Search Tazewell County Criminal Court Records

Tazewell County criminal court records are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk in Pekin and are searchable online through Judici.com and the re:SearchIL statewide database. This page explains how to find, access, and request criminal case records filed in Tazewell County, Illinois.

Tazewell County Circuit Court Clerk

Lincoln C. Hobson is the Circuit Court Clerk for Tazewell County. The office is at 342 Court Street, Pekin, IL 61554. Call 309/477-2214 or fax 309/478-5792. The clerk's website is at tazewell.com/circuit-clerk. Tazewell County is part of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, which it shares with Peoria and Woodford counties.

The clerk's office maintains all criminal case filings for the county. Staff can look up a case by name or case number, process document copy requests, and issue certified dispositions. Certified dispositions are the court's official record of how a case concluded and are frequently needed for background checks, professional licenses, and legal proceedings. Public inspection of open court records is free under state law. Certified copy fees are set by the court.

For cases that may be older or archived off-site, calling ahead at 309/477-2214 is helpful. Staff can confirm whether the record exists and what steps you need to take to get copies. In-person visits to 342 Court Street in Pekin are the most reliable way to get hard copies of documents for cases not fully digitized.

How to Find Tazewell County Criminal Cases Online

Judici.com is the online case search tool for Tazewell County. It is a third-party platform that draws data from the clerk's system and makes it searchable at no charge. At judici.com, select Tazewell County and search by name or case number. The results show charges, parties, hearing dates, and the final disposition. Felony, misdemeanor, and traffic cases are generally all included.

The re:SearchIL statewide portal at researchil.tylerhost.net is a second option. It opened for free public access on May 1, 2025, and covers circuit courts across Illinois including Tazewell County. You can check case status, view docket entries, and access some filed documents without going to the courthouse. A good first step for anyone trying to confirm a case exists before making a trip to Pekin.

Tazewell County Criminal Court Record Access Rules

Illinois law holds that most criminal court records are public. Under 705 ILCS 105, court records are open for inspection at no charge. The Court Record and Document Accessibility Act (705 ILCS 86) creates a presumption that records are accessible to the public. These rules apply to Tazewell County courts the same as circuits across the state.

There are exceptions. Juvenile criminal records are sealed by law and not available to the public. Adult records that have been expunged are cleared from the public file. Cases sealed by court order are restricted. Grand jury materials are never part of the open court record. Social Security numbers and financial account data are redacted from documents before release. Illinois courts are exempt from FOIA, so you cannot file a FOIA request to get Tazewell County court records. The statutes listed above are the framework that governs access.

Arrests that did not lead to charges have no record at the circuit court clerk. The clerk only holds records for cases where charges were formally filed. If police made an arrest but the state's attorney declined to prosecute, the Tazewell County Circuit Court Clerk has nothing to provide. Contact the arresting agency for any law enforcement records from that situation.

Illinois State Police Conviction Records

For a statewide criminal history check, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification (ISP BOI) is the right agency. Under 20 ILCS 2635, ISP BOI keeps a conviction database that covers all Illinois counties, including Tazewell. You can request a name-based check for a broader overview or a fingerprint-based check for greater accuracy. Fingerprint checks are more reliable when two people share the same name.

ISP BOI is at 260 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432, phone 815/740-5160. Background check request details are at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification. Illinois residents can request their own criminal history at no charge through the ISP Access and Review program. Third-party and employer requests require proper authorization and carry fees.

Electronic Filing and Statewide Court Resources

The eFileIL portal at efile.illinoiscourts.gov handles electronic filing for Illinois courts, including Tazewell County. It is used by attorneys and parties to submit documents in active cases. This is not a public records search tool. If you have an attorney on an active Tazewell County case, they use eFileIL to file on your behalf.

The Illinois Courts website covers the full state court system and includes a Circuit Clerks Directory listing current contact information for all 23 circuits. Tazewell County is part of the Tenth Circuit. The site also covers court rules and procedures that apply across Illinois, which can be useful if you are navigating the court system without a lawyer.

Legal Aid and Court Help Resources

Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org is a free resource for Tazewell County residents. The site has plain-language guides on reading a court record, expungement, record sealing, and understanding your rights under Illinois law. It also connects users to local legal clinics in the central Illinois region.

Illinois Court Help at ilcourthelp.gov is the state's self-help site for people going to court without a lawyer. It walks through what each step in a criminal case looks like and helps Tazewell County residents navigate the clerk's office and the court system on their own.

Federal criminal cases from the Tazewell County area fall under the Central District of Illinois. Federal records are available through PACER at a small fee per page. Federal and state court cases are separate systems. A Tazewell County Circuit Court case and a federal district court case involve different courts, different charges, and different procedures entirely.

Cities in Tazewell County

No city in Tazewell County has a population above 50,000. Pekin, the county seat, has about 31,781 residents and does not qualify for a separate city page at this threshold. Criminal cases from Pekin, Washington, Morton, East Peoria, and other communities in the county are all filed with the Tazewell County Circuit Court Clerk at 342 Court Street in Pekin.

Peoria, the county seat of neighboring Peoria County, is separate. Cases filed in Peoria city go to the Peoria County Circuit Court Clerk, not Tazewell. If you are unsure which county court has the case you are looking for, a quick Judici or re:SearchIL search can tell you which circuit the case is in before you contact a clerk's office.

Nearby Illinois Counties

Criminal court records for counties near Tazewell are maintained by each county's own clerk. Use the links below to reach information on neighboring county clerks and their online access options.