Start here: who holds what in Illinois
Illinois had an estimated 12,710,158 residents in 2024, the figure published in the Secretary of State's 2025 to 2026 Illinois Blue Book. Their records are not collected in a single statewide public search. A Chicago company filing, a McLean County divorce and a Coles County deed lead to different custodians and different access rules.
For litigation, use the Illinois circuit court system and the clerk in the county where the case was filed. For a statewide public conviction check, use the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification. These are different searches: a court file describes a particular proceeding, while the State Police public service supplies conviction information held in its criminal history repository.
The Illinois Department of Public Health handles state vital records services. County clerks provide local birth, death and marriage services, while circuit clerks hold divorce decrees. The Secretary of State's business search handles registered entities; a local assumed business name may instead require the county clerk.
For land, Illinois separates assessment and tax collection from recorded documents. The Department of Revenue's custodian explanation directs assessment questions to local assessment officials and tax bill questions to the county treasurer or collector. Use this site's Illinois property records and recorded documents pages to follow those separate routes.
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act in 2026
Illinois calls its general access law the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, at 5 ILCS 140. The Attorney General's Public Access Counselor explains its application to government documents and records, subject to statutory exemptions. A request goes to the body holding the records, such as a municipality, school district or state department, rather than to the Public Access Counselor as a statewide records warehouse.
For an ordinary request, the response period is five business days after receipt. Day one is the first business day after the request arrives. A public body can take an additional five business days for statutory reasons, with written notice. The Attorney General's public FOIA questions and answers explains the counting rules and extensions. Special procedures apply to commercial, recurrent and voluminous requests, so the ordinary deadline does not describe every submission.
Under section 3.1, a commercial request receives a response within 21 working days. That response can include a production estimate and fee estimate; it is not necessarily delivery of every requested record within that period. Identify a commercial purpose accurately when submitting the request.
For ordinary black and white, letter or legal size paper copies, the first 50 pages are free and later pages cost no more than 15 cents each. The FOIA fee provisions distinguish those copies from other formats and special request categories. The Attorney General's own records instructions also explain how to seek a public interest fee waiver. A certificate sold under a vital records statute or a court copy ordered from a circuit clerk is a different service with its own charges.
A denial can be taken to the Attorney General's Public Access Counselor. The Request for Review instructions require submission within 60 calendar days after denial. Include the original request, the response if there was one, and a signed explanation. Judicial review is another route. Keep the original submission and response dates because the review period is measured from the denial, not from when you eventually assemble your paperwork.
Illinois court records and county case searches
Illinois has 25 judicial circuits. The court system's circuit explanation identifies seven single county circuits: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, St. Clair and Will. The other 18 circuits contain between two and twelve counties. Circuit courts have general original jurisdiction, but the county circuit clerk remains the custodian to contact for a particular file. A judicial circuit covering several counties does not turn its counties' record systems into one search.
The Illinois Courts website connects the Supreme Court, five appellate districts and circuit courts. Published decisions are available through the official opinions collection. An appellate opinion can explain the result of an appeal without supplying the pleadings, exhibits and orders contained in the underlying circuit court case.
The judiciary lists re:SearchIL as its statewide document repository on the e-services page, alongside eFileIL, the filing service. Begin there for the current repository route, and use the county clerk when you need to establish whether a particular document is available remotely or obtain a certified copy. The existence of statewide electronic filing does not mean every visitor receives unrestricted access to every filed document.
County systems illustrate the differences. Madison County's court search and its separate court schedules answer different questions. The Winnebago County access page explains searches by party, case number and citation number. St. Clair County's circuit clerk provides a separate subscription route for electronic access to court files.
In McLean County, criminal and traffic data cover full years from 1991 forward. The clerk lists earlier searches by prepaid written request at $6 per year, per person, or through manual books on site. Open civil cases are available from 2008 forward, while closed civil cases have a rolling ten year window. Those limits explain why an old case can be missing online without being absent from the clerk's records.
Illinois courts and circuit clerks are outside FOIA's public body definition, as the Attorney General explains in its public FAQ. Follow the clerk's court records procedure instead. The Bureau County circuit clerk provides a copy request route. For federal litigation in Illinois, use PACER; for county and state court entry points, use our Illinois court records directory.
State Police criminal history and conviction checks
The Bureau of Identification's criminal history page identifies the Uniform Conviction Information Act, 20 ILCS 2635/1 and following, as the authority for its public conviction service. UCIA became effective January 1, 1991. The public product contains conviction information, not the full criminal justice record available to agencies with separate legal authority.
The current State Police fee schedule lists a UCIA name inquiry at $10 electronically or $16 on paper. A UCIA fingerprint inquiry is $15 electronically or $20 on paper. Illinois Access and Review and a record challenge are listed without a State Police charge. The fee table also contains separate applicant categories, so use the UCIA row when pricing a public conviction inquiry.
Fingerprint submission has its own practical requirements. The State Police fingerprint instructions explain the licensed live scan route and procedures for people outside Illinois. When fingerprints are required for employment or licensing, confirm the receiving agency's requirements before arranging capture. The repository charge and the service provided by a fingerprint vendor are distinct parts of the process.
A conviction inquiry and a county case search can also disagree because they describe different records. McLean County's court search specifically warns that a searched name can appear as an alias under a different primary name and may require clerk confirmation. Use the originating circuit clerk to obtain the actual disposition of an Illinois case, rather than treating a name match as sufficient identification.
The public repository's conviction restriction does not make every local arrest record confidential. FOIA has a separate arrest information provision, discussed below. Our Illinois criminal records directory connects the repository, court and local agency routes without treating them as interchangeable products.
Arrest information, county jails and IDOC custody
Illinois FOIA expressly addresses arrest information in section 2.15. Specified identifying, charge, arrest and custody information must be furnished as soon as practical and no later than 72 hours after the arrest. That rule concerns the information described in the statute; it does not make an entire investigative file, every juvenile record or all body camera footage automatically public.
The Attorney General's law enforcement FOIA guide discusses the distinctions between arrest information, criminal history and investigatory exemptions. Send a request for a local incident to the agency that handled it. For a county detention facility, begin with the sheriff, such as the Adams County jail, rather than assuming the state prison search covers the booking.
The Department of Corrections provides the Individual in Custody Search and a separate wanted fugitives service. Follow the custody service for IDOC records and the fugitive service for that agency's wanted notices. A prison custody entry does not substitute for the circuit clerk's sentencing judgment.
Local warrant resources also have separate coverage. Lake County's warrant information leads to its active warrant list. Peoria County's warrant page says its database is updated once each 24 hours and is not a complete list of all active warrants. Recent changes may therefore be missing. The county's indictment page concerns charging information, a different stage of a case.
Illinois also maintains a specialized Convicted Methamphetamine Manufacturer Registry covering the qualifying manufacturing convictions described on its disclaimer, beginning June 5, 2006. It is not a general database of every drug charge. Use our Illinois warrants directory to continue with the relevant agency.
Birth, death, marriage and divorce records
Illinois distinguishes a legal certificate from an index entry or a state verification. The Department of Public Health's birth records page explains that birth records are not public. Eligible applicants include the person named, if at least 18, a parent listed on the record, and qualifying legal representatives or guardians with the required documentation.
The state's birth certificate ordering instructions offer a $10 certificate with a specified set of facts or a $15 certificate containing information collected at birth. Both are legal birth certificates. Additional copies of the same certificate ordered together cost $2 each. IDPH currently estimates approximately twelve weeks for regular mail requests from receipt. Use the posted application and identification requirements for the option you choose.
For a death certificate, the state eligibility rules require a personal or property right interest in the deceased person. IDPH distinguishes certified legal copies from uncertified genealogical copies. Its death certificate instructions list $19 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. The posted regular mail estimate is approximately twelve weeks. County clerk service and state mail service should be compared separately.
Marriage and divorce have different custodians. IDPH's marriage records explanation directs certified copies to the county clerk where the marriage occurred. IDPH can verify facts of marriages from 1962 through the current index for $5. For divorce, its dissolution records page directs certified decrees to the circuit clerk where the divorce was granted. A $5 state verification also covers 1962 through the current index, but does not replace the decree. That page lists a four to six week average for regular mail verification requests, not the birth and death estimate.
Historical research has additional routes. The Illinois State Archives provides a death certificates index for 1916 through 1972, a pre-1916 death index and the statewide marriage index for 1763 through 1900. The pre-1916 project is incomplete, and the marriage index provides county coverage information. McLean County's birth index currently describes 1860 through 1915, surnames A through U. Check these limits before interpreting a missing result. Our Illinois vital records directory connects the historical and certificate routes.
Illinois property, deeds and assessment records
The Illinois Department of Revenue explains that individual parcel and property tax records are maintained locally. Its parcel and assessment guidance distinguishes the assessor's property record card from the county treasurer's tax bill. Begin with the parcel number on the tax bill, then follow the relevant county assessment, collection and recording offices.
For the larger framework, IDOR's January 2026 edition of The Illinois Property Tax System explains assessment, review, equalization, levy, extension and collection. Those stages explain why an assessed value, a tax rate and an amount due are different data fields. An assessment search helps locate and describe a parcel; a recorded deed is the document to request when the question concerns a conveyance.
Local sites make the assessment and payment distinction visible. Lake County provides separate assessment information and payment status. Rock Island County likewise separates assessment search from property tax search. Other routes include Kane County assessments, McLean County parcel information, Sangamon County parcel search and the Winnebago County treasurer's tax inquiry. Follow the service's actual heading when deciding which record it supplies.
County recording services have their own pricing. Coles County's records page offers free index access from December 1978 forward and describes purchasable document copies from April 25, 1996 forward. Its Tapestry search is listed at $8.95, with $1 per printed page. The same page separately identifies a $10 certified copy charge per document. Those are different services from recording a new instrument.
The St. Clair County recorder offers free searching at office workstations, with copies from those workstations at $2 per page. Its occasional remote Tapestry search is listed at $8.75 and printed copies at $1 per page. Subscription access is another option. The difference from Coles County is a practical reason to read the local service's fee information before selecting a remote search.
For an already identified document, the Madison County recorder asks requesters to supply reference numbers and explains that staff do not perform title searches. The office posts copy prices of $1 per page by mail or $2 per page by email and a five to seven business day turnaround. Those published instructions let a requester separate finding the instrument from ordering a reproduction.
Other county recording offices provide their own starting points, including Macon County, Ogle County, Rock Island County and Sangamon County. Keep the county, recording reference and document date together when moving from a parcel search to an order. An Illinois property inquiry can otherwise reach the right county but the wrong office.
Business filings, assumed names and professional licenses
The Secretary of State business search provides entity file detail and certificates of good standing. A file detail report includes the official name and formation or registration date, plus president and secretary information for corporations or manager information for LLCs. The agency lists certificates of good standing at $25 for a corporation or LLC and $5 for a nonprofit. A purchased certificate and the displayed file information serve different purposes.
Local trade names need another search. Cook County's assumed business name service identifies county registration categories and connects readers to registration and search services. DuPage County's instructions describe assumed names for sole proprietorships and general partnerships operating under a name other than the owners' real names. Do not end a search for a local sole proprietor merely because there is no matching corporation or LLC in the state database.
For regulated work, use the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation's license checking page. Its monthly disciplinary reports describe actions taken in a particular month, while the agency directs readers to license lookup for current status. A historical discipline report may be affected by later court orders. Preserve both the date of an action and the current license status when evaluating an Illinois professional record.
The profession pages identify the appropriate regulatory category. For property work, IDFPR separates roofing contractors, home inspectors, appraisers, land surveyors, professional engineers and geologists. Checking the company in the Secretary of State database does not perform any of those occupational checks.
For health services, IDFPR maintains separate pages for physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacies and pharmacists, clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists and physical therapists. Its physician profile notice warns that the temporary profile database has not been updated since June 21, 2022, and directs disciplinary research to license lookup. An old profile should not be presented as current verification.
The same regulatory distinctions apply to specialized care. Illinois has separate profession pages for optometry, podiatry, perfusion, respiratory care, athletic training and massage therapy. The athletic training page concerns that profession, not representation of athletes by agents. For personal and animal services, use the relevant cosmetology or veterinary category before following its verification route.
Other credentials have separate custodians. IDPH's Health Care Worker Registry provides a worker search, and its training program search concerns approved programs. Illinois also offers a radiographer search and a radon active licensee listing. The latter can be narrowed by employer, license type, service county and city.
Financial and security services require still other categories. IDFPR provides bank and trust company information, a currency exchange and money transmitter page, and profession pages for public accountants, private detectives and alarm contractors. Our Illinois licenses directory connects these categories so a business name can be followed to the relevant regulator.
Illinois sex offender registration information
Illinois' official sex offender service description identifies 730 ILCS 152/115 as the authority for the statewide internet database maintained by the State Police. The database concerns people required to register under the applicable law. It is a specialized registration resource, not a substitute for every criminal case or conviction record in Illinois.
Use the State Police Offender Registry for the current public service. The Department of Corrections also provides a Parolee Sex Registrant Search. IDOC explains that its address information is updated by the Parole Division and can differ from the State Police registry. The two services should therefore be identified by their agency and purpose when comparing results.
For questions about an IDOC entry, its parolee search page gives the department's victim services contacts and directs registration questions to the State Police registry unit. If you also need the case outcome, obtain it from the Illinois circuit clerk that handled the prosecution. The registration service and the court record answer related but different questions, and their update processes are not identical.
Unclaimed property and Illinois Money Match
The Illinois State Treasurer's unclaimed property page describes more than $5 billion awaiting return and directs users to ICash. The program covers individuals, businesses and nonprofits. Examples include forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, utility refunds and safe deposit box contents transferred to the state. Searching and claiming through the Treasurer's service carries no fee.
Illinois also operates Enhanced Money Match. The Treasurer compares unclaimed property records with state records to identify some owners. When a match is confirmed, the office sends a letter explaining the amount and source, followed by a check. Some eligible owners therefore receive property without first submitting an ICash claim.
Money Match does not cover every claim. The Treasurer describes it as suitable for certain simple cases, such as cash owed to one person when ownership can be confirmed. Other property requires a claim and supporting documents through ICash. Receiving an automatic payment is consequently not a reason to stop checking the Illinois database for other property.
To verify a particular Money Match letter or check, use the Unclaimed Property Division contact information on the Treasurer's FAQ. That page also explains how the automatic process differs from a claim initiated by the owner. The office's main unclaimed property page provides the current route for claim status, forms and assistance with an address change on an existing claim.
Illinois driving records and voter registration
The Secretary of State's online driving record abstract service lets a person buy their own certified record for $21, consisting of a $20 fee and $1 payment processing charge. The record can be accessed and reprinted for five days after purchase. Save the document within that period if it will be needed later.
The abstract FAQ distinguishes the public abstract from the affected driver's court purposes abstract. The latter includes confidential information, such as court supervision dispositions, that is absent from the public product and is restricted to the listed authorized recipients. Selecting both records costs $41 through the online service. Confirm which version the recipient needs before paying for an Illinois abstract.
For another person's record, follow the Secretary of State's separate purchase instructions. The public product does not disclose the driver's address or other personal identifying information. The office describes a notice to the affected driver and a ten day notice period before mailing the requested abstract. The self-service purchase screen for your own record should not be treated as a third-party search tool.
For election records, the State Board of Elections provides a registration lookup. County services can provide more local detail. DuPage County's voter lookup describes name and address searches with precinct, polling place, representatives and sample ballot information, plus registration and ballot status information where applicable.
Use the local election authority for corrections and jurisdiction-specific assistance. Kane County's registration page explains address and name changes; Sangamon County provides registration instructions; and Winnebago County connects registration and election resources. For geographic questions, Madison County's election maps separate polling places and voting districts. Our Illinois voter records directory provides additional local routes.
Writing an Illinois records request that can be answered
First decide whether Illinois FOIA is the appropriate procedure. A request for village purchasing records belongs with that public body's FOIA officer. A certified divorce decree belongs with the circuit clerk, and an IDPH birth certificate application follows the vital records process. The Illinois Attorney General's public FAQ expressly distinguishes judicial offices from FOIA public bodies.
Describe existing records rather than asking an Illinois office to prepare an explanation. The Attorney General's request instructions recommend specificity and explain that FOIA provides inspection or copies of records, rather than answers to questions. For a municipal purchase, identify the contract, payment records, department and date range. For a police incident, identify the agency, incident date and report number if known.
Put the complete text of an electronic request in the message body. The Attorney General's Winter 2026 Public Access Counselor newsletter explains the amended section 3(c): an Illinois public body need not open attachments or hyperlinks to discover what records are being requested. If it receives such a request, it must notify the requester within five business days of the need for a compliant submission. Resubmit the full request in the message body.
Specify the existing electronic format you want, when appropriate. The Attorney General's law enforcement FOIA guidance explains feasible electronic production and distinguishes retrieving existing data from creating a new record. For Illinois copies subject to ordinary FOIA charges, ask for advance notice of fees and state whether inspection would meet your needs.
Finally, retain the Illinois body's response and any extension notice. If you seek PAC review, the review instructions require the original request and a signed explanation, including an explanation when no response was received. A short, documented sequence is more useful for that review than a later summary with no copies of the correspondence.
Illinois record guides on SearchSystems.net
The Illinois arrest records guide focuses on locating arrest-related information and distinguishing it from the State Police public conviction product. The Illinois background check guide follows the name inquiry and fingerprint routes in more detail. The Illinois inmate search guide explains the IDOC lookup and the department's related custody services.
The Illinois birth certificates guide compares the state certificate choices and ordering routes. The Illinois death records guide follows eligibility, state copies and county alternatives. The Illinois people search guide brings together person-related records held by different Illinois agencies.
The Illinois business search guide concentrates on entity details and Secretary of State searches. The Illinois public records law guide examines FOIA procedures and review. The Illinois sex offender registry guide covers the registration system in depth. The Illinois unclaimed property guide follows ICash claims and the state's automatic return program.
What the FBI counted in Illinois in 2024
The FBI Crime Data Explorer counts offenses reported by local agencies, not convictions and not calls. For 2024 it recorded 30,905 violent offenses and 190,564 property offenses across 98 counties in Illinois, from 550 agencies that reported a full twelve months. Against the same count for 2023 that is down 3 percent in violent offenses and up 4 percent in property offenses, though the number of agencies reporting changes from year to year, which moves the totals on its own.
The count follows population, so the largest counties carry most of it. These reported the most violent offenses in 2024:
- Cook County, 18,480 violent and 126,391 property offenses from 97 reporting agencies.
- Peoria County, 1,667 violent and 5,610 property offenses from 5 reporting agencies.
- Sangamon County, 1,214 violent and 6,578 property offenses from 13 reporting agencies.
- Lake County, 857 violent and 5,272 property offenses from 27 reporting agencies.
- Champaign County, 848 violent and 3,676 property offenses from 6 reporting agencies.
- Madison County, 626 violent and 2,993 property offenses from 19 reporting agencies.
A county total is the sum of what its agencies sent in, so a county whose agencies reported fewer months looks quieter than it is. Each county page on this site carries its own figures and names the offices that hold the underlying reports.
Illinois records by county
Illinois has 102 counties, a count also used in the State Police announcement of statewide 911 coverage. County pages are useful because Illinois circuit court files, recorded land documents, assessment information and local certificates follow county-level offices even when a state agency supplies a related index or verification.
For the Chicago area, begin with Cook County and the office appropriate to the record. Nearby DuPage, Lake, Will and Kane County pages provide separate local starting points. These counties also have their own single county judicial circuits, so a regional search should not assume Cook County's court service covers the others.
The McHenry County page is another distinct county route. For Rockford-area court records, the Winnebago County page connects readers to local services, including the circuit clerk's own access system. The Adams County page provides a western Illinois starting point for the local agencies serving that county.
For the Metro East area, use Madison County and St. Clair County separately. Their court access and recorder services have different arrangements and prices. The practical value of the county page is that it keeps those local custodians together while preserving the distinction between a case search, a deed order and a tax inquiry.
What changed in Illinois records in 2025 and 2026
Public Act 104-438 changed Illinois FOIA effective January 1, 2026. The Public Access Counselor's explanation covers the electronic message-body requirement and a new verification provision. If a public body reasonably believes a request was not submitted by a person, it can ask for oral or written verification within five business days. The response clock pauses pending verification; the law does not authorize a demand for a photo ID or other private identifying information for that purpose.
A December 3, 2025 decision also matters when evaluating electronic copy charges. In Public Access Opinion 25-014, the Attorney General rejected a $696 charge imposed by the Mattoon Police Department for software costs associated with redacting body camera footage. The opinion applied FOIA's rules for records maintained electronically, rather than treating redaction software as an ordinary paper copying expense.
The State Police fee schedule now labels its Fee Applicants section with an October 1, 2026 effective date. The UCIA public inquiry prices appear in a separate section. Readers comparing a licensing background check with a public conviction inquiry should choose the applicable section, rather than transferring one program's prices to the other.
For property research, IDOR's January 2026 property tax system guide provides the current statewide explanation of local tax administration. Individual counties still publish their own recording charges: Coles County's records page, for example, identifies its recording fee schedule as effective January 1, 2025. A statewide guide's publication date does not establish a county copy price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I email an Illinois FOIA request as an attachment in 2026?
Put the entire request in the email body. The Attorney General's Winter 2026 guidance explains that amended section 3(c) does not require an Illinois public body to open an attachment or hyperlink to discover the request. If notified that the submission is deficient, send a new, compliant request.
Does an Illinois public conviction check show every arrest?
No. The State Police public UCIA service supplies conviction information. Illinois FOIA section 2.15 separately governs specified arrest information held by criminal justice agencies. Use the arresting agency for that information and the relevant circuit clerk for the court case and disposition.
Can I use FOIA to get an Illinois divorce decree?
Request the decree from the circuit clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. Illinois judicial offices and circuit clerks are outside FOIA's public body definition. IDPH's $5 divorce verification confirms indexed facts and is not a certified copy of the decree.
Why does an Illinois death index search end in 1972?
The State Archives' 1916 through 1972 database is a historical index with its own coverage. It is separate from IDPH's service for ordering death certificates. The Archives also maintains a pre-1916 index, which it describes as an ongoing, incomplete project.
Is an Illinois business filing enough to verify a professional license?
No. A Secretary of State entity record identifies a registered business. Illinois professional credentials require the relevant regulator's search, such as IDFPR license lookup or IDPH's Health Care Worker Registry. IDFPR specifically warns that its temporary physician profiles have not been updated since June 2022.
Does an automatic Illinois Money Match check cover all my unclaimed property?
Not necessarily. The Treasurer's FAQ says Money Match handles eligible property that can be matched through available records. Other property may require an ICash claim and ownership documents. Search ICash even if the automatic program has already returned one item.