Search Lake County Criminal Cases, Arrest Records & Public Records
Lake County criminal information is split among several official systems. The Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the official keeper of court records for criminal cases filed in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit; the Lake County Sheriff’s Office maintains jail, arrest and law-enforcement records; and the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains statewide criminal-history information. This guide shows which source to use, how to search it, and what to do when an online result does not provide the entire record.
Which Lake County criminal record are you trying to find?
No single Lake County database contains every arrest, court filing, booking, conviction and prison record. Start with the agency that created the information.
Criminal court case
Felony and misdemeanor charges, court events, dispositions, judgments, docket activity and qualifying court-file documents.
Jail / booking information
Current adult jail custody, booking-related information and Sheriff’s law-enforcement records.
State criminal history
Statewide Illinois conviction information and qualifying fingerprint-based criminal-history checks.
State prison / parole
Current Illinois correctional custody and qualifying supervision information.
Certified court document
Official certified judgments, orders and other qualifying case documents.
Federal prosecution
Federal criminal cases are separate from the Lake County state-court system and must be searched through PACER.
How to search Lake County criminal court records
The Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the official keeper of records for judicial matters filed in the Circuit Court of Lake County.
The Clerk’s online portal provides public access to basic case information and, depending on access level and document restrictions, qualifying court documents.
Open the official Lake County Circuit Clerk portal
Use the Clerk’s own website rather than an unofficial “Lake County criminal records” aggregator.
Search by case number when possible
A case number is generally more precise than a name search. If you only know the person’s name, compare identifying information carefully before assuming a match.
Review the criminal case summary
Look at charges, filing dates, court events, case status and disposition information.
Read the outcome of every charge
A case can include several counts with different results. One count may be dismissed while another results in conviction or another disposition.
Request the official document when needed
Use the Clerk’s Records Division or certified-copy system if you need a judgment, complaint, sentencing record or certified proof of the disposition.
What Lake County’s Online Portal can do
The Circuit Clerk says its current Online Portal supports several functions:
- access basic case information
- download qualifying court documents
- pay fines and fees online
- submit proposed orders where permitted
Public users and attorneys do not necessarily have the same document access. Party-of-record and attorney case access can require account registration and approval.
How to read a Lake County criminal case correctly
| Case item | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | The criminal allegation filed in court. | A charge is not proof of guilt. |
| Case status | Whether the case remains pending, closed or otherwise categorized. | Status alone may not explain the result of individual counts. |
| Hearing / event | A scheduled or completed court event. | Later events may modify earlier settings. |
| Disposition | The result entered for a count or case. | Look for conviction, dismissal, acquittal, supervision or another outcome. |
| Sentence | Court-imposed consequence following a qualifying disposition. | Read incarceration, probation, fines and other terms separately. |
| Case number | The official identifier for the case. | Save it for copy requests or clerk-assisted research. |
How to get Lake County criminal case documents
The Clerk’s Records Division can provide copies of documents or full court records, assist with public viewing of eligible court files and provide general case information.
The Records Division can be reached at 847-377-3211.
Lake County also provides an online Document Copy Request Form.
For criminal cases, the request form asks for the defendant’s name and, where available:
- case number
- case title
- document name
- document filing date
- whether certification is required
Lake County Circuit Clerk background / record search
The Clerk’s office also offers a formal record search for an individual or business. This is different from simply browsing the online portal.
| Requirement | Lake County guidance |
|---|---|
| Name | Provide the individual or business name to be searched. |
| Years | Identify the years you want the Clerk to search. |
| Case type | Specify criminal, traffic, civil or the applicable category. |
| Date of birth | Include DOB when the request concerns an individual. |
| Current search fee | $6 per name per year |
Requests can be made in person or by mail. Mail requests should include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
ATTN: Record SearchClerk of the Circuit Court
18 N. County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
Order certified Lake County criminal court records online
Lake County now offers Clerk E-Certify for online certified-copy requests involving eligible, non-restricted cases and documents.
The Clerk says:
- no account or sign-in is required for ordinary eligible requests
- certified copies can be requested online
- sealed cases are not available through ordinary online E-Certify access
- older cases may bundle numerous scans under “Case Document Images”
Older Lake County criminal cases and archived files
An older case can appear in an index even when every document is not immediately available online. Lake County maintains a storage-file retrieval process for files that are no longer in active onsite storage.
If an old case is incomplete online:
Find the case number first
Use the online portal or a Clerk record search.
Check E-Certify for available scans
Older files may appear as a large “Case Document Images” scan.
Submit a storage retrieval request when needed
The Clerk maintains a separate process for retrieving stored court files.
Ask Records for the exact document
Provide the case number, defendant name and document description whenever possible.
Lake County Circuit Clerk office in Waukegan
Lake County Courthouse Complex
18 N. County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
Main:
847-377-3380
Criminal / Traffic:
847-377-3250
Records:
847-377-3211
Current public hours
Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Visitors may enter through the Criminal Court Tower at 301 Washington Street or the north entrance near the county parking garage.
Lake County Courthouse map
Main Circuit Clerk address: 18 N. County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085. The Criminal Court Tower entrance is at 301 Washington Street.
Lake County jail and inmate search
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office inmate locator is the official starting point for current county-jail custody.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office
29 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue
Waukegan, IL 60085
Corrections: 847-377-4150
Current local custody
Use the jail system for current county custody rather than assuming every person in a Lake County court case is still held locally.
Request arrest reports and Sheriff’s records
Arrest reports, incident reports, accident reports, body-camera records and other Sheriff’s records are not the same as the criminal court file.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office advises waiting approximately 5 to 7 business days after an incident before contacting Records for an ordinary report, because reports must be completed, reviewed and submitted to the Records Division.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office
25 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue
Waukegan, IL 60085
Records:
847-377-4200
Main:
847-377-4000
Requests for body-worn-camera video or other audio/visual records should be submitted separately according to the Sheriff’s instructions.
Sheriff’s records-request guidanceLake County FOIA requests for criminal-justice records
Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act allows inspection or copying of qualifying public records. Each Lake County department responds to requests for records it maintains.
For example:
Court records
Use the Circuit Clerk and court-record procedures rather than the county’s general FOIA portal.
Sheriff arrest / incident records
Submit the request to the Sheriff’s Office Records/FOIA unit.
Adult Corrections records
Lake County provides a separate FOIA path for records maintained by the Adult Corrections Facility.
| FOIA item | Current Lake County guidance |
|---|---|
| Typical response deadline | 5 business days, subject to a lawful extension of up to 5 additional business days. |
| First 50 black-and-white pages | Free |
| Additional black-and-white pages | $0.15 per page |
| Electronic records | Can be requested and provided where permitted. |
| Public-interest fee waiver | Can be requested when statutory public-interest criteria are met. |
Illinois statewide criminal-history records
A Lake County court search covers cases filed in Lake County. For statewide Illinois criminal-history information, use the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification.
Illinois makes conviction information maintained by ISP available through the state’s criminal-history processes. Name-based and fingerprint-based searches are different products.
| Search type | Manual / paper | Electronic / Live Scan |
|---|---|---|
| Name-based UCIA inquiry | $16 | $10 |
| Fingerprint UCIA inquiry | $20 | $15 |
| State-only fingerprint applicant check | $20 | $15 |
These are current Illinois State Police processing fees. Live Scan vendors may charge a separate fingerprinting/service fee.
Illinois State Police criminal historyFingerprint-based Illinois background checks
Fingerprint-based checks provide stronger identity matching than a name-only search. Illinois uses licensed Live Scan fingerprint vendors for many in-state fingerprint submissions.
If the check is required for employment, licensing, healthcare, education or another regulated purpose, obtain the instructions from the requesting agency first. Different statutes can require different combinations of Illinois and FBI checks.
How to review your own Illinois criminal record
Illinois State Police provides an Access and Review / Record Challenge process when you want to inspect your own Illinois criminal-history transcript or correct an error.
Get fingerprinted
Follow the ISP Access and Review instructions and use an appropriate fingerprinting facility or vendor.
Obtain your Illinois transcript
ISP searches the state criminal-history repository using your fingerprints.
Compare each arrest with Lake County court records
A missing court disposition may make an arrest entry appear incomplete. Use the Circuit Clerk to obtain the final disposition when needed.
Challenge inaccurate information
Use the Illinois State Police record-challenge process and submit supporting court documents or other proof where appropriate.
Illinois prison and parole records
Someone who has moved from Lake County jail into Illinois state custody should be searched through the Illinois Department of Corrections Individual in Custody Search.
IDOC information is separate from the Circuit Clerk’s court file and from the Lake County Sheriff’s jail system.
court outcome → Circuit Clerk
current Lake County jail custody → Sheriff
Illinois state correctional custody → IDOC
Expunging or sealing a Lake County criminal record
Illinois distinguishes between expungement and sealing. Eligibility depends on the arrest or case outcome, conviction type, sentence and other legal factors.
Illinois Courts published revised statewide expungement and sealing forms in 2026, and every Illinois circuit court must accept the approved statewide forms.
Gather your Lake County cases
Use the Circuit Clerk portal or formal record search to identify case numbers and final dispositions.
Review your statewide Illinois history
The ISP Access and Review process can help identify additional arrests or cases outside Lake County.
Determine whether each record qualifies
Dismissed charges, acquittals, supervision and convictions can have different expungement or sealing rules.
Use the current statewide forms
Illinois Courts provides a free guided Easy Form and downloadable approved forms.
File with the Lake County Circuit Clerk
Follow Lake County’s current filing and e-filing procedures and pay any applicable filing fee unless a fee waiver applies.
Lake County’s current schedule lists a different fee where a petition to seal is opened without an existing case, so verify the exact filing category before paying.
Illinois expungement / sealing forms Lake County filing feesJuvenile and other restricted Lake County records
The Lake County Circuit Clerk specifically excludes juvenile matters from ordinary record searches. Sealed, expunged, impounded and otherwise confidential records can also be unavailable through ordinary public portal access.
Federal criminal cases involving Lake County
Federal prosecutions are separate from Illinois circuit-court records. Lake County falls within the federal Northern District of Illinois.
Use PACER for federal criminal case dockets and public documents.
Lake County criminal-record search tips
Save the case number
It makes copy requests, clerk calls and certified-document orders substantially easier.
Check every disposition
Multi-count cases can have different outcomes for different charges.
Use Clerk E-Certify when proof matters
A screenshot of the portal is not a substitute for an officially certified court document.
Don’t use FOIA for the court file
Lake County directs court-record requests through the Circuit Clerk and judicial system.
Give Sheriff’s reports time to finish
The Sheriff’s Office recommends waiting about five to seven business days after an incident before requesting an ordinary completed report.
Jail search is not criminal history
Current custody information should be followed by a court search to learn the actual case outcome.
Search statewide when needed
A Lake County search will not identify every Illinois case filed in another county.
Check old files through Records
Historical documents may require storage retrieval or clerk assistance.
Federal means PACER
Federal prosecutions are not Lake County Circuit Court cases.
Lake County criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Where can I search Lake County, Illinois criminal court cases?
Use the Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court’s official Online Portal. The Clerk is the official keeper of records for judicial matters filed in the Circuit Court of Lake County.
2. Can I get criminal case documents online?
Lake County’s portal supports access to qualifying court documents, although public users, parties and attorneys can have different access levels. Sealed or otherwise restricted material is not available through ordinary public access.
3. How much does a Lake County Clerk record search cost?
The Circuit Clerk currently charges $6 per name per year for a formal record search requested in person or by mail.
4. How do I obtain a certified Lake County criminal court record?
Use the Circuit Clerk’s Clerk E-Certify service for eligible non-restricted cases or contact the Clerk’s Records Division at 847-377-3211.
5. Where can I search for a current Lake County jail inmate?
Use the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Locate an Inmate service for current county-jail custody.
6. How do I request a Sheriff’s arrest or incident report?
Contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Records Division or submit a written FOIA request. The Sheriff’s Office recommends waiting approximately five to seven business days after an incident for an ordinary report to be completed and reviewed.
7. How do I search criminal history throughout Illinois?
Use the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification rather than relying only on the Lake County court portal. Illinois provides name-based and fingerprint-based criminal-history search processes.
8. Can a Lake County criminal record be expunged or sealed?
Some Illinois arrests, cases and convictions can qualify for expungement or sealing depending on the disposition, offense and sentence. Illinois Courts provides statewide approved forms, including forms revised in 2026.
9. Why can’t I find an old Lake County criminal case online?
The file may be stored offline, sealed, expunged, restricted, juvenile, historically archived or indexed differently. Use the Circuit Clerk’s Records Division or storage-file retrieval process when an online search is incomplete.
10. Does Lake County’s criminal search include federal cases?
No. Federal criminal cases are maintained by the federal judiciary and should be searched through PACER.
Official sources used for this Lake County guide
- Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court
- Lake County Circuit Clerk — Online Portal
- Lake County Circuit Clerk — Record Searches
- Lake County Circuit Clerk — File & Document Requests
- Lake County Circuit Clerk — Certified Copies
- Lake County Circuit Clerk — Locations & Hours
- Lake County Sheriff’s Office — Locate an Inmate
- Lake County Sheriff’s Office — FOIA Requests
- Lake County Sheriff’s Office — Report & Records Requests
- Illinois State Police — Criminal History
- Illinois State Police — Fingerprint Background Checks
- Illinois State Police — Access & Review / Record Challenge
- Illinois Department of Corrections — Individual in Custody Search
- Illinois Courts — Expungement & Sealing Forms
- PACER — Federal Court Records