Illinois Criminal Records Search by Name: Public Lookup Guide

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Illinois statewide records guide

Choose between an ISP conviction check and the actual court case

Illinois does not treat every criminal-record search as the same request. The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains the state’s criminal-history repository, while the circuit clerk in each county maintains the actual trial-court case. A public Illinois State Police name-based background check generally reports conviction information available under the Uniform Conviction Information Act. If you need pending charges, dismissed cases, court filings, sentencing documents or a complete case docket, you should also check the appropriate Illinois circuit court.

Coverage: Illinois statewide Primary agency: Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification Information checked: September 2026
Fast answer: use the Illinois State Police Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA) process when you need a public statewide conviction-history check by name. Use the person’s county Circuit Clerk when you need the actual criminal case. If you want to see your own fuller Illinois criminal-history transcript—including information that is not part of an ordinary public conviction check—use the fingerprint-based Access and Review process.
Search by name Statewide public conviction-history inquiry through ISP.
UCIA search →
Find a court case Charges, docket, disposition and court documents.
Circuit court →
Check your own record Fingerprint Access and Review through ISP.
Personal record →
Find an inmate Illinois Department of Corrections custody information.
IDOC search →
Fix an error Challenge inaccurate Illinois criminal-history information.
Record challenge →

Start by identifying what “criminal record” means for your search

Illinois criminal information is spread across different agencies. Searching the wrong system can make a real record look as if it does not exist.

Illinois State Police

Public conviction history

Statewide conviction information maintained by the Bureau of Identification and made public under the Uniform Conviction Information Act.

Circuit Clerk

Criminal court case

Charges, case number, docket activity, hearings, disposition, sentence and public court documents.

Police / Sheriff

Arrest or incident report

Law-enforcement reports created by the agency that investigated the incident or made the arrest.

ISP Access & Review

Your own fuller history

Fingerprint-based access to your Illinois criminal-history transcript for review and correction.

IDOC

State corrections record

Information about people in Illinois Department of Corrections custody and related correctional data.

Federal judiciary

Federal criminal case

Federal prosecutions are separate from Illinois circuit courts and use federal court systems such as PACER.

An arrest is not a conviction. A public ISP conviction check and a court docket answer different questions. Someone can have a court case that was dismissed or otherwise resolved without a conviction, and that event may not appear in an ordinary public UCIA conviction response.

What a public Illinois UCIA background check can show

The Uniform Conviction Information Act has been in effect since January 1, 1991. ISP states that the law requires criminal-history conviction information collected and maintained by the Bureau of Identification to be available to the public.

The key word is conviction. The public UCIA process is not intended to give an ordinary requester unrestricted access to every arrest, pending investigation or nonpublic event contained in Illinois criminal-justice systems.

Information wanted Best official source What to know
Statewide Illinois conviction history Illinois State Police UCIA Public conviction information maintained by ISP.
Pending criminal case Circuit Clerk A pending charge is not necessarily part of the public conviction-only response.
Dismissed or acquitted case Circuit Clerk Check the actual case docket and final disposition.
Police arrest report Arresting / investigating agency ISP Bureau of Identification does not maintain every local police report.
Your own full Illinois transcript ISP Access and Review Fingerprint-based personal process.
Illinois state-prison custody IDOC Use corrections search, not UCIA alone.

Current Illinois criminal-history search fees

The Illinois State Police publishes separate fees for manual/paper requests and electronic or Live Scan submissions.

Request type Manual / paper Electronic / Live Scan
UCIA name-based inquiry $16 $10
UCIA fingerprint-card inquiry $20 $15
Access & Review / Record Challenge ISP charges no processing fee; the fingerprinting provider may charge its own service fee.

Fees can change. Confirm the current amount on the Illinois State Police Fee Schedule before submitting payment.

Useful distinction: if you are simply trying to obtain your own transcript so you can inspect or challenge it, do not unnecessarily purchase a public conviction check. The ISP Access and Review procedure itself carries no ISP processing charge.

CHIRP is the electronic ISP criminal-history response system

CHIRP stands for Criminal History Information Response Process. ISP uses it for electronic criminal-history requests and responses.

CHIRP uses enhanced authentication and encrypted responses. ISP explains that users may need a State of Illinois digital identity and appropriate registration or user-agreement access before using the portal.

After a submitted name-based search is processed, ISP says the requester can retrieve the response using the Transaction Control Number (TCN) generated when the inquiry was submitted.

1 Submit inquiry Use the correct authorized CHIRP/UCIA workflow.
2 Save the TCN The transaction number is critical for tracking the request.
3 Check status Return to CHIRP or contact ISP Bureau of Identification support.
4 Save response Do not assume the electronic response remains available indefinitely.
Do not lose the TCN. It is the easiest way to identify and retrieve a particular submitted criminal-history inquiry.

How to make an Illinois name search more accurate

A statewide name-based search can produce false matches when the subject has a common name. It can also miss a record when a former or alternate name is not searched.

Tip 01

Use the complete legal name

Avoid informal shortened names when you know the full legal first and last name.

Tip 02

Add date of birth

DOB helps distinguish people who share the same or a similar name.

Tip 03

Search former names separately

ISP guidance notes that maiden names in a name-based UCIA inquiry may need to be submitted separately.

Tip 04

Keep the TCN

Save the Transaction Control Number for response retrieval and status questions.

Tip 05

Use fingerprints for identity certainty

A fingerprint-based check is more reliable when exact identity matters.

Tip 06

Verify with the court

Use the circuit-court file when a conviction result needs context, dates or certified documentation.

How to interpret an Illinois criminal-history response

The most important thing to remember is that a public ISP UCIA response is a conviction-information product. It should not be interpreted as a complete list of every contact the subject has ever had with law enforcement.

Do not convert “conviction search” into “complete life history.” Pending charges, sealed information, expunged records, juvenile matters and non-conviction events may be treated differently under Illinois law.

If you find a conviction

Identify the county

Determine where the case was prosecuted so you can locate the correct circuit clerk.

Locate the court case

Use the county circuit clerk’s official case-search system when one is available.

Read the final disposition

Confirm offense, conviction date, sentence and any later court activity.

Request certified documentation when necessary

A certified court record is stronger proof than a web-search screenshot.

What a “no conviction record” response does—and does not—tell you

A blank public conviction response does not necessarily mean the person has never:

  • been arrested
  • been charged in court
  • had a case dismissed
  • received an acquittal
  • had a record sealed
  • had a record expunged
  • had a juvenile case
  • been prosecuted outside Illinois
Next step when you know the county: go directly to the county Circuit Clerk and search the court case. The court file answers a broader set of case-history questions than a conviction-only UCIA response.

Illinois criminal court records are maintained by Circuit Clerks

Illinois circuit courts are the state’s trial courts of original jurisdiction. Each county elects a Circuit Clerk, and that clerk maintains the court’s case files and official records.

Illinois has 25 judicial circuits covering all 102 counties. Seven circuits consist of a single county: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, St. Clair and Will. Other circuits contain multiple counties.

There is no single simple statewide public trial-court name search that replaces all 102 Circuit Clerks. For practical criminal-case research, identify the county and use that county clerk’s official record system.
Illinois Circuit Courts Illinois Courts Public Resources

How to find the right Illinois court by county

1 Identify the county Use the location of the alleged offense or court case, not merely where the person lives today.
2 Find the Circuit Clerk Use the official Illinois Courts directory.
3 Open local case search Many counties operate their own online docket/search service.
4 Ask the clerk if needed Older or non-electronic files may require an in-person or written request.

The Circuit Clerk can help with publicly accessible records such as case numbers, docket entries and copies of court documents, subject to Illinois confidentiality and sealing rules.

Do not assume re:SearchIL is a complete statewide public criminal-case search

Illinois operates re:SearchIL as the statewide electronic court-document repository, but public access has developed in stages.

Since May 1, 2025, Illinois has provided free remote public access through re:SearchIL to eligible non-confidential documents in reviewing-court cases filed on or after April 1, 2025. Reviewing courts include the Illinois Supreme Court and the five Appellate Court districts.

That does not make re:SearchIL a universal replacement for every local Circuit Clerk’s criminal-case search. For trial-level criminal records, the county clerk remains a critical source.

Illinois Court Electronic Services

For an arrest report, contact the agency that created it

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains criminal-history information, but ISP specifically explains that it does not maintain every arrest case report or statement created by local arresting agencies.

For an incident report, arrest report or investigative record, contact:

  • the city police department that handled the incident
  • the county sheriff if the sheriff handled the arrest
  • Illinois State Police if ISP created the requested record
  • the Circuit Clerk for the resulting court case
FOIA is not a shortcut around criminal-history rules. ISP lists criminal background information as a separately available public resource and generally directs requesters to use the criminal-background process rather than filing a routine FOIA request for information that can already be obtained through that system.

How to see your own Illinois criminal-history transcript

If you are checking your own record, the most useful procedure is generally Illinois State Police Access and Review.

This fingerprint-based process allows an individual to review their Illinois criminal-history transcript and receive a Record Challenge form if something appears inaccurate.

Choose a fingerprint location

ISP says you may use an Illinois law-enforcement agency, correctional facility when applicable, or an Illinois-licensed Live Scan fingerprint vendor.

Request Access and Review

Tell the provider you are requesting your Illinois criminal-history transcript for Access and Review, not an ordinary employment background check.

Submit fingerprints and identifying information

The provider forwards the fingerprint transaction to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification.

Receive the transcript

ISP sends either the criminal-history transcript or a statement that no criminal history was found.

Challenge an error if necessary

Use the Record Challenge form included with the Access and Review response.

ISP — What’s on My Record?
ISP processing fee: Illinois State Police does not charge a processing fee for Access and Review or a Record Challenge. The fingerprinting location may charge you for taking and transmitting the fingerprints.

Where to get fingerprinted for an Illinois record review

ISP accepts Access and Review fingerprint submissions through approved channels, including Illinois-licensed Live Scan fingerprint vendors.

If the fingerprint check is for a regulated job, license or another statutory background-check purpose, obtain the correct instructions from the requesting employer or licensing agency before visiting the vendor. Those checks can use different purpose codes or procedures from a personal Access and Review.

ISP Fingerprint Background Checks
Personal review and employment screening are not interchangeable. ISP states that Access and Review is a procedure for the subject to inspect their own Illinois record, not a substitute for a statutorily required employment or licensing background check.

How to challenge incorrect Illinois criminal-history information

A Record Challenge is used when your ISP criminal-history transcript contains information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.

The challenge form accompanies the Access and Review response. ISP then reviews the dispute and sends a written response explaining whether a correction was made.

Step 1

Identify the entry

Note the arresting agency, arrest date, charge, court and disposition that appears incorrect.

Step 2

Obtain supporting proof

Court dispositions and agency documents can help demonstrate what should be corrected.

Step 3

Submit the Record Challenge

Follow ISP’s challenge instructions and keep copies of everything submitted.

ISP — Challenge Your Record

Use IDOC when the real question is incarceration

If you want to know whether someone is in Illinois state correctional custody, use the Illinois Department of Corrections Individual in Custody Search.

Search Illinois Corrections
IDOC is not a complete criminal-record search. Someone can have an Illinois conviction without currently appearing as a person in IDOC custody. County-jail detainees may also require a separate sheriff or county corrections search.

Use the court file when you need the legal case disposition rather than merely current correctional status.

Illinois has a separate public sex-offender registry

Illinois State Police operates a statewide Sex Offender Registry for individuals required to register under Illinois law.

The registry can currently be searched using information such as:

  • first and last name
  • date of birth
  • city
  • ZIP code
  • county
  • compliance status
  • geographic map search
  • offender type

ISP states that the public registry is updated daily.

The registry is specialized. A person not appearing on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry should not be described as having “no criminal record.” The registry only covers qualifying registration offenses.

Criminal appeals are searched separately from the county case

Illinois criminal cases can move from the Circuit Court to an Appellate Court and, in some matters, to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Since May 1, 2025, eligible non-confidential reviewing-court documents filed on or after April 1, 2025 have been available for free remote public access through re:SearchIL.

Practical workflow: first identify the trial-court case and circuit-court number. If the docket shows an appeal, use Illinois reviewing-court resources to follow the appellate case.

Expungement or sealing can change what a public search reveals

Illinois distinguishes between expungement and sealing. The effect depends on the type of case, disposition and statutory eligibility.

The Illinois Courts maintain statewide approved forms for:

  • requesting adult expungement
  • requesting adult record sealing
  • listing multiple cases
  • cannabis conviction relief
  • juvenile expungement
  • orders granting or denying relief

The adult forms were revised again in 2026, so use the current Illinois Courts forms rather than an old downloaded copy.

Illinois Expungement & Sealing Forms
Missing from a public search? Do not immediately assume the person never had a case. Public visibility can change because of sealing, expungement, juvenile confidentiality or another legal restriction.

Juvenile records do not follow ordinary adult public-search rules

Illinois juvenile records receive stronger confidentiality protections than ordinary adult criminal cases. A juvenile matter may not appear through the same public court or criminal-history search paths used for adults.

Illinois Courts publishes separate statewide juvenile-expungement forms and instructions.

Do not infer “no juvenile history” from an adult public conviction search. Public access rules are intentionally different for juvenile matters.

Federal criminal cases are not Illinois State Police records

A federal criminal prosecution filed in Illinois is handled by the federal judiciary, not an Illinois Circuit Court.

Use PACER to search federal district and appellate court cases.

Search Federal Court Records

Your own FBI Identity History Summary

If you need your own fingerprint-based FBI record, use the FBI Identity History Summary process. That is different from an Illinois UCIA conviction check.

FBI Identity History Summary

Name-based public research is not automatically a compliant employment background check

Employers, licensing agencies and other organizations may have separate statutory obligations governing criminal-history checks.

ISP’s UCIA guidance also distinguishes public conviction-information requests from fingerprint-based applicant background checks used for regulated purposes.

Purpose matters. When criminal-history information is used for employment, housing, licensing or another eligibility decision, additional Illinois and federal rules may apply. A public records search should not automatically be substituted for a required fingerprint check or legally compliant consumer background report.

Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification contact details

Bureau of Identification

Customer Support

Phone: (815) 740-5160

Email: ISP.BOI.Customer.Support@illinois.gov

ISP directs questions about fingerprint submissions, name-search status, Access and Review and related Bureau services to Customer Support.

Physical location

Bureau of Identification

260 North Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60432-4075

The Bureau is a restricted-access facility. ISP states that an appointment is required to enter.

Published appointment availability is generally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m..

Do not simply arrive at the Bureau for fingerprints. If you need an Access and Review fingerprint submission, an Illinois-licensed Live Scan vendor or another approved fingerprint provider is usually the more practical route.

Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification map

The Bureau of Identification is located in Joliet. Because the facility is restricted access, contact ISP and confirm whether an appointment is required for your specific task before traveling there.

A simple Illinois search workflow for common situations

Your question Start here Then verify with
Does this person have an Illinois conviction? ISP UCIA conviction-information request Circuit Clerk
Is there a pending criminal case? County Circuit Clerk Actual case docket
Was someone arrested yesterday? Local police / sheriff / jail Circuit Clerk after filing
What is on my own Illinois record? ISP Access and Review Record Challenge if inaccurate
Is someone in Illinois state prison? IDOC Individual in Custody Search Circuit Clerk for conviction details
Is there a federal criminal case? PACER Federal court record

Questions people commonly ask about Illinois name-based criminal-record searches

1. Can the public search Illinois criminal records by name?

Illinois law makes qualifying conviction information maintained by the Illinois State Police available to the public under the Uniform Conviction Information Act. ISP supports name-based UCIA inquiries as well as fingerprint-based requests.

2. Does an Illinois State Police name search show arrests that did not lead to conviction?

An ordinary public UCIA inquiry is a conviction-information search. It should not be treated as unrestricted access to every arrest or non-conviction event. For an arrest report or court case, check the appropriate police agency and Circuit Clerk.

3. How much does an Illinois name-based criminal-history search cost?

The current ISP fee schedule lists a UCIA name-based inquiry at $16 for a manual/paper request and $10 for an electronic request. Always confirm the current fee before submitting a request.

4. What is CHIRP?

CHIRP is the Illinois State Police Criminal History Information Response Process. It is the electronic system used for certain criminal-history inquiries and responses. The portal uses authenticated access and ISP registration or user-agreement requirements.

5. How do I see my own full Illinois criminal history?

Use the ISP Access and Review process. It requires fingerprint submission through an approved law-enforcement, correctional or licensed Live Scan provider. ISP then sends your Illinois criminal-history transcript or a statement that no record was found.

6. Does ISP charge for Access and Review?

Illinois State Police does not charge a processing fee for Access and Review or the Record Challenge. The agency or fingerprint vendor taking your fingerprints may charge its own service fee.

7. Where can I find an Illinois criminal court case?

Trial-court records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk in the county where the case was filed. Illinois has 102 counties and 25 judicial circuits, so identify the correct county and use that clerk’s official case-search or records process.

8. How can I find someone in an Illinois state prison?

Use the Illinois Department of Corrections Individual in Custody Search. IDOC information is separate from an ISP conviction-history check and does not replace the court case.

9. Can an expunged or sealed case disappear from a public search?

Yes. Illinois expungement and sealing laws can restrict or remove public access to qualifying records. Juvenile matters also follow different confidentiality rules. The Illinois Courts website provides current statewide expungement and sealing forms.

10. What should I do if my Illinois criminal record is wrong?

Obtain your record through ISP Access and Review and use the Record Challenge form supplied with the response. Supporting court or law-enforcement documentation can help ISP determine whether a correction is required.

Official Illinois resources used for this guide

Editorial note: Criminal-Record.org is an independent informational resource and is not affiliated with the Illinois State Police, Illinois Courts, Illinois Department of Corrections or another government agency. Public conviction-history information, court files, police records and corrections records are separate government datasets and can contain different information. A name match should be verified carefully, and an arrest or criminal charge should not be described as a conviction without checking the final court disposition.

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