Lee County Arrest Records

Lee County arrest records are official documents prepared and filed by law enforcement agencies that contain information about an arrested person. They index information on the arrestee’s identity, charges, the arresting agency and officer, and other vital information surrounding the arrest.

An arrest record indicates that an individual has been apprehended by police, taken into custody, detained for investigation, and charged or indicted for a felony, misdemeanor, traffic offense, or other offense. It is created by the officer or agency that initiated the arrest. Arrest records are different from Lee County Court Records, which are prepared and filed by court clerks to document court proceedings after an arrest. The Sheriff’s Office is the custodian of Lee County arrest records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lee County?

Yes. By the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), it is public policy that all persons are entitled to complete information on the affairs of the government and the official acts of its elected representatives. Government agencies at all levels, be it federal, state, county, or municipal public bodies, have a fundamental obligation to make decisions affecting the public open and provide reasonable access to public records. Sec 2.15 of the Act explicitly states that arrest reports and criminal history records maintained by state or local criminal justice agencies are public records subject to inspection and copying.

It is important to consider the limitations and exceptions to the right to freedom of information, as the law does not aim to cause unwarranted invasion of privacy. Information contained in public arrest records may be exempt and restricted from public access where it is confidential or where such disclosure would interfere with pending or ongoing law enforcement proceedings or investigations, endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement or correctional officers, or any other person, or compromise the security of any correctional facility.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In line with the provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/2.15), public arrest records in Lee County must contain the following details:

• The identity of the arrested individual: The name, age, address, physical description and photograph
• Information detailing any charges relating to the arrest
• The time and location of the arrest
• The name of the investigating or arresting law enforcement agency
• Where the individual is incarcerated, the time and date that the individual was booked into jail, discharged, or transferred from the arresting agency's custody.

Lee County Arrest Statistics

According to crime data obtained from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE), the arrest statistics for Lee County in 2023 are as follows: The county sheriff’s office and city police departments recorded 316 arrests, consisting of 222 male offenders and 95 female offenders.

The most common offenses leading to arrests in Lee County in 2023 included driving under the influence, simple assault, larceny, drug and narcotic offenses, weapon law violations, aggravated assault, and disorderly conduct.

Find Lee County Arrest Records

Pursuant to the provisions of section 2.15 of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, arrest records in Lee County are public records. Therefore, all interested members of the public can access information on arrested and incarcerated persons in the custody of federal, state, and county law enforcement authorities.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is the primary custodian of arrest records and is responsible for transferring arrest records and crime data to other state parties, such as the Illinois Courts and the Illinois State Police (ISP).

Interested parties can find Lee County arrest records and inmate lists on the Sheriff’s Office website. To inspect or request copies of nonconfidential arrest information, contact or visit the office for updated arrest records.

Lee County Sheriff’s Office
240 East Progress Drive
Dixon, IL 61021
Phone: (815) 284-5217
Fax: (815) 284-1146

Free Arrest Record Search in Lee County

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office performs free arrest record searches for researchers and other interested individuals. Requests for arrest records may be made in person at the Sheriff’s office or via mail to the Lee County Circuit Clerk. Individuals may also obtain arrest information and criminal records through criminal court records or criminal record searches at the Lee County Circuit Clerk’s civil/criminal division. However, criminal record searches are not free; they typically cost $1-$4 per name search.

A third search option is Third-party aggregate search sites. Unlike the above resources, third-party public record sites are privately owned and not affiliated with the government. While searches may not access arrest data for free, they can be considered a low-cost alternative.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Lee County, Illinois, arrests and convictions remain on a person’s record indefinitely until they are sealed and expunged. Unlike in some other states in the US, non-conviction arrest records are not automatically expunged.

Expunge Lee County Arrest Records

In line with the Illinois statute guiding expungement of arrest records (20 ILCS 2630/5.2), the subject of the record may be eligible to petition the circuit court to expunge the records of their arrests and charges (not initiated by the arrest) when the said arrest or charges to be expunged resulted in an acquittal, dismissal, or where the petitioner was released without being charged. A petitioner will also be eligible to have records of arrest and charges expunged where a prior conviction entered was vacated or released, or the petitioner has successfully completed an order of supervision or qualified probation.

Before filing any such petition, the individual must observe the following waiting periods as prescribed by the law:

• When the individual is released without charges, or the charges are dismissed, discharged/acquitted, or the conviction is reversed, there is no waiting period
• When the individual has completed an order of supervision, the waiting period for expungement is five years for specific traffic offenses and misdemeanor violations of section 11-503 of the Illinois Vehicle Code or a similar local ordinance (Driving Under the Influence) that occurred when the offender was less than 25 years of age, and two years after the supervision for all other offenses.
• When the individual has successfully completed a qualified probation, the waiting period for expungement is two years.

A victim of identity theft who was arrested solely on the grounds of mistaken identity or the identity thief who was arrested under the victim’s stolen identity can petition the chief judge of the circuit court where the arrest occurred to correct the records. This order will remove the victim’s name from arrest and conviction records, replace the victim's name with the offender's name (if known), seal the circuit clerk’s records until further order by the court, and delete the victim’s name from all criminal records and registries.

Lee County Arrest Warrants

Illinois arrest warrants are written orders issued by a magistrate or judge commanding a law enforcement or peace officer, member of the Department of Defence, or any individual specifically named to arrest the defendant named in the warrant (725 ILCS 5/107-1).

All warrants of arrest validly issued in the state of Illinois must possess the following characteristics (725 ILCS 5/107-9): It must

• Be in writing
• State the name, sex, date of birth, or specify such person by any name or description by which the person can be identified with reasonable certainty.
• Describe the nature of their offense (felony, misdemeanor, failure to appear in court)
• State the date and county of issuance
• Be signed by the judge with the title of the judge’s office, and;
• Command that the person against whom the complaint was made be arrested and brought before the issuing court or the nearest or most accessible court in the same county or appear before the court at a certain time and place, etcetera.

Do Lee County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Illinois arrest warrants do not expire. They remain active until executed or recalled. Anyone looking to resolve their arrest warrants should start by conducting a warrant search to understand the details contained in the warrant. It is advisable to contact a criminal defense attorney for assistance or turn yourself in to the police.