Peoria County IL Court Records Search: Smart Search, Hearing Dates, Clerk Copies & Appeals
Use this Peoria-specific guide to search court records through the official Peoria County Records Portal, identify the correct Circuit Clerk route, understand the 2022-present case-number format, find hearing information, request certified copies, and avoid confusing county court records with jail, land, vital, appellate or federal records.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This page is not the Peoria County Circuit Clerk, the 10th Judicial Circuit, Peoria County, the Illinois Courts, Tyler Technologies, PACER, a law firm, a government agency or a Consumer Reporting Agency.
Responsible-use warning: a name match does not prove identity. A charge, complaint, indictment, citation, lawsuit or petition does not prove guilt or liability. Court records can be incomplete, delayed, sealed, expunged, restricted or corrected later. Do not use this page as an employment, housing, tenant, credit, insurance or FCRA-regulated screening product.
Peoria County court records are kept by the Circuit Clerk, not a people-search site
The Peoria County Circuit Clerk is the official custodian for Peoria County circuit court files and exhibits. The office processes criminal and juvenile delinquency cases, ordinance, conservation and traffic violation cases, civil cases, courtroom clerking, fines, costs and fees. The county links users to the Peoria County Records Portal for public court-record searching.
Peoria County is part of Illinois’ 10th Judicial Circuit.
The Circuit Clerk is listed at 324 Main Street, Room G-22.
Peoria County describes the portal as free for public court-record searching.
Portal notice explains the 2022-present case-number format.
Peoria County court-record route finder
Select what you are trying to find. This privacy-safe tool runs in your browser only and does not collect names, birth dates, case numbers, addresses or personal information.
Use Smart Search for court records. For official disposition, certified copies, sealed or older files, contact the Peoria County Circuit Clerk.
How to use the official Peoria County Records Portal
The Peoria County Records Portal is the county-linked Tyler portal for searching court case information and hearing information. The portal requires JavaScript and cookies in a supported browser. Public users can search without registering, while attorneys and law enforcement personnel may be encouraged to register.
Use the official link from the Peoria County Circuit Clerk or Courts & Legal Services page. Confirm the portal domain is portal-ilpeoria.tylertech.cloud.
Select Smart Search for court records. Select Search Hearings when you mainly need a court date or hearing schedule.
For 2022-present cases, the portal notice explains the format as a four-digit year, two-letter case category and sequence number, such as 2022-LM-000001 or 2022-TR-000001.
Check court, case category, party role, filing date, hearing date, attorneys and docket entries before assuming a case belongs to a specific person or business.
A docket entry can show filings, hearings, orders and judgments, but it may not show every document image or the current certified disposition.
For certified copies, older non-computer searches, corrected records, sealed records, expungement questions or official proof, contact the Peoria County Circuit Clerk at 309-672-6000.
Which Peoria County system should you use?
Use this table before searching. It prevents the most common mistake: using the court portal for records that actually belong to a jail, recorder, vital-record office, appellate court or federal court.
| Need | Correct custodian or system | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| Felony, misdemeanor, conservation, ordinance or criminal court case | Peoria County Circuit Clerk / Records Portal | Use Smart Search, then verify final disposition or certified copies with the Circuit Clerk. |
| Traffic, DUI or citation-related court case | Peoria County Circuit Clerk / Records Portal / payment route | Search by case or citation details if available. Use official payment links only after confirming the case and amount. |
| Civil lawsuit, small claims, chancery, foreclosure or judgment | Peoria County Circuit Clerk Civil Division | Use Smart Search and check the Civil Division for copy, filing and fee information. |
| Divorce, family, child support or custody case | Peoria County Circuit Clerk Civil Division / family court file | Search cautiously. Some documents may be restricted because family matters can contain sensitive information. |
| Probate, wills, estates or guardianship | Peoria County Circuit Clerk Civil Division | Use Smart Search for available case information and contact the clerk for wills, estate files, certified letters or older records. |
| Court date or next hearing | Peoria County Records Portal Search Hearings | Use Search Hearings by date range when available, then confirm with your notice or the clerk if the hearing is remote or changed. |
| Jail custody, inmate record or booking status | Peoria County jail or sheriff system | Do not treat jail custody as a court disposition. Use the jail route for custody and the court route for charges, filings and outcomes. |
| Deeds, mortgages, recorded liens or land documents | Peoria County Clerk / Recorder record search | Use the recorder system for land records. Do not confuse recorded documents with circuit court case records. |
| Illinois appeal from a Peoria County case | Illinois Supreme and Appellate Court resources / Fourth District | Use C-Track, the Fourth District page and appellate docket resources. The trial-court portal may not contain the full appeal. |
| Federal district or bankruptcy case | PACER / Central District of Illinois / U.S. Bankruptcy Court | Use PACER Find a Case or the specific federal court. Peoria County’s portal is not a federal case database. |
Peoria County certified copies, copy fees and clerk searches
The Peoria County civil fee schedule is important when users need official copies rather than just an online docket. Always confirm current fees with the Circuit Clerk before ordering because fee schedules can change.
| Request type | Fee shown in Peoria County fee schedule | Practical instruction |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy of judgment | $6 plus copy fee | Ask whether you need a certified judgment, certified order, certified docket or another specific document. |
| Photocopy first page | $2 for the first page | Provide the case number and exact document title so the clerk can calculate the correct amount. |
| Photocopies, next 19 pages | $0.50 per page | Large files can become more expensive. Ask for a page count before paying. |
| Photocopies after the next 19 pages | $0.25 per page | For older or longer case files, ask whether the file is available electronically, on paper or off-site. |
| Record search by clerk for each year not in computer | $6 per year searched | This can matter for old records. Narrow the year range before asking the clerk to search. |
Copy-cost estimator for Peoria County court records
This estimator is only a planning tool. The Circuit Clerk controls the actual fee, page count, certification requirement and payment instructions.
Official Peoria County court-record links and what to do after opening each one
These are practical official routes, not just a link list. Follow the after-opening steps to avoid wrong-system searches and unnecessary confusion.
Use this for Smart Search and Search Hearings.
- Enable JavaScript and cookies if the portal asks.
- Choose Smart Search for court records.
- Choose Search Hearings for hearing dates.
- Use a case number when possible.
- Verify case type, party role and filing date before relying on a result.
Use this for the official record custodian, contact details and court-record links.
- Confirm you are on peoriacounty.gov.
- Use the Search Court Records link if searching online.
- Use the phone number for copy, certification or older-file questions.
- Do not send sensitive personal details to non-official sites.
Use this page to distinguish court records from jail records, warrants and other county services.
- Open the Courts & Jail Records link only for the correct purpose.
- Use jail or warrant links only when you need custody or warrant information.
- Remember that custody is not the same as court disposition.
Use this for civil, family, probate, small claims, tax, wills, orders of protection and similar files.
- Review the listed case categories.
- Open the Peoria County fee schedule if fees matter.
- Use the portal for available case information.
- Contact the clerk for certified documents or older files.
Use this when you need eFileIL resources, not just record searching.
- Confirm whether your filing type is eligible or required to be e-filed.
- Use eFileIL or an approved EFSP.
- Save forms as PDFs when required.
- Call 309-672-6000 for Peoria County e-filing questions.
Use this for Peoria County forms and statewide-approved form categories.
- Select the category that matches your case.
- Download the current form or follow the official form route.
- Check whether e-filing is required.
- Do not use forms as legal advice if you are unsure.
Use this for court administration, ADA, remote proceedings, self-help and courthouse resource details.
- Confirm the address and office hours.
- Use court administration for courtroom, ADA, interpreter or procedural resource questions.
- Use the Circuit Clerk for record custody and certified copies.
Use this when a Peoria County case has moved into Illinois appellate review.
- Confirm the appeal district and docket number.
- Use linked online access and court resources.
- Do not assume the Peoria trial portal contains the complete appeal record.
Use this for Illinois Supreme and Appellate Court case searching.
- Search by appellate or Supreme Court docket number when known.
- Compare parties, lower court and filing information.
- Use official court contact routes for copies and docket clarification.
Use this for federal district court records, not Peoria County Circuit Court cases.
- Create or use a PACER account.
- Use the Central District CM/ECF route if the case is in that district.
- Use PACER Case Locator if you do not know the federal court.
Peoria County courthouse and office details
Robert M. Spears, Circuit Clerk
324 Main Street, Room G-22
Peoria, IL 61602
Phone: 309-672-6000
Fax: 309-677-6228
Hours shown by Peoria County: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Use this office for official court records, certified copies, older-file questions, clerk searches and record-custody questions.
324 Main Street, Suite 215
Peoria, IL 61602
Phone: 309-672-6036
Hours shown by Illinois Courts: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Use court administration for courthouse operations, ADA resources, remote proceedings, interpreters, self-help center and courtroom-administration questions.
What Peoria County Circuit Clerk divisions maintain
The Circuit Clerk’s divisions matter because a search result can be routed differently depending on case category.
Peoria County lists Adoption, Chancery, Divorce, Eminent Domain, Family, Juvenile, Law, Law Magistrate, Mental Health, Miscellaneous Remedy, Order of Protection, Probate, Small Claims, Tax and Wills under the Civil Division.
The Traffic Division maintains Traffic and DUI cases. For a citation or payment issue, verify the case in the portal before paying or assuming the amount is final.
The Criminal Division maintains felony, misdemeanor, conservation, contempt, juvenile delinquency and ordinance-violation records. A filing or charge is not the same as a conviction.
How to interpret Peoria County portal results without over-reading them
- Plaintiff: the party bringing a civil lawsuit.
- Defendant: the party responding to a lawsuit or criminal charge.
- Petitioner: the party asking the court for an order.
- Respondent: the party responding to a petition.
- Debtor / creditor: often appears in collection, judgment or bankruptcy-related contexts.
- Decedent / estate representative: probate-related roles.
- Complaint or petition: starts a case or requests relief; it does not prove the allegation.
- Motion: asks the judge to do something.
- Order: a judge’s direction or ruling.
- Judgment: a final or specific court determination; it may still be appealed, satisfied, vacated or modified.
- Hearing: a scheduled court event that may change.
- Dismissal: can have different legal meanings; check the full docket or certified order.
Peoria County appeals, federal cases and PACER
Peoria County is in the 10th Judicial Circuit. If a trial-court case is appealed, use Illinois Supreme and Appellate Court resources rather than assuming the county portal has the complete appellate record.
- Save the trial court case number.
- Look for the appellate docket number.
- Use Illinois C-Track or the appropriate appellate court page.
- Compare parties, lower-court case and filing dates.
Federal cases are separate from Peoria County Circuit Court records. Peoria federal district records route through the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois and PACER. Bankruptcy records use federal bankruptcy court and PACER routes.
- Use PACER Find a Case if you do not know the federal court.
- Use Central District of Illinois public-access information for district court records.
- Review PACER costs before opening searches, reports or documents.
- Do not search the Peoria County portal for federal dockets.
What to do if your Peoria County court-record search fails
- Wrong spelling, middle initial, suffix, business punctuation or LLC/Inc. format.
- Wrong year or wrong two-letter case category code.
- Searching a hearing date instead of a case record, or the reverse.
- Case is too new to appear online.
- Browser has JavaScript or cookies blocked.
- Older record may require a clerk search or archive route.
- Juvenile, adoption, mental health, family or protected information may be restricted.
- Sealed or expunged records are not ordinary public records.
- The record may be federal, appellate, jail, warrant, land or vital record instead of circuit court.
- The online portal may show a docket but not every document image.
Older Peoria County court records and archives
Older Peoria County court records may not be fully searchable through the current portal. The Peoria County fee schedule specifically identifies a fee for a clerk record search for each year searched when the record is not in the computer. Historical researchers can also check Illinois Regional Archives Depository resources for Peoria County holdings.
Ask whether the file is in the current case-management system, paper storage, microfilm, off-site storage or archive custody.
A clerk search may be charged by year when the record is not in the computer. Use old notices, docket numbers, newspaper dates, estate dates or family papers to narrow the year.
For historical files, search Illinois State Archives / IRAD Peoria County holdings and record the title, date range, record series and repository instructions.
Call ahead to verify reading-room rules, retrieval limits, copy options and whether the record is restricted by law or court order.
Use Peoria County court records responsibly
- A complaint, citation, charge, indictment or petition is not proof that the allegation is true.
- An arrest or jail booking is not a court disposition.
- A judgment may not show whether money was paid, settled, appealed or satisfied.
- A dismissed case may need the actual order to understand what happened.
- Do not use this page for FCRA-regulated screening.
- Do not harass, threaten, shame or retaliate against anyone.
- Do not republish unnecessary personal information.
- Do not try to bypass sealing, expungement, juvenile confidentiality or protected-case restrictions.
Frequently asked questions about Peoria County court records
How do I search Peoria County court records online?
Use the official Peoria County Records Portal linked from the Peoria County Circuit Clerk website. Open the portal, choose Smart Search for court records or Search Hearings for hearing dates, then compare the case number, party role, filing date, case type and docket activity before relying on a result.
Is the Peoria County Records Portal free?
Peoria County describes its court and jail records portal as free of charge for public court-record searching, and the general public does not need to register to search court records. Registration may be encouraged for attorneys and law enforcement personnel.
Who is the official custodian for Peoria County court records?
The Peoria County Circuit Clerk is the official keeper of the circuit court seal and court records, including files and exhibits. Contact the Circuit Clerk for certified copies, older files, official dispositions and clerk record searches.
What is the Peoria County Circuit Clerk address?
The Peoria County Circuit Clerk is located at 324 Main Street, Room G-22, Peoria, Illinois 61602. The listed phone number is 309-672-6000, and the office hours shown by Peoria County are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
What case number format does the Peoria County Records Portal use?
For 2022-present cases, the portal explains that a case number has three parts: a four-digit year, two letters showing the case category code and the case sequence number. The portal gives examples such as 2022-LM-000001 and 2022-TR-000001.
Can I search Peoria County court records by name?
Yes, the portal’s Smart Search route is used for court-record searching, but a name match alone does not prove identity. Compare the court, case number, filing date, party role, case type, attorneys and docket activity before assuming the record belongs to a specific person.
How do I find a Peoria County court date?
Use the Peoria County Records Portal and choose Search Hearings when your goal is a hearing date. If you have a notice for a remote hearing, follow the meeting ID and instructions on the notice or contact the Peoria County Circuit Clerk.
How much are Peoria County certified copy fees?
The Peoria County civil fee schedule lists a certified copy of judgment fee of $6 plus copy fees of $2 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page. Always confirm the current fee with the Circuit Clerk before ordering.
Where do I search Peoria County appellate cases?
Peoria County is in Illinois’ 10th Judicial Circuit and appeals route to Illinois reviewing courts. Use Illinois Supreme and Appellate Court resources, including C-Track and the Fourth District Appellate Court information page, for appellate dockets and court information.
Are Peoria County federal cases in the county portal?
No. Federal civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases are not Peoria County Circuit Court records. For federal records, use PACER and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois or the appropriate U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Official-source review notes
This guide was reviewed against official Peoria County Circuit Clerk pages, the Peoria County Records Portal, Peoria County Civil and Criminal Division pages, Peoria County Courts & Legal Services, Peoria County eFiling resources, 10th Judicial Circuit resources, Illinois Courts directory pages, Illinois appellate court resources, Central District of Illinois public-access information, PACER pricing and Illinois archival resources. Review date: August 31, 2026.