Find Kankakee County Criminal Records

Kankakee County criminal records are filed and stored by the Circuit Clerk of the 21st Judicial Circuit. The clerk's office in Kankakee handles all trial court cases for the county, which includes every felony and misdemeanor charge. You can search for a criminal case through the Judici online portal, call the clerk for case status, or go to the courthouse on East Court Street. This page covers how to search those records, what online tools work best, and how to request copies of case files from the Kankakee County Circuit Clerk.

Kankakee County Circuit Clerk Office

Sandra Cianci serves as the Circuit Clerk for Kankakee County. The clerk's office is the central record keeper for all trial court cases in the county. Criminal charges, civil suits, family matters, and traffic cases all run through this office. For criminal records, the clerk files charges, logs court dates, records plea entries, and stores the final outcomes. If you need to look up a criminal case filed in Kankakee County, the clerk's office is where to start.

The Kankakee County Circuit Clerk is at 450 East Court Street in Kankakee, IL 60901. Call (815) 936-5700 for questions about a case or to check on fees before you visit. The staff can help you find a case by name or number. They handle walk-ins during regular hours. Bring a valid photo ID if you plan to request copies of criminal records. The clerk's office processes a high volume of cases from across Kankakee County, so the staff is well versed in handling public record requests.

Kankakee County is south of the Chicago metro area. The courthouse on East Court Street is the hub for all court business in the county. Every criminal charge filed within Kankakee County goes through this building.

Search Kankakee County Criminal Records Online

Kankakee County is on the Judici court records portal. Judici offers free public access to court case data for over 80 Illinois counties. You can search Kankakee County cases by name, case number, or citation. Results include case type, charges, court dates, and final dispositions. This is the quickest way to look up a Kankakee County criminal case without leaving home.

The Judici portal lets you search across all participating counties or go directly to the Kankakee County section for local case results.

Not every document shows up online. Sealed cases, juvenile records, and certain confidential filings are excluded from public search results. Some documents within a visible case may also be restricted. If you need the complete file, contact the clerk's office or visit in person. The data in Judici can also run a day or two behind if the clerk's office has a data entry backlog.

Criminal Cases in Kankakee County

Kankakee County belongs to the 21st Judicial Circuit. The circuit court handles all criminal cases here, both felony and misdemeanor. Under the unified Illinois court system, there is no separate court for each level of offense. Felonies carry prison time of more than one year. Misdemeanors carry up to one year in county jail. Both types get filed with and stored by the Kankakee County Circuit Clerk.

A criminal case starts with an arrest or a complaint filed by the State's Attorney. Charges go to the clerk. The defendant appears at arraignment and enters a plea. Pre-trial hearings follow. If the case goes to trial, the clerk records the verdict. Convictions become part of the public record. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635) requires the state police to make conviction data available to anyone who requests it. You do not need to give a reason.

The re:SearchIL portal also provides access to filed documents through the statewide eFileIL system for some case types in Kankakee County.

Note: re:SearchIL may charge a small per-page fee for document access, and not all case types are available through this portal.

Kankakee County Criminal Records Access

Public access to criminal records in Kankakee County is governed by Illinois state law. The UCIA at 20 ILCS 2635 requires conviction data to be open to the public. Arrests that did not result in a conviction are not included in what gets released. Only conviction records come out through this law.

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) provides an additional path to public records. FOIA covers all government bodies in the state. If the Kankakee County Circuit Clerk has a document that is not sealed or restricted, you can file a FOIA request. The clerk's office must respond within five business days. FOIA is useful when a record is not available through the standard counter request or online search.

Copy fees for Kankakee County criminal records vary by type. Standard copies are charged per page. Certified copies cost more and are typically needed for legal proceedings. Call (815) 936-5700 to confirm the current fee schedule before making your request.

State Police Records for Kankakee County

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains criminal history records from all 102 counties in Illinois. Kankakee County conviction data that gets reported to the state police ends up in their system. If you want a statewide check instead of just local court records, the Bureau is the place to go. A name-based check costs $10 electronic or $16 paper. Fingerprint checks cost $15 to $32 depending on the type.

You can run a name-based search through CHIRP online. CHIRP stands for Criminal History Information Response Process. Register with your Illinois ID, submit a name, and get conviction results from the statewide database. This includes Kankakee County records that have been reported up to the state level. Keep in mind that the state database and the local Judici portal update on different schedules. For the most complete picture, check both sources.

Note: CHIRP only shows convictions. Pending charges and arrests without a conviction are not part of what CHIRP returns.

Clearing Criminal Records in Kankakee County

Illinois law allows some criminal records to be expunged or sealed. In Kankakee County, you file a petition with the 21st Judicial Circuit Court. Expungement applies to arrests that did not result in a conviction, certain supervision outcomes, and a few specified offenses. Sealing is available for a wider set of cases. Sealed records are hidden from the public but can still be seen by law enforcement and some licensing agencies.

The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) sets the waiting periods. Two years must pass after supervision ends. Five years for qualified probation. The filing fee is $60. You also have to serve the petition on the State's Attorney and the arresting agency. The Office of the State Appellate Defender has a detailed guide explaining what qualifies, what forms are needed, and how the hearing works.

Legal aid groups in the Kankakee County area may be able to help with the filing process. The courthouse may also have self-help forms and basic instructions for those who want to handle the petition on their own.

Getting Copies of Kankakee County Records

There are a few ways to get copies of criminal records from Kankakee County. In person is the fastest. Go to the Circuit Clerk at 450 East Court Street in Kankakee. Bring the case number if you have it. The staff pulls up the file, prints what you need, and you pay at the counter. Standard copies are charged per page. Certified copies cost more.

By mail is another option. Write to the Kankakee County Circuit Clerk at 450 East Court Street, Kankakee, IL 60901. Include the case information and a check or money order for the estimated fees. Add your return address so the copies can be sent back. For basic questions about case status, call (815) 936-5700. The staff can check on a case and tell you what documents are on file. They can also walk you through the request process if you are not close enough to visit.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Kankakee County. If a criminal case was filed in a neighboring area, contact that county's circuit clerk for records.