McLean County, Illinois State Court Records

McLean County court records are official documents maintained by local courts for cases they handle. These records are typically filed with or generated by a court in the course of a case’s proceeding. They serve as legal documentation of court cases that may be reviewed during legal research to discover what happened during a case’s proceedings and how it was resolved. Depending on the type of case, court records may include affidavits, court orders, exhibits, docket entries, filings, pleadings, petitions, judgments, motions, and transcripts.

In McLean County, the Circuit Clerk is the official custodian of court records. Unlike other public records, such as vital records and arrest information, subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, the maintenance and release of McLean County court records are governed by the Illinois Court Record and Document Accessibility Act. Meanwhile, the Freedom of Information Act, codified in 5 U.S.C. § 552, governs federal case files.

Are McLean County Court Records Public?

Per the Illinois Court Record and Document Accessibility Act, codified in 705 ILCS 86, McLean County court records are presumptively public, unless otherwise specified by a court rule, federal or state statute, or court order. As a result, members of the public have a statutory right to access most McLean County court records.

However, public access to certain McLean County court records is restricted. Most notably, the Illinois Juvenile Court Act (705 ILCS 405) restricts access to juvenile court records. Other records protected from public access include, but are not limited to, sealed or expunged records, adoption cases, and confidential filings, such as medical records and documents containing Social Security Numbers or bank account details.

What Information is Available in McLean County Court Records?

Information available in McLean County Court Records varies depending on the type of case. Notwithstanding, the following are usually available in most court records:

Case number
Case party names, year of birth, and age
Case title, filing date, and status
Appearance information
Docket entires
Case filings details
Deposition details

McLean County Court Records Search

The McLean County Circuit Clerk is the offical custodian of court records. The clerk offers two primary methods for accessing or requesting public court records: online and in person.

Online Access - Depending on the type of case, interested persons may use the McLean County Circuit Clerk’s Public Access Civil Search System or the Public Criminal/Traffic Search System to conduct court record searches online. The former may be used to search for open civil cases from 2008 to the present and closed cases from the past 10 years, and is searchable by party name, business name, or case number. Meanwhile, the latter contains court records of criminal and traffic cases from 1991 to the present and is searchable by party name, case number, or party name and birth date. Fortunately, both portals are free. Record seekers may also use the Circuit Clerk’s Online Document Requests form to order public court records for a fee.
In-Person Access - Individuals may visit the McLean County Circuit Clerk’s Office during regular business hours (Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm) to conduct an in-person search for court records. They may submit a pre-paid written request (at $6.00 per year or person searched) or manually search books in person to find older court records.

Fees for Court Records in McLean County

According to the McLean County Circuit Clerk Fee Schedule, requesters may be charged the following fees for court records:

Certified copy of a judgment: $10.00
Regular copies of a court document:

First page: $2
Next 19 pages: $0.50 per page
Additional pages: $0.25 per page

McLean County Courthouse Locations

There is only one court in McLean County: the McLean County Circuit Court. As a trial court of general jurisdiction, it hears all cases except those where the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction. Generally, the McLean County Circuit Court may handle various types of civil and criminal cases, including, but not limited to, small claims, domestic relations, and felony cases. McLean County Circuit Court’s address and contact information are detailed below:

McLean County Circuit Court

McLean County Law and Justice Center

104 West Front Street, Bloomington, IL 61701

Phone: 309-888-5301

Fax: 309-888-5281

Criminal Records Access in McLean County

The Illinois State Police (ISP) Bureau of Identification is the state-wide custodian of criminal records. As a result, criminal justice agencies, such as law enforcement agencies and courts, across Illinois, including those in McLean County, report criminal records they generate to the ISP. In turn, the ISP compiles these records into criminal history records on individuals.

Under the Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA), the ISP’s Bureau of Identification is required to release criminal history record conviction information it has compiled to the public on request. Interested persons may request these criminal records by conducting a name-based or fingerprint-based background check through the agency. They may conduct a name-based background check through the ISP’s Criminal History Information Response Process (CHIRP) website. Individuals must enroll to get a State of Illinois Digital ID to use the CHIRP website.

On the other hand, a fingerprint-based background check must be submitted through a licensed live scan fingerprint vendor. Individuals may review the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Licensed Live Scan Fingerprint Vendor List to find licensed vendors. Those conducting out-of-state fingerprint background checks must select vendors that are marked "yes" on the "card scan" column of the Vendor List. Note that ISP charges certain fees for background checks.

Conversely, court records of criminal cases in McLean County are accessible through the County Circuit Clerk. Individuals may use the clerk’s Public Criminal/Traffic Search System to search and access public court records of local criminal cases from 1991 to the present online. Alternatively, they may use the clerk’s Online Document Requests form to order public criminal case records online or visit the Circuit Clerk’s office to request records in person.

McLean County Probate Records

Mclean County probate records are detailed documents that provide information about local probate proceedings. The Civil/Probate Division of the McLean County Circuit Clerk is responsible for maintaining all probate filings. Some examples of these probate filings include, but are not limited to, wills, letters of estate administrators, letters of testamentary, estate inventories, petitions, oaths, bonds, and other relevant estate records. The Civil/Probate Division also handles guardianship proceedings.

Most probate records are considered public per the Illinois Court Records and Document Accessibility Act. However, there are certain exceptions. For instance, wills remain confidential until their testator’s death. Unfortunately, the McLean County Circuit Clerk Civil/Probate Division does not provide resources that allow individuals access to probate records online. Nonetheless, individuals may access or request probate records by visiting the clerk’s office during business hours to submit a request.

McLean County Family Court Records

In McLean County, the Family Division of the Circuit Clerk’s office is responsible for processing family law cases. These include adoptions, child support, dissolution of marriage, paternity, juvenile cases, and marriage. Although most family court records are public pursuant to the Illinois Court Records and Document Accessibility Act, adoption and all juvenile case records are confidential.

Interested persons may inspect and request copies of the public McLean County family court records in person at the Circuit Clerk’s office during regular business hours. Similarly, eligible individuals may also request copies of confidential family court records. However, they may need to present a valid government-issued ID when making requests.

Federal Court Records in McLean County

The United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois is the federal court that serves McLean County, as well as forty-five other counties in the heart of Illinois. This federal court hears federal civil, criminal, and bankruptcy cases that arise in McLean County

The most convenient way to access court records of federal cases heard by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois is online through the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website. Interested individuals must log in or sign up for a PACER account to access the PACER website. Users are charged $0.10 per page to access case information on the website. However, these fees are capped at $3.00 for a single document (equivalent to 30 pages), and fees for users who incur $30 or less in charges in a quarter are waived for that period.

Alternatively, record seekers may access limited federal case information by phone by calling the Multi-court Voice Case Information System (McVCIS) at 1-866-222-8029 (toll-free). They may search by participant name, corporation name, case number, or Social Security Number to access court records.

Federal courthouses also maintain court records of cases they handled locally at their respective clerk’s offices. Thus, individuals may also visit relevant courthouses to access or request federal court records. Public computer terminals may be available for on-site electronic case searches. Alternatively, individuals may request copies of court records from the courthouse clerk for a fee. Generally, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois has four courthouses at:

Peoria

305 U.S. Courthouse

100 N.E. Monroe Street

Peoria, IL 61602

Phone: 309-671-7117

Fax: 309-671-7120

Urbana

218 U.S. Courthouse

201 S. Vine Street

Urbana, IL 61802

Phone: 217-373-5830

Fax: 217-373-5834