illinois counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Champaign County—Circuit Court of Champaign County12Copies $2.00 first page, $0.50 each page up to 20, $0.25 each page after; certification $5.00 extra; record search $10.00 per year searched13
Cook County—Circuit Court of Cook County14First page $2.00; next 19 pages $0.50; remaining $0.2515
DeKalb County—Circuit Court of the 23rd Judicial Circuit (DeKalb and Kendall Counties), DeKalb County16Search $6.00 per year per name; certified copy of a judgment $10.00; certification $6.00; civil filing fees effective 09-21-202617
DuPage County——Copies: $2.00 for page 1, $0.50 per page for pages 2-20, $0.25 per page thereafter; $6.00 per document certification; Letters of Office first copy free, $2.00 each additional18
Kane County—Circuit Court of the 16th Judicial Circuit19Copies: first page $2.00, pages 2-20 $0.50 each, page 21+ $0.25 each; record search $6.00 per year or name; certification $6.00 (non-judgment), judgments $10.0020
Kankakee County—Circuit Court of Kankakee County21—
Kendall County——$25 per document to correct case number/title/attorney number22
Lake County—Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit23Copies from a court file $0.25/page; certification or seal $6.00 per certification; exemplification $8.00; record search $6.00 per name, $6.00 per year; certified mail request (incl. seal) $16.0024
LaSalle County——Fees: copies: First page $2.00; next 19 pages $.50 each; remaining pages $.25 each25
Macon County—Macon County Circuit Court26Fees: copies: $2.00 first page; pages 2-20 $0.50 each; pages 21+ $0.25 each27
Madison County——Copies within a case: page 1 $2.00, pages 2-20 $0.50/page, page 21+ $0.25/page; certification $6.00; docket sheet $6.00/page; criminal history $6.0028
McHenry County—Circuit Court, 22nd Judicial Circuit29Copies $2.00 first page, $.50 each additional up to 20 pages, $.25 per page after; $6.00 per certification; $6 search fee if information is incomplete30
McLean County—Circuit Court of McLean County31—
Peoria County—Circuit Court of Peoria County, 10th Judicial Circuit32—
Rock Island County—Circuit Court of Rock Island County33Copies $2.00 first page, $.50 next 19 pages, $.25 remaining; record search $6.00 per year searched; clerk certification $6.00; certified copy of judgment $10.0034
Sangamon County——Fees: certified judgment: $10.00 certified copy of judgment (fee schedule updated 09/21/2026)35
St. Clair County—Circuit Court36Copy fee chart: 1 copy $2.00, 2 copies $2.50, 3 copies $3.0037
Tazewell County—Tazewell County Circuit Court38Copies: first page $2, next 19 pages $0.50 each, remaining pages $0.25 each; certification $6 per document (705 ILCS 105/27.1a)39
Will County—Circuit Court of the 12th Judicial Circuit40Copies: $2.00 page 1, $0.50 per page pages 2-20, $0.25 per page thereafter; $6.00 per document certification; certified probate copies $2.00 per page41
Winnebago County—Circuit Court, 17th Judicial Circuit42—

For any other county, see the county list on the Illinois guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Illinois office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: court records in every state. Everything else in Illinois: Illinois public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. The Circuit Court of IllinoisIllinois Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  2. Illinois Courts home pageIllinois Supreme Court / Administrative Office of the Illinois Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  3. Illinois Supreme Court Remote Access PolicySupreme Court of Illinois (hosted on efile.illinoiscourts.gov)checked November 4, 2026
  4. Circuit Court ClerksIllinois Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  5. Illinois Freedom of Information Act Frequently Asked Questions By the PublicOffice of the Illinois Attorney General (Public Access Counselor)checked November 4, 2026
  6. How to Expunge and/or Seal a Criminal Record (ATJ 2900.11 instructions)Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (approved statewide forms)checked November 4, 2026
  7. Bureau of IdentificationIllinois State Policechecked November 4, 2026
  8. Bureau of Identification - Background ChecksIllinois State Policechecked November 4, 2026
  9. Criminal History Fee ScheduleIllinois State Policechecked November 4, 2026
  10. Dissolution of Marriage RecordsIllinois Department of Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Recording FAQsCook County Clerk's Officechecked November 4, 2026
  12. Champaign County Circuit Clerk (home)Champaign County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  13. View a Court FileChampaign County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  14. On-line Case InformationClerk of the Circuit Court of Cook Countychecked November 4, 2026
  15. Archives DepartmentClerk of the Circuit Court of Cook Countychecked November 4, 2026
  16. Search Online RecordsCounty of DeKalb, ILchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Civil Case Filing Fees (PDF)County of DeKalb, ILchecked November 4, 2026
  18. Order Court DocumentsDuPage County Circuit Court Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  19. Kane County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  20. Kane County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  21. County Clerk of the Circuit CourtKankakee County, ILchecked November 7, 2026
  22. General Information (Circuit Clerk) | Kendall County, ILKendall County, Illinoischecked November 4, 2026
  23. Lake County Circuit Clerk's Online PortalLake County Circuit Clerk (Journal Technologies portal linked by the Clerk)checked November 4, 2026
  24. Clerk's Office Fee Schedule (Effective September 16, 2026) (PDF)Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lake Countychecked November 4, 2026
  25. Copy RequestsLaSalle County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  26. Macon County Circuit ClerkMacon County, Illinoischecked November 8, 2026
  27. Macon County Circuit Clerk: Court FeesMacon County, Illinoischecked November 8, 2026
  28. Circuit Clerk Copy Request FormMadison County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  29. About UsClerk of the Circuit Court of McHenry Countychecked November 4, 2026
  30. Request CopiesClerk of the Circuit Court of McHenry Countychecked November 4, 2026
  31. Court Records SearchMcLean County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  32. Site MapPeoria Countychecked November 4, 2026
  33. Information & Copy RequestsRock Island Countychecked November 4, 2026
  34. Circuit Clerk Civil Fees - Fee Schedule (PDF)Rock Island Countychecked November 4, 2026
  35. Sangamon County Fee Schedulewww.sangamoncountycircuitclerk.orgchecked November 4, 2026
  36. Il-sc-cclerkSt. Clair County, Illinoischecked November 4, 2026
  37. Il-sc-ccfeeSt. Clair County, Illinoischecked November 4, 2026
  38. Circuit Clerk: Online Court RecordsTazewell County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  39. Circuit Clerk: Copy RequestsTazewell County Circuit Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  40. Public AccessClerk of the Circuit Court of Will Countychecked November 4, 2026
  41. Order Copies of Case DocumentsClerk of the Circuit Court of Will Countychecked November 4, 2026
  42. Circuit Clerk - Access Court RecordsWinnebago County Clerk of the Circuit Courtchecked November 4, 2026