Illinois Free Criminal Records Search: Public Record Lookup
Illinois free criminal court records and public case lookup
Illinois Free Criminal Records Search: Public Court Cases, Convictions & Dockets
You can search free Illinois criminal records through the official Circuit Clerk websites of several Illinois counties. Many county portals allow public searches by defendant name or criminal case number without charging for basic court information.
However, Illinois does not offer one free, unrestricted statewide criminal-history name search. Illinois State Police criminal-history reports are separate from county court dockets and normally carry a fee.
The direct answer
Where to Search Illinois Criminal Records for Free
The best free search depends on the type of information you need. Illinois Circuit Courts handle criminal trial cases, the Illinois State Police maintains criminal-history information, and the Department of Corrections holds state incarceration records.
| Information needed | Official search | Is it free? |
|---|---|---|
| Public felony or misdemeanor court case | County Circuit Clerk online case lookup | Often free, depending on the county |
| Criminal court date or docket | County court calendar or case-information service | Often free to view |
| Illinois Supreme Court or appellate records | re:SearchIL | Qualifying public reviewing-court documents available free |
| Statewide publicly releasable conviction-history report | Illinois State Police UCIA / CHIRP process | Generally paid |
| Your own Illinois criminal-history transcript | ISP Access and Review | No ISP fee; fingerprint provider may charge |
| Illinois state prison custody | Illinois Department of Corrections | Free online lookup |
| Registered Illinois sex offender | Illinois State Police Sex Offender Registry | Free public search |
| Certified criminal judgment or disposition | County Circuit Clerk | Copying or certification charges may apply |
Free public record lookup instructions
How to Search Illinois Criminal Records Online for Free
Illinois has 25 judicial circuits covering 102 counties. Criminal case files are maintained by the appropriate Circuit Clerk, and online access differs between counties.
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Find the county where the criminal case was filed
Start with the county printed on the citation, indictment, summons or court document. If the county is unknown, determine which jurisdiction prosecuted the alleged offense.
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Open the Illinois Circuit Court Clerks directory
Use the Illinois Courts directory to identify the county’s official Circuit Clerk and court website.
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Choose the public case search
Look for labels such as Court Records, Case Search, Public Access, Case Information or Criminal Records. Avoid restricted attorney or agency access systems unless you are authorized to use them.
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Search using a criminal case number when possible
Enter the complete year, case-type code and sequence shown on the court paperwork. This is generally more accurate than a name-only search.
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Otherwise, search the defendant’s name
Enter the surname and given name using the format specified by that county. Some portals require exact spelling, while others permit partial names.
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Check the matching court case
Confirm the court, name, case number, case classification and filing date. Use other publicly available information to avoid confusing people with similar names.
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Review the docket and case disposition
Look for charge information, court appearances, continuances, judgments, dismissals, guilty pleas and other public entries.
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Request an official document if necessary
For a certified disposition or full judgment, contact the county Circuit Clerk. A basic online docket is not automatically a certified court document.
Illinois Judicial Branch — Circuit Court Clerks Directory
The statewide directory provides official Circuit Clerk contact information for Illinois counties, including Cook, DuPage, Will, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Winnebago and Sangamon.
Open Illinois Court Clerk DirectoryVerified county record searches
Free Illinois Criminal Records Search by County
These county-specific searches are useful because their instructions, account requirements and online record coverage are different. Use the official county portal rather than a third-party people-search website.
Cook County — Chicago, Evanston, Oak Park, Cicero
Cook County Criminal Court Records Search
The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County offers online case-information services for public court records. The electronic docket provides summaries of filings and court events, but the Clerk expressly states that its online information is not the official court record.
The Clerk also provides public access terminals inside courthouses for additional publicly accessible case information.
Cook County Official Case Information
Important Cook County criminal-record limitation
The Clerk’s Case Look Up page directs Illinois registered attorneys seeking criminal case information to the CCCPortal. That registered-attorney access should not be presented as an unrestricted public criminal name-search service.
Members of the public who cannot locate the desired criminal case through the publicly available online service should use courthouse public terminals or contact the Clerk for the applicable records procedure.
Cook County Clerk: 50 W. Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-5030
DuPage County — Wheaton, Naperville, Downers Grove
DuPage County Free Criminal Case Lookup
The DuPage County Clerk of the 18th Judicial Circuit provides a Public Information Application for searching available case information.
Its publicly described functions include viewing case status, the next court date and docket entries.
How to use it
- Open the Clerk’s official public application.
- Complete the human-verification challenge if shown.
- Choose Search for your Case.
- Enter the case number, defendant name or another supported identifier.
- Review case status, the next court date and available docket entries.
The Clerk maintains public viewing terminals at 505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187.
Will County — Joliet, Plainfield, Bolingbrook
Will County Free Court Case Search
The Will County Circuit Clerk explicitly describes its online Court Case Lookup as free.
The service offers a limited public version of the court’s case-management information, while more complete document-image access is available at onsite public terminals.
Will County Public Access — 12th Judicial Circuit
Open Free Will County Case LookupHow to search
- Open the Circuit Clerk’s Public Access page.
- Read the disclaimer and terms of use.
- Select I Agree to continue to Court Case Lookup.
- Enter the case number or available party details.
- Review the matching public case information.
- Visit an onsite public-access terminal when additional document images are required.
Will County Circuit Clerk: 100 W. Jefferson Street, Joliet, IL 60432
Phone: 815-727-8592
Kane County — St. Charles, Elgin, Aurora
Kane County Online Criminal Court Records
Kane County’s 16th Judicial Circuit Clerk provides a public Smart Search for court records by case number or party name.
The Clerk warns that its case-management system is party-name based and that a name not spelled exactly as recorded may not appear.
Kane County search format
For a name search, enter Last Name, First Name. For a case-number search, the Clerk requires a four-digit year followed by the case type and remaining sequence.
The Clerk gives 2024MR3 as an example of the general case-number structure. This is a formatting illustration, not a criminal case.
Kane County Circuit Clerk: 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174
Phone: 630-232-3413
Lake County — Waukegan, Libertyville, Mundelein
Lake County Criminal Court Records and Public Portal
The Lake County Circuit Clerk provides an online portal for accessing basic case information, requesting access to eligible case documents and using other court services.
The public portal and a staff-conducted criminal background search are different services.
The Circuit Clerk lists a charge of $6 per name per year for an official county record search by mail or in person. That is not the same as simply accessing basic case information in the online portal.
For a requested search, the Clerk asks for identifying information, years to search, applicable case types and a date of birth when available.
Lake County Circuit Clerk: 18 N. County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085
Sangamon County — Springfield
Sangamon County Free Criminal Court Records Search
Sangamon County Circuit Clerk provides one of the clearest free public case-search interfaces in Illinois.
The official website states that registration is not required to search the Clerk’s public records.
Sangamon County Circuit Clerk Records Lookup
Search Sangamon Court Records FreeAvailable search methods
- Defendant or other party name
- Complete case number
- Filing date
- Traffic ticket number where applicable
- Court schedule
The Clerk’s search guidance says users must accept the disclaimer before searching. A case-number result can be opened to view the available case history or docket sheet.
Sangamon County name-search tip
Unlike Kane County’s exact-spelling guidance, Sangamon suggests starting with broader surname searches when uncertain.
For example, a user searching for a surname like Smith may begin with a portion of the surname and narrow the results afterward.
The Clerk separately lists a $4-per-year charge for office-performed Sangamon County record searches. Basic online viewing and a staff-conducted search are different services.
Circuit Clerk phone: 217-753-6674
Winnebago County — Rockford
Winnebago County Public Criminal Records Search
Winnebago County’s 17th Judicial Circuit Clerk provides public case searches through Full Court Enterprise (FCE).
The official public-user guide supports searches by case number, party or citation number and allows users to view criminal case information and daily or weekly court calendars.
When searching a criminal case, use the court’s case information page to review the defendant, filing details and available events.
The Clerk also offers public viewing computers in its Records Division for records that require in-person access.
Winnebago Circuit Clerk: 400 W. State Street, Rockford, IL 61101
Phone: 815-319-4500
McHenry County — Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Algonquin
McHenry County Free Criminal Case Information
The McHenry County Circuit Clerk states that basic publicly accessible case information is available on its website without charge.
Public viewing terminals at the Judicial Center in Woodstock offer access to eligible court records, while separate remote document-access services have their own conditions.
McHenry County Circuit Clerk: 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098.
Other Illinois counties
For Peoria, Madison, St. Clair, Champaign, McLean, Rock Island, Macon, Vermilion or other counties, use the official statewide Circuit Clerk directory. The directory helps identify the correct records custodian even when that county does not provide an unrestricted online case search.
Find All Illinois Circuit ClerksSearch criminal case numbers correctly
Illinois Criminal Court Case Number Codes: CF, CM, DT and TR
Illinois court case numbers often include a filing year, case-type designation and sequence. Identifying the case type can help determine whether a record concerns a felony, misdemeanor or traffic matter.
| Case code | General category | Important interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| CF | Criminal felony | A felony prosecution; charges and outcome must still be reviewed |
| CM | Criminal misdemeanor | Misdemeanor criminal case category |
| DT | Driving under the influence | DUI-related case classification |
| TR | Traffic | Traffic case; does not necessarily indicate a criminal conviction |
| OV | Ordinance violation | Local ordinance matter; may not be a criminal prosecution |
These designations are based on Illinois judicial case-category standards. Local systems may have historical differences, additional categories or updated case-management formats.
CF, begin with the county’s criminal felony case information. However, the designation does not prove conviction; it only identifies the case category.
Statewide reviewing-court access
Free Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Criminal Records Through re:SearchIL
Illinois introduced an important public-access improvement on May 1, 2025.
The Illinois Supreme Court authorized free remote public access to qualifying nonconfidential Supreme Court and Appellate Court documents filed in covered reviewing-court cases on or after April 1, 2025.
Illinois re:SearchIL — Reviewing Court Records
What the free reviewing-court access includes
- Eligible nonconfidential Illinois Supreme Court records
- Eligible records from the five Illinois appellate districts
- Covered filings and documents beginning with the April 1, 2025, date specified by the Supreme Court
- Other eligible older documents when an individual reviewing court has made them available
What it does not guarantee
The court’s announcement expressly explains that the circuit court’s original record on appeal is not included through the ordinary re:SearchIL reviewing-court document access. Confidential cases and documents remain restricted.
Statewide official conviction histories
Illinois State Police Criminal History Search: CHIRP and UCIA Fees
The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains statewide criminal-history information.
Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA), qualifying Illinois conviction information is available through the legally authorized public-information process.
The Illinois State Police offers name-based inquiries through its Criminal History Information Response Process, or CHIRP.
Illinois State Police — Name-Based Criminal History Checks
Use the official ISP instructions to understand account registration, authentication, access requirements and the appropriate UCIA inquiry process.
Illinois criminal-history background-check fees
The Illinois State Police published the following fee schedule, with revised fee-applicant charges effective October 1, 2026.
| ISP service | Paper / manual | Electronic / Live Scan |
|---|---|---|
| UCIA name-based conviction-history inquiry | $16 | $10 |
| UCIA fingerprint-card inquiry | $20 | $15 |
| Eligible state-only applicant check | $20 | $15 |
| Eligible FBI-only applicant check | $15 | $15 |
| Eligible combined Illinois and FBI applicant check | $35 | $30 |
| Personal Access and Review / Record Challenge | No ISP charge | No ISP charge |
Applicant check categories have authorization requirements. CHIRP’s secure access process may require enrollment and authentication; it should not be described as an unrestricted anonymous name search.
Fingerprint vendors and payment services may charge separately.
View Official Illinois State Police Fee ScheduleFree state processing for your personal review
How to Obtain Your Own Illinois Criminal Record Through Access and Review
Illinois residents and other eligible individuals may use the Illinois State Police Access and Review procedure to obtain their own criminal-history transcript and challenge inaccurate information.
Unlike a public UCIA conviction-history search, personal Access and Review is fingerprint-based.
Illinois State Police — Viewing My Record
Open Personal Record Review Instructions-
Choose an approved fingerprinting provider
Use an Illinois law-enforcement or correctional facility or a licensed fingerprint vendor participating in the Access and Review process.
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Provide identification
Follow the provider’s identity-verification requirements and submit the requested information.
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Have your fingerprints collected
The provider submits the fingerprints and related identifying information to the Illinois State Police.
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Receive your criminal-history transcript
ISP sends the transcript or a statement that no criminal history was found through the approved response process.
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Check the record for errors
Compare the entries with your official arrest and court documents, especially the final disposition for any dismissed or resolved charges.
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Use the Record Challenge form if necessary
The transcript package includes instructions for challenging incomplete or incorrect information.
State corrections and custody information
Free Illinois Department of Corrections Inmate Search
The Illinois Department of Corrections provides an online Individual in Custody Search for qualifying state correctional records.
Its public search accepts last-name information, an IDOC number or birthdate criteria.
Illinois Individual in Custody Search
How to search
- Open the official IDOC inmate search.
- Enter a last name or known IDOC identification number.
- Use additional permitted search criteria to narrow the results.
- Review the matching correctional record and status information.
- Use the county Circuit Clerk to find the underlying criminal court case when necessary.
Illinois Sex Offender Registry
Illinois State Police also offers a free public Sex Offender Registry search with available filters for name, geographic area and other registration information.
Official Illinois Sex Offender RegistryA registry listing is not a complete criminal-history report, and an individual not listed on the registry may still have unrelated criminal records.
Court-certified documents
How to Get Certified Illinois Criminal Court Records
A free court docket can help locate a case, but an online summary is not necessarily sufficient for licensing, litigation, immigration or another official purpose.
For a certified judgment, dismissal, disposition or sentencing order, contact the Circuit Clerk of the court where the case was filed.
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Find the case number
Use the county’s public case search to identify the complete criminal case number.
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Confirm the official court
Identify the Illinois county and court that maintains the original criminal case file.
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Choose the correct document
Ask the receiving organization whether it needs a certified judgment, sentencing order, disposition, dismissal or another specific filing.
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Check document availability
Ask whether the file is accessible online, held at a courthouse terminal, located in storage or legally restricted.
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Request certification
Specify that you need an official certified copy instead of an ordinary printout.
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Confirm the county’s current fees
Copy charges, certification and archival-search fees differ between Circuit Clerks. Confirm payment and delivery requirements before submitting a request.
Sealed and expunged records
Why Free Illinois Criminal Records May Not Include Expunged or Sealed Cases
Illinois allows qualifying criminal records to be expunged or sealed under applicable state law.
The Illinois Courts website publishes approved standardized statewide forms for adult expungement and sealing, with updates made in 2026.
Whether a particular case qualifies depends on the offense, case disposition, sentence completion and other statutory requirements.
Expungement
May remove or restrict qualifying arrest and court records according to the applicable order and statute.
Sealing
Generally limits ordinary public access while preserving specified legally authorized access.
Illinois Courts — Expungement and Sealing Forms
Official Illinois Record Clearing FormsIf a case is not visible because of a sealing or expungement order, do not try to bypass court-access restrictions.
Resolve missing records and search errors
Why Can’t I Find Illinois Criminal Records Online?
| Problem | Possible explanation | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| No statewide trial-court result | Illinois does not provide one unrestricted free search covering every county criminal case | Use the correct county Circuit Clerk |
| Cook County criminal case not publicly accessible online | Some criminal case access routes are restricted or require courthouse terminals | Contact the Clerk or use the courthouse public access terminals |
| DuPage portal shows a test-system warning | The page may be a testing or demonstration environment | Follow the Clerk’s production-system instructions |
| Kane County name search gives no match | Names must match the spelling stored in Kane’s case system | Verify spelling or search using the exact case number |
| Sangamon case does not appear | Search terms may be too specific or the case may be confidential | Try a shorter surname search or contact the Clerk |
| Will County docket lacks document images | The remote search provides a limited public case summary | Use a public courthouse terminal or request records |
| Lake County record search requires payment | A clerk-conducted background search differs from the basic online portal | Use the online portal for basic case information or pay for the required official service |
| Record is sealed, expunged or juvenile | Illinois public-access restrictions may apply | Ask the record custodian about lawful eligibility to inspect the record |
| State prison inmate not found | Person may be in local custody or outside the correctional search coverage | Check the relevant county sheriff or court |
What does a public Illinois criminal case actually prove?
A free online criminal record may show a charge, appearance, hearing, plea, dismissal or judgment. These events must not be treated as interchangeable.
- Arrest: Someone was taken into custody; this is not a conviction.
- Charge: A formal allegation was filed.
- Dismissal: A specified charge or proceeding was terminated.
- Acquittal: The court or jury found the defendant not guilty on the relevant charge.
- Conviction: Guilt was established under the applicable legal procedure.
- Sentence: The court imposed the consequences of the conviction.
- Later order: An appeal, modification, sealing or other proceeding may change the original result or its availability.
Federal cases are separate
Free Illinois State Court Records vs. Federal Criminal Cases
Federal criminal proceedings involving Illinois are generally filed in the Northern, Central or Southern District of Illinois.
These cases do not appear as ordinary Illinois Circuit Court criminal dockets.
Northern District
Federal court serving Chicago and other northern Illinois areas.
Northern District CourtCentral District
Federal court serving areas including Peoria, Springfield and Urbana.
Central District CourtUse PACER for federal court dockets and eligible documents. PACER may charge access fees, so it should not be described as a universally free federal criminal-history search.
Open Federal PACER Case SearchFrequently asked questions
Free Illinois Criminal Records Search FAQs
1. Can I search Illinois criminal records online for free?
Yes. Several Illinois county Circuit Clerks provide free public criminal case lookup, including Will, Sangamon, Kane, Winnebago and other participating counties. The availability and detail of records depend on the county’s public-access system.
2. Is there one free statewide Illinois criminal records database?
There is no unrestricted free statewide public search that combines every Illinois criminal trial court docket and the Illinois State Police criminal-history repository. The public must use the appropriate county Circuit Clerk for trial cases or the authorized ISP process for statewide conviction-history information.
3. How do I search Cook County criminal records for free?
Start with the Cook County Circuit Clerk’s official online case-information page. Some criminal case access is limited, and the Clerk’s restricted CCCPortal route is directed to registered Illinois attorneys. For public criminal records not accessible online, use courthouse terminals or contact the Clerk.
4. How can I search Illinois criminal records by someone’s name?
Find the Circuit Clerk website for the filing county and use its public party-name search. Search formatting differs by county; for example, Kane County requires precise name spelling, while Sangamon permits broader partial-surname searches.
5. How much is an Illinois State Police criminal background check?
The ISP fee schedule lists $10 for an electronic UCIA name-based inquiry and $16 for a paper inquiry. Fingerprint-based and eligible applicant services have separate fees. CHIRP access and authentication requirements also apply.
6. Can I get a copy of my own Illinois criminal history for free?
Illinois State Police does not charge a processing fee for personal Access and Review or Record Challenge. The process requires approved fingerprinting, and the fingerprint provider may charge separately.
7. Where can I search Illinois felony and misdemeanor cases?
Use the Circuit Clerk in the county where the case was filed. Common criminal case categories include CF for felony and CM for misdemeanor. The full docket must be reviewed to determine the actual outcome.
8. Are Illinois criminal appeals available online for free?
Illinois authorized free remote public access to qualifying Supreme Court and Appellate Court documents through re:SearchIL starting May 1, 2025, with the published coverage beginning for eligible documents filed in covered cases on or after April 1, 2025. Trial-court documents have separate access rules.
9. Why can’t I find an Illinois criminal court case online?
The case may be held in another county, use a different spelling or number, be outside the portal’s available records, require courthouse inspection, or be sealed, expunged, juvenile or otherwise confidential. Contact the Circuit Clerk when the online search is inconclusive.
10. How do I get certified Illinois criminal court records?
Find the correct county and case number, then request the specific judgment, disposition, sentencing order or other document from the Circuit Clerk. Certification and copying fees differ by county.
Official court and government sources
Illinois Free Criminal Records Search: Official Links
The links below are to Illinois government agencies, judicial websites and official Circuit Clerk portals.
Illinois Statewide Court Resources
- Illinois Courts — Official Circuit Court Clerks Directory
- Illinois Judicial Branch — Courts Directory
- Illinois re:SearchIL — Reviewing Court Document Access
- Illinois Supreme Court — Free Reviewing Court Records Announcement
- Illinois Courts — Expungement and Sealing Forms
Illinois County Criminal Case Searches
- Cook County Circuit Clerk — Public Online Case Information
- DuPage County — Public Information Application
- Will County — Free Court Case Lookup
- Kane County — Court Records Smart Search
- Lake County — Circuit Clerk Online Portal
- Sangamon County — Free Public Court Records
- Winnebago County — Full Court Enterprise Public Access
- McHenry County — Circuit Clerk Public Access
Illinois State Police Records and Background Checks
- Illinois State Police — Criminal History Information
- Illinois State Police — CHIRP Name-Based Inquiries
- Illinois State Police — Official Background Check Fee Schedule
- Illinois State Police — Access and Review Your Own Record
- Illinois State Police — Sex Offender Registry
