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Illinois Public Criminal Records
Understand Illinois public conviction information, locate a county criminal case, and choose the record that answers your question without overstating name-search results.
Decide whether you need convictions or a case file
Illinois State Police releases public conviction information under the Uniform Conviction Information Act, UCIA. This is not a public collection of every arrest, pending charge or police incident. For a statewide conviction inquiry use ISP’s Bureau of Identification; for the filings and outcome of a known prosecution, use the circuit clerk in the county where the case was filed. Decide which record the receiving person or organization needs before paying.
A name-based response is not conclusive identity proof. Two people may share identifying details, and an individual may appear under a different name. Preserve the exact submitted identifiers and compare a returned record with reliable information about the subject. Do not translate a conviction-only no-record response into a claim that the person has never been arrested or involved in a court case.
Compare the state inquiry formats and fees
| UCIA inquiry | Electronic / live scan | Manual / paper |
|---|---|---|
| Name-based search | $10 | $16 |
| Fingerprint-based conviction check | $15 | $20 |
These are the ISP processing fees posted when checked on October 2, 2026. Fingerprint-vendor services can have additional charges. A mandatory employment or licensing check may use a different authorized fee-applicant product and must follow the requesting agency’s instructions; the public UCIA price should not be substituted for its state-and-FBI requirements.
For an electronic name check, follow ISP’s Name Based Background Checks page to CHIRP, the Criminal History Information Response Process. Its authentication page requires a State of Illinois Digital ID and an ISP user agreement. Follow the registration guide for your circumstances; the page includes separate non-Illinois resident instructions. Do not mistake the general public availability of conviction information for an anonymous, unrestricted sign-in.
Prepare a reproducible name inquiry
Assemble the full name, birth date and other requested identifying fields before entering the inquiry. Keep an alias or maiden name separately from an uncertain spelling, and read the current submission instructions for the chosen product. For paper service, ISP provides an order page for the original non-fingerprint form ISP6-405B and fingerprint form ISP6-404B, mailed to the requester’s supplied address. Use the correct original form and its instructions rather than improvising an application.
Save the Transaction Control Number, TCN, when the inquiry is initiated. ISP’s response instructions say to return to CHIRP and enter that number to retrieve the name-search response. Keep the downloaded response and date with the application details. For an unresolved submission, email [email protected] or call 815-740-5160. A fixed name-check turnaround was not verified on the current service pages reviewed, so do not promise an instant response.
Match formal proof to the recipient’s requirement
If an ISP response needs notarization, the Bureau’s FAQ directs you to request it through [email protected] and provide the TCN. Ask for the required format before ordering another search. Notarizing a repository response does not turn it into a certified circuit-court judgment; a recipient asking how a particular charge ended may require that court’s disposition instead.
Use the Illinois Courts directory’s county filter to locate the correct circuit clerk and its official website. Record the court, case number, charge, filing date and requested document. Ask that clerk whether the public record can be viewed online or needs an office request, and confirm copying, certification and delivery charges. The statewide directory does not establish one uniform local fee or guarantee that every county exposes document images online.
Read the disposition rather than the accusation
A docket reference or initial charge does not by itself establish a conviction. Obtain the judgment, dismissal or sentencing document relevant to the question and read each charge’s final outcome. If the name match is doubtful or an expected case does not appear, keep the uncertainty visible and ask the holding office to check the exact reference. A county file supplies proceeding details; it is not proof of a complete statewide criminal history or current detention status.
Respect the source’s restricted-record and identification requirements. A public directory or search box does not authorize access to sealed records or private identifiers. If the actual need is a police report or current custody information, identify the responsible law enforcement or detention office separately instead of requesting that information as an ISP conviction report.
Review and challenge your own Illinois history
An individual can request Access and Review through an Illinois law enforcement or correctional facility or a licensed fingerprint vendor. The provider obtains fingerprints and identifying information and submits them to ISP. ISP sends the transcript and Record Challenge form, or a no-history statement, to the permitted address. If a facility receives it, only the subject may collect it; a document uncollected for 45 days after notice is destroyed.
Use the supplied Record Challenge form to explain inaccuracies. ISP provides a written response describing corrections made or stating why no correction was made. ISP itself charges no fee for Access and Review or a Record Challenge, though a fingerprint provider may charge. Keep the underlying court order or other evidence with the challenge, and distinguish fixing inaccurate data from obtaining a court order to seal or expunge an otherwise accurate record.
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