Find Civil Court Records in Tazewell County

Tazewell County civil court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk of the 10th Judicial Circuit, located in Pekin, Illinois. Free online access is available through Judici.com, and the clerk's office handles copy requests in person and by mail. This page covers how to search Tazewell County civil court records, what those files contain, how eFiling works in the 10th Circuit, and what legal resources serve Tazewell County residents.

Tazewell County Circuit Clerk Office

The Circuit Court Clerk of Tazewell County is the official keeper of all civil court records filed in the 10th Judicial Circuit for Tazewell County. The courthouse is in Pekin, the county seat, which sits along the Illinois River just south of Peoria. Tazewell County shares the 10th Judicial Circuit with Peoria County, though each county has its own courthouse and clerk's office. The clerk's office processes new filings, maintains official civil court records, handles copy requests, and provides public access to Tazewell County civil court records.

Tazewell County is a mid-sized Illinois county with a mix of residential communities, industrial areas, and agricultural land. The civil caseload includes contract disputes, small claims, personal injury cases, and family law matters. Staff at the clerk's office can help you find a civil case, explain how to request copies, and point you to legal help. They cannot give legal advice. For current clerk contact information, visit the Illinois Courts directory at illinoiscourts.gov/courts/circuit-court/circuit-court-clerks.

Hours are generally Monday through Friday during standard business hours, excluding court holidays. Contact the Illinois Courts directory for the current Tazewell County clerk phone and address before visiting.

Civil Court Records Search in Tazewell County

Tazewell County civil court records are searchable online for free through Judici.com. No account is needed. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney name. Judici provides the electronic docket for each case in Tazewell County, showing filing dates, hearing information, case events, and current status. It covers 82 of Illinois's 102 counties and is the standard online access tool for the 10th Judicial Circuit in Tazewell County.

The Judici docket is a summary of case activity, not the full court file. To get copies of documents filed in a Tazewell County civil case, contact the clerk's office in Pekin. You can make copy requests in person at the courthouse or by mail. Very recent filings may take a short time to appear on Judici. If you need the most current status on a pending case, call the clerk's office directly.

Below is a screenshot of the eFileIL FAQ page, which explains the eFiling process used for all civil filings in Tazewell County and the rest of Illinois.

The Illinois Courts site at illinoiscourts.gov provides additional resources for understanding how civil court records work across the state. The re:SearchIL system at researchil.tylerhost.net covers appellate courts only, so Judici is the right tool for Tazewell County circuit court civil records.

What Tazewell County Civil Court Records Contain

Civil court records in Tazewell County document each case from the day it was filed to the day it closed. The file opens with the complaint or petition, lists the parties, assigns a case number, and records the filing date. Every subsequent event is entered in the docket: motions, hearings, orders, continuances. The Judici docket gives you a summary, while the full documents are at the Pekin courthouse.

The full case file holds the initial pleadings, responses, all motions with attachments, and every court order. Final judgments and dismissal orders are there. If a settlement was placed on the record, that document is part of the file too. Court reporter transcripts can be ordered for cases that went to hearing or trial. Certified copies of judgments are available from the clerk on request and are often needed for collection of a debt or other post-judgment purposes.

Under 705 ILCS 105/16(6), the clerk is required to keep a public docket open at all times during office hours. Most civil records are open to the public. Juvenile files, adoption records, and cases sealed by court order are not accessible. Personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers are redacted from public copies of Tazewell County civil court records.

Electronic Filing in Tazewell County

Civil filings in Tazewell County must go through the Illinois mandatory eFiling system at efile.illinoiscourts.gov. This covers new case filings and all documents submitted in pending civil cases. The system is open around the clock. You need an account and must use an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider, known as an EFSP, to file with the Tazewell County circuit court.

Standard exemptions apply. Incarcerated persons, individuals with disabilities preventing electronic filing, will and testamentary filings, juvenile and adoption cases, and good-cause exemptions granted by a judge are all exempt from the eFiling requirement. Illinois court forms for civil cases are available at illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms. These fillable PDFs can be completed and uploaded through eFileIL. Call Illinois Court Help at (833) 411-1121 if you have questions about the eFiling process in Tazewell County.

Fees for Tazewell County Civil Court Records

Fees for copies of Tazewell County civil court records are set by 705 ILCS 105/27.1b. A record search costs up to $6.00 per year searched. Paper copies are $2.00 for the first page, $0.50 for pages two through twenty, and $0.25 per page after that. These fees apply to copies requested in person at the Pekin courthouse or by mail to the clerk's office.

Online access through Judici.com is free. The Illinois Supreme Court suspended the electronic access fee under Supreme Court Rule 313 effective May 1, 2025. Searching Tazewell County civil court records online costs nothing as of that date. Certified copies carry an additional fee. Contact the Tazewell County clerk's office for the current certified copy rate before visiting.

Legal Help for Tazewell County Civil Cases

The clerk's office maintains Tazewell County civil court records but cannot give legal advice. If you need help with a civil case in the 10th Judicial Circuit, these resources serve Tazewell County residents.

Illinois Court Help is free and open to everyone. Call (833) 411-1121, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The website is at ilcourthelp.gov. Staff can explain civil procedures in Tazewell County, help with court forms, and refer you to local legal aid. More than 200 languages are available through the inLingo service.

Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org has self-help guides for civil matters including landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, and contract issues. Their guide on getting copies of court records is at illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/how-get-copies-your-court-records. Prairie State Legal Services provides civil legal aid to low-income residents in Tazewell County. The self-help section of the Illinois Courts site at illinoiscourts.gov/self-help is also a good starting point for anyone handling a civil case without an attorney.

Cities in Tazewell County

All civil court records for cases filed in Tazewell County are handled by the 10th Judicial Circuit Court Clerk in Pekin. Tazewell County does not have any cities with a population over 50,000. Communities including Pekin, Morton, and East Peoria are all served by the main courthouse in Pekin.

Nearby Counties

Tazewell County is bordered by several Illinois counties in the central part of the state. Check court papers for the courthouse address if you need to confirm which county filed a civil case.