Peoria County Court Records

Peoria County court records are materials created to document cases filed in the county’s judicial system. They are prepared, collated, and maintained by the clerk of an adjudicating court. Court records exist in various formats, e.g., paper, recordings, and photographs. Documents found in court records include exhibits, motions, indictments, statements, orders, petitions, summonses, arrest reports, and pleadings.

Illinois courts preserve these records to document legal proceedings. They also make these records public, thereby promoting accountability and transparency in the judicial system. People search Illinois court records, among other reasons, to satisfy personal curiosity, stay informed on a case of interest, and for genealogical/academic research.

Are Court Records Public in Peoria County?

Yes. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), non-confidential copies of court records are subject to public perusal and copying, except exempted by statute or court order. In accordance with this Act, court clerks must provide reasonable and efficient means of public access to these records, which may include mail, online, and in-person inspection at their offices.

Notable exemptions from the provisions of the FOIA are sealed expunged records, confidential information, and unique identifiers, such as social security numbers, license numbers, and personal financial details. Juvenile cases, adoptions, and mental health records are considered private. Non-public court records remain accessible to subjects, their designees, authorized court staff, involved attorneys, and law enforcement agencies.

Peoria County Court Records Search

Interested parties can find Peoria County court records using one or more of the options listed below. To facilitate record search and retrieval, a requestor must possess the names of the litigants, the case number, and other relevant case specifics. Record search methods include:

• In person at the circuit clerk’s office
• The court-operated search website
• Third-party websites.

Peoria County Court Records Search by Name

Residents of Peoria County who know the litigants’ names may search for the related court records using the name. Requestors may visit and submit the name to the circuit clerk’s office or use reliable online tools dedicated to the purpose. To find classified or confidential records, a requestor must be eligible or have authorization to view such records and must visit the clerk’s office in person to view records.

The clerk’s office may require a processing fee to retrieve records. Requesting parties who wish to obtain copies of records may have to pay applicable fees, depending on whether the obtained copies are plain or certified. Record retrieval is easier if inquirers possess relevant case specifics, such as filing dates, case numbers, citation numbers, or hearing dates.

Peoria County Courts

The Peoria County Circuit Court is the major court in the county’s judicial system. This court is further divided into the criminal and civil divisions. The court is located at:

Peoria County Circuit Court
Peoria County Courthouse
324 Main Street
Peoria, IL 61602
Phone: (309) 672-6000
Fax: (309) 677-6228

Peoria County Circuit Court Case Search

The 10th Judicial Circuit Court has the highest jurisdiction in Peoria County, along with Putnam, Stark, Marshall, and Tazewell counties. This court has jurisdiction over most cases, including probate, juvenile, family law, civil, and criminal. The court maintains an online resource for case record searches, searchable by case number or party name. Interested persons can search this website using the record subject’s full name or case number.

Another way to lookup court records is through the Peoria County Records Inquiry portal. This website is also searchable by name (defendant, plaintiff, or attorney) or case number. Inquirers can also search using the case’s citation number. To inspect physical copies of records, one may visit the Circuit Courthouse at

Peoria County Courthouse
324 Main Street
Room 215
Peoria, IL 61602.

Peoria County District Court Records

Peoria does not have a county district court. However, the U.S. Central District Court for the State of Illinois sits in Peoria County and has jurisdiction over all 46 counties in Illinois.

Note that the Central District Court handles federal cases. Interested persons may query the court clerk’s office for public court records in person or via mail. For online access to records filed at this court, visit the PACER. Access to records costs $0.10 per page and a maximum of $3.00 for a single document. Users may qualify for a fee waiver when they spend $30 or less in a particular quarter.

305 U.S. Courthouse
100 Northeast Monroe Street
Peoria, IL 61602
Phone: (309) 671-7117
Fax: (309) 671-7120

Peoria County Criminal Records

The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office and County Police Department maintain all criminal records created by law enforcement agencies and courts in the county. Criminal records encompass different types of records maintained by various agencies in the county’s criminal justice system and typically include Peoria County arrest records and court records. Peoria criminal records are public, with specific exemptions.

Interested persons may perform name-based background checks on the Criminal History Information Response Process (CHIRP) portal. This portal requires requestors to create an account and costs $10 per name. CHIRP is maintained by the Illinois Bureau of Identification. For additional information, contact the Bureau at:

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

Peoria County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Criminal cases are adjudicated by the Criminal Division of the Peoria County Circuit Court. Examples of criminal cases handled in this court include ordinance violations, conservation violations, contempt, felonies, and misdemeanors. Peoria County criminal records are created and maintained by the circuit clerk at the courthouse. These records are available for public inspection at the clerk’s office and online. Both search methods require important search criteria, such as party name and case number. Alternatively, a researcher may peruse third-party websites for Peoria criminal records.

Get Peoria County Civil Court Records

The Civil Division of the Peoria County Circuit Court handles all civil cases, which include adoptions, divorce, probate, small claims, mental health, tax, and wills. Associated case records may be viewed at the clerk’s office or online. This website, provided by the clerk’s office, is searchable using party information, attorney information, or case particulars. Furthermore, users can sort search results using a case’s filing date.

Peoria County Family Court Records

Family law cases are handled by the county’s circuit court and the court clerk maintains all related records. They include marriage dissolutions, paternity, child custody and support, spousal support, termination of parental rights, and name change.

Interested parties may query the circuit clerk’s office during operating hours to obtain records. A requester may also use the public search tool on the clerk’s website to find records. Regardless of the search method, a researcher must possess the case number or a participant’s name to retrieve the record. For inquiries, call the civil division at (309) 672-6000.

Note that records related to select family cases, such as custody, domestic violence, and probate, are non-public. Such records are typically available only to case parties, immediate family members, party designees, attorneys, authorized third parties, and court personnel. Third parties with legitimate interests in non-public family cases may obtain written permission from the presiding judge to access records.

Peoria Dissolution of Marriage Records

In Peoria County, the dissolution of marriages mainly involves divorces and marriage annulments. These cases are handled by the circuit court’s civil division and the associated records are kept by the court clerk. Marriage dissolution records may be obtained in the same way as family records and divorce records. See the mentioned headers for guidance.

Peoria County Marriage and Divorce Records

The Peoria County Clerk maintains official Peoria County marriage records. While plain copies are available to any interested third party, certified copies of Peoria County marriage certificates are restricted to the individuals (bride or groom) named on the marriage license or anyone with notarized authorization from the records’ subjects. Records may be obtained in person, online, and by mail for a fee (payable through cashier’s checks or money orders). Mailed requests should go to:

Peoria County Clerk
324 Main Street
Room 101
Peoria, IL 61602.

The Civil Division of the Peoria County Circuit Court has jurisdiction over divorces and its clerk is responsible for keeping all related records. While these records are generally considered public access to them is limited. However, the court clerk and the county’s health department can help interested residents of Peoria County verify the details of a divorce. The inquirer is typically required to complete a certain form or application at their chosen office and pay the applicable fee. They must also possess the names of the parties named on the record, the case number (if known), a valid reason for the request, and a means of identification.

Peoria Birth and Death Records

The Peoria County clerk and the Peoria County Health Department keep information on all birth and death events that take place in the county and provide copies to eligible parties. Queries for Peoria County death certificates may also be submitted to the Peoria County Coroner and the Vital Records office. People seek these records for various reasons, including genealogical research and as proof to claim personal or property rights on a deceased’s estate. Birth and death records are classified as Peoria County vital records and are not considered public, per the Illinois State Law (410 ILCS 535–Vital Records Act).

Depending on the record in question, access is restricted to record subjects who are up to age 18, their parents, individuals with notarized consent of a record’s subject, persons who seek such records for genealogical research, and legal guardians with proof of guardianship. Records are available only to parents or guardians named on a record. Certified copies of death records may be released to persons with a property or personal interest in the deceased’s estate.

Depending on the request method (by mail, in person, or online) and the type of requested copy (certified or plain), requestors are required to pay certain fees. For instance, obtaining a certified copy of a Peoria County birth record in person at the county clerk’s office costs $16 for the first copy. Additional copies of the same record obtained at the same time cost $7 each. To obtain a death record in person, a $20 fee is required for the first copy, and $11 for additional copies of the same record obtained at the same time.

All in-person requestors must possess a valid means of identification, such as a government-issued photo ID. Accepted payment methods include cash, debit/credit card, and personal checks. Requests can also be made online and by mail (using a vital records search application). Mailed requests should be sent to:

Peoria County Clerk
324 Main Street
Room 101
Peoria, IL 61602.

For a statewide birth and death record search, one may query the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Requesters must complete and submit the applicable record request form obtainable at the office. Access charges apply to both types of records. Forward all queries and submissions to:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East Ridgely Avenue
Springfield, Illinois 62702-2737.

Peoria County Probate Court Records

All matters of probate are handled by the Civil Division of the county’s circuit court. Associated records are handled by the circuit clerk, who also handles public record requests. Probate law matters include guardianship, trusts, conservatorship, estate proceedings, and will contests. Probate court records are selectively public.

Publicly available probate case records may be obtained at the circuit clerk’s office upon submission of a record request. Records are also available online. Third parties with legitimate interests in non-public probate case records should obtain authorization from the appropriate authorities for access.

Peoria County Circuit Clerk
324 Main Street
Peoria, IL 61602
Phone: (309) 672-6000

Peoria County Property Records

Peoria County property records contain information about real properties located within the county. They document details about property tax, location, size, ownership, valuation, etc. Documents obtainable during a property record lookup include liens, deeds, mortgages, and plats. People search property records for various purposes, including property tax inquiries, pre-purchase research, and to confirm ownership.

Residents of Peoria County may inspect property records at the Peoria County Supervisor of Assessments or the Peoria County Clerk’s Office. These offices provide property search services at their offices and on various online tools. The county clerk’s search website requires users to register before usage. Free users can only view property information without images. A researcher must pay a subscription fee to see images of property documents. Payment options include daily ($45), monthly ($550), and yearly ($4,800). Free users must pay $15 to print documents, whereas registered users print for free.

Peoria County Supervisor of Assessments
324 Main Street
Room 301
Peoria, IL 61602
Phone: (309) 672-6910

Peoria County Court Records Online

In addition to the court's online search tools, many third-party websites exist for court records searches. These sites gather information from official sources, including court clerk offices and court-operated websites, and offer them to users for a fee. They typically cover multiple jurisdictions and courts, making them ideal for searches where the presiding courthouse of a case of interest is unknown.

For instance, Illinoiscourtrecords.us allows users to search Peoria arrest records, warrants, criminal records, inmate records, and property records. To use any of these sites, one has to select a county or city where the case of interest was adjudicated and input the name, case number, or any other accepted search parameter. While basic case information may be accessed for free, users are typically required to pay certain fees to access full reports.