Getting a Copy of Your Illinois Criminal Record
Which Illinois agency keeps criminal history records, how to request your own record, and the fee.
Short answer: The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification provides your own Illinois criminal history through the Access and Review process: go during business hours to any Illinois law enforcement or correctional facility or a licensed fingerprint vendor, which takes your fingerprints and… Illinois State Police, Bureau of Identification, What's on My Record
| Getting a copy of your criminal record | The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification provides your own Illinois criminal history through the Access and Review process: go during business hours to any Illinois law enforcement or correctional facility or a licensed fingerprint vendor, which takes your fingerprints and identification and sends them to ISP. ISP mails your transcript (or a no-record statement) to you or to the facility (documents not picked up within 45 days are destroyed), together with a Record Challenge form for disputing errors; ISP responds to challenges in writing. ISP charges no fee for Access and Review or Record Challenge, but the fingerprinting agency may charge a processing fee. ISP lists FBI requests separately. |
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| What relief the state offers | Illinois offers "expungement" (records destroyed or returned and the name removed from official indexes; court files are impounded) and "sealing" (records kept but impounded and the name removed from the clerk's public index). Expungement is mostly for cases that did not end in conviction or ended in completed supervision or qualified probation. Sealing is available for most misdemeanor and felony convictions after a waiting period. Minor cannabis records have special automatic expungement and pardon processes, juvenile records are often expunged automatically, and a governor's pardon that authorizes expungement allows the conviction to be expunged. |
Where to get help in Illinois
More Illinois expungement & criminal records
- Expunging or Sealing a Felony in Illinois
- Clearing a DUI From Your Record in Illinois
- How to File for Expungement in Illinois
- Sealing or Expunging Juvenile Records in Illinois
- All Illinois expungement & criminal records rules
FAQ
How do I check my own criminal record in Illinois?
The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification provides your own Illinois criminal history through the Access and Review process: go during business hours to any Illinois law enforcement or correctional facility or a licensed fingerprint vendor, which takes your fingerprints and identification and sends them to ISP. ISP mails your transcript (or a no-record statement) to you or to the facility (documents not picked up within 45 days are destroyed), together with a Record Challenge form for disputing errors; ISP responds to challenges in writing. ISP charges no fee for Access and Review or Record Challenge, but the fingerprinting agency may charge a processing fee. ISP lists FBI requests separately.
Can you get a criminal record expunged in Illinois?
Illinois offers "expungement" (records destroyed or returned and the name removed from official indexes; court files are impounded) and "sealing" (records kept but impounded and the name removed from the clerk's public index). Expungement is mostly for cases that did not end in conviction or ended in completed supervision or qualified probation. Sealing is available for most misdemeanor and felony convictions after a waiting period. Minor cannabis records have special automatic expungement and pardon processes, juvenile records are often expunged automatically, and a governor's pardon that authorizes expungement allows the conviction to be expunged.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.