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 on September 23, 2026.
Madison County, Illinois, has about 263,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court of Madison 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, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Madison County public records, Madison County arrest records, Madison County warrants, Madison County inmate search, Madison County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Madison County
Court cases from Madison County are filed in the Circuit Court of Madison County, which 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 Madison County
For Madison County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at madisoncountyil.gov/departments/circuit_clerk/court_records_search.php (page title: Madison County Illinois Circuit Clerk Records Search), phone (800) 250-9884, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
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 Madison County
Together, the 20 agencies in Madison County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 8,317 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court of Madison County.
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 Madison County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Madison County criminal records, Madison County divorce records, Madison County traffic tickets, Madison County DUI and Madison County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Madison County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Madison County and Illinois. These court pages from its Madison County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Madison County Illinois Circuit Clerk (madisoncountyil.gov)
Cities in Madison County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court of Madison County.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Madison County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; a city with its own court records guide opens there:
- Granite City (26,854)
- Edwardsville (26,715)
- Collinsville (23,766)
- Glen Carbon (13,883)
- Troy (11,810)
- Wood River (10,251)
- Highland (10,028)
- East Alton (5,621)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Madison County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at madisoncountyil.gov, phone (800) 250-9884.
Which court hears felonies in Madison County?
The Circuit Court of Madison County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Madison 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 Madison 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.