Search Montgomery County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Montgomery County are stored at the Circuit Clerk's office in Hillsboro, Illinois. The county is part of the 4th Judicial Circuit and has a population of about 27,615. You can look up criminal case data for free through the Judici online portal, or go to the courthouse in Hillsboro to get official copies. The clerk keeps files on all felonies, misdemeanors, and traffic cases filed in the county. This page covers how to search Montgomery County criminal records, what state tools are out there, and what the law says about who can access these files.

Montgomery County Circuit Clerk

The Circuit Clerk in Montgomery County handles all criminal case records. The office is at the courthouse in Hillsboro. Every felony and misdemeanor charge filed in the county goes through this office. The clerk tracks charges, hearing dates, plea entries, and case outcomes. If you need to check on a case or get copies of filings, this is where you go first. Walk-ins are taken during regular business hours.

Bring a valid photo ID when you visit the clerk's office. Staff can search by name or case number and print copies while you wait. Standard copies are charged per page. Certified copies cost a bit more and include the clerk's official seal. You would use certified copies for court filings, attorney needs, or when an agency asks for proof of a case outcome. Standard copies work for personal use. The staff in Hillsboro can walk you through the options and current fees when you get there.

You can also send a request by mail. Write to the Montgomery County Circuit Clerk at the courthouse in Hillsboro, IL. Include the full name you want searched, the case number or range of years, and payment by check or money order. Call ahead to confirm the current fee schedule so your payment is correct. Mail requests usually come back in one to two weeks. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) governs what records the clerk can release and to whom.

Search Montgomery County Criminal Cases Online

Montgomery County court records are on Judici. This free portal covers over 80 Illinois counties. Select Montgomery County from the list, type a name or case number, and the system pulls up results. You can see the case type, charges filed, court dates, and current status. Criminal, civil, and traffic cases are all searchable. This is the fastest way to check a Montgomery County criminal case from home.

Judici gives free access to Montgomery County court data from the 4th Judicial Circuit.

Keep in mind that sealed and expunged records will not show on Judici. Juvenile cases are left out too. Some older records may not be in the system if they were filed before the county joined the platform. For the full court file or official copies with the clerk's stamp, you still need to contact the office in Hillsboro. Judici is a viewing tool. It works for quick lookups but does not produce certified documents. Online results can also lag behind new filings by a day or so.

The re:SearchIL portal is another online tool that pulls court data from several Illinois counties, including Montgomery County.

State Police Records for Montgomery County

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification stores criminal history data from all 102 counties. Montgomery County is part of that system. When someone gets arrested or convicted here, local agencies report it to the state. A search through the ISP covers the whole state, not just the 4th Judicial Circuit. Name-based conviction checks cost $10 for electronic results. Fingerprint-based checks range from $15 to $32 based on scope.

The CHIRP system lets you run online conviction checks. You need an Illinois driver's license or state ID to set up an account. Once registered, type a name and get statewide conviction data back. CHIRP and Judici pull from different pools of data. Judici shows court case info from the Montgomery County clerk. CHIRP shows conviction records that law enforcement agencies sent to the state police. Running both gives you a broader look at records tied to Montgomery County.

Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635), conviction data held by the state police is public. Anyone can request it. No reason is needed.

Montgomery County Records and Illinois Law

Illinois law sets the rules for criminal records in Montgomery County. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) is the main statute. It covers how criminal history gets collected, stored, shared, and when it can be sealed or wiped clean. Conviction records are open to the public. Arrest records that did not lead to a conviction have stricter access rules. Every county in the state follows these same guidelines.

The Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) gives you another path to Montgomery County records. You can send a written FOIA request to the county sheriff, the state's attorney, or any other public body. Police reports, arrest logs, and other law enforcement documents can come through this channel. The agency has five business days to respond. Put it in writing and send it to the records custodian at the office that holds what you need.

Expungement in Montgomery County

Some criminal records in Montgomery County can be sealed or expunged under state law. Expungement wipes the record out entirely. Sealing keeps the file but hides it from the public. Law enforcement and certain state agencies can still view sealed records. The most common candidates for expungement are arrests that did not end in a conviction. Some supervision and probation cases qualify too, after waiting periods.

The wait is two years after supervision ends. For qualified probation, it is five years. You file a petition with the 4th Judicial Circuit Court through the Montgomery County clerk in Hillsboro. The court order fee is $60. Serve copies of the petition on the State's Attorney and the arresting agency. The Office of the State Appellate Defender has a guide that lays out which records qualify, which forms to use, and how the hearing works. If a judge grants the petition, the Montgomery County clerk and state police both update their files.

After a record is sealed or expunged, it will not show up in public searches on Judici or CHIRP.

Getting Copies of Montgomery County Records

There are a few ways to get criminal records from Montgomery County. Which method you pick depends on what you need and how soon you need it.

• Visit the Montgomery County Circuit Clerk at the courthouse in Hillsboro
• Search Judici online for free case lookups
• Mail a written request with payment to the clerk in Hillsboro
• Run a statewide check through the ISP CHIRP system
• File a FOIA request with Montgomery County law enforcement

For Montgomery County records specifically, the clerk's office and Judici are the two main local sources. State police tools work best when you need to search beyond the 4th Judicial Circuit. The re:SearchIL portal can pull records from multiple counties in one search, which saves time if you are checking more than just Montgomery County.

Nearby Counties for Criminal Records

These counties are near Montgomery County. Criminal cases get filed where the offense took place. If you need records from a different area, contact that county's circuit clerk.