MARION COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS

What Are Marion County Public Records?

Marion County public records originate from and are maintained by the county government and can be accessed or copied by the public. The county public records can be letters, writings, books, photographs, reports, recorded information, maps, or electronic data. Marion County public records include:

• Records of receipt and disbursement of public funds
• Arrest reports
• Criminal history records
• Sex offender information
• Court records

However, the Illinois FOIA exempts some records from being disclosed. They include:

• Juvenile records
• Adoption records
• Confidential and proprietary trade secrets
• Law enforcement officers investigation reports
• All public records that are prohibited from being disclosed by a federal or state law
• Proposals for contracts or grants where disclosure gives the requester an undue advantage

Marion County Crime Statistics

The Illinois Police Uniform Crime Reporting (I-UCR) obtains crime statistics data from all law enforcement agencies and collates an annual report detailing crime statistics within Illinois.

In 2018 the I-UCR crime rate index recorded 1,194 total crimes in the county, detailed as one criminal homicide case, 48 rapes, 20 robberies, 139 aggravated assaults, 265 burglaries, 597 thefts, 90 motor vehicle thefts, and 34 arson cases.

In 2014, the I-UCR crime rate index for Marion County recorded 1,037 crime offenses, broken down into one criminal homicide and arson case, 19 rapes, ten robberies, 84 aggravated assaults, 265 burglaries, 617 thefts, and four motor vehicle thefts. Overall, the crime rate in the county increased by 15.1%.

Are Marion County Criminal Records Public?

As per Illinois FOIA, Marion County criminal records are available to the public. Marion County criminal history records accessible by the public include:

• All public court records
• Records available under the local law
• Records requested by the criminal record holder

While these records are in the public domain, law enforcement agencies cannot upload booking photographs, also known as mug shots, on the agency's social media platforms, especially in cases relating to civil or petty offenses.

Marion County makes its criminal records public, and parties interested in accessing Marion County criminal records can contact the Clerk's office. Also, the Illinois State Police (ISP) maintains information on all criminal history convictions and makes them available.

How To Obtain Marion County Police Reports And Arrest Records?

The Illinois FOIA specifies that most reports and documents generated by law enforcement agencies are public records available to all requesters. The Sheriff's Office is in charge of Marion County police reports and arrests records. Requesters can obtain Marion County arrest records or Marion County police reports from the Sheriff's Office located at:

Marion County Sheriff's Office
204 North, Washington
Salem, IL 62881
Phone: (618) 548-2141
Fax: (618) 740-1344

How To Find Sex Offender Information In Marion County

Parties interested in accessing Marion County sex offender information can utilize the Sex Offender Registry provided by the Illinois State Police (ISP). Searchers should have the name, city, county, zip code, and compliance status of the offender to search.

Searchers can also get Marion County sex offender information from the Sex Offender Mapping tool, an online location search. Parties can click a neighborhood in Marion County or enter an address in the search box to get details of the sex offender.

Meanwhile, the ISP creates and regularly updates an online statewide sex offender registry. The registry contains records of individuals convicted of certain sexual crimes, sex crimes against children, and individuals who attempted to commit a sexual offense.

How To Find Marion County Inmate Records

The Marion County Sheriff's Department provides an Online Inmate Inquiry request tool to locate inmates incarcerated in the county jail. Requesters should submit the inmate's name, phone number, and email address to find an inmate.

Alternatively, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) makes an online Offender Search tool available to locate individuals incarcerated in the state. Parties interested can query this database using the inmate's last name, IDOC number, or birth date.

How Do I Visit An Inmate In Marion County Jail?

Marion County permits visitation privileges to family and friends of inmates incarcerated in the county jail. Visitation in Marion County is by video only, and visitors can choose to visit off-site from any location or on-site from the county jail. Both on-site and off-site visitors must register and schedule a video visitation using IC Solutions.

On-site visitation is carried out in the jail facility's visitation center using its video terminals. Off-site visitors are required to download the visitation application from their Windows computer, iOS, or Android devices to schedule the visit. Off-site visitation attracts a fee. Family and friends intending to visit an inmate in Marion County jail can call the jail on (888) 506-8407.

Marion County Court Records

Marion County court records are the official records maintained by the county clerk in a civil or criminal proceeding during a court hearing or judgment of a case. Marion County has a Circuit Court that presides over all civil and criminal cases. Marion County has a Circuit Court that attends to civil matters such as ordinance violations, landlord/tenant disputes, foreclosures and liens, and small claims disputes involving less than $10,000. Criminal cases handled by the court include misdemeanors, juvenile, traffic and infractions, and felonies. The court presides over mental health, divorce, adoptions, domestic violence, and paternity cases. Interested parties can access Marion County court records at the courthouse at:

Marion County Circuit Court
Marion County Courthouse
100 East Main Street
Salem, IL 62881
Phone: (618) 548-3400

Are Marion County Court Records Public?

Marion County Circuit Clerk is the official record keeper and maintains and updates all court-related documents for the court system in the county. The County Circuit Clerk makes available these court records to the public on request. Interested parties can get Marion County court records from the Circuit Clerk's Office at:

Marion County Circuit Clerk
100 East Main Street, 2nd Floor
Salem, IL 62881
Phone: (618) 548-3400

While the Circuit Clerk grants access to records in its custody, the following documents based on Illinois FOIA cannot be made public.

• Juvenile records
• Adoption records
• Trade secrets
• Personal information within a public record
• Records prohibited from being divulged by a federal or state law
• Law enforcement records created in the course of duty

How To Obtain Marion County Civil Court Case Records

Civil court cases are between private citizens or businesses to settle incidents like damage to property, contracts, or disputes caused by actions of one party on another. In Marion County, the Circuit Court Clerk maintains the county civil court case records and may charge a fee to obtain its records. Parties interested in getting Marion County civil court case records can contact the Circuit Clerk in person or by fax at Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at:

Marion County Circuit Clerk
2nd Floor, Room 206
100 East Main Street
Salem, IL 62881
Phone: (618) 548-3400
Fax: (618) 548-8506

How To Obtain Marion County Criminal Court Records

Marion County Circuit Clerk is the custodian of files generated in court during criminal proceedings, and the records are available upon request. Interested parties can obtain Marion County criminal court records in person or fax from the Clerk's Office Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Marion County Circuit Clerk
2nd Floor, Room 204
100 East Main Street
Salem, IL 62881
Phone: (618) 548-3400
Fax: (618) 548-0118

What Are Marion County Vital Records?

Marion County vital records are official documents relating to critical life events issued by the county. The County's vital records include marriage records, birth records, divorce records, and death records. Requesters can obtain Marion County birth, death, and marriage records from the Vital Records Division of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Parties can only obtain divorce records from the court that issued the divorce. In Illinois, vital records are not subject to FOIA and are accessed only by specific individuals.

Where And How To Obtain Marion County Divorce Records

A divorce decree issued by a court ends a marriage formally, and divorce decrees contain all agreements reached during the divorce process. In Illinois, a requester can only obtain divorce records from the court that issued the divorce decree, and requesters can obtain Marion County divorce records from:

Marion County Courthouse
100 East Main Street
Salem, IL 62881
Phone: (618) 548-3400

The Division of Vital Records from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issues divorce verification letters; a divorce verification letter typically contains:

• The names of the couple
• Date of birth of the couple
• The date the divorce was granted
• The city and county the divorce occurred

A request for a divorce verification letter costs $5.00 and can be made by mail, fax, or in person.

Requesters must submit a verification of dissolution of marriage records file form with a valid photo ID issued by the government to obtain a divorce verification letter.

The completed form and a photocopy of ID should be sent to (217) 523-2648 to request by fax, and requesters should include their credit card number, return address, phone number, and signature. Additional charges are incurred for credit card handling fees and UPS charges, and processing takes seven business days for a divorce verification letter.

Requesters ordering a divorce verification letter in person or by mail should fill out the application form and submit it with a photocopy of a valid ID to:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East, Ridgely Avenue
Springfield, IL 62702-2732

An in-person request is from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday. The mail-in request is processed between 4-6 weeks and must include a check or money order made payable to the Illinois Department of Health.

Where And How To Get Public Marion County Marriage Records

In Illinois, certified copies of marriage records are issued by the county clerk where the marriage took place, and the couple can only access the records. Interested parties can obtain Marion County marriage records from the County Clerk's Office located at:

Marion County Circuit Clerk
2nd Floor
100 East Main Street
Salem, IL 62881
Phone: (618) 548-3400

Where And How To Get Confidential Marriage Records In Marion County

Confidential marriage is the union of a couple without witnesses; the marriage records are usually confidential and can only be accessed and obtained by the couple. In Illinois, marriage certificates are considered public; therefore, confidential marriage records in Marion County do not exist.

Where And How To Find Marion County Birth Records

As per Illinois law, birth records are not accessible by the public, and only the following are authorized to obtain a copy of a certified birth record:

• The holder of the birth record who must be 18 years or older
• The parents named on the birth record
• The guardian or legal representative of the birth record holder and must show proof of this relationship

Requesters of a Marion County birth record must fill out the Application for Illinois Birth Record form, submit the form with a valid government-issued ID, and send it either by mail, fax, or in person. A request for a certified birth record by mail or in-person costs $10.00, and additional copies cost $2.00 each. Requesters of a birth record by mail or in-person requests must provide the following details:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Sex
• Place of birth
• Mother's maiden name
• Mothers place of birth
• Mothers age
• Fathers name
• Fathers place of birth
• Fathers age
• File date
• Date issued
• State file number

Money orders or checks made payable to IDPH should be included in the application when ordering by mail, and in-person, requesters can pay with cash, checks, debit or credit card, or money orders. The IDHP is open for in-person requests Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The completed form, valid ID, and fees are mailed or dropped off at:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East, Ridgely Avenue
Springfield, IL 62702-2732

Requesting a birth record by fax is sent to (217) 523-2648 and costs $15.00. Additional copies cost $2.00 each, and there is a handling fee of $12.95 and a UPS fee of 19.50. Payment is strictly by credit card.

Where And How To Find Marion County Death Records

According to Illinois laws, death records are not available to the public and are accessible only by individuals with a personal or property right interest with the deceased.

Authorized persons can obtain Marion County death records by filling out the Application for Illinois Death Record form and submitting the completed form with a valid government-issued ID to the IDPH. A death record can be requested by mail, online, in person, or by fax.

A Marion County death record requested by mail, fax, online, or in-person costs $19.00, with additional copies costing $4.00 each. Additional charges may be incurred when requesting by fax or online. Payment for mail-in requests is by check or money order, while in-person requests are paid for by cash, money order, debit or credit cards, or personal check. Payment for death records online or by fax is strictly by credit card.

The IDPH is open for in-person requests from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday, and requests by mail or in-person are sent or dropped off at:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East, Ridgely Avenue
Springfield, IL 62702-2732

All requests must include a valid government-issued ID, and the ID must contain the photo of the requester, the name of the requester, date of birth, and an issue and expiry date. The IDPH accepts the following means of identification:

• Passport
• FOID card
• Driver's license
• Federal issued Tribal ID card
• Active Duty Military ID
• Veterans Administration Issued Photo Medical Card

Requesters who do not possess a valid ID or have less than six months to the date of expiry of their current ID will require two forms of identification that carry the requester's name and address.

Requesters who do not possess valid government-issued IDs can provide any two documents, one from each category.

Category A

• Credit card statement
• Bank statement
• Medical card
• Car insurance card
• Paycheck stubs
• Voters registration card

Category B

A current mail received that shows the requesters full name and current mailing address such as:

• Current utility bill
• Phone bill
• Any bill for services received

Requesters should submit multiple mails, and they must be issued from different agencies.

Incarcerated individuals must submit a copy of the offender's summary sheet or prison intake, and it must contain the name, date of birth, photo, and facility information. Individuals released within six months must provide their prison ID and release papers.