Lee County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Lee County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Lee County, Illinois, may access publicly available case information through several official channels. LeeILRecords.us aggregates publicly available data that may relate to court records, property filings, and related public documents maintained by government agencies in Lee County. Depending on the case type and filing date, records may include civil judgments, criminal case dispositions, family court orders, probate filings, and traffic matters. Access to specific documents may vary based on case status, sealing orders, or applicable confidentiality provisions under Illinois law.
Court records in Lee County may be searched through the following methods:
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office The Circuit Clerk of Lee County maintains the official repository of court filings for the 15th Judicial Circuit. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person to request case files, docket sheets, or certified copies. Providing a case number, party name, or approximate filing date assists staff in locating records efficiently. Fees apply for copies and certified documents.
Lee County Circuit Clerk's Office 309 S. Galena Ave. Dixon, IL 61021 Phone: (815) 288-3309 Lee County Circuit Clerk
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays.
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals The Lee County Courthouse provides public access computer terminals within the clerk's office where members of the public may search case index information at no charge. Terminal access is limited to index-level data and does not provide full document images in all instances.
3. Online Court Search The State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts maintains statewide judicial resources, and the re:SearchIL platform provides remote access to certain case records pursuant to the Illinois Supreme Court's Remote Access Policy. Availability of specific case documents through online tools depends on the case type and applicable access rules.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools The eFileIL statewide eFiling system allows registered users to access filings submitted electronically. Parties to a case and their attorneys may retrieve filed documents through this portal. Non-party public access is subject to the Supreme Court's Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records.
5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public may submit written requests to the Circuit Clerk's office by mail. Requests should include the case number or party name, the type of record sought, and a self-addressed stamped envelope or payment arrangement for copy fees. Processing times vary based on request volume and record age.
Are Court Records Public In Lee County
Court records in Lee County are subject to public access under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS § 140) and the Illinois Supreme Court's policies governing access to circuit court records. Under current law, the public has a right to inspect and copy records maintained by public bodies, including court filings, unless a specific exemption applies.
Records that are public include:
- Docket entries and case index information
- Party names and case numbers
- Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduling orders
- Filed motions, complaints, petitions, and answers
- Court orders and final judgments
- Sentencing entries and probation orders
- Civil judgments and decrees
Records that may be confidential, sealed, or restricted include:
- Juvenile delinquency and abuse/neglect proceedings
- Adoption records
- Mental health and substance abuse treatment records
- Sealed criminal records and expunged matters
- Records subject to protective orders
- Certain financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, and other protected identifiers redacted pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 138
The Illinois Supreme Court's Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records draws a distinction between in-person courthouse inspection and remote online access. Certain records that are available for in-person review at the courthouse may not be accessible through online portals, consistent with the court's policy of balancing transparency with privacy protections. As noted in the Lee County Courthouse directory maintained by the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts, the courthouse serves as the primary point of access for circuit court records in the county.
What Are Court Records in Lee County?
Court records are the official documents and data generated by the judicial system in connection with legal proceedings filed, heard, or decided in a court of law. In Lee County, court records are created and maintained by the Circuit Clerk of the 15th Judicial Circuit and encompass all materials associated with a case from initial filing through final disposition and any subsequent appellate proceedings.
A distinction exists between docket entries and full case files. A docket is a chronological index of all actions taken in a case, including filings, hearings, and orders. A full case file contains the actual documents submitted to the court, such as pleadings, motions, exhibits, and signed orders. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the State of Illinois against an individual charged with a violation of law.
Filed pleadings represent the initial documents that establish the claims and defenses in a case, whereas final judgments are the court's conclusive rulings on those claims. Public filings are accessible to any member of the public absent a sealing order, while sealed or restricted filings require a court order or statutory authority to access. Trial court records are maintained at the circuit court level, while appellate records are maintained by the Illinois Appellate Court for the Second District, which has jurisdiction over Lee County matters.
The Circuit Clerk creates a new case file upon the filing of an initial pleading or charging document. The file is updated as documents are filed, hearings are held, and orders are entered. Upon final disposition, the record is closed and transferred to the clerk's archive system, though it remains subject to retrieval upon request.
What's Included in a Lee County Court Record?
A court record in Lee County may contain a range of documents and data depending on the case type, the stage of proceedings, and applicable public-access rules. The following categories of information may appear within a court record:
- Case identification: Case number, court name, division, and filing date
- Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and other named parties
- Case type and status: Classification of the matter (civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic) and current disposition status
- Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, rulings, and administrative actions
- Hearing information: Scheduled and completed hearing dates, continuances, and courtroom assignments
- Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, responses, notices, affidavits, and supporting exhibits where not restricted
- Court orders and judgments: Signed orders, minute entries, decrees, final judgments, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
- Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly displayed
Records that are excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged criminal matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal identifiers redacted under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 138, and certain exhibits containing sensitive information. The presence or absence of specific documents within a record depends on the procedural history of the individual case.
Types of Courts in Lee County
Lee County is served by the 15th Judicial Circuit of Illinois, which is a court of general jurisdiction authorized to hear all categories of civil and criminal matters under the Illinois Courts Act (705 ILCS § 35). The circuit court is the trial-level court of record for the county, and the Circuit Clerk maintains the official record of all proceedings.
The 15th Judicial Circuit encompasses Lee and Carroll Counties. The Lee County Courthouse in Dixon serves as the primary venue for circuit court proceedings in the county. The circuit court is organized into divisions that handle distinct categories of cases, and the same clerk's office maintains records across all divisions.
What Types of Cases Do Lee County Courts Hear
The 15th Judicial Circuit Court in Lee County hears the following categories of cases:
- Criminal: Felony and misdemeanor prosecutions brought by the State of Illinois
- Civil: Contract disputes, personal injury claims, property matters, and other civil litigation
- Family: Dissolution of marriage, legal separation, child custody, child support, and orders of protection
- Probate: Estate administration, guardianship, and conservatorship proceedings
- Juvenile: Delinquency, abuse, neglect, and dependency matters (access restricted)
- Traffic: Petty offenses, moving violations, and driving under the influence matters
- Small Claims: Civil disputes involving amounts at or below the statutory threshold under Illinois Supreme Court Rules
- Appeals: The Illinois Appellate Court for the Second District, based in Elgin, hears appeals from Lee County circuit court decisions
The circuit court is a court of general jurisdiction, meaning it has authority to hear all case types not exclusively assigned to another tribunal. Small claims and traffic matters are handled within the circuit court structure rather than by a separate limited-jurisdiction court.
Lee County Courthouse 309 S. Galena Ave. Dixon, IL 61021 Phone: (815) 288-3309 Lee County Courthouse – Illinois Courts Directory
How to Search Lee County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may search Lee County court records at no cost through several methods, while certain services require payment of established fees.
Free access methods include:
- In-person inspection: Members of the public may inspect court records at the Circuit Clerk's office during regular business hours at no charge. Index searches and docket review are available without a fee.
- Courthouse public terminals: Public access terminals located within the clerk's office allow free index-level searches of case information.
- re:SearchIL: The statewide judicial search tool available through the Illinois Courts eServices portal provides access to certain case information at no charge for registered users, subject to the Supreme Court's Remote Access Policy.
Services that require payment:
| Service | Typical Fee |
|---|---|
| Paper copies of court documents | $0.25–$0.50 per page (varies by clerk) |
| Certified copies of court records | $2.00–$6.00 per document |
| Exemplified copies | Additional certification fee applies |
| Record search by clerk staff | Fee may apply for extended research |
Fee schedules for the Lee County Circuit Clerk are established pursuant to the Illinois Clerks of Courts Act and are subject to periodic revision. Members of the public are advised to confirm current fees directly with the clerk's office prior to submitting a request.
How Long Does Lee County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Lee County is governed by the Illinois Supreme Court's retention schedules and the authority of the Circuit Clerk to manage, archive, and dispose of records in accordance with those schedules. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
Under the Illinois Local Records Act (50 ILCS § 205), public records may not be destroyed without authorization from the Local Records Commission or the applicable judicial records authority. The following retention periods reflect current judicial records policy:
- Criminal felony records: Retained permanently or for extended periods given the severity of the offense
- Criminal misdemeanor and traffic records: Retained for a minimum of seven years following final disposition
- Civil case files: Retained for a minimum of seven years following final judgment
- Family and domestic relations records: Retained for extended periods, with some orders retained permanently
- Probate records: Retained permanently in many instances due to their effect on property and estate matters
- Juvenile records: Subject to separate retention and confidentiality rules; may be sealed or expunged upon eligibility
- Docket books and minute records: Retained permanently as the official record of court proceedings
Paper files may be converted to microfilm or digital imaging, after which the original paper documents may be destroyed in accordance with approved retention schedules. Archival records may be transferred to county archives or state judicial archives. A distinction exists between destruction of a record, archival retention in a non-public repository, sealing by court order, redaction of protected information, and expungement, which is a legal process that removes a record from public access and may require physical destruction or return of documents under Illinois law.
Older records, particularly those predating electronic filing systems, may exist only in paper files, microfilm, or county archive storage and may require additional processing time to retrieve.
How To Find a Court Docket in Lee County
A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions taken in a specific case, and it differs from a full case file in that it records what occurred rather than containing the actual filed documents. The docket reflects each filing, hearing, ruling, continuance, and administrative action from the date of case initiation through final disposition.
Members of the public may locate a Lee County court docket through the following methods:
- Circuit Clerk's office: Staff at the Lee County Circuit Clerk's office can retrieve docket information for a specific case upon request. Providing the case number or party name expedites the search.
- Courthouse public terminals: In-person terminals at the courthouse provide docket-level access to case index information.
- re:SearchIL: The eFileIL and re:SearchIL platform maintained by the Illinois Courts system provides registered users with access to docket entries for cases filed within the electronic filing system, subject to the Illinois Supreme Court's Remote Access Policy.
To locate a docket through an online portal, a user may search by case number, party name, or attorney of record. The system returns a list of matching cases, and selecting a case displays the docket sheet with chronological entries.
A court docket contains hearing dates and times, motion filings, continuances, minute entries, status updates, and the names of judicial officers assigned to the case. A docket does not include full document images in all instances, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits that have been restricted from public access. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the clerk's office and are distinct from individual case dockets.