Access Arlington Heights Criminal Court Records

Arlington Heights criminal court records are maintained by the Cook County Circuit Court. Arlington Heights is located entirely within Cook County, so all criminal cases from the village go through the Cook County court system. Cook County is one of the few Illinois counties where criminal records are not available online. You must visit the courthouse in person to review or request case files. This page explains which courthouse handles Arlington Heights cases, how to contact the Circuit Clerk, and where else you can look for criminal record information.

Cook County Circuit Court: No Online Access

Arlington Heights is in Cook County. All criminal matters from the village go to the Cook County Circuit Court. The Cook County Circuit Clerk is Mariyana T. Spyropoulos. The main clerk's office is at 50 W. Washington, Suite 1001, Chicago, IL 60602. The phone number is 312/603-5030. The website is cookcountyclerkofcourt.org.

Cook County criminal records are not accessible through Judici or re:SearchIL. Illinois has 102 counties, and 82 of them allow online public access to court records through those platforms. Cook County is not among them. Criminal case files for Arlington Heights must be accessed in person at the applicable courthouse. There is no online portal to search Cook County criminal dockets.

For cases originating in the northwest suburbs, including Arlington Heights, the Rolling Meadows Courthouse is the typical venue. It is located at 2121 Euclid Ave., Rolling Meadows, IL 60008. Felony cases from Arlington Heights are generally sent to that facility. Some misdemeanor and traffic cases may also be handled there. Call 312/603-5030 before visiting to confirm the courthouse for a specific case.

The full details on Cook County's court structure, including a list of all courthouse locations and district divisions, are on the Cook County criminal court records page.

Visiting the Courthouse to Get Records

When you go to the courthouse, go directly to the Circuit Clerk's office. Ask to look up the case by the defendant's full name or the case number. Staff will search the docket and give you a list of entries. If you want to see the file itself, ask to review it. Some older files may be in storage and could take time to retrieve.

Bring photo ID. Copies of documents cost a fee. The amount depends on the number of pages and whether you need a certified copy. Certified copies cost more and are needed for legal proceedings or official use. If you need a specific document from the file, such as a final disposition order, tell the clerk exactly what you are looking for. That can save time.

Records that are sealed or expunged by court order are not open to the public. Under 705 ILCS 105, Illinois court records are public. The clerk must provide access on request. The exception is records that have been formally restricted by a judge's order. If a case was expunged, it will not appear in the clerk's system at all.

Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification

For a broader criminal history search that covers all of Illinois, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification is the right resource. The ISP BOI compiles conviction data from all Illinois counties and offers both name-based and fingerprint-based background checks.

The office is at 260 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432. The phone number is 815/740-5160. A fingerprint-based check is more thorough and less likely to return false matches. Results from an ISP check cover the entire state, not just Cook County. If someone has cases in multiple counties, the ISP report will reflect all of them as long as the dispositions were reported to the state.

The image below shows the ISP Bureau of Identification agency page, where criminal history requests are handled for the state of Illinois.

The ISP BOI is the best single source for a complete Illinois criminal history, especially when records could exist in more than one county.

What Criminal Court Files Contain

A criminal court file in Cook County holds a standard set of documents. You will find the charging instrument, which is the indictment or criminal information. The file includes the defendant's name and date of birth, the charges, court dates, all motions filed, any plea agreements, and the final disposition. If there was a trial, the verdict is recorded. Sentencing orders, fines, probation terms, and any special conditions are also in the file.

Court records do not include police reports. Those are held by the Arlington Heights Police Department and must be requested separately under the Freedom of Information Act. Investigative materials, body camera footage, and internal reports are not part of the court file. Mental health records and some victim-related documents may be restricted even within the court file.

If you are looking for information on a past case and do not know the case number, the clerk can run a name search. You will need the full name of the defendant and, if possible, a date of birth to narrow the results. Multiple people can share the same name, so having additional identifying details helps.

re:SearchIL and Judici for Other Counties

re:SearchIL became free to use on May 1, 2025. It is a statewide court records platform that covers many Illinois counties. Judici covers 82 of the 102 Illinois counties. Both tools are worth knowing about, though neither helps with Cook County criminal records.

If you are searching for a case that might have been filed in a county other than Cook, these platforms are a good place to check. You can search by name and see results across all participating counties at once. The image below shows the re:SearchIL portal.

For Arlington Heights cases specifically, those records live in Cook County court files and cannot be found through either online platform. The courthouse visit is required.

Legal Help for Arlington Heights Cases

If you need legal guidance on a criminal matter in Cook County, several options exist. Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org is a free resource that provides legal information and can connect you with local programs. The Cook County Public Defender handles cases for those who cannot afford an attorney and face criminal charges in Cook County court.

Private criminal defense attorneys who practice in northwest Cook County courts handle cases regularly at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse. The Illinois State Bar Association offers a referral service. Under 20 ILCS 2635, the Criminal Identification Act governs how criminal records are kept and accessed across Illinois. If you think a record has an error, the ISP BOI handles corrections to statewide records, while the Circuit Clerk manages court file entries.

Nearby Illinois Cities

These nearby cities also have criminal case records filed at the county level.