Access Monroe County Criminal Court Records

Monroe County criminal court records are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk in Waterloo, covering about 35,000 residents in the southwestern corner of Illinois near the Missouri border. This page explains how to look up and request criminal case files in Monroe County, from the Judici online search tool to in-person visits at the clerk's office and the Illinois State Police statewide criminal history database.

Monroe County Circuit Court Clerk

Circuit Clerk Lisa Fallon manages the Monroe County clerk's office at 100 South Main Street, Room 115, Waterloo, IL 62298-1322. The direct phone is 618/939-8681 and the fax is 618/939-1929. The clerk's official website at monroecountyil.gov/circuit-clerk lists current office hours, forms, and information on how to get copies of court records.

The clerk's office is the official record keeper for all cases filed in Monroe County circuit courts. For criminal court records, that means the clerk holds charging documents, court orders, docket sheets, plea agreements, sentencing records, and all other filings made during a case. Staff at the office can confirm what is available for a given case and explain any applicable fees for copies or certified documents.

Under 705 ILCS 105, the Clerks of Courts Act, Illinois court records are public by default. You can look at any public case file for free at the clerk's office. Copies carry a per-page charge. You do not have to give a reason to view public records.

The Illinois Courts Circuit Clerk Directory includes Monroe County alongside all other Illinois circuit clerks with phone, address, and website details.

Monroe County Criminal Records Search Online

Monroe County is included in Judici.com, the main online database for Monroe County criminal court records. Judici lets you search by party name, case number, or attorney. Search results show the case type, charges, hearing dates, and current status. The service is free for basic searches, and no login is required.

Judici covers 82 of Illinois' 102 counties in one place. If you need to check multiple counties at once, a single name search can pull results from all of them. That can save time when you're not certain which county handled a particular case.

Judici.com gives online access to Monroe County criminal court records as part of a unified Illinois multi-county case search system.

If a case was taken to an appellate court, use re:SearchIL, which has been free since May 1, 2025. This platform covers Illinois appellate and supreme court filings. For federal cases, Monroe County falls within the Southern District of Illinois, and those records are on PACER. State and federal court records are separate systems.

In-Person and Mail Requests

To view a record in person, go to 100 South Main Street, Room 115, Waterloo during regular business hours. Bring the full name and case number if you have it. Staff will retrieve the file for review. Certified copies can be ordered at the counter on the same visit.

Mail requests go to the same address: 100 South Main Street, Room 115, Waterloo, IL 62298-1322. Your request should include the subject's full name, an approximate date range, the type of document, and a return address or email. Without a case number, additional search time may be needed. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want documents returned by mail. Fax is available at 618/939-1929 for requests the office can process that way.

Statewide Criminal History Records

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification (ISP BOI) manages a statewide criminal history database that draws conviction data from all 102 Illinois county courts, including Monroe County. ISP BOI issues certified criminal history reports used for background checks across many contexts. The office phone is 815/740-5160.

You can submit a background check request online at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification/BackgroundChecks. The Uniform Conviction Information Act, 20 ILCS 2635, controls what ISP can release and to whom. ISP reports are a statewide resource, while Monroe County criminal court records from the clerk give you case-level details.

People who want to review their own criminal history can do so at no cost through the CHIRP portal at chirp.isp.illinois.gov. CHIRP also provides a process to dispute errors in your record.

The ISP Bureau of Identification compiles statewide conviction data that complements Monroe County criminal court records for multi-county background searches.

Which Records Are and Are Not Public

Most Monroe County criminal court records are public. Charging documents, docket entries, court orders, sentencing records, and plea filings are all accessible to anyone who asks. Illinois law treats court records as public unless a specific statute closes them.

Certain records are restricted. Juvenile cases are sealed by default. Records that were expunged or sealed by court order are not visible to the public. Adoption files are confidential. The Illinois Court Record and Document Accessibility Act, 705 ILCS 86, spells out what the court can withhold. Social Security numbers and financial account information are redacted even in cases that are otherwise open.

The Illinois judiciary is not covered by the state Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. A FOIA request will not get you court records. Public access to those files comes from the Clerks of Courts Act and Illinois Supreme Court rules, not FOIA.

Electronic Filing

Monroe County courts use eFileIL for electronic document submission. Attorneys and parties submit filings through that system. The public can view filed documents by going to the clerk's office or checking Judici, not through eFileIL directly.

Legal Aid and Help Resources

Illinois Legal Aid Online covers expungement eligibility, record sealing, and court procedures in plain language. It includes Monroe County within its statewide scope. Illinois Court Help provides live chat with court navigators who can explain what to do without providing legal advice. Both services are free to use.

Nearby Counties

Monroe County sits in far southwestern Illinois and shares borders with a small number of other counties.