How to Search Illinois Public Records

Illinois's court, criminal, vital, property, voter, and licensing records are maintained across state agencies and the 102 counties listed below. Use the tabs to filter by record type, or jump directly to any source.

  • Courts: The Illinois Supreme Court sits at the top of the system; trial-court business is handled by the Circuit Court (24 circuits). Most courts publish dockets and case lookups online.
  • Criminal history: The state's criminal-history repository handles official background checks. Fees and procedures are set by the state agency — see the linked official source.
  • Vital records: Birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates are issued by the state Department of Health (or equivalent) and may also be available locally.
  • Property & recorded documents: Maintained at the county level by the Assessor, Recorder, or Clerk's office.
  • Business filings: The Secretary of State (or equivalent) operates the official business-entity search.
Population
12,710,158
Households
4,956,000
Median Income
$78,433
Median Home Value
$250,800

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2024 Population Estimates Program; 2022 ACS 5-year)

Licenses Databases

59 official Illinois licenses sources.

Licenses

Acupuncture
Official Free
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Alarm Professions
Official Free
Illinois license lookup for alarm professionals, including contractors, agencies, branch offices, permanent employees, firearm control cards.
Appraisal
Official Free
Illinois licensing lookup for appraisal management companies.
Athlete Agents
Official Free
Illinois athlete agent and CE sponsor license lookup.
Attorneys
Official Free
Attorney search from the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois.
Banking | Banks and Trusts
Official Free
Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation lookup for licensed banks and trusts, foreign corporate fiduciaries, check printers, and.
Certified Public Accountants
Official Free
Illinois license verification for certified public accountants, public accountant firms, CE sponsors, and registered certified public accountants.
Chiropractic Physicians | Profiles
Official Free
Illinois IFDPR chiropractic physician profile search. Find license status, insurance, specialty, legal action, disciplinary action, education.
Clinical Psychologists
Official Free
Illinois license lookup for clinical and prescribing psychologists.
Contractors | Lead
Official Free
Illinois Department of Public Health licensee search for lead contractors.
Contractors | Roofing
Official Free
Illinois roofing contractor license lookup.
Controlled Substances
Official Free
Illinois Controlled Substances license verification for APN controlled substances, controlled substance dentists, veterinarians, optometrists, drug.
Cosmetologists
Official Free
Illinois license lookup for cosmetologists, hairdressers, salons, schools, cosmetology teachers, hairdressers, hair braiders & salons, estheticians.
Counselors & Therapists
Official Free
Illinois license verification for marriage & family therapists and professional counselors.
Dental
Official Free
Illinois licensee lookup for dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, continuing education programs, and dental teachers.
Disciplinary Actions
Official Free
Illinois disciplinary reports for licensed professionals, banking division, financial institutions, and real estate enforcement actions.
Engineers
Official Free
Illinois licensee search for professional engineers.
Environmental Health Practitioners
Official Free
License lookup of Illinois environmental health practitioners, practitioners in training, and CE sponsors.
Geologists
Official Free
Illinois geologist lookup and license verification.
Health Care Workers
Official Free
Illinois Department Department Health lookup for licensed health care workers.
Home Inspectors
Official Free
Illinois IDFPR license lookup for home inspectors, companies, and education providers.
Hospitals
Official Free
Illinois Department of Public Health licensed hospitals.
Industrial Radiographers
Official Free
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) license verification for radiologic technologists.
Insurance
Official Free
National Association of Insurance Commissioners search for individual, business, and insurance company Illinois insurance licenses.
Land Surveyors
Official Free
Illinois land surveyor license verification.
Lead | Training Courses
Official Free
Illinois Department of Public Health list of licensed lead training course providers.
Liquor Licenses
Official Free
State of Illinois Liquor Control Commission liquor license search.
Massage
Official Free
Illinois licensed massage therapists and CE sponsors.
Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
Official Free
Illinois licensed medical cannabis dispensing organizations, agents, and principal officers.
Money Transmitters
Official Free
Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation licensee search for money transmitters and authorized sellers.
Nurse Aides | Training
Official Free
Illinois certified nurse aide training programs.
Nurses
Official Free
Nursing license verification from the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulations, including registered nurses, licensed practical.
Nursing Homes
Official Free
Illinois Department of Public Health license lookup for long term care facilities.
Optometrists
Official Free
Illinois licensed optometrists.
Pawnbrokers
Official Free
Illinois pawnbroker licensee database.
Perfusionists
Official Free
License search for Illinois perfusionists.
Pharmacies & Pharmacists
Official Free
Illinois license verification for pharmacies, pharmacists, technicians, and pharmacy assistants.
Physical Therapists
Official Free
Illinois licensed physical therapists, assistants, and CE sponsors.
Physicians & Surgeons
Official Free
Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulations physician profile search.
Physicians | Medical Board
Official Free
Illinois Medical Board physician, surgeon, and medical corporation license verification.
Podiatrists
Official Free
Online lookup of licensed Illinois podiatrists.
Private Detective
Official Free
Illinois license lookup and verification for private detectives, detective agencies, branch offices, schools, firearm control cards, employee.
Radiologic Technologists
Official Free
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) licensee lookup for radiologic technologists.
Radiological Facilities
Official Free
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) license search for radiological facilities.
Radon
Official Free
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) licensee lookup by county for radon professionals.
Radon Measurement
Official Free
Illinois licensed radon measurement laboratories.
Respiratory Care
Official Free
Illinois respiratory care practitioner license verification.
Security
Official Free
Illinois license search for proprietary security forces, employee registration, firearms control cards, and training courses.
Shorthand Reporters
Official Free
Illinois certified shorthand reporters.
Timeshare
Official Free
Illinois Timeshare licensee lookup, including acquisitions agents, component sites, developers, exchange companies, managing entities, plans, sales.
Utility Companies
Official Free
Illinois Commerce Commissions database of registered utility companies.
Veterinary
Official Free
Illinois license lookup for veterinarians, certified technicians, and controlled substance veterinarians.
Attorneys | State Bar Lawyerfinder
Official Free
Illinois State Bar "Lawyerfinder" service designed to help you find an attorney in your area that meets your needs.
Bathing Beaches
Official Free
Illinois Department of Health alphabetical list of licensed bathing beaches.
Consumer Installment Loans
Official Free
Illinois licensed consumer installment loan companies.
Teachers | ELIS
Official Free
Illinois State Board of Education Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) teacher certification query.
Therapists
Official Free
Search for psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, therapists or health professionals by your preferences (patient type, reason for therapy, treatment method and location).
Attorneys | Defense Trial
Official Free
Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel registered defense trial attorneys.
🌐 idc.law
Real Estate
Official Free
Illinois licensed real estate brokers, salespersons, corporations & partnerships, branch offices, instructors, and schools.

Illinois Counties

102 Illinois counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Illinois's official criminal-history repository is operated by the state law-enforcement agency. Free public access to a complete criminal history is generally not available; an official background check typically requires fingerprints and a fee. Countie-level court records can be searched at no cost through individual court websites.

Illinois's court system is headed by the Illinois Supreme Court. Trial-court business is handled by the Circuit Court (24 circuits). Many Illinois courts publish docket searches and case lookups online — see the Court Records tab above for direct links.

The Illinois Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) operates the official business-entity search. You can typically search corporations, LLCs, LPs, and other registered entities by name or registration number. See the Licenses or Business tab above.

The Assessor determines property values for tax purposes. The Recorder (or Clerk-Recorder) records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property documents. Some county offices combine these roles, others keep them separate. Check the specific county page for details.

Illinois vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates) are issued by the state Department of Health (or equivalent) and, in many cases, by local county clerks. Fees and ID requirements are set by the issuing agency.

Most county-level property and recorded-document searches are free for basic information through the Assessor or Recorder website. Certified copies of deeds typically have a per-page fee. Direct links are in the Property Records tab above.

The Illinois sex offender registry is maintained by the state law-enforcement agency under the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act. The registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or address.

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