Criminal Records
The Champaign County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency of the county and is tasked with collating and maintaining criminal records and statistics of Champaign county. However, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification is the chief custodian of criminal history records and conviction information of the state. The Bureau provides access to criminal records on request.
How to Get Criminal Records
Interested persons may obtain Champaign County criminal records by requesting a name- or fingerprint-based criminal history background check from the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification.
Name-based queries may be made using the Illinois criminal history information response process (CHIRP). Requestors are required to enroll with the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology where they will receive a digital ID for accessing the CHIRP. Applicants may then pay the required search fee and self-serve by searching the database with first and last name of the subject. Interested parties may also request a fingerprint-based criminal history background check by conducting a fingerprint scan using Champaign County Sheriff's office ink fingerprinting services.
In addition, the Champaign County Circuit Clerk process background checks/criminal record searches or requests for certified copies for dispositions. Requestors are required to submit a record search request form along with the stated fees to:
Champaign County Courthouse,
101 East Main Street
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 384-3725
Fax: (217) 384-3879
How to Find the Sex Offender Registry and Other Sex Offender Information
The Champaign County Sheriffs Office maintains a public register of sex offenders registered within the county. Residents may access sex offender information including their specific addresses and current locations within the county, using the Sheriffs offender search tool. Searches may also be conducted using the offender's name or by skimming through the list of all registered offenders within the county. Interested persons may also subscribe to the Sheriffs sex offenders notification feature which alerts subscribers about sex offenders nearby.
How to Find Inmate And Jail Information
The Corrections Division of the Champaign County Sheriff's Office records and manages information relating to jail and in-custody inmates of the county's correctional facilities. Interested members of the public may access current inmate information of the county using the Sheriff's Office in-custody inmate and bond look up tool. It provides information about current inmates, their housing locations as well as the amount set for their bail (if applicable). Searches can be conducted using the inmate name, number or their booking date.
Court Records
Where and How to get Court Records
The office of the Champaign County Circuit Clerk is the central repository of all court files and records of cases filed within its jurisdiction. With only a few exceptions, most records in the County Circuit Clerk’s office are a matter of public record. To view court records in person, requestors are required to visit the Circuit Clerk viewing room in the county courthouse.
Alternatively, requestors can obtain court records by using the Circuit Clerks online Request a Document Form. This will require some case and litigant information which may be obtained using the court case lookup system. A copy of the request, along with a cheque or money order payment for the stated fee may then be sent to:
Champaign County Circuit Clerk,
101 E. Main Street,
Urbana, IL 61801
Location Of All Courts In County
The Champaign County Circuit court is the county's only court located at:
Champaign County Courthouse
101 East Main Street, Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 384-3725
Fax: (217) 384-3879
Where And How To Get Bankruptcy And Property Records
The Champaign County Recorder of Deeds maintains and issues records of real property, deeds and property liens of the county. Interested parties may obtain these records by requesting them in person at:
1776 E Washington
Urbana, IL 61802
Phone: (217) 384-3774
recorderofdeeds@co.champaign.il.us
Alternatively, requests can be made using the recorders subscription-based program, Laredo. This provided digitized records of all property documents going back to 1987. Fees for subscription begin at $75 for 0 - 250 minutes of use per month. Champaign County bankruptcy records are also managed and disseminated by the office of the Clerk of Courts of the Central District of Illinois US Bankruptcy Court National Archives’ Federal Records Center (FRC).
Interested persons may request records of cases filed after April 1, 2004, by sending a request to the Central District of Illinois case file by mail. Requests must include the requestor's name, the name or case number of the debtor and number of copies required.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court
Central District of Illinois
201 South Vine Street
Room 203
Urbana, IL 61802
For records of cases filed prior to April 1, 2004 requestors must complete a Form NatF 90 which will then be sent to:
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road,
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Vital Records
The Illinois Department of Public Health maintains a statewide repository of vital records which are available to eligible members of the public on request. Similarly, the Office of the Champaign County Clerk and the Office of the County Circuit Clerk co-manage the vital records of Champaign county and make the records available to interested persons who meet eligibility requirements.
Where and How to get Divorce Records
Interested persons may request copies of divorce records from the Office of the County Circuit Clerk. Requestors are required to know and provide the case number of the divorce record as well as the names of the divorced parties and the year of the divorce.
To obtain a copy of a divorce record, supplicants may prepare a written request indicating relevant information about the divorce, and deliver it to the Circuit Clerk's office. Requests must be sent along with a record search fee of $6 plus a certified copy fee of $7 and self-addressed envelope to:
Katie M. Blakeman,
Circuit Clerk,
101 E. Main Street,
Urbana, IL 61801
In-person requests may also be made at the same location.
Where and How to get Marriage Records
Records of all marriages licensed by the County's Recorder of Deeds office are maintained and issued by the Champaign County Clerk's Office. Requestors are required to present a government-issued ID along with some relevant information for tracing which may include the names of the spouses, as well as the place and date of the marriage.
Written requests should be accompanied by a $16.50 fee for the first copy plus an additional $13.00 for each extra copy and sent to:
Champaign County Clerk
1776 East Washington Street
Urbana, IL 61802
Where and How to get Birth and Death Records
The Office of the Champaign County Clerk responds to queries relating to death and birth records within the county. Requests for certified copies of death and birth records may only be made by authorized persons including the registrant, their parents/close family members and all other law/court mandated persons.
All requests require the date of the event and the name of the registrant. It must also be validated by the requestors government-issued I.D and should be accompanied by a payment of $21.00 for the first copy plus $12.00 for each additional copy. Written requests (which should include relevant registrant information and any applicable fees) should be sent to:
Champaign County Clerk
1776 East Washington Street
Urbana, IL 61802
In-person requests may also be made at the above-stated location, while mail requests may be sent to mail@champaigncountyclerk.com
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
