Woodford County Court Records

The Illinois Manual on Recordkeeping defines Woodford County court records as documents electronically or manually filed in a case. The Clerk of Circuit Court keeps these records in compliance with the Illinois Supreme Court Rules and Fourth District Appellate Court Local Rules. Court records typically contain information like the case parties' names, case numbers, filing dates, event descriptions, charges, and disposition. This information is significant to the general public, legal professionals, and employers in enhancing trust in the legal system, advising clients based on similar cases, and hiring or renting processes. Public access to court records helps NGOs advocate for social justice, case parties track the status of their cases, and policymakers refine or propose new laws.

Are Court Records Public in Woodford County?

Yes. Supreme Court Rule 8 and the Illinois Freedom of Information Act guarantee public access to records in the Wood County Circuit Court's custody. The Clerk of the court presumes such records to be open for inspection and copying. Therefore, they release court records when requests are made during business hours. However, the court will limit access to nonpublic court records such as:

• Wills deposited with the court
• Adoption and juvenile proceedings
• Arrest warrants prior to the arrest of the defendant
• Questionnaires for jurors and transcripts of the voir dire process with prospective jurors.
• Financial information that provides identifying account numbers of individuals or business entities
• Personal information of potential or sworn jurors in a criminal case, such as name, phone numbers, and addresses.
• Drafts, notes, and work products prepared by a judge, by court staff for a judge, or by people working for the judge related to cases before the court.

Woodford County Court Records Search

The Woodford County Circuit Court provides court records to the members of the public via the following methods:

• Online through an approved third-party vendor
• By phone at (309) 467-3312
• In person at the courthouse during business hours

Woodford County Courts

The only court available in Woodford County is the Circuit Court, and it is located at:

Woodford County Circuit Court
115 N Main Street
Suite 201
P.O. Box 284
Eureka, IL 61530
Phone: (309) 467-3312

Woodford County Criminal and Civil Records

The Woodford County Circuit Court has two divisions with original jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. The Civil Division hears matters such as divorce, eminent domain, eviction, estates, chancery, probate, evictions, small claims, guardianships, and orders of protection. The Criminal Division handles cases like felonies, misdemeanors, conservation, domestic violence, criminal contempt, traffic, civil law, DUI, major traffic, and quasi-criminal.

The Woodford County Clerk of Circuit Court attends to phone civil and criminal court records requests. Requesters should call the office at (309) 467-3312 during business hours to obtain copies of court records. The Clerk charges $2 for the first page of the court record, 50 cents per page for records up to 20 pages and 25 cents per page for records over 20 pages. Certified copies of civil and criminal records cost $6 per certified copy. Interested persons can also search for civil and criminal records through an approved third-party platform. Users must create an account and sign in to the portal using a user ID and password.

Woodford County Marriage and Divorce Records

The Woodford County Clerk's Office provides certified copies of marriage certificates to members of the public online. Requesters would have to pay $23 for the first copy of Woodford County marriage certificates. Additional copies cost $12 per copy.

The Clerk of Circuit Court Civil Division handles all divorce cases in Woodford County. Copies of these cases can be retrieved online, by phone at (309) 467-3312, or in person from Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Record seekers must know the name of the case party or case number to facilitate the search.

Woodford County Birth and Death Records

Woodford County public records exclude birth and death certificates. These records are only released to individuals related to the record holder. Copies of Woodford County birth certificates are also issued to subjects of records, legal guardians, and legal representatives.

The Clerk's Office has been the depository for Woodford County vital records (births and deaths) since 1877. Individuals can order certified copies of birth and death certificates through Official Records Online. The first copy of a birth certificate costs $23, while that of a death certificate costs $29. An additional copy of a birth record costs $15, while a death record costs $24.

Woodford County Property Records

Woodford County has custodians who keep property records such as deeds, property taxes, plats, liens, mortgages, military discharge papers, articles of incorporation, and uniform commercial code documents. The Treasurer accepts property record requests in person during business hours. Copies of property documents cost a fee. Individuals who want free access to property tax information can use the Property Tax Search tool. The search criteria are parcel, site address, and sale. Those who want to streamline their searches can enter tax codes, tax districts, and legal descriptions.

The Woodford County Clerk and Recorder issues certified copies of property records electronically through the Official Records Online website. Property documents cost between $1 and $1.25 per page depending on their size. Copies of plats also cost between $3.25 and $5.75 per plat. Certified copies of standard documents cost $55, while non-standard ones cost $68. To fulfill the request, customers requesting certified copies of land documents should include the document, book, or page number.

Woodford County Court Records Online

Many third-party platforms, such as Illinoiscourtrecords.us, compile court records from multiple jurisdictions to provide members of the public with access to a wide range of data in one place. Users can locate civil and criminal records on these sites by entering a name or case number in the appropriate search box. However, using a third-party portal has its limitations. For example, third-party sites incur costs as many subscription or per-search fees are charged. They can also contain inaccurate information, so they should be verified against official court databases.