Search Illinois Civil Court Records

Illinois civil court records are public documents created when disputes are filed in the state's circuit courts. Cases cover contract claims, personal injury suits, small claims, property matters, and civil appeals. All 102 counties in Illinois keep civil case filings at the circuit court clerk's office. Most courts now allow online search access through state portals or county-specific systems. You can find Illinois civil court records through the statewide re:SearchIL portal, through Judici.com which covers 82 counties, or by visiting any circuit court clerk in person across the state.

Where to Find Illinois Civil Court Records

Civil court records in Illinois are filed and kept at the circuit court clerk's office in each county. Under 705 ILCS 105/16(6), all records, dockets, and books held by clerks of court are public records. They must be open for inspection at all times, at no charge, and anyone has the right to look, take notes, and get copies. This law applies to civil case filings, judgments, docket entries, and all papers filed with the clerk in any Illinois circuit court. The legislature has long held that public access to court records serves the public interest by keeping the judicial process transparent.

The Illinois Supreme Court maintains the official state judiciary portal at illinoiscourts.gov. From there, you can reach the Find Your Court interactive map, which locates the right courthouse for any county in Illinois. Each circuit court's contact details, local hours, and procedures are available through this directory. The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts sits at 222 N. LaSalle Street, 13th Floor in Chicago and oversees statewide court operations. The courts' stated mission is to protect the rights and liberties of all by providing equal access to justice and resolving disputes under the Illinois Constitution.

Some of the state's largest counties run their own case search systems. Cook County has a full portal at cookcountyclerkofcourt.org with search options for civil, law, chancery, probate, and domestic relations cases. Lake County uses a Journal Technologies portal at the Lake County eCourt portal. Will County's iPublic system at ipublic.il12th.org covers the 12th Judicial Circuit. McLean and Madison counties also have their own custom search pages. For the remaining 82 counties, Judici.com is the main free search tool.

The Illinois Courts website describes itself as "an independent branch of government" with a mission to provide equal access to justice and resolve disputes under the rule of law. The site includes approved court forms, a self-help section, and links to e-filing services for people who need to file or look up civil court records without a lawyer.

The Illinois Courts official homepage provides links to all circuit courts, the Find Your Court tool, and approved forms for accessing civil court records statewide.

The state courts portal at illinoiscourts.gov connects to every circuit court directory, the re:SearchIL document system, and self-help resources for civil cases in Illinois.

How to Search Civil Court Records Online in Illinois

Judici.com is the main online search tool for civil court records in 82 Illinois counties. The site is free for basic case lookups. Go to judici.com and open the court list to see if your county is included. Select your county, then click Go or Search Cases. You can search by case number or by name. For name searches, enter the format: Last name, First name Middle initial. Results show litigant info, civil judgments, fines and fees details, hearing dates, case minutes, and docket notes. The site also offers premium services for attorneys who want to search across all Judici counties at once using the Courtlook tool.

Illinois Legal Aid Online walks through how Judici results are organized. Each case record has an Information tab for party details, a History tab showing each court date and what happened, a Dispositions tab with the final outcome, and a Payments tab if fines or fees were involved. This layout makes it easy to trace a civil case from start to finish. Most civil cases filed from the mid-1990s forward are in the system. Older records may require an in-person visit to the county clerk.

The re:SearchIL portal at researchil.tylerhost.net covers the Illinois Supreme Court and five appellate courts. As the Illinois Supreme Court describes it, re:SearchIL is a "remote access system providing access to case information and documents on a statewide level" organized by user group. As of May 1, 2025, reviewing court documents through re:SearchIL is free to the public, following a fee suspension order from the Court. Case types excluded from public remote access include juvenile, adoption, and sealed cases under the Illinois Supreme Court Remote Access Policy.

The re:SearchIL portal provides statewide remote access to documents from the Illinois Supreme and Appellate Courts, now free to the public effective May 2025.

For circuit court civil records, use Judici.com or your county's local portal. Remote access through re:SearchIL covers only the reviewing courts.

Keep in mind that online records may not always be current. New filings sometimes take a few days to show up. If you need an official certified copy, you must request it from the circuit court clerk. Viewing records on a public computer at the courthouse is free in most counties. The Illinois Legal Aid Online guide on accessing court records notes that "online systems may not always be complete or up to date" and that you may not be able to see actual documents online, only docket entries, in some counties.

What Illinois Civil Court Records Contain

A civil court record in Illinois can include many types of documents depending on the case type and how far it went. According to Illinois Legal Aid Online, a court record typically contains case information (case number, party names, and case type), docket entries showing each court date and what happened, filings and pleadings (complaints, answers, and motions filed by both sides), court orders and judgments signed by the judge, exhibits or evidence entered into the record, and written transcripts of proceedings. These records trace the full history of a dispute, from the first filing to the final ruling.

Not every civil record is open to the public. Illinois law and Supreme Court Remote Access Policy limit access to certain case types. Juvenile delinquency and child protection cases are not public. Adoption records are sealed. Cases that have been formally expunged or sealed by court order are also off limits. Certain filings that contain Social Security numbers, bank account details, or medical records are withheld from public view even if the case itself is open. Juror names and questionnaires, original wills deposited with the court, and court reporting transcripts are also excluded from remote access. If a case does not appear in an online search, it may be sealed, not yet uploaded, or filed under a different name.

The Illinois Legal Aid Online guide on getting court records is a helpful starting point for understanding what you can access and how to request it.

The ILAO guide covers every step from finding a case number to requesting certified copies from any circuit court clerk in Illinois.

Electronic Filing for Illinois Civil Court Cases

Electronic filing is mandatory for all civil cases in Illinois. The state uses a single centralized system called eFileIL, available at efile.illinoiscourts.gov. As the Illinois Courts state directly: "Electronic Filing (or eFiling) is Mandatory for Civil Cases. eFiling is mandatory in all civil cases in the Illinois Supreme, Appellate, and Circuit Courts through a single, centralized electronic filing manager (EFM), called eFileIL." All filers must register before using the system. You submit documents through an Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP), a third-party site that checks your filing and delivers it to the court. The clerk accepts or rejects it, and you receive an electronic timestamp as confirmation. The system runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A few groups are exempt from the eFiling requirement. People who are incarcerated do not have to eFile. Filers with a disability that prevents electronic filing, those filing a will, and anyone with a good cause exemption are also excused. For self-represented filers who must use eFileIL, the Illinois Courts page for filers without lawyers walks through each step. The eFileIL FAQ page covers registration, document types, fees, and what happens when the clerk rejects a filing. Each EFSP also provides its own training and support for their particular website.

The eFileIL portal is the statewide electronic filing system used for all mandatory civil case filings in Illinois circuit courts.

All civil court filers in Illinois must register at eFileIL and choose an Electronic Filing Service Provider before submitting documents to any circuit court.

Civil Court Record Copy Fees in Illinois

Illinois law sets the fee structure for copying and searching civil court records. Under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, clerks may charge a search fee of up to $6 for each year searched within a division or district. For hard copy printouts from automated records, Cook County (which has a population over 3 million) may charge up to $10 per page. Every other county in Illinois is capped at $6 per page. Standard copy rates are $2 for the first page, $0.50 per page for pages 2 through 20, and $0.25 per page for any additional pages. A single in-person name or case inquiry is free when no hard copy is requested.

Remote electronic access changed in 2025. The fee for electronic remote access to court documents under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 313 was suspended effective May 1, 2025, until further order of the Court. Before that date, the fee was $0.10 per page with a cap of $3 per document. Certain groups have always been exempt from this fee, including judges, parties of record, attorneys of record, legal services providers, court clerks, and court employees. Viewing records on a public courthouse computer is free in most counties. Fees for new civil case filings are set by each county separately and vary across Illinois. Contact the circuit court clerk in your county to confirm current filing and copy costs before you go.

Legal Help for Civil Court Cases in Illinois

Illinois offers free help for anyone trying to navigate the civil court system. The Illinois Court Help service at ilcourthelp.gov is a free program run by the state courts. You can call or text (833) 411-1121 on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The service supports more than 200 languages through inLingo translation. A virtual guide named Lex offers live chat on the site. The service does not give legal advice but connects you to local legal aid groups, community resources, and court guides that can help with your civil case anywhere in Illinois.

Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org has step-by-step guides for common civil legal problems, including how to access court records, how to file a small claims case, and how to respond to a civil lawsuit. The self-help section of the Illinois Courts website has approved forms you can download for free. These forms work in all Illinois circuit courts. Many courthouses also have self-help centers where you can use public computers and speak with staff during business hours. The public resources page on the Illinois Courts website lists services available to people without legal representation.

The Illinois Court Help portal provides free guidance, court guides, and connections to local legal aid for anyone dealing with civil courts in Illinois.

Illinois Court Help is available weekdays and connects callers to local resources, translated guidance, and information about civil court procedures at no cost anywhere in Illinois.

Browse Illinois Civil Court Records by County

Civil court records in Illinois are organized by county. Each county's circuit court clerk keeps all civil filings for that area. Select a county below to find local clerk contact details, search portals, and civil court records resources in that county.

View All 87 Illinois Counties →

Civil Court Records in Major Illinois Cities

Residents of major Illinois cities file civil cases at the circuit court for their county. Pick a city below to find civil court records information and courthouse contact details for that area.

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