Illinois Criminal Court Records Search: Cases & Dockets
Illinois Criminal Court Records Search: Cases & Dockets
An Illinois criminal court records search lets you find publicly accessible felony, misdemeanor, DUI and criminal traffic cases, identify case numbers, check upcoming court dates and review docket entries showing the progress and outcome of a prosecution.
Illinois criminal trial court records are maintained by county Circuit Court Clerks. Depending on the county, you can search directly through an official Clerk portal or through a participating court’s Judici case-search page.
First, identify the Illinois county where the criminal case was filed. Open that county’s Circuit Court Clerk case search, enter the person’s name or complete case number, and select the matching criminal case. Review the docket for court events, charges, hearing dates, pleas, dispositions and judgments.
For Chicago: start with Cook County’s online case-information service. For other counties: use the Illinois Courts Clerk Directory to reach the correct local system.
Where to Search Illinois Criminal Court Records Online
Illinois has 102 counties organized into judicial circuits. Circuit courts handle the state’s trial-level criminal proceedings, while their elected Circuit Court Clerks maintain case filings, registers of actions and official court records.
An Illinois criminal court lookup is not the same thing as an Illinois State Police criminal-history report. One shows the proceedings of specific court cases; the other compiles qualifying information reported to the state’s criminal-history repository.
Illinois Circuit Court Clerks
Find the official Clerk for any Illinois county. Use this directory when you do not know which website maintains the case.
Court Clerk DirectoryCook County Case Information
Search available historical and active Cook County court proceedings and review electronic docket summaries.
Cook County DocketsJudici Court Case Search
Access free searches of individual participating courts outside the larger county systems. Multi-court services may require a subscription.
Judici Participating CourtsHow to Search Illinois Criminal Court Records by Name or Case Number
Most people can begin without paying for a private background-check service. The fastest route is usually to identify the original filing county and use that court’s public docket.
- Identify the county. Determine where the alleged offense was prosecuted or where the court case was filed. The defendant’s current residence may be different from the county handling the case.
- Open the official Illinois Circuit Court Clerk Directory. Visit the statewide Clerk directory and select the relevant county.
- Find the public case-search page. Look for Case Search, Records Search, Court Records, Case Lookup, Public Access or Online Case Information.
- Choose name or case-number search. If you know the case number, use it first. If not, use the defendant’s first and last name in the format required by the portal.
- Select the relevant criminal category. If the portal offers case-type filters, look for Criminal Felony (CF), Criminal Misdemeanor (CM), DUI (DT) or other relevant criminal and traffic categories.
- Review possible matches. Compare the filing county, defendant name, filing year and other identifying details available under court rules. Do not assume that every matching name belongs to the same person.
- Open the case number. Most systems display an electronic case history, docket sheet or register of actions for the selected case.
- Look for current court dates and docket events. Review entries for hearings, motions, pleas, judgments and the most recent case action.
- Check the final disposition. Determine whether individual charges were dismissed, resulted in an acquittal, ended in a conviction or remain unresolved.
- Request an official document if necessary. The public online summary may not contain the original judgment. Contact the Clerk for available certified copies.
Illinois Criminal Court Case Search by County
Illinois counties use different public access technologies. Some offer detailed name searches with immediate docket access, while others require account registration, courthouse terminals or a staff-assisted records request.
| County | Official system | Practical search information |
|---|---|---|
| Cook | Cook County Case Information | Public electronic docket summaries; the actual official file is maintained by the Clerk. |
| DuPage | 18th Judicial Circuit Clerk | Public case lookup and courthouse terminals; restricted cases use different access rules. |
| Kane | Kane County Court Records | Smart Search by name or case number; exact name spelling is important. |
| Lake | Lake County Online Portal | Public criminal case summaries; portal registration required. |
| Will | Will County Case Lookup | Official Twelfth Judicial Circuit case-search access and court information. |
| Sangamon | Sangamon Records Search | Free searches by name, case number or filing date; registration not required. |
| Participating smaller counties | Judici | Individual-court public searches; historical coverage and available documents vary. |
| Any other Illinois county | Illinois Clerk Directory | Find the official Clerk and determine the available online or courthouse access method. |
Which court should you search in a major Illinois city?
For Chicago, start in Cook County. For Wheaton and much of Naperville, the relevant county may be DuPage. Aurora and Elgin may involve Kane, while Aurora also extends into other counties. Waukegan cases are generally associated with Lake County, Springfield with Sangamon County, and Joliet with Will County.
Some Illinois cities cross county lines. Confirm the exact court and county identified on the charging document, citation or notice instead of choosing a court based only on the city name.
Cook County Criminal Court Records Search: Chicago and Suburbs
The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County maintains criminal and other court case records for Chicago and communities within Cook County.
Cook County’s public online system provides electronic docket summaries for available historical and active court cases.
How to search a Cook County criminal docket
- Open Cook County’s official Online Case Information page. Follow its public case-search link.
- Select the appropriate case lookup. Use the public interface rather than an attorney-only or justice-partner login.
- Search by the person’s name or case number. In the Clerk’s Odyssey public user instructions, Smart Search uses the name format Last Name, First Name.
- Review matching cases. Identify the relevant criminal matter using the name, case number and available case details.
- Open the docket history. Look for the current case status, hearings and available docket-event summaries.
- Verify recent actions. The Clerk warns that electronic docket updates may take several days to appear.
- Use courthouse public-access terminals if necessary. For very recent events or information absent from the online index, the Clerk recommends checking the courthouse terminals.
How to verify today’s Cook County court hearing
If you need a hearing time or courtroom rather than a historical case outcome, look for the appropriate current court-call or hearing information on the Clerk’s website.
The Cook County judiciary also provides public guidance on locating case information. If the online docket does not show a recent update, contact the Clerk rather than assuming a scheduled appearance was canceled.
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
Richard J. Daley Center50 West Washington Street
Chicago, IL 60602
Customer Service: 312-603-5030
For criminal records, identify the assigned court division and courthouse before visiting or requesting documents.
How Illinois County Docket Searches Differ
Four official county systems illustrate why it is important to follow the local Clerk’s instructions rather than relying on one generic method.
Kane County Smart Search
Kane County’s Circuit Clerk uses an online portal where users can search by party name or case number.
Name searches use the format Last Name, First Name, and the Clerk warns that spelling must match the case-management record exactly.
Case-number searches use a four-digit year, case-type code and sequence; its example is 2024MR3.
Kane County InstructionsSangamon County Records Search
Sangamon County provides name, case-number and filing-date searches without requiring public registration.
After accepting the disclaimer, click the blue case number to open the case history or docket sheet.
Filing-date searches are restricted to a maximum search window of 31 days.
Sangamon Docket SearchDuPage Circuit Clerk
DuPage’s public information application supports case-status searches, court dates and docket entries.
Its search interface includes fields for a case number, last and first name, and other permitted identifiers.
The Clerk also provides public courthouse terminals for inspecting accessible records.
DuPage Clerk WebsiteLake County Online Portal
Lake County’s Nineteenth Judicial Circuit portal provides access to certain public civil, criminal and traffic case summaries.
Public users must register for an account before accessing court information through that portal.
Additional document access for attorneys and parties may require approval and different permissions.
Lake County Portal GuideIllinois Criminal Case Number Search: CF, CM, DT and Other Codes
Illinois court case numbers generally combine a filing year, case-type code and sequence number. Formatting differs among court portals.
Understanding the case code helps you distinguish felony and misdemeanor proceedings from traffic and other court matters.
| Code | Case category | What it usually indicates |
|---|---|---|
| CF | Criminal Felony | A case assigned the felony criminal category. |
| CM | Criminal Misdemeanor | A misdemeanor-level criminal prosecution. |
| DT | Driving Under the Influence | A DUI case. |
| MT | Major Traffic | A traffic category that may include more serious traffic matters. |
| TR | Traffic | Traffic case information; not every citation is a criminal conviction. |
| DV | Domestic Violence | A designated criminal case category under current reporting conventions. |
| CC | Contempt of Court | Certain contempt-related proceedings; review the actual case details. |
| JD | Juvenile Delinquency | Juvenile matters with separate confidentiality restrictions. |
Example Illinois criminal case numbers
A case number such as 2024CF000123 can identify a felony case filed in 2024, while 2025CM000045 can identify a misdemeanor case.
These are illustrative examples only, not references to real people or actual court cases.
The county must also be known. Identical or similar number formats may occur in different county systems.
Why formatting matters
Kane County instructs users to include the four-digit year and case-type code. Sangamon County’s electronic filing instructions use a full-year format with a six-digit case sequence, such as 2018CM000010.
Some court systems accept case numbers without spaces; others use hyphens or zero-padded digits.
How to Read an Illinois Criminal Court Docket
A criminal docket is the court’s chronological summary of events in a case.
It may list when a charge was filed, when hearings occurred, what motions were submitted and how the court resolved the case.
Dockets are also called case histories, registers of actions or electronic case summaries.
Common Illinois criminal docket entries explained
| Entry | General meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint Filed | A criminal complaint was submitted. | Whether the charge was later amended or dismissed. |
| Information / Indictment | A formal charging document was filed. | The particular counts and later outcome. |
| First Appearance | An initial court proceeding occurred. | Orders entered and upcoming appearance information. |
| Arraignment | The defendant appeared in proceedings addressing the formal charges. | Charges, plea and future scheduling. |
| Motion Filed | A party requested action by the court. | Whether the judge ruled on the motion. |
| Continuance | A proceeding was moved to another date. | The updated hearing date. |
| Pretrial Conference | A scheduled conference concerning the pending prosecution. | Orders, scheduling and later proceedings. |
| Plea of Guilty | The defendant entered a guilty plea. | Acceptance of the plea and final judgment. |
| Finding of Guilty | The court entered a guilty finding. | Sentencing and any later changes. |
| Dismissed | A charge or case was dismissed. | Whether the dismissal applied to every count. |
| Acquitted / Not Guilty | The defendant was found not guilty of the charge. | The specific count or verdict. |
| Sentence Entered | A sentencing order or disposition was recorded. | The exact judgment and subsequent modifications. |
| Court Supervision | A special Illinois disposition with statutory conditions. | Whether supervision was completed or revoked. |
| Case Closed | The case was marked administratively concluded. | The underlying legal result; closure alone is not conviction. |
Does “closed” mean the defendant was convicted?
No. A closed criminal case may have resulted in a conviction, dismissal, acquittal, successful supervision or another disposition.
Look for the final judgment and the outcome of each charge rather than relying on the case status alone.
Can one case have several different outcomes?
Yes. An Illinois criminal case may include multiple counts.
For example, the defendant could plead guilty to one charge while other charges are dismissed. The case may then be marked closed, but it would be inaccurate to describe every original count as a conviction.
How to Find Illinois Criminal Court Dates and Hearing Schedules
You may need a case’s next court appearance rather than its historical criminal record.
Public court schedules can show upcoming dates, judges, hearing types and assigned courtrooms when the relevant court makes that information available.
Three ways to find an upcoming hearing
- Open the case docket. Look for Next Hearing, Court Date, Scheduled Event or future docket entries.
- Use the county’s calendar search. Some Clerks provide separate hearing-calendar and court-call functions.
- Confirm with the Clerk when the appearance matters. Online schedules can change after continuances, emergency orders or other court actions.
Sangamon County court schedule example
Sangamon’s Clerk allows public users to select a court date from its calendar and filter by one available category, such as attorney, case type, courtroom, judge or police agency.
This can be useful when you know the hearing date but do not have the full case number.
Sangamon Court ScheduleDuPage County court calendar example
The DuPage Circuit Clerk publishes court scheduling tools, including case-specific date and courtroom information through applicable services.
DuPage Court InformationJudici Illinois Criminal Court Records Search: Coverage and Limitations
Judici is a privately operated court-record platform used by participating Illinois courts.
Unlike a nationwide people-search website, Judici displays case data associated with its participating Illinois court systems.
Its public service allows visitors to search one participating court at a time for free. Premium services support broader multi-court searches and other functions for eligible subscribers.
How to search a criminal case on Judici
- Open Judici’s Participating Courts list. Confirm that the county you need is actually listed.
- Select the county. Follow its individual court page.
- Choose the case-search option. Use the available name or case-number fields.
- Enter the search information. Follow the court’s name formatting and applicable date filters.
- Open a matching case. Review the available charges, docket minutes, hearings and final disposition.
- Check historical coverage. Judici’s help pages explain that the date range of available criminal records differs among counties.
- Verify important information with the Circuit Clerk. The Clerk remains the custodian of the official court file.
Is Judici a statewide criminal-history background check?
No. Judici does not cover every Illinois court or every category of criminal history.
Historical coverage also varies by county. A participating court may have searchable criminal files from a different starting year than another court.
A no-result search cannot establish that a person has no Illinois criminal record.
Illinois re:SearchIL: Supreme Court and Appellate Criminal Case Documents
re:SearchIL is Illinois’s statewide electronic court-document access platform associated with eFileIL.
Its role is different from a standard county Circuit Clerk’s criminal docket search.
What changed on May 1, 2025?
The Illinois Supreme Court authorized free remote public access to qualifying Supreme Court and Appellate Court case documents beginning May 1, 2025.
The order applies to non-confidential documents in reviewing-court cases filed on or after April 1, 2025, subject to the platform’s rules and availability.
The Court also suspended the ordinary electronic remote document-access fee imposed by Supreme Court Rule 313(c), until further order.
Illinois re:SearchIL
Search eligible electronic reviewing-court case information and documents. Available access depends on the case, date, user type and remote-access rules.
Open re:SearchILIllinois Supreme Court Docket & Briefs
View published Supreme Court dockets, briefs, arguments and related reviewing-court information through the official judiciary website.
Supreme Court DocketsDoes re:SearchIL show every Illinois felony and misdemeanor?
No. Public document access through re:SearchIL is governed by Illinois Supreme Court remote-access policies and different access levels.
The 2025 expansion applied specifically to qualifying reviewing-court documents. It did not make every criminal trial court filing in all 102 counties freely downloadable.
July 1, 2026 remote-access policy update
The Illinois Courts published a revised Supreme Court Remote Access Policy effective July 1, 2026.
Access to electronic court documents depends on the applicable case type, whether the document is public or restricted, the user category and the court’s approved system.
A publicly visible docket entry therefore does not necessarily mean the underlying filed document can be viewed remotely.
Current Illinois Remote Access PolicyAre Illinois Criminal Court Records Public?
Many Illinois adult criminal cases and their docket information are public. However, access is not unlimited.
Illinois law and Supreme Court rules distinguish publicly available records from impounded, confidential, sealed and expunged records.
705 ILCS 86/5, the Court Record and Document Accessibility Act, explains these access classifications and provides that remote Internet access is governed by the Illinois Supreme Court Remote Access Policy.
| Access status | General meaning | Can the public search it online? |
|---|---|---|
| Public | A record generally available to members of the public upon request. | Sometimes; remote availability is a separate question. |
| Impounded | Access is generally limited to parties or otherwise requires a court order. | Not through ordinary unrestricted public access. |
| Confidential | Access is restricted under the applicable law or rule. | Generally no. |
| Sealed | Records are restricted under applicable sealing rules or a court order. | Generally no ordinary public access. |
| Expunged | The record is subject to expungement-related legal restrictions. | Generally unavailable through ordinary public search. |
What about juvenile criminal cases?
Juvenile delinquency records are subject to additional confidentiality restrictions. They should not be treated as ordinary searchable adult criminal records.
Why can a case be public but not downloadable?
Court access has two separate questions:
- Is the case or document legally public?
- Does the court allow remote electronic access to that case or document?
The second answer can be no even when a document is available for lawful inspection at the courthouse.
How to Request Certified Illinois Criminal Court Records and Docket Copies
Online docket summaries are useful for research. However, a court-issued certified disposition or judgment may be necessary for an official proceeding.
The Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the criminal case was filed is the appropriate starting point for certified documents.
- Locate the criminal case. Identify the correct county, defendant and complete case number.
- Identify the exact document. Examples include a judgment of conviction, sentence, dismissal order, docket sheet or certified disposition.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk. Use the Clerk’s records-request page, courthouse records counter or published contact instructions.
- Ask whether the document is available remotely. Some accessible records require an in-person inspection or a separate Clerk request.
- Check copying and certification fees. Costs vary by county, type of document and delivery format.
- Submit the request through the accepted method. Some counties accept mail or in-person requests, while others offer electronic document orders.
- Retain the court-issued result. When a certified record is needed, save or preserve it in the form required by the receiving agency.
Lake County: Official court record searches by mail or in person
The Lake County Circuit Clerk permits record-search requests through the mail or in person.
The request should identify the person’s name, the years to search, the types of cases and the date of birth when searching an individual.
Lake County publishes a fee of $6 per name per year for its official record-search service.
Mail requests should be addressed to:
Lake County Record Search
Clerk of the Circuit CourtAttn: Record Search
18 North County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
Mail requests should include the required payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Lake County InstructionsSangamon County: Staff-assisted records search
Sangamon County provides a free online search but separately publishes a charge of $4 per year for a Clerk-assisted records search.
The Clerk also states that records requests are governed by judicial records-access procedures rather than the ordinary Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Sangamon County — Records Request Instructions
Illinois Criminal Court Records Search Costs in 2026
Searching a docket may be free, while an official records search or certified document can carry a separate fee.
| Search or document service | Cost | What the price covers |
|---|---|---|
| Cook County public electronic docket lookup | Public online access | Electronic case information; official copies are separate. |
| Sangamon County public case search | Free | Name, case number, filing date and available docket details. |
| Judici individual participating court search | Free | Individual court case information; premium services are separate. |
| Lake County online public portal | Public access with registration | Accessible public case summaries. |
| Lake County Clerk-assisted record search | $6 per name per year | Official name/year search request. |
| Sangamon County Clerk-assisted records search | $4 per year | Staff-assisted county records research. |
| Certified copies | Varies by county | Document copies and official certification. |
| Qualifying Supreme and Appellate remote documents | Free under the May 2025 order | Eligible re:SearchIL reviewing-court documents. |
Illinois Criminal Court Dockets vs State Police Criminal History Checks
One of the most common mistakes is assuming that a public court case search and an Illinois State Police criminal-history check provide identical information.
They do not.
| Feature | Criminal court docket | Illinois State Police history |
|---|---|---|
| Maintained by | County Circuit Court Clerk | Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification |
| Primary purpose | Show proceedings of specific court cases | Maintain qualifying reported criminal-history information |
| Pending criminal charges | May appear if publicly accessible | Not part of ordinary public UCIA conviction-only responses |
| Dismissed cases | May appear unless restricted | Not generally included in a public UCIA conviction response |
| Hearing dates and motions | Often available | Not the primary purpose of the repository |
| Official conviction information | Final judgment for that case | Qualifying convictions reported to the state |
| Access | Public court search, subject to local rules | Separate state laws and authorized request procedures |
What is Illinois UCIA?
The Uniform Conviction Information Act requires qualifying conviction information maintained by Illinois State Police to be available to the public under applicable procedures.
The State Police explicitly explains that only conviction information may be released through the ordinary public UCIA process.
Thus, a pending court case or a dismissed charge may appear in an accessible Circuit Clerk docket but not in an ordinary public UCIA conviction-history response.
What about Illinois CHIRP?
CHIRP is the Criminal History Information Response Process operated by Illinois State Police.
Its electronic login requires enhanced authentication and authorized access. The CHIRP login page states that access to the information in the service is limited to law-enforcement agencies or users with an agreement with Illinois State Police.
It should not be presented as an unrestricted website where any visitor can instantly search another person’s complete Illinois criminal history.
Sealed and Expunged Illinois Criminal Court Records in 2026
Criminal records may disappear from ordinary public searches when they become sealed, expunged or otherwise restricted under Illinois law.
The absence of a docket result is not proof that a case never existed.
Illinois Clean Slate Act: 2026 changes
Parts of Illinois’s Clean Slate law took effect on June 1, 2026.
These changes include updated waiting periods and eligibility rules for sealing certain qualifying criminal records.
Depending on the case, some qualifying supervision dispositions and misdemeanor convictions may be eligible after two years, while certain felony convictions have a three-year waiting period.
Specific exclusions and conditions still apply.
Automatic sealing is not active for all eligible cases
Illinois Legal Aid Online explains that the new automatic Clean Slate sealing process is not scheduled to begin until 2029.
Older qualifying cases will be handled under a phased implementation schedule.
Therefore, it would be inaccurate to assume that every eligible Illinois criminal record was already automatically sealed in October 2026.
How to obtain record relief now
Individuals can continue to seek available expungement or sealing relief through the applicable court petition process.
The Illinois Courts publishes standardized expungement and sealing forms. The Office of the State Appellate Defender and Illinois Legal Aid Online provide additional guidance.
Why Can’t You Find an Illinois Criminal Court Docket Online?
An unsuccessful search can result from the wrong county, incorrect search details, historical limitations or record restrictions.
| Problem | Possible reason | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| No Cook County match | Name variation, wrong case category or delayed online update. | Use the correct public lookup or check courthouse terminals. |
| No Kane County match | Exact name spelling is required. | Use the case number or the name shown on official court documents. |
| No county listed on Judici | The county does not participate. | Use the official Illinois Circuit Clerk Directory. |
| No older docket online | Historical records may be archived or outside the electronic index’s date range. | Contact the Clerk for records-retention and inspection procedures. |
| Case number rejected | Wrong number formatting or missing zeros. | Follow the county’s case-number instructions. |
| Docket visible but document unavailable | Remote document access is restricted or the document is not available electronically. | Ask the Clerk about lawful inspection or copies. |
| New hearing not showing | The court’s online case information may not yet be updated. | Confirm with the Clerk or attorney. |
| Sealed or expunged case | Legal confidentiality restrictions apply. | Respect the restriction; use only authorized access procedures. |
| No result in public UCIA | Public UCIA responses cover qualifying convictions, not all court proceedings. | Check the relevant public court docket. |
| Case was filed in federal court | Illinois county courts do not maintain federal criminal dockets. | Use the federal PACER system. |
Federal Criminal Court Cases in Illinois: PACER Search
Some criminal cases arising in Illinois are prosecuted in federal court rather than Illinois Circuit Court.
Illinois has three federal judicial districts:
- Northern District of Illinois — includes Chicago and surrounding areas.
- Central District of Illinois — covers a large area of central Illinois.
- Southern District of Illinois — covers the southern federal district.
Federal criminal filings and dockets are available through PACER, subject to federal public-access rules.
Use the PACER Case Locator when you do not know which district heard the case.
Search Federal Criminal Court DocketsHow to Use Illinois Criminal Court Records Responsibly
Public docket information should be interpreted carefully, especially when the record concerns an identifiable person.
- A criminal charge does not establish guilt.
- An indictment is not the same as a conviction.
- A case marked closed does not necessarily indicate a guilty judgment.
- A dismissed or acquitted charge should not be described as a conviction.
- A shared first and last name does not prove that the record belongs to the person you are researching.
- Court supervision and deferred outcomes can have distinct legal consequences.
- Sealed, expunged and juvenile records have additional legal protections.
- Online case summaries may omit later orders or recent activity.
- Employment and rental housing screening may require separate compliance procedures.
Federal Trade Commission — Employment Background-Check Requirements
Illinois Criminal Court Records Search FAQs
1. How do I search Illinois criminal court records online?
Find the Circuit Court Clerk for the county where the case was filed. Open its public records search, enter the defendant’s name or case number, and select the matching criminal case. Review the docket for charges, hearing dates and final dispositions.
2. Is there a free statewide Illinois criminal court records search?
Illinois does not offer one unrestricted public trial-court docket index covering every criminal case in all 102 counties. Many county Clerks offer free searches, and Judici provides free individual-court lookups for participating counties.
3. How can I search Chicago criminal court dockets?
Use the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County’s official Online Case Information service. Search by available party or case-number information. The results are electronic docket summaries rather than certified court documents.
4. Can I search Illinois criminal cases by case number?
Yes. Most county court portals support case-number lookup. Include the full filing year, court case code and number in the format required by the county. Illinois felony and misdemeanor case types commonly include CF and CM.
5. What do CF, CM and DT mean in Illinois court records?
CF generally means Criminal Felony, CM means Criminal Misdemeanor and DT means Driving Under the Influence. These codes identify case categories; they do not establish that the defendant was convicted.
6. What is an Illinois criminal docket sheet?
A docket sheet is the chronological case history showing filings, scheduled hearings, motions, pleas, orders and dispositions. It summarizes court activity but may not provide every underlying filed document.
7. Is Judici an official statewide Illinois court database?
Judici is a privately operated platform displaying data for participating Illinois courts. Individual participating-court searches are free, but Judici does not cover every Illinois county and is not a complete state criminal-history repository.
8. Can I download criminal court documents through re:SearchIL?
Some eligible Illinois reviewing-court documents are accessible through re:SearchIL. Free remote public access expanded in May 2025 for qualifying Supreme Court and Appellate Court cases. Trial-level criminal document access remains subject to the Illinois Supreme Court Remote Access Policy.
9. How much does an Illinois criminal court search cost?
Many online docket searches are free. Separate staff-assisted searches may cost money. Lake County publishes $6 per name per year, while Sangamon County lists $4 per year for its records-request service. Certified document fees vary by Clerk.
10. How do I get certified Illinois criminal court records?
Contact the Circuit Court Clerk in the county where the case was filed. Provide the complete case number and ask for the judgment, disposition, dismissal order or other eligible certified document. Copying and certification fees may apply.
11. Are dismissed or sealed criminal cases visible in Illinois?
Publicly accessible dismissed cases may still appear in some court indexes. Sealed, expunged, juvenile and other restricted records are generally excluded from ordinary public access under applicable law and court rules.
12. Why can’t I find an Illinois criminal case online?
Possible reasons include searching the wrong county, exact-spelling requirements, incorrect case-number formatting, incomplete historical indexing, a case filed in federal court or legal access restrictions. Contact the original Circuit Clerk when a lawful public record cannot be located.
Final Guide: Finding Illinois Criminal Court Cases and Dockets
The most reliable Illinois criminal court records search begins with the Circuit Court Clerk for the county where the case was filed.
Cook County offers its own online case-information system, counties such as Kane, DuPage, Lake, Will and Sangamon have separate resources, and many other Illinois courts participate in Judici.
If you are researching a criminal appeal, re:SearchIL and the Illinois Supreme Court docket resources may provide additional publicly accessible information.
Always distinguish a pending charge from a conviction, verify the court’s final disposition and request an official judgment when accuracy is important.
Official Illinois Criminal Court Records Sources
The following resources provide the original government court directories, county docket searches, record-access policies and legal information discussed in this guide.
- Illinois Courts — Official Circuit Court Clerk Directory
- Illinois Courts — Circuit Court Structure and Responsibilities
- Cook County Circuit Court Clerk — Online Case Information
- Circuit Court of Cook County — Public Case Information Assistance
- DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk — Official Court Services
- DuPage Circuit Clerk — Public Court Records and Terminals
- Kane County Circuit Clerk — Online Court Records
- Lake County Circuit Clerk — Online Portal
- Lake County Circuit Clerk — Record Search Fees and Requests
- Will County Twelfth Judicial Circuit — Online Case Search
- Sangamon County Circuit Clerk — Criminal Case and Docket Search
- Sangamon County Circuit Clerk — Records Requests and Fees
- Judici — Participating Illinois Courts
- Judici — Case Coverage and Access FAQ
- Illinois Supreme Court — May 2025 Reviewing Court Public Document Access
- Illinois Courts — July 1, 2026 Remote Access Policy
- Illinois Supreme Court — Docket and Briefs
- Illinois Courts — eFileIL and re:SearchIL
- Illinois General Assembly — Court Record and Document Accessibility Act
- Illinois State Police — Public Criminal History Information
- Illinois Legal Aid Online — Clean Slate 2026 and Automatic Sealing Timeline
- Illinois Courts — Expungement and Sealing Forms
- PACER — Federal Criminal Court Dockets