Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
Clay County, Illinois, has about 13,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court of Clay County, and the file of each case, kept by the Circuit Clerk, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Clay County public records, Clay County arrest records, Clay County warrants, Clay County inmate search, Clay County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Clay County
In Clay County, the Circuit Court of Clay County hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court's domestic relations division, and the file stays with the Circuit Clerk.
The Circuit Clerk keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Looking Up a Case from Clay County
For Clay County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at illinoiscourts.gov/courts-directory/73/Clay-County-Courthouse/court (page title: Clay County Courthouse | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts), phone (618) 665-3525, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026. That page belongs to a lower court, not to the Circuit Court of Clay County.
Illinois has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The Illinois court page SearchSystems verified is at illinoiscourts.gov.
What Reaches the Court from Clay County
Together, the two agencies in Clay County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 191 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court of Clay County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at claycounty.illinois.gov/states-attorney (page title: States Attorney), phone (618) 665-3522, 111 E. Chestnut St. P.O. Box 190 Louisville, IL 62858, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Clay County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Clay County criminal records, Clay County traffic tickets, Clay County DUI and Clay County property records.
Cities in Clay County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court of Clay County.
The cities and towns in the county are Flora, Louisville, Clay City, Xenia, Iola and Sailor Springs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Clay County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at illinoiscourts.gov, phone (618) 665-3525.
Which court hears felonies in Clay County?
The Circuit Court of Clay County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Clay County?
The Circuit Clerk. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Illinois?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Clay County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.