Search Lake County Criminal History

Lake County criminal history records are managed through the 19th Judicial Circuit based in Waukegan, Illinois. As the third most populous county in the state with over 718,000 residents, Lake County handles a large volume of criminal cases each year. You can search many Lake County criminal history records online through the county's own court portal. The circuit clerk's office also accepts requests by mail, phone, and in person. Finding criminal history data from Lake County court filings starts with knowing which tools and offices to use.

Lake County Court Records Portal

Lake County has its own online court portal for searching criminal history and other case records. This system lets you search civil, criminal, and traffic public records from the 19th Judicial Circuit. You need to create an account to use the portal. Once registered, you can search by name, case number, or date of filing. The portal also allows you to pay fines and fees online.

The Lake County portal is built on the JournalTech platform. It gives you access to case details, hearing schedules, and some document images. Criminal history searches will show charges, case status, and disposition data when available. You can also request traffic school through the portal and pay for document copies. The system is available around the clock, so you can search Lake County criminal history records at any time from any device with an internet connection.

If a record does not appear in the portal, it may be sealed, expunged, or too old for the digital system. Contact the Lake County Circuit Clerk for help with records not found online.

Lake County Criminal History on Judici

In addition to the county portal, Lake County also participates in Judici.com. This is a statewide system used by 82 Illinois counties to provide free online access to court records. Judici lets you search Lake County criminal cases without creating an account. You can look up cases by party name, case number, or filing date. The results show basic case data like charges, court dates, and whether a case is open or closed.

Having both the county portal and Judici gives Lake County residents two ways to look up criminal history records online. The county portal tends to have more detailed information and document images. Judici is simpler and faster for quick lookups. Both tools pull from the same court records in the 19th Judicial Circuit.

State Criminal History Resources for Lake County

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains statewide criminal history data that includes Lake County records. Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635), conviction data from Lake County and every other Illinois county is available to the public. A name-based UCIA inquiry costs $16.00 by paper or $10.00 through Live Scan. These checks search the ISP database, which collects arrest and conviction reports from Lake County and all other jurisdictions in Illinois.

The Live Scan vendor lookup can help you find a fingerprint location near Lake County. Fingerprint-based criminal history checks cost $20.00 by paper or $15.00 through Live Scan for state-only results. If you need both state and FBI results, the cost is $32.00 by mail or $27.00 through Live Scan. The Access and Review process under the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) lets you view your own criminal history at no charge from the ISP.

Note: Name-based checks may return multiple results if the person used aliases, so fingerprint-based checks are more accurate for Lake County criminal history searches.

Expunging Lake County Criminal History

Lake County residents who want to clear a criminal record file a petition with the circuit clerk. Not every criminal history record qualifies. Arrests that did not result in a conviction are often eligible. Some convictions can be sealed after a waiting period under 20 ILCS 2630, Section 5.2. The Office of the State Appellate Defender has a guide that walks you through the process step by step.

Once a Lake County criminal record is expunged, it is removed from public databases. The ISP charges $60.00 to process the court order. The record will no longer show up on Judici.com, the county portal, or in ISP criminal history searches. The court may also have its own filing fees for the petition itself. Talk to the Lake County Circuit Clerk about specific costs and forms needed for your situation.

Cities in Lake County

Lake County includes several cities and towns. All criminal cases from these areas are filed through the 19th Judicial Circuit based in Waukegan.

Other Lake County communities include Highland Park, Lake Forest, Mundelein, and Gurnee. Criminal cases from all Lake County cities go through the same circuit court.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lake County. If a criminal case was filed outside Lake County, you need to search the county where the case originated.