SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Monroe County is a county in Illinois with about 35,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 8 county office pages for Monroe County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, State's Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Monroe County public records live

Each kind of Monroe County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Monroe County

A person arrested in Monroe County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Monroe County.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Monroe County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Monroe County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Monroe County.

  • Website: monroecountyil.gov/departments/circuit-clerk (page title: Circuit Clerk | Monroe County, IL)
  • Phone: 618-939-8681
  • Address: 100 S. Main St., Waterloo, IL 62298
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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County Clerk of Monroe County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Monroe County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Monroe County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Monroe County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: County Recorder

Property values: Supervisor of Assessments

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Birth, death and marriage records in Monroe County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Monroe County are issued by the office below. The Illinois state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

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State's Attorney for Monroe County

The State's Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Monroe County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

  • Website: monroecountyil.gov/departments/states-attorney (page title: State’s Attorney | Monroe County, IL)
  • Phone: 618-939-8681
  • Address: 100 S. Main St., Waterloo, IL 62298
  • Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Public records requests to Monroe County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Monroe County.

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Statewide Illinois sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the Illinois state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Monroe County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Monroe County

Monroe County has 6 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of each linked city; the linked names open them.

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Monroe County Arrest Records

The Monroe County arrest records guide names the four agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 117 arrests the two agencies with every month of 2024 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Monroe County Records Guides

SearchSystems has nine more guides to Monroe County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Monroe County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Monroe County inmate search (the jail page of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Monroe County criminal records (the court file, the Illinois criminal history and the local arrest records), Monroe County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Monroe County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Illinois Freedom of Information Act requires), Monroe County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Monroe County DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Monroe County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Monroe County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Monroe County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Monroe County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Monroe County at monroecountyil.gov. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Monroe County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Monroe County is at monroecountyil.gov/departments/circuit-clerk, phone 618-939-8681. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Monroe County?

The County Recorder, at monroecountyil.gov. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Monroe County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Monroe County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Monroe County vital records at monroecountyil.gov, or from the Illinois state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Monroe County?

Through the records request page at monroecountyil.gov. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.