Lake County Felony Records

Lake County felony records are stored and maintained by the Clerk of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Waukegan, Illinois. The county has a population of about 714,000 people and sits along the Wisconsin border in the northeast corner of the state. Lake County uses a JournalTech online portal for public case access, which sets it apart from many other Illinois counties. You can search felony cases online, in person, or by mail. The clerk's office keeps records of all criminal, civil, and traffic matters filed in Lake County.

Lake County Circuit Clerk Contact

The Lake County Circuit Clerk's office is the official keeper of records for all judicial matters in the 19th Circuit. The Records Division handles everything from entering complaint card data to processing arrest files and offense reports. It is fully computerized with microfilm storage for older records. Nine in-house computer terminals and a printer are available at the office for public use. The Records Division also maintains sex offender lists and files for Lake County.

The Warrants Division serves criminal warrants issued by Lake County courts as well as warrants from state and out-of-state jurisdictions. Expungement processing and parking ticket billing also run through the clerk's office.

Lake County Felony Records Online Portal

Lake County runs its own online case portal through JournalTech. This site gives access to certain civil, criminal, and traffic public records of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court. The court record summaries you see on the portal are all public records under Illinois open records law. Attorneys and parties of record can also view documents for their cases through the system.

You need to register for an account before using the portal. This is in line with the Illinois Remote Access Policy. Once registered, you can search Lake County felony records by name or case number.

The JournalTech portal is the main online tool for searching Lake County court records, including felony cases.

The clerk's homepage links to all public services, including the online portal and record search request forms.

Requesting Lake County Felony Records

Record searches can be done in person or by mail. The Lake County record search request page explains what info to include: name, date of birth, and case details. Copy fees are $1.00 per page. For in-person visits, you can pay with cash, check, or credit and debit cards. Mail requests accept money orders, certified checks, or cashier's checks only. Personal checks are not accepted by mail. Make payments out to "Clerk of the Circuit Court" and send them to: ATTN: Record Search, Clerk of the Circuit Court, 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085.

Juvenile records are sealed and not part of any record search in Lake County.

This page walks through the steps for requesting a felony record search in Lake County.

Felony Record Laws in Lake County

The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) requires every law enforcement agency in Lake County to report felony arrest data and fingerprints to the Illinois State Police. This feeds into the statewide criminal history database held by the Bureau of Identification. The Uniform Conviction Information Act allows name-based searches through the ISP for $10 electronically. Only conviction data comes back from those searches.

The 19th Circuit Court public records page gives more detail on what records are available to the public in Lake County.

The 19th Circuit Court page covers public records policies that apply to Lake County felony cases.

Under the Unified Code of Corrections (730 ILCS 5), felony sentencing in Lake County follows the same state guidelines. Class X carries 6 to 30 years. Class 4 is 1 to 3 years. Understanding these classes helps when reading Lake County felony records. The Illinois FOIA (5 ILCS 140) covers law enforcement records but not court records, so FOIA requests for arrest reports go to the police department, not the clerk.

The Illinois Courts directory listing for Lake County has the official courthouse address and contact info.

Counties Near Lake County

Lake County borders McHenry, Cook, and Kane counties. If a felony was filed in one of those counties, check their clerk's office for records.

Lake County Cities

Felony cases for Waukegan residents go through the Lake County Circuit Court.