How to Search Lake County Court Records
The main online tool is the Lake County Circuit Clerk's Online Portal. It covers civil, criminal, and traffic case records of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Lake County. The portal lets users view basic case data, download court documents, pay fines and fees online, and submit proposed orders. It is not a fully anonymous lookup site. The portal landing page says users must first register for an account under Illinois Remote Access Policy before they can see case information.
Have these things ready before you start. A name spelled the same way it appears on the court file. A case number if you have one. A date of birth to limit false matches. A clear idea of which case type to search: civil, criminal, traffic, family, or probate. For attorneys, your ARDC number and the email tied to the Clerk's case-management directory must match before access works.
The walkthrough below mirrors the steps published by the Circuit Clerk on its Online Portal information page.
- Start at the Circuit Clerk's Online Portal information page rather than a third-party search site. That page has the verified link, registration help, and current notices.
- Click the official portal link for "Welcome to the Lake County Circuit Clerk's Online Portal." If you do not have an account, choose Register; if you do, choose Login.
- Register as an attorney or as a public user. Attorneys must use the same email and ARDC number that appear in the Clerk's Court Directory.
- Request case access if you are a party of record or a firm administrator. The Clerk says public user reviews can take one to two business days.
- Once access is granted, click your name, choose My Cases, then View Case to see docket entries, hearing dates, and documents your access level allows.
- For certified copies on non-restricted cases, use Clerk E-Certify. No account or sign-in is required, and sealed cases are not available online.
The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit homepage publishes court links, judges, calendars, records, programs, and courthouse resources. The image below shows the homepage layout, where the popular shortcuts on the right are the fastest path for visitors.
The popular court links on the homepage cover judges, calendars, programs, and the law library. New users should bookmark this page; it is the entry point for almost every court resource in Lake County.
The Lake County Judicial System
Illinois has a unified three-tier judiciary under Article VI of the state constitution. The Circuit Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction. The Illinois Appellate Court is the intermediate court. The Supreme Court of Illinois is the highest court. Lake County is the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit and is coterminous with the county. Appeals from Lake County go to the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District, before any further review by the Supreme Court of Illinois.
The 19th Circuit publishes a roster of 16 circuit judges and a long list of associate judges. Chief Judge Daniel B. Shanes leads the court, with Deputy Chief Judge Patricia S. Fix. There is no separate district court, county court, or freestanding probate court for Lake County trial cases. The Circuit Court instead runs divisions and courtrooms for civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, traffic, arbitration, mediation, branch matters, and specialty courts.
Case flow: Circuit Court (Lake County) › Illinois Appellate Court, Second District › Supreme Court of Illinois.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court of Lake County | 19th Judicial Circuit, trial-level general jurisdiction | Civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, traffic, chancery |
| Illinois Appellate Court, Second District | Intermediate appeals from Lake County | Direct appeals of right and certain interlocutory matters |
| Supreme Court of Illinois | Statewide, mostly discretionary review | Constitutional, certified, and select cases |
| U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois | Federal trial court covering Lake County | Federal civil and criminal cases (not Circuit Clerk records) |
Lake County Court Buildings
The court runs from a tight downtown Waukegan campus. The Lake County Courthouse holds family, civil, and probate courtrooms. The Criminal Court Tower a block away holds felony and misdemeanor courtrooms. Branch courts spread case load across the county for smaller matters. The image below comes from the official courthouse history page and shows the main address block and contact info Lake County publishes for visitors.
That page lists the main court phone, TDD line, Circuit Clerk number, and the William D. Block Memorial Law Library line for self-represented filers. Visitors should match the entrance to the destination: civil and family courtrooms enter through 18 N County Street; criminal courtrooms enter at 301 Washington Street.
Lake County Courthouse
18 N County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
847-377-3600
Criminal Court Tower
301 Washington Street
Waukegan, IL 60085-4359
847-377-3600
Clerk of the Circuit Court
18 N County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
847-377-3380
The county also operates branch courts at Mundelein (105 E Route 83), Park City (301 Greenleaf Street), Round Lake (1792 Nicole Lane), and the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Complex Center in Vernon Hills (24647 N Milwaukee Ave). Each branch hears matters assigned to it; for help finding the right branch, call the Circuit Clerk at 847-377-3380.
Types of Court Records Available in Lake County
The Clerk of the Circuit Court keeps the case files for almost every kind of court matter heard in Lake County. The categories below are based on the Clerk's record-search procedures and the case types listed on the 19th Circuit court pages. Each type follows its own rules for what is public, what is sealed, and what redactions may apply.
Most of these records are searchable through the online portal once you have an account. Some, like juvenile and adoption files, are sealed and excluded from public searches. Older files may show up as bulk scans labeled "Case Document Images," which you can pull individually by submitting a help request.
- Civil records - lawsuits between people, businesses, and government units; includes contract, tort, foreclosure, eviction, small claims, and chancery cases.
- Criminal records - felony, misdemeanor, and traffic-criminal cases; covers charging, bond, plea, sentencing, and probation activity. More on Lake County criminal records.
- Family and divorce records - dissolution of marriage, custody, support, and protective orders filed in the Circuit Court's family division. More on marriage and divorce records.
- Probate records - decedent estates, adult guardianships, and minor guardianships kept by the Probate Division of the Circuit Court. More on probate records.
- Traffic records - tickets and traffic-criminal matters filed with the Clerk; payable or court-eligible depending on the offense.
- Juvenile records - sealed and excluded from standard searches under the Juvenile Court Act; juvenile branch line 847-377-7888.
What Lake County Court Records Show
A typical Lake County case file holds dozens of data points. Field labels vary by case type, but the table below covers what most public users see when they open a case in the Circuit Clerk portal. The Clerk does redact protected items such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, driver license numbers, medical information, and minor identifiers.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | A coded identifier with the year, case type, and sequence number. |
| Filing Date | The day the case or document was filed with the Circuit Clerk. |
| Court / Courtroom | The 19th Judicial Circuit and the courtroom assigned, such as a family room or the Criminal Court Tower. |
| Judge | The assigned judge or the judge who handled the most recent entry. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or petitioner and respondent; minors may be hidden. |
| Charges / Cause | The statute charged or the cause of action pleaded. |
| Docket Entries | Motions, orders, hearings, continuances, judgments, and notices in date order. |
| Disposition | Pending, closed, disposed, dismissed, judgment entered, sealed, or impounded. |
| Financial | Filing fees, fines, costs, restitution, bond, and payment plan status. |
| Documents | Pleadings, orders, judgments, and scanned exhibits available based on access level. |
For older files or unusual document names, contact the Clerk's Records team at 847-377-3211. Staff can pull a specific image and attach it to the right docket entry within their stated 48-hour target.
Public Access Laws for Lake County Court Records
Illinois has a strong public-records statute, but court records run on a different track. The Freedom of Information Act covers public bodies and administrative records. Case files are kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and follow court rules and the Illinois Remote Access Policy. The 19th Circuit's own page makes that split clear: ask the Clerk for case records, and use FOIA for agency records like Sheriff reports or county budgets.
The statutes below are the main rules a public user runs into when working with Lake County records. They overlap. A docket can be public while a specific image is sealed. A police report can be public while names and addresses are redacted.
Key Statutes:
5 ILCS 140 - Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Sets request rules, response timing, fee limits, and exemptions for state and local public bodies.
20 ILCS 2630/5.2 - Adult criminal record expungement and sealing. Controls eligibility, notices, objections, and effect of an expungement order.
705 ILCS 405 - Juvenile Court Act. Treats juvenile cases as confidential and excludes most files from public searches.
705 ILCS 105 - Clerks of Courts Act. Sets the Circuit Clerk's duties, fee authority, and record-keeping obligations.
740 ILCS 110 - Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act. Restricts treatment records that appear in court files.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every Lake County case ends up in the public portal. Juvenile records are sealed by statute. Adult criminal cases may be sealed or expunged through a Supreme Court form set filed as an MX case. Adoption and mental health files are confidential under their own acts. Grand jury material, sealed search warrants, and impounded exhibits never appear in public results. Personal addresses and minor identifiers are redacted before release.
If you have a record sealed against you and need access, you usually need a court order. The petitioner files in the sentencing county. Lake County uses the Illinois Supreme Court form set and lists a $152 filing fee, broken down as $82 to the request, $60 to Illinois State Police, and $10 for postage. Filers without funds can submit an Application for Waiver of Court Fees. Parties have 60 days to object after notice.
Specialty Courts in Lake County
The 19th Judicial Circuit runs problem-solving courts that route eligible defendants away from standard prosecution and into supervised treatment. The Illinois Courts directory lists Drug and Veteran's Court for Lake County. The State's Attorney's 2025 archive points to active expansion under the Restorative Justice and Training unit.
Drug Court serves defendants whose crimes are tied to substance use. Eligible participants get judicial supervision, treatment, testing, status hearings, sanctions, and incentives, with a graduation track at the end. Veterans Court serves eligible military veterans whose cases trace to substance use, trauma, mental health needs, or service-related adjustment. Mentoring, VA treatment links, and probation supervision are part of the model.
Beyond specialty courts, the circuit runs arbitration, civil mediation, family mediation, mortgage foreclosure mediation, small claims mediation, and eviction mediation programs. These reduce contested hearings and help self-represented litigants reach an outcome.
Lake County Sheriff and Jail
The Lake County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff John D. Idleburg. The Sheriff homepage links inmate information, sex offender search, accident and police reports, online reporting, outstanding warrants, and recovered property. The main Sheriff's Office address is 25 S Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, Waukegan, IL 60085, phone 847-377-4000. The Corrections Division sits at 29 S Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, Waukegan, IL 60085, phone 847-377-4150.
The current Adult Corrections Facility opened March 10, 1989. Bond may be posted 24/7 at jail reception at 20 South County Street. For full roster details, see Lake County inmate records, and for active warrants see the warrant records page. For people just released, see released inmates and jail population data.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Lake County uses a split clerk structure. The Clerk of the Circuit Court holds court files, including divorce cases and probate matters. The County Clerk holds vital records, including birth, death, marriage, and civil union certificates. That split means a divorce decree comes from the Clerk of the Circuit Court, but the marriage certificate itself comes from the County Clerk. See marriage and divorce records for the application steps, and probate records for guardianship and estate matters.
- Testator
- A person who has made a will to direct what happens to their property after death.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out the testator's instructions and close the estate.
- Conservator
- A person appointed by the court to handle the financial affairs of someone unable to manage them.
- Letters of Office
- The court-issued document that proves the executor or guardian has the authority to act.
Lake County Court Records Fees
Court copy and search fees in Lake County come from the Clerk's Filing Fees page and the Record Searches procedure. The most common items are listed below. Pay by money order, certified check, or cashier's check for mail orders made out to "Clerk of the Circuit Court." Cash and credit cards are accepted in person only.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Background / record search | $6 per name per year |
| Marriage license (County Clerk) | $35 |
| First certified marriage copy | $10 |
| Additional certified marriage copies (same order) | $4 each |
| Genealogical marriage record (75+ years) | $4 |
| Petition to Expunge (Adult) total | $152 (request $82 + ISP $60 + postage $10) |
| Probate appearance | $154 (exempt for executor / administrator / guardian / GAL) |
| Probate accounting | $25 |
For certified court copies, use Clerk E-Certify. Fees post during checkout. Sealed cases are not available online.
How to Interpret Lake County Court Records
Court docket entries can read like shorthand. The Clerk uses a short list of standard terms across case types. Knowing the difference between a charge and a conviction matters; a charge is what the State alleges, while a conviction is a guilty plea or finding entered on the record. Court supervision is an Illinois disposition that lets a person avoid an entered conviction if they meet the conditions. Continuance means the hearing has been pushed to a later date. A dismissal "with prejudice" bars refiling; "without prejudice" may allow refiling.
Bond and bail-related entries can include cash bond, recognizance, conditions of release, and forfeiture events. Sentencing entries can list jail time, probation, restitution, fines, costs, and treatment requirements. For criminal cases, the disposition field is the key indicator of how a case ended.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online portals can lag the courtroom by hours or days. If a case detail looks wrong or out of date, the right move is to call the Clerk's Records team at 847-377-3211 or check at the courthouse counter. Online image access is also more limited than party access. A party of record sees more documents than a public user; an attorney of record sees more still.
Note: Always confirm critical case details such as next court date, bond status, or charge with the Clerk of the Circuit Court before acting on online portal information.
The Courthouse and Administration Building directory publishes floor-by-floor offices. The image below shows that directory, useful for finding the right counter in person.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court sits on the lower level of the main courthouse; the County Clerk sits on the Administrative Tower main level in Room 101.
History of Lake County Courts
Court was first held in a schoolhouse in Libertyville. The county seat moved to Little Fort, now Waukegan, in 1841, and court moved to the Kingston Building on the bluff. A city jail built in 1842 was the first public building in the new county seat. The county bought courthouse land using $200 in gold loaned by Elmsley Sunderlin, who backed moving the seat to Waukegan.
The current courthouse complex came after a long bond fight and litigation against the Lake County Public Building Commission. Once cleared by the courts, construction took 1,282 working days. The complex was dedicated May 1, 1970. The original buildings included a four-story courthouse, a ten-story administrative tower, and a four-story jail. In 1986, ground broke for the new Jail and Courts Building south of the main courthouse at 20 South County Street.
The Courthouse Security Brief page covers what visitors can and cannot bring inside. The image below shows that screening notice. Prohibited items include knives, pocket knives, sprays, cameras, recording devices, tools, and firearms. Cell phones may enter the building but cannot be used in courtrooms.
Plan extra time for the magnetometer line, especially in the morning rush before 9:00 a.m. dockets.
Self-Help and Legal Aid Resources
The 19th Circuit runs a Center for Self-Representation in the William D. Block Memorial Law Library at the main courthouse. The center is not staffed by attorneys, but it offers legal information, standardized forms, e-filing guidance, and referrals. The Law Library line is 847-377-2800. The center grew out of a partnership with the Circuit Clerk, Prairie State Legal Services, the Illinois Technology Center for Law and Public Interest, and the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice.
Outside the courthouse, Prairie State Legal Services (847-662-6925) handles eligible civil legal matters for low-income clients. The Lake County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (847-244-3140) refers paying clients to local attorneys. Illinois Legal Aid Online offers guided form interviews. The Public Defender's Office at 15 S County Street serves indigent criminal defendants. The State's Attorney Victim Assistance Coordinator at 847-377-3000 helps victims with case status and notifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Lake County court records online?
Use the Lake County Circuit Clerk's Online Portal, linked from the Clerk's site. The portal covers civil, criminal, and traffic public records of the 19th Judicial Circuit. You must register under Illinois Remote Access Policy before you can see case information. Attorneys must match their ARDC and email to the Clerk's case-management directory. Party of record and public user requests may take one to two business days for staff review.
Can I search records without registering?
For full online case access, no. Registration is required. For a basic name-and-year background check, you can request a record search through the Clerk by mail or in person. That procedure asks for the name, years to search, case types, date of birth for an individual, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The fee is $6 per name per year.
Where do I get a certified copy of a court document?
Use Clerk E-Certify for eligible non-restricted cases and documents. No account or sign-in is required. Sealed cases are not available online. If the file shows a bulk "Case Document Images" item, submit a Need Case Document Image ticket with the document name; Records aims for 48 hours.
More on the Lake County Court Records FAQ page.