Will County Court Records
The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) defines court records in their Manual on Recordkeeping as documents electronically or conventionally filed in a case. Court records do not include arrest fingerprint cards or proposed, issued, or draft documents. The custodian of court records in Will County is the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The Clerk maintains all court records in compliance with Illinois Supreme Court Rules and the Third District Appellate Court Local Rules.
Will county court records are important for various reasons. One vital aspect of public court records is their ability to teach the public about law, accountability, and consequences. If court records are not available to the public, it would prevent future lawyers from learning from court proceedings and might affect the evolution of court processes.
Are Court Records Public in Will County
Court records are public in Will County according to the Supreme Court Rule 8 and the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, anyone can request to view or obtain copies of court records maintained at any court in Will County. Although court records are public, some records or information contained in them may be exempted from public disclosure. This is because releasing such records may constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, endanger a person’s life or physical safety, or interfere with ongoing investigation. Examples of confidential court records are juvenile delinquency proceedings, adoption records, and mental health records.
What Do Will County Court Records Contain?
A court record features various information about the case, party, and the offense committed so individuals can have insight into court proceedings processes. A typical court record in Will County contains the following information:
- Case information (case number, status, opening and closing dates, title, type, and file type)
- Party information (party type and name, zip code, and date of birth)
- Offense information (count, offense date, charge description, class, disposition date, disposition, and sentence date)
- Financial information (order number, date, and description, fees, and fines, payments, and balance due)
- Schedule (future and previous court events including date, time, room, and event)
- Event (date and docket entry)
Where to Conduct a Will County Case Lookup
Court records are generated during case proceedings. Interested persons can conduct a Will County case lookup at the following record custodian offices:
How to Conduct a Will County Case Records Search
A Will County case search records search can be conducted online, by mail, or in person at the Circut Court. Online requests can be made via the Case Lookup tool or a third-party vendor the Circuit Court partners with. To get copies of court records through this third-party platform, individuals must register and click the appropriate link to request the desired record. The requested copy of the court record will be uploaded to the third-party platform in approximately two (2) business days by the Circuit Court staff. When the request has been fulfilled, an email notification will be sent to the requester. Afterward, the requester can log back into the third-party platform to pay for, print out, and/or save the court record copies. In-person requests can be made at the Will County courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. between Monday and Friday, except for official court holidays. The Court is located at:
Will County Courthouse
100 West Jefferson Street
Joliet, IL 60432
Phone: (815) 727-8592
Below are the costs of court records regardless of the ordering method:
- $2.00 for page 1
- $0.50 cents per page from pages 2 to 20
- $0.25 cents per page thereafter
- $6.00 per document certification
- Probate copies (certified) cost $2 per page
Will County Civil Court Case Records
A civil court case record is a document that contains the history of a person's disputes, claims, and judgments in civil court cases. The Will County Circuit Court has a Civil Division that hears cases that include property damages, monetary damages, eviction, personal injury, and attachment and garnishment actions. The Civil Division includes the following areas:
- Tax
- Probate
- Chancery
- Adoption
- Arbitration
- Small Claims
- Child Support
- Family/Divorce
- Post Judgments
- Order of Protection
- Law Magistrate/Law
- Miscellaneous Remedy
Individuals can look up Civil Court Case Records online or in person at the Will County Circuit Court. Online requests can be made using the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois' iPublic application. The search parameters are by party name, case number, ticket number, or business name. Individuals can also visit the Will County Circuit Court Civil Division during office hours to request civil case records. In-person requesters must provide the party name or case number to the staff to facilitate the search. A record fee may be requested to process the search.
Will County Criminal Court Case Records
A criminal court case record is a case file or document that contains information on criminal lawsuits filed against an individual. The Will County Circuit Court has a Criminal Division with jurisdiction over criminal offenses punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary. The Division conducts hearings concerning habeas corpus and extradition in criminal matters, all post-conviction matters, petitions to expunge arrest records and appeals processing. Individuals can retrieve criminal court case records online for free. Online searches can be done through the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois' iPublic application. Alternatively, a criminal court record search can be done in person at the courthouse at a cost. Requesters can visit the court during business hours with the necessary information to facilitate the search.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
Interested persons can get free court records online through the Will County Circuit Court iPublic Portal. Here is how to get court records online for free:
- Go to the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court website
- Click the “Case Lookup” icon on the homepage
- Read the User Agreement for iPublic and the Disclaimer, then check the agreement box.
- Enter an email address to receive a security code required to use the iPublic and click the Submit button
- Enter the Security Code sent to the email and click the Proceed button
- Enter the search criteria, which could be by:
- Party name (first name and last name)
- Case number
- Traffic number
- Business name
- Click the Submit button to conduct the search
The iPublic portal is unavailable Monday through Saturday from 11:50 p.m. CST until 3 a.m. CST the next morning and Sunday from 11:50 p.m. CST until Monday morning at 4 a.m. CST.
Courts in Will County
Below is an overview of the addresses of all the courts in Will County:
Will County Courthouse
100 West Jefferson
Joliet, IL 60432
Will County Court Annex
57 N. Ottawa
Joliet, IL 60432
River Valley Justice Center
3208 West McDonough
Joliet, IL 60431
Bolingbrook Branch Court
375 West Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Plainfield Branch Court
14300 S. Coil Plus Dr.,
Plainfield, IL 60544.
Frankfort Branch Court
Frankfort Township Old Hall
11008 W. Lincoln Hwy.
Frankfort, IL 60423
