How to Access Public Records in Illinois (Property, Court, Criminal, Vital & Business Records)

Illinois has broad public records access under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, but navigating records requires knowing which of Illinois’s 102 counties — and which specific county office — holds the record you need. Property deeds, court case files, criminal history reports, vital certificates, and business registrations are distributed across county recorders, circuit court clerks, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Secretary of State. This guide explains where each type of record is held, who can request it, and how to search effectively.

About PublicRecordHub: PublicRecordHub links only to official government offices and does not provide private background reports. All sources are verified and updated regularly to ensure accuracy.

Illinois Public Records Quick Facts


Open Records Law	Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.)
Response Deadline	5 business days (non-commercial); extendable by 5 more
Counties	102
Statewide Court Search	Partial — re:SearchIL for Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court records; county circuit clerks for trial courts
Statewide Property Search	No — county Recorder and Assessor offices
Birth/Death Records	Illinois Department of Public Health (from 1916)
Marriage/Divorce Records	County Clerk (certified marriage records); County Circuit Clerk (divorce decrees/case records); IDPH statewide indexes/verifications from 1962
Criminal Records	Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification
Business Records Portal	Illinois Secretary of State
Residency Required	No

Quickest Ways to Find Illinois Records

Record Type	Go To
Court cases (trial)	County Circuit Clerk
Court cases (appellate)	re:SearchIL portal
Property deeds	County Recorder of Deeds (or equivalent recording office)
Property values	County Assessor
Birth/death certificates	Illinois Dept. of Public Health
Marriage certificates	County Clerk
Divorce records	County Circuit Clerk
Criminal history	Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification
Business filings	Illinois Secretary of State (ilsos.gov)

What Are Public Records in Illinois?

Public records in Illinois are writings, reports, maps, photographs, recordings, electronic data, and other materials prepared, owned, used, or retained by a public body in connection with the transaction of public business. The Illinois FOIA defines “public records” broadly and presumes all records are open unless a specific statutory exemption applies.

How to Access Public Records in Illinois

Identify the type of record you need and the agency or office that maintains it.
Choose the record type — property, court, vital, criminal, or business.
For court records, identify the county where the case was filed and visit that county’s Circuit Clerk website; for appellate records, use the re:SearchIL portal.
For property records, identify the county and visit the County Recorder of Deeds for recorded instruments and the County Assessor for valuation data.
For vital records, visit the Illinois Department of Public Health — note that marriage certificates are issued by County Clerks and divorce records are held by County Circuit Clerks.
Submit FOIA requests in writing — by email, online form, mail, or fax. Requests must reasonably describe the records sought and include contact information.
Agencies must respond within five business days for non-commercial requests, with a possible five-day extension; commercial requesters have a 21-business-day response window.
For a directory of official Illinois county record portals organized by county and record type, visit PublicRecordHub.

Illinois’s Open Records Law

Public records in Illinois are governed by the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), codified at 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq. The law was enacted in 1983 and establishes a broad presumption that all government records are open to the public unless a specific exemption applies.

In simple terms: any document, email, recording, or other material created or maintained by an Illinois government agency in connection with public business is presumed to be a public record. The agency must justify withholding — the requester does not need to justify access.

Key provisions:

Non-commercial requesters receive a response within five business days, extendable by five additional business days with notice.
Commercial requesters have a 21-business-day response window.
Access is granted to any person — no residency requirement.
The first 50 pages of black-and-white letter or legal-size copies are free; fees apply beyond that. Electronic delivery is generally free when feasible.
Each public body must designate a FOIA officer responsible for handling requests and ensuring compliance.
Exemptions include law enforcement investigatory records, personnel files, Social Security numbers, HIPAA-protected health records, attorney-client communications, and preliminary drafts — listed at 5 ILCS 140/7.
Requesters may seek review by the Public Access Counselor (PAC) in the Illinois Attorney General’s office, or pursue judicial remedies in circuit court.
The Illinois Open Meetings Act (separate from FOIA) requires public meetings to be open and properly noticed — meeting minutes and recordings are public records subject to FOIA.

Who Can Request Public Records in Illinois?

Any person may request Illinois public records — there is no residency requirement. Residents, non-residents, businesses, journalists, researchers, and organizations may all submit FOIA requests. Requests must be in writing and reasonably describe the records sought.

The distinction between commercial and non-commercial requesters affects response timelines and fee structures. Non-commercial requesters receive faster responses and more favorable fee terms. Commercial requesters — those seeking records primarily for sale or resale — have a longer response window and different fee schedule.

Certain record categories carry access restrictions regardless of requester type — including active law enforcement investigatory records, juvenile court files, sealed records, medical records, and Social Security numbers.

Common Reasons Records Are Denied in Illinois

Even valid requests can be denied under a recognized exemption at 5 ILCS 140/7. Common reasons include:

Active law enforcement investigatory records that could compromise investigations or endanger sources
Personnel files and personal privacy — Social Security numbers, medical records, and home addresses of protected individuals
Attorney-client privileged communications and litigation files
Preliminary drafts, notes, and recommendations not representing final agency decisions
Records prohibited from disclosure by federal law (including HIPAA-protected health records)
Security-sensitive information — building plans, infrastructure vulnerabilities
Juvenile records and sealed court cases

If your request is denied, the agency must cite the specific statutory exemption. You may seek review through the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor or file a circuit court action; prevailing requesters may recover attorney’s fees.

Unique Challenges When Searching Illinois Records

Illinois’s size and structure create specific record-search challenges:

102 counties with no statewide property database — property deed records are held at the county level by each County Recorder of Deeds (or equivalent recording office). There is no centralized statewide portal for recorded land instruments.
No unified statewide trial court search — Illinois circuit courts are organized into 24 judicial circuits, but each county’s Circuit Clerk maintains its own case management system. The re:SearchIL portal covers appellate courts only.
Cook County’s scale — Cook County (Chicago) contains roughly 40% of Illinois’s population and has its own distinct systems for property records, courts, and vital records. Cook County’s online portals are more robust than most counties but use different interfaces.
Three-way vital records split — birth and death records are held by the Illinois Department of Public Health; marriage certificates are issued by County Clerks; divorce records are held by County Circuit Clerks. No single office holds all vital record types.
Illinois Clean Slate law — Illinois enacted a Clean Slate law to automate sealing for certain eligible records. Because implementation details and timelines can change, criminal history searches may not reflect records that were previously accessible. Confirm current rules with the Illinois State Police before relying on older assumptions.
County recorder platform variation — many Illinois county recorder offices use third-party platforms (Laredo/Fidlar, Tapestry) with different interfaces, fee structures, and image availability dates. Free index searches are common; image access often requires fees or subscriptions.

Common Mistakes When Searching Illinois Public Records

Going to the wrong county office for property records — the County Recorder of Deeds holds recorded instruments (deeds, mortgages, liens); the County Assessor holds valuation and ownership data. These are distinct offices that must be searched separately.
Expecting a statewide trial court search — re:SearchIL covers appellate courts only. Each county Circuit Clerk must be searched individually for trial court records.
Assuming Cook County systems apply statewide — Cook County has significantly more robust and different online systems than other Illinois counties. Procedures that work for Cook County often differ elsewhere.
Missing the commercial vs. non-commercial distinction — misidentifying your request type can result in agencies applying the wrong response timeline or fee schedule.
Requesting vital records from a single agency — birth and death go to IDPH; marriage goes to the County Clerk; divorce goes to the Circuit Clerk. Sending all requests to IDPH will result in partial denials.
Searching for sealed records after Clean Slate implementation — criminal history searches may not show records that were previously accessible due to automated sealing. Confirm current record visibility with the Illinois State Police.

Tips for Faster Illinois Records Requests

Identify the county first — for both property and court records, identifying the correct county is the essential first step before searching any portal.
Use re:SearchIL for reviewing court records — the re:SearchIL portal provides access to Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court records and is the official starting point for reviewing-court documents.
Contact the FOIA officer directly — each Illinois public body must designate a FOIA officer. Addressing your request directly to the FOIA officer speeds processing and creates an official paper trail.
Request electronic delivery — Illinois agencies can provide records electronically at no additional charge when feasible. This is typically faster than paper copies.
Cite 5 ILCS 140 — referencing the Illinois FOIA statute in your request signals awareness of your rights and establishes a formal record.
Use county recorder portals for property indexes — most Illinois county recorders provide free index searches online through platforms like Laredo or Tapestry; image access may require additional fees.

Property Records in Illinois

Property records in Illinois are maintained at the county level across Illinois’s 102 counties. Two distinct offices handle different aspects of property records:

The County Recorder of Deeds records legal instruments — deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other recorded documents.
The County Assessor (or Board of Review in some counties) maintains parcel data, ownership information, and assessed values.
The County Treasurer holds tax payment records and tax sale information.

There is no statewide property records database in Illinois — all deed searches must target the specific county where the property is located.

What Illinois property records contain:

Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, and trustee deeds
Mortgages, deeds of trust, and releases
Liens, judgments, and lis pendens
Grantor/grantee index entries and parcel identifiers
Property tax assessments and ownership history (County Assessor)
Historic deed records in some counties dating to statehood

How to search property records in Illinois:

Identify the county where the property is located.
Visit that county’s Recorder of Deeds (or equivalent recording office) website to search recorded instruments by grantor/grantee name, parcel ID, or document type.
Most county recorder sites use platforms like Laredo (Fidlar) or Tapestry — index searches are often free; image access may require a fee or subscription.
Visit the County Assessor portal for ownership history and assessed values.
Visit the County Treasurer portal for tax payment status and lien information.
Cook County uses distinct portals — recorded documents are handled through the Cook County Clerk’s recording services, while property valuation data is handled separately through the Cook County Assessor.
For historical records not yet digitized, contact the county Recorder directly or visit the Illinois State Archives.

Use PublicRecordHub’s Illinois county directory to locate the correct Recorder, Assessor, and Treasurer portals for any of Illinois’s 102 counties.

Court Records in Illinois

Court records in Illinois are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in each of Illinois’s 102 counties. Illinois circuit courts are organized into 24 judicial circuits, but each county maintains its own clerk office and case management system.

Illinois’s court structure:

Illinois Supreme Court — highest court; opinions published online
Illinois Appellate Court — five districts; opinions and records through re:SearchIL
Circuit Courts — trial courts in each county; civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic cases

Statewide resources:

re:SearchIL — the official portal for Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court (reviewing court) records and documents; does not cover circuit court trial records
Individual County Circuit Clerk websites — the primary access point for trial court records; coverage and online depth vary by county

How to access court records in Illinois:

For trial court records, identify the county where the case was filed.
Visit that county’s Circuit Clerk website to search by party name, case number, or filing date.
For appellate court records, use the re:SearchIL portal (Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court records) through the Illinois Courts website.
For documents not available online, contact the Circuit Clerk’s office — the official custodian of trial court records for that county.
For Supreme Court opinions and rules, use the Illinois Courts website directly.
Pay applicable fees for certified copies and transcripts.

Restrictions:

Juvenile, adoption, and sealed records are not accessible through public portals.
Mental health and certain family court records are confidential by statute.
Grand jury materials are exempt from disclosure.

Vital Records in Illinois (Birth, Death, Marriage & Divorce)

Vital records in Illinois are distributed across multiple agencies — there is no single office that holds all vital record types.

Birth and death records are maintained by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH):

Birth records from January 1916 to present
Death records from January 1916 to present
Some county-level records predate the state index (late 1800s)
Genealogical copies available for older records

Marriage and divorce records:

Marriage certificates are issued by the County Clerk in the county where the license was obtained. The IDPH maintains a statewide marriage index from 1962 onward, but certified copies come from the County Clerk.
Civil union certificates are maintained by County Clerks; IDPH index available from 2012 onward.
Divorce records are maintained by the County Circuit Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. The IDPH maintains a statewide divorce index from 1962 onward, but certified copies and case records come from the Circuit Clerk.

How to obtain Illinois vital records:

For birth or death certificates, visit the Illinois Department of Public Health vital records page or submit requests online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person.
For marriage certificates, contact the County Clerk in the county where the license was issued.
For divorce records and decrees, contact the Circuit Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted.
Provide a valid government-issued photo ID and proof of eligibility.
Pay the applicable fee; mail processing takes approximately 12 weeks for IDPH requests.

Access restrictions:

Certified copies of birth and death records are restricted to the registrant (if adult), parents, legal guardians, legal representatives, and those with a documented legal interest.
Third-party requests require court orders or legal authorization.
Genealogical copies of older records are available with fewer restrictions.

Criminal Records in Illinois

Criminal history information in Illinois is managed by the Illinois State Police (ISP) Bureau of Identification, which serves as the central statewide repository for fingerprint-based criminal history information.

Illinois has moderately restricted criminal history access. Conviction data is generally accessible, but full certified criminal history transcripts require fingerprint submission.

Important — Illinois Clean Slate law: Illinois enacted a Clean Slate law to automate sealing for certain eligible records, which affects what may appear in criminal history searches. Because implementation details and timelines can change, users should confirm current eligibility and availability rules with the Illinois State Police and the relevant circuit clerk before relying on older assumptions about record visibility.

What Illinois criminal records include:

Statewide criminal history transcripts (fingerprint-based)
Chicago RAP sheets (Chicago Police Department)
Local arrest records and court case files
Sex offender registration information

How to request criminal records in Illinois:

Court-based case records (public):

Search publicly available case records through the relevant county Circuit Clerk’s website.

Certified criminal history transcript: 2. Submit a fingerprint-based request to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification for a certified statewide criminal history transcript.

Chicago RAP sheet: 3. Request a Chicago RAP sheet through the Chicago Police Department for Chicago-specific arrest records.

Sex offender registry: 4. Search the Illinois Sex Offender Registry maintained by ISP at isp.state.il.us — searchable by name, county, or zip code.

Inmate information: 5. Use the Illinois Department of Corrections offender search for current and released inmate information.

Restrictions:

Juvenile records are confidential and not available through ordinary public-access channels.
Sealed and expunged records are withheld from public access; the Illinois Clean Slate law automates sealing for additional eligible categories — confirm current status with ISP.
Full certified transcripts require fingerprint submission.

Business Records in Illinois

Business entity records in Illinois are managed by the Illinois Secretary of State, accessible through the online business search portal at ilsos.gov.

Illinois Secretary of State maintains:

Corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and other registered entities
Articles of incorporation and formation documents
Annual reports listing officers, directors, and registered agents
Amendments, dissolutions, and merger filings
Registered agent information
UCC filings

How to search business records in Illinois:

Go to the Illinois Secretary of State business search at ilsos.gov.
Search by entity name, file number, or registered agent.
View entity status, formation date, registered agent, and filing history.
Download available formation documents and annual reports.
For UCC filings, use the UCC search tool on the Secretary of State portal.
For professional licenses, use the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) license lookup portal.

Additional Illinois Public Records

Certain specialized records are maintained by other state agencies:

Professional Licenses — healthcare providers, contractors, and other regulated occupations are searchable through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) license lookup portal.
Voter Registration Records — maintained by the Illinois State Board of Elections and county clerks.
Environmental Permits — air, water, and hazardous waste permits maintained by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Inmate Records — current and released inmate information available through the Illinois Department of Corrections offender search.
Sex Offender Registry — maintained by ISP and searchable at isp.state.il.us.
Illinois State Archives — holds historical government records, including pre-1916 vital records, land records, and legislative documents.
Campaign Finance Records — maintained by the Illinois State Board of Elections and searchable through the online campaign disclosure database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Illinois public records free?

Inspection of records is generally free. The first 50 pages of black-and-white letter or legal-size copies are free; fees apply beyond that. Electronic delivery is generally free when feasible. Vital records certified copies carry per-certificate fees. Criminal history transcript fees vary by request type.

Can non-residents request Illinois public records?

Yes. The Illinois FOIA grants access to any person regardless of residency. There is no requirement to be an Illinois resident or to state a purpose for the request.

How far back do Illinois records go?

The Illinois Department of Public Health holds vital records from January 1916, with some county records predating the state index from the late 1800s. County recorder deed records vary — many large counties have digitized records going back decades; the Illinois State Archives holds historical records predating digitization. Business records through the Secretary of State date to the entity’s formation date.

Are criminal records public in Illinois?

Court case records — including many criminal dockets and dispositions — are accessible through county Circuit Clerk portals. Certified statewide criminal history transcripts require fingerprint submission to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification. Juvenile, sealed, and expunged records are not available through ordinary public-access channels. Note that the Illinois Clean Slate law automates sealing for additional eligible categories — confirm current record visibility with the Illinois State Police.

What is the Illinois Clean Slate law?

Illinois enacted a Clean Slate law to automate record sealing for certain eligible arrests and convictions — previously, sealing required a petition. Under the law, Illinois State Police identifies qualifying records and transmits sealing orders to circuit clerks. Sealed records are excluded from consumer background check reports while law enforcement retains access. Because implementation details and timelines can change, users should confirm current eligibility and availability with the Illinois State Police and the relevant circuit clerk.

What is the difference between the Illinois FOIA and the Open Meetings Act?

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) governs access to government documents and records. The Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120) requires public bodies to hold open meetings with proper notice and recordkeeping. If you want documents, FOIA applies. If you want to attend a meeting or obtain meeting recordings and minutes, the Open Meetings Act applies. Both laws work together as Illinois’s core transparency framework.

Do all Illinois counties provide online record access?

Online access varies significantly across Illinois’s 102 counties. Cook County has the most robust online systems for property, court, and vital records. Most county recorders provide online index searches through platforms like Laredo or Tapestry; image access often requires fees. County Circuit Clerk online access varies widely — some counties have comprehensive case search portals while others require in-person requests.

Find Illinois County Record Portals

Illinois has 102 counties, each maintaining its own Recorder of Deeds, County Assessor, County Clerk, and Circuit Clerk. Finding the right portal for property records, court filings, vital records, and other documents requires navigating each county’s separate systems.

A directory of official Illinois county record portals, organized by county, is available free through PublicRecordHub — connecting you directly to official government sources for all 102 Illinois counties.