Illinois Court Records

Accessing Illinois Court Records

Court records are in the public domain and so you can legally ask for the record as long as the record is sharable, and you are eligible to get it. But how do you do this? Where do you approach? And what are the requirements for qualification?

There are various ways to access court records in Illinois. You can approach the Clerk at the courthouse in person; you can request for it over the phone and can carry out a search with the SSN of the person if you know it. You can access court records in IL on the Internet too. There is the state record website, and there are some private websites too that can help you.

Restrictions

Because of the US Freedom of Information Act, you enjoy the ability to have access to the court records. The authorities are legally bound to preserve the proceedings, and they are also legally obliged to provide you access to the information on your making that request. But, there are a few exceptions where some information is withheld. This information is kept private in the larger interest.

Once you have the information contained in these records, you are supposed to preserve it. You cannot sell it to a third party and cannot use it commercially in any way. If in case you are found guilty, the legal system will take steps against you.

Who can apply?

Not everyone can apply. When you request for a court record, you need to mention your relationship with the person whose record you are seeking. You are also required to mention why you want the record, and your relationship with the case. You must submit your own details while making the application and a valid photo ID proof should accompany this.

How to Find and Access Court Records?

You can find the information easily.

You need to start by providing the person's full name, as well as the court's name where the case was filed. If you want to check records of a case that was heard and reconsidered, you should visit the Court of Appeals.

Do not lose hope if the court cannot come up with the record you want for some reason. Though quite rare, but it can sometimes happen (in most cases this happens because you do not have the information required to conduct the search, or you have supplied incorrect information). In such a case, you can head to the public library.

Information You Can Find in Illinois Court Records

The information you can get include the age and sex of the person and related other information, current and previous phone numbers and addresses, marriage and divorce records, default, arrest, police, criminal, courts, property and business records, military, navy and army records. And of course you can learn a bit about the circumstances of the case, and the final judgment passed.