There are scores of options available to seek criminal and court records in the state of Illinois. While the local sheriff’s office, the state police department and the county clerk’s office are all legally bound to offer information on public records, going through the right source will not only get you in depth details but also you will get your hands on the information faster.
Crime history information
If you are looking for criminal history records, it would be best to approach the Illinois State Police in person or through their website at http://www.isp.state.il.us/crimhistory/chri.cfm. The agency also offers online access to the UCIA (Uniform Conviction Information Act Information) sheet at https://dnr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnr/safety/documents/backgroundcheckform.pdf or you can request it by mail. Write to:
Illinois State PoliceBureau of Identification, 260 North Chicago StreetJoliet, Illinois 60431-1060
The agency can also be contacted over the phone by dialing 815-740-5160 during business hours from Monday through Friday.
Electronically served records: The Illinois State Police also accepts request for background checks electronically. While this is not an online crime history search tool, applicants can expect to get a response via email to their request within 24 hours of submitting it. This program is known as FEESUB and you can get an enrollment form for it at https://isp.illinois.gov/JusticeServices
The State Police have also published a guide on accessing crime history information which can be downloaded from https://www.isp.illinois.gov/StaticFiles/docs/Identification/5-727.pdf
Record expungement
The ISP not only handles requests for crime history information but also appeals to have criminal convictions expunged. People interested in record expungement will have to go through the office of the State Appellate Defender. You can also visit their site at https://www2.illinois.gov/osad/Pages/default.aspx. Not only can you get all the information needed on the expungement process from this source but also you will be able to download all the forms needed to initiate the procedure. You can also request an expungement packet and details on eligibility for expungement from the agency.You can contact the office of the State Appellate Defender at:
All counties of Illinois
P.O. Box 5240 Springfield, IL 62705-5240 Tel no:866-431-4907 Cook County
P.O. Box 64895 Chicago, IL 60664-0895Tel no: 866-787-1776
Civil and consumer information
All information on civil matters that go through the judiciary and consumer complaints is maintained by the county clerk’s office and the attorney generals department. Although, the agency cannot fight a matter on behalf of an individual, they do offer limited mediation and information on complaints filed by individuals. You can also contact the attorney general’s office to file a complaint against commercial fraud http://www.ag.state.il.us/consumers/conscomp.pdf.
Inmate parole and escapee information
All details pertaining to individuals being processed through the Illinois prison system can be found with the state Department of Corrections. Visit their website at http://www.illinois.gov/idoc/OFFENDER/Pages/InmateSearch.aspx or contact them over the phone at 217-522-2666. The IDOC also offers information on visiting the various correctional facilities in the state along with information on several community initiatives like the victim notification program.
Legal counsel
The Illinois Criminal Justice information Authority works towards improving the administration of criminal justice, so if you need legal help, it would be prudent to use their lawyer referral service. Get in touch with them through their website at http://www.icjia.state.il.us/ or calling on 217-525-5297. Alternatively, you can also contact the Illinois Bar association through their site at https://www.isba.org/
Finally, if you are looking for information on active and arrest warrants issued in the state of Illinois, it would best to enlist the help of a third party provider. While the state police does offer criminal conviction records, information about warrants is not disseminated to the public. A third party record service will not only give you access to Illinois state warrant information but also they will have data on crime history from all over the country.