Crime Numbers
Crimes statistics for all counties in Illinois are provided by the Illinois State Police. Its most recent records show that Sangamon County recorded 1,453 violent crimes and 6,549 property crimes in 2017. Compared to the figures of 2013; the violent crime rate in the county increased by 2.2% while the property crime rate decreased by 7.9%.
A closer look at the reported Part I crimes for 2017 reveals that 13 murders, 131 rapes, 266 robberies, and 1,043 aggravated assaults occurred in the county. In the same period, Sangamon County recorded 1,496 burglaries, 4,652 larceny thefts, and 401 motor vehicle thefts.
A five-year crime trend analysis of the most recent data indicates the following crime rates fell in the county in 2017 compared to 2013: robbery (14.5%), burglary (9.3%), and larceny (11.5%). In the same period, murder (160%), rape (31%), aggravated assault (3.7%), and motor vehicle theft (94.7%) rates increased.
Criminal Records
The Bureau of Identification of the Illinois State Police (ISP) maintains criminal history records for all counties in the state. The Bureau provides two kinds of criminal history background checks: name-based and fingerprint-based. To obtain a name-based background check for Sangamon County, visit the Criminal History Information Response Process (CHIRP) web portal. A name-based background on the portal costs $10. The fee can be paid by credit card or electronic check. The user is required to have a State of Illinois Digital ID to complete a transaction on this portal.
When a fingerprint-based criminal history background check is required, visit a licensed livescan fingerprint vendor. This type of background check costs $15. The livescan vendor may charge a convenience fee. The Bureau also accepts in-person and mail requests for background checks and charges $16 for each name-based check. The fee for a fingerprint-based background check is $20. To request for criminal history records, contact the ISP by mail or in person at:
Illinois State Police
Indicate Division or Office
801 South 7th Street
Springfield, IL 62703
Police reports for the county are provided by its two main law enforcement agencies: the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and the Springfield Police Department. To obtain copies of any report from the Sheriff's Office, print and complete the Freedom of Information (FOI) Form. The Sheriff charges 15 cents per page for all copies over 50 pages, 45 cents per page for color copies, and $1 per request to certify each document. Submit the completed form to the Records Division in person, by email, or by regular mail to:
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office
One Sheriff’s Plaza
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 753-6876
For incidents that occurred in Springfield City, the county seat, contact the Springfield Police Department by using the online Freedom of Information Act portal to request copies of police reports.
The ISP has records of all registered sex offenders living in Illinois and makes this database publicly accessible. To find a registered sex offender living in Sangamon County, visit the Illinois Sex Offender Information page and search by name of the subject or a city or zip code in the county. Users can also use the Map Your Neighborhood tool on the site to find all registered sex offenders living nearby. The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office provides a link to search this database on its website.
The Sangamon County Jail is the name of the county jail. This correctional center houses 314 inmates and is located at:
One Sheriff Plaza
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 753-6763
Friends and family can fund an inmate’s account via the deposit kiosk in the main lobby area of the facility. Alternatively, send a money order by mail to the jail address above.
Court Records
Sangamon County has a unified trial court system with the Circuit Court exercising general jurisdiction over both civil and criminal cases. The Administrative Adjudication is the other court in the county handling ordinance violation cases. The locations of these courts are:
Sangamon County Circuit Court
Sangamon County Complex
200 South 9th Street
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 753-6674
Fax: (217) 747-5108
Administrative Adjudication in Sangamon County
Springfield Administrative Court
800 East Monroe Street
Room 327
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 789-2375
Fax: (217) 789-2367
Sangamon County court files are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk. The public can access all unsealed court files online from the case search page on the Circuit Court Clerk’s website. Users are allowed to print uncertified copies of these records from the online database free of charge. However, to obtain certified copies of these court records, contact the Circuit Clerk’s office by visiting or sending a mail request to:
Sangamon County Building
Room 405, Fourth Floor
200 South Ninth Street
Springfield, IL 61701
(217) 753-6674
Certified copies are available for a small fee and the Clerk’s Office charges $4 per year for record searches. The Circuit Clerk’s office accepts money order AND cashier’s checks for mail-in requests and cash for in-person orders.
Vital Records
Sangamon County divorce records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Certified copies of these divorce records are provided at $25 each. To obtain a certified divorce record, contact the Clerk’s Office at the address above.
While the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) does not issue certified copies of divorce records, it provides verification for dissolutions of marriage that occurred in the county from 1962 to present. This verification cost $5 and can be requested by mail, by fax, or in person. Download and complete the application for verification of the dissolution of marriage form to order a verified copy. Attach a valid photo ID and a check or money order for the copy fee. Send your mail request to:
Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 E. Ridgely Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702-2737
Requests by fax may be sent to (217) 523-2648. The total cost of a faxed order includes the $5 verification fee, a $12.95 credit card handling fee, and a $19.50 UPS charge. In-person orders can be dropped off at the address above.
Sangamon County marriage records are provided by both the County Clerk and IDPH. While certified copies can only be obtained from the Clerk's office, the IDPH provides verification copies. To obtain verified copies of marriage records, use the application for verification of marriage records form found on IDPH website. The process and the fee are as described above for obtaining verified divorce record copies from the IDPH.
Certified copies of marriage records are provided by the Sangamon County Clerk online or by mail. To request a copy online, use the Sangamon County driver's license submission page or email a scanned copy of a valid ID to the Clerk's office. After submitting their driver's license, the user will be redirected to the Epay website to complete the order upon successful submission of the ID. Requesters who chose to make an order by email can visit the Epay directly to complete an order. The fee for each certified copy is $25, payable by credit/debit card for online requests.
The Sangamon County Clerk’s Office also accepts mail requests for copies of marriage records. To make a request by mail, complete and submit this application form along with a money order or check for the required fee. Enclose a photocopy of a valid ID with the mail-in request.
Certified copies of birth and death records for the county are provided by both the IDPH and the Sangamon County Clerk’s office. The processes of obtaining copies of a vital record from both offices, as described above, also apply when requesting birth and death records.
To request a birth or death record from the Clerk's office, use the same online portal, email, or application form provided above and choose the relevant vital record to order. The fee for a certified copy of birth record requested from the Clerk's Office is $25 while each certified copy of a death record costs $29.
When requesting certified records of birth or death certificates from the IDPH, use the relevant birth or death application form provided by the office. Certified copies of long-form birth records cost $15 per copy at the IDPH office while the fee for a short-form birth record is $10. The IDPH charges $19 per copy of a certified death record. IDPH only has birth and death records for events that occurred in the county from 1916 to the present available. For copies of older records, contact the Sangamon County Clerk's Office.
