How to Search Lake County Court Records
The central tool is the Lake County Circuit Clerk's Online Portal, hosted by Journal Technologies. The portal covers basic case information, court document downloads, online fine and fee payments, and proposed-order submissions for the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Lake County. The portal landing page states that users must register for an account under Illinois Remote Access Policy before accessing court information.
Before you start, have the case number ready if you know it. If not, gather the party name as spelled in the file, an approximate filing year, and a date of birth for the person you are searching. Public-user access goes through a Case Access Request that the Clerk reviews for eligibility; the Clerk says the review may take one to two business days.
The image below shows the portal landing page. The Login and Register buttons appear in the upper right, and the disclaimer text reminds users that the system covers public court records of the 19th Judicial Circuit.
That landing page is the official entry; do not start at a third-party search site. The Clerk's own Online Portal information page publishes registration help, eligibility notes, and current notices.
- Start at the Clerk's Online Portal information page rather than a search engine result.
- Click the official portal link, then choose Register if you do not have an account or Login if you already do.
- Register as an attorney or public user. Attorneys must use the same email and ARDC number listed in the Clerk's Court Directory.
- Submit a Case Access Request if you are a party of record or firm administrator. Public-user reviews can take one to two business days.
- After access is granted, click your name, choose My Cases, then View Case to pull docket entries and document images.
Lake County Court Records Search Fields
The Circuit Clerk portal exposes a small set of access controls and request fields. The Clerk also runs a parallel paper record-search procedure for background checks by name and year. The combined field set below is drawn from the Clerk's published Online Portal and Record Searches pages.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Register | button / link | Yes (first time) | Required under Illinois Remote Access Policy before viewing cases. |
| Login | button / link | Yes (returning user) | Used to enter an existing account. |
| My Cases | menu | Yes for case access | Available after the Case Access Request is approved. |
| View Case | button | Yes for documents | Used after selecting a case from My Cases. |
| Case Access Request ticket | external form | Conditional | For firm admins and parties of record; staff review 1-2 business days. |
| Name of person or business | text | Yes (paper request) | Exact name as it appears on the file. |
| Years to be searched | text / range | Yes (paper request) | Fee runs $6 per name per year. |
| Types of cases | checkbox / list | Yes (paper request) | Criminal, traffic, or civil. |
| Date of birth | date | Conditional | Requested if the search is for an individual. |
Juvenile records are sealed and excluded from these searches. The Record Searches page warns that the Clerk's office cannot offer legal advice or eligibility opinions.
Types of Lake County Court Records
The Clerk of the Circuit Court keeps case files for nearly every kind of dispute heard in the 19th Judicial Circuit. Case categories reflect Circuit Court divisions and the local case-management codes the portal uses. Each type has its own rules for what becomes public, what gets sealed, and what is redacted before release.
Lake County also routes specific case types to specialized branches, such as the Juvenile Complex Center in Vernon Hills or the Criminal Court Tower in Waukegan. The court type often dictates which courtroom and which clerk counter handles the file.
- Civil - contract disputes, personal injury, foreclosures, evictions, small claims, and chancery actions filed in the Civil Law Division.
- Criminal - felony, misdemeanor, and traffic-criminal cases tied to the Criminal Court Tower at 301 Washington Street.
- Family - dissolution of marriage, parentage, child support, custody, and orders of protection in family courtrooms C-101 through C-107.
- Probate - decedent estates, adult guardianship, and minor guardianship managed by the Probate Division.
- Traffic - moving and non-moving citations handled by the Clerk's traffic and supervision processes.
- Juvenile - delinquency and abuse-and-neglect cases; sealed by statute and excluded from public results.
- Chancery and mortgage foreclosure - equity cases including foreclosure, injunctions, partition, and structured settlements.
What Lake County Court Records Show
A Lake County case file is a running record. Each entry stamps a date, an action, and often a participant. The portal view depends on access level: public users see the docket and most non-restricted document names; parties of record see more document images; attorneys of record see everything in their case. The Clerk redacts protected items such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, driver license numbers, medical details, and minor identifiers before public release.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Year, case type code, and sequence; format varies by division. |
| Filing Date | The day the case or document was filed with the Circuit Clerk. |
| Court / Courtroom | 19th Judicial Circuit and the specific courtroom or branch assigned. |
| Judge | Assigned judge or the judge who entered the most recent order. |
| 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. |
| Disposition | Pending, closed, dismissed, judgment entered, sealed, or impounded. |
| Financial | Filing fees, fines, costs, restitution, bond, and payment plans. |
| Documents | Pleadings, orders, judgments, and exhibits available based on access. |
| Hearings | Court date, time, courtroom, judge, and hearing type. |
Certified Copies and Older Lake County Files
Many uses for a court record require a certified copy. Lawyers ask for them. Other states ask for them. Public benefits offices ask for them. The Clerk's solution is Clerk E-Certify, a separate online storefront at clerkecertify.com. The Clerk says E-Certify does not require an account or sign-in, and it covers non-restricted cases and non-restricted documents.
Older files sometimes show a bulk entry called "Case Document Images" rather than individual document names. In that case, request the whole image to scan through it yourself, or submit a Need Case Document Image ticket with the document name. The Clerk's Records team aims to pull the image and attach it to the right docket entry within 48 hours. If you do not know the document name, call Records at 847-377-3211.
For mail or in-person record searches on older files, the Clerk's Record Searches procedure is the fallback. Include 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, paid by money order, certified check, or cashier's check made out to "Clerk of the Circuit Court." Personal checks are not accepted. Cash and credit cards are accepted in person only.
The image above is the County Clerk's marriage record page, included here because court files often interact with vital records during divorce and probate cases. Marriage certificates come from the County Clerk, not the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Public Access Framework for Lake County Court Records
Two rule sets shape access. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act at 5 ILCS 140 governs public bodies and administrative records such as Sheriff reports, budgets, and policies. Court case records run under the Clerks of Courts Act at 705 ILCS 105 and the Illinois Supreme Court's Remote Access Policy. In practice, a person seeking a divorce decree or probate order asks the Clerk; a person seeking a Sheriff's policy or jail inspection report asks the agency under FOIA.
Public access to court records also depends on the record's status. Sealed and impounded items remain off the public portal. The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act at 740 ILCS 110 restricts mental health files even when they sit inside a public case. The Adoption Act at 750 ILCS 50 closes adoption files. The Juvenile Court Act at 705 ILCS 405 closes most juvenile files.
Note: Public docket access does not mean every document image is online; access tiers and sealing orders may keep specific items off public view.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Lake County
Several Lake County record categories are off limits to general public searches. The Clerk's Record Searches page confirms that juvenile records are sealed and excluded from any background-check search. Sealed and expunged adult criminal records also do not appear in routine public searches. Grand jury material, sealed search warrants, and impounded exhibits never appear in public results. Protected addresses, minor identifiers, and financial account numbers are redacted before release on civil and family files.
If you want a sealed file restored to the public docket or copied to you specifically, you usually need a court order. To start your own expungement or sealing, Lake County uses Illinois Supreme Court standardized forms and an e-filing MX case subtype. The Clerk's expungement instructions list a $152 filing fee unless a fee waiver is granted, with notices to prosecutors, arresting agencies, and Illinois State Police. Parties have 60 days to object after notice.
In-Person Court Record Requests
The Clerk's main counter sits in the lower level of the Lake County Courthouse. In-person record searches accept cash and credit cards along with money orders, certified checks, and cashier's checks. Counter staff cannot offer legal advice or eligibility opinions, but they can help with form selection and confirm whether a case is sealed or has a hold.
Clerk of the Circuit Court
18 N County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
847-377-3380
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Records Team (older files)
18 N County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
847-377-3211
Help ticket target 48 hours