McLean County Court Records

McLean County court records contain information about cases adjudicated within the jurisdiction of McLean County. This class of records comprises documents created or filed as a civil or criminal case moves through the judicial system. Maintaining court records facilitates public information, research, and systemic transparency. Furthermore, persons who obtain court records can access case facts instead of hearsay or misinterpretation by secondary sources.

Generally, McLean County court records contain information like the personal details of the case parties (petitioner and defendant), why the case was filed, and the court’s decision. This information is contained in documents like motions, affidavits, summons, orders, and court transcripts.

Are Court Records Public in McLean County?

Yes. McLean County court records are public per the IIllinois Public Records Act (5 ILCS 160/1). This law empowers Illinois residents with the statutory right to request, view, and obtain copies of records describing the actions or activities of an organization funded by public funds.

Although the Illinois PRA makes governmental records available to the public, access is not absolute. Certain documents are exempt from public inspection or copying. For court records: documents containing sensitive information or details that could compromise the privacy or safety of an individual are sequestered from public access. For example, juvenile court records are not public. The same applies to court records containing identifying details about minors or victims of sexual offenses.

Access to restricted court records is limited to the record subjects, their authorized legal representative, and government officials whose regular duties make access to such records necessary. Aside from these individuals, third parties must obtain a court order to view sealed court records. Merely petitioning for a subpoena does not guarantee access to sealed court records. Generally, when considering whether to grant such orders, the court weighs the petitioner’s need against the statutory provision or legal necessity that sealed the document in the first place.

McLean County Court Records Search

Individuals who wish to find McLean County court records have four options:

• Lookup the record on electronic databases
• Visit the record custodian’s office
• Send a request letter to the custodian's office by mail
• Search repositories maintained by independent service providers.

All the above options eventually help a person find court records, but they are not equivalents. At most, they are complementary. For example, searching electronic databases is a fast and convenient way to find court records, but immediate access is not guaranteed. On the other hand, in-person requests may not be an option for persons out of town, while mail-in requests are comparatively slower.

Besides, the latter options often involve paying search and copying fees unless the requestor gets a fee waiver. In any way, when performing a McLean County court record search, the requestor must provide the necessary information to facilitate the search. Case numbers and case party names are preferred.

McLean County Court Records Search by Name

Requestors may find court records by name online or by mail. The McLean County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office maintains an electronic repository for name-based searches for court records. It is also possible to find court records by visiting the Clerk’s Office and giving administrative staff the petitioner’s name. The defendant’s name, as well as the names of the representing attorneys or the presiding judge, may also facilitate court record search online or at the Clerk’s Office. The Clerk’s Office is generally at the court where the case was adjudicated.

McLean County Courts

The McLean County court system comprises the Circuit Court and specialty courts. Generally, the Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases in McLean County. The specialty courts are problem-solving courts that adjudicate criminal and non-criminal cases by taking a more holistic, socio-ecological approach to justice than traditional trial courts.

The list below contains the addresses and contact information of courts in McLean County.

McLean County Circuit Court
McLean County Law and Justice Center
104 West Front Street
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5301
Fax: (309) 888-5281

Veterans Treatment Court
104 West Front Street
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5339

McLean County Juvenile Court
104 West Front Street, Room 701
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5370
Fax: (309) 862-8371

McLean County Circuit Court Case Search

McLean County circuit court cases are available online via the electronic repository maintained by the Clerk’s Office. The repository supports name-based searches and case number searches. To find court records:

• Visit the McLean County court records search page
• Read the terms of use and disclaimers
• Click the header for the case type of interest (traffic and criminal or civil)
• Enter the record subject’s name
• Click the search button.

Upon providing the required search parameters, the system will return a list of matching results. Clicking the select button next to the name column will provide the searcher with additional information about the case, e.g., charges, case status, description, financial summary, etc.

McLean County District Court Records

McLean County is under the 4th District Court of Appeal. The District Court of Appeal handles appellate cases originally adjudicated in the McLean County Circuit Court. To find appellate case information, visit the 4th District Appellate Online Docket or the Clerk’s Office during business hours.

4th District Court of Appeal
Appellate Court Clerk's Office
201 West Monroe Street
Springfield, IL 62704
Phone: (217) 782-2586

McLean County Criminal Records

McLean County criminal records are available to everyone per the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/1 et seq). However, only conviction information is available to the public. Only the record subject or authorized individuals may obtain non-conviction information.

To obtain McLean county arrest records and criminal history records, submit a background check request to the Illinois State Bureau of Investigation. Interested persons may do this online by creating an account on the Criminal History Information Response Process (CHIRP) portal.

CHIRP is appropriate for public requestors who wish to perform name-based searches for conviction records. Record subjects who wish to obtain comprehensive criminal records must submit a fingerprint-based request. To do this, visit the McLean County Sheriff’s Office during business hours to get fingerprint scanning and submit the application.

McLean County Sheriff’s Office
104 West Front Street
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5034
Fax: (309) 888-5072

Name-based requests for conviction records cost $16.00 per search while fingerprint-based requests cost $20.00 per search. These fees are non-refundable per the Bureau fee schedule. For additional information and inquiries, contact the Bureau of Investigation at:

260 North Chicago Street
Joliet, Illinois 60432
Phone: (815) 740-5160
Fax: (815) 740-4401

McLean County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Criminal case court records are available to interested persons at the Clerk’s Office. To obtain these records, visit the Clerk’s Office or the Circuit Court during business hours. Alternatively, search the court records online via the case records portal.

McLean County Circuit Clerk
104 West Front Street, Room 303/404
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5301
Fax: (309) 888-5281

Get McLean County Civil Court Records

Civil court records are documents generated in cases about disputes between individuals. These cases may also be between individuals and public or private entities. Common civil cases in McLean County include landlord/tenant cases, probate, small claims, and family cases such as divorce, child support, alimony, and protective orders.

The Circuit Clerk is the custodian of civil court records. To obtain these records, visit the Clerk’s Office during business hours or search the civil case record portal using the case party name or case number.

McLean County Circuit Clerk
104 West Front Street, Room 303/404
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5301
Fax: (309) 888-5281

McLean County Family Court Records

Family law cases like marriage dissolution, divorce, child support, custody hearings, parental rights, guardianship, and spousal support are adjudicated by the family division of the McLean County Circuit Court. Records of documents filed in this case can help searchers get accurate facts about the cause and outcome of the proceedings.

To obtain family court records, visit the Clerk’s Office in person during business hours or search the court records portal. However, because family court records often contain sensitive information, access may be restricted to case parties and their legal representatives.

McLean County Circuit Clerk
104 West Front Street, Room 303/404
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5301
Fax: (309) 888-5281

McLean County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of marriage records in McLean County are available online or at the County Clerk’s Office. Alternatively, mail a request letter describing the documents sought (case party names, filing date, case number, etc.) to the Clerk’s Office.

The Clerk’s Office charges $2.00 for the first page of the record and $0.50 for each additional page. Certification of the court record costs $6.00 per document. For additional information or inquiries, contact the Clerk’s Office.

McLean County Clerk
115 East Washington Street, Room 102
P.O. Box 2400
Bloomington, IL 61702
Phone: (309) 888-5190
Fax: (309) 888-5932

McLean County Marriage and Divorce Records

McLean County marriage records contain information about couples legally married in the county. On the other hand, divorce records contain information about the legal termination of a marriage. Generally, interested persons may obtain non-certified marriage and divorce records in McLean County unless specified otherwise by court order or state law.

The McLean County Clerk is the custodian of marriage records. To obtain marriage records, visit the Clerk’s Office during business hours or submit an application online. The service costs $18.00 for the first copy and $10.00 for each additional copy obtained at the same time.

McLean County Clerk
115 East Washington Street, Room 102
P.O. Box 2400
Bloomington, IL 61702
Phone: (309) 888-5190
Fax: (309) 888-5932

Meanwhile, divorce records in McLean County are maintained by the Circuit Clerk. Anyone may obtain this record by visiting the Clerk’s Office during business hours or submitting a divorce record application online. The cost is $2.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page.

McLean County Circuit Clerk
Attn: Family Division
P.O. Box 2400
104 West Front Street, Room 303/404
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5301

McLean County Birth and Death Records

Birth and death records are vital records, i.e., official documentation of important life events. These records are useful for identification and administrative purposes. For example, birth records are typically required when processing international passports and getting a social security number. Death records, on the other hand, are often used by the decedent’s survivors to process insurance claims and social security benefits.

Only authorized persons may obtain birth and death records. These include the record subject (birth), their immediate family members, and authorized legal representatives. All requestors submit a valid legal ID upon application. Eligible persons may obtain birth and death records at the County Health Department or County Clerk’s Office. Records from the Health Department are limited to events from January 1, 1999, while records from the Clerk’s Office are limited to events from 1860.

To obtain these records, submit an online application for vital records. It is also possible to request birth and death records by mail. Each copy of a birth record costs $25.00 for the first copy and $6.00 for each additional copy requested at the same time. Similarly, each copy of a death record costs $27.00 for the first copy and $8.00 for each additional copy requested at the same time.

McLean County Clerk
115 East Washington Street, Room 102
P.O. Box 2400
Bloomington, IL 61702
Phone: (309) 888-5190
Fax: (309) 888-5932

McLean County Health Department
200 West Front Street, Room 500D
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5481

McLean County Probate Court Records

The Probate Division of the McLean County Circuit Court handles matters related to the administration of decedents’ estates, wills, and trusts, as well as conservatorship. To obtain probate court records, visit the probate court during business hours or the Clerk-Recorder’s Office.

McLean County Circuit Court — Probate Division
104 West Front Street
4th Floor, Room 404
Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 888-5350

McLean County Property Records

McLean County property records contain information on real and personal property located in the county. Available information includes the owner’s name, address, liens, valuation, property description, and tax information.

The custodian of property records is the McLean County Property Assessor’s Office. Interested persons may lookup property records by searching the property search portal or visiting the Assessor’s Office during business hours.

McLean County Property Assessor
P.O. Box 2400
115 East Washington Street, Room 101
Bloomington, IL 61702-2400
Phone: (309) 888-5130

McLean County Court Records Online

Online access to McLean County court records is convenient and fast for requestors and reduces the cost of service for record custodians. As such, most agencies in McLean County maintain some online repository or web form that people may use to access public records. However, these sources are typically restricted to records maintained by that specific custodian and limited to county jurisdiction.

Third-party search sites offer more convenience when accessing court records from multiple cities or counties. For instance, searchers can find court records from all counties in IIllinois on IIllinoiscourtrecords.us, a central repository for court records, including those generated in McLean County courts and courts in adjacent counties in IIllinois.

However, unlike official court records, records obtained from third-party sources are not certified. In other words, there is no guarantee of the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the records obtained. Furthermore, these records may not be used for official purposes like employment or tenant screening.