Lake County IL Court Records Search: Circuit Clerk Portal, Branch Courts, Certified Copies, Appeals & PACER
Use this guide to search Lake County, Illinois court records through the correct official route. The Circuit Clerk online portal, clerk-assisted record searches, document-copy requests, Clerk E-Certify, traffic branch courts, juvenile restrictions, Second District appeals and federal PACER records are not all the same system.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not the Lake County Circuit Clerk, the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, Illinois Courts, PACER, a court clerk, a government agency, a law firm or a Consumer Reporting Agency. This guide provides general public court-record access information only.
A matching name is not proof of identity. Several people can share the same name. A complaint, petition, charge, citation, arrest, indictment, lawsuit or traffic ticket does not prove guilt, liability or final outcome. Always verify the case number, court, branch, case type, filing date, party role and disposition with the official custodian.
Lake County IL court records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk, but access depends on case type
The 19th Judicial Circuit Court creates court records, but the Circuit Clerk maintains the local court files. The Circuit Clerk’s online portal provides access to certain civil, criminal and traffic public records. The same county also has branch courts for traffic, ordinance and conservation matters, a juvenile branch with sealed records, a document-copy route, Clerk E-Certify for eligible certified copies, and separate state appellate and federal systems.
Lake County is the Illinois 19th Judicial Circuit.
Published clerk-assisted record-search fee.
Portal case-access request review may take this long.
Parties must submit certified eviction orders to the Sheriff themselves.
Lake County IL court-record route finder
Select the kind of record you need. This tool runs in your browser and does not ask for a person’s name, case number, birth date, Social Security number, address, citation number, driver-license number or any private information.
For civil, law, chancery, foreclosure and most general civil records, use the official portal or the Civil/General Division. Search by case number when possible and request certified copies separately.
How the Lake County Circuit Clerk online portal works
The official online portal provides access to certain civil, criminal and traffic public records of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Lake County, Illinois. The portal states that users must register for an account in accordance with the Illinois Remote Access Policy. Attorneys and parties of record may have document access for their own cases through the portal when access is granted.
- Access basic case information.
- Search cases through the portal interface.
- Download court documents when available and permitted.
- Pay fines and fees online when supported.
- Submit proposed orders to the court when permitted.
- Use criminal and traffic citation options such as paying fines, requesting traffic school and paying outstanding costs.
- Register before attempting court-information access.
- Use case-number search when you have the case number.
- Do not assume every public courthouse record is remotely visible.
- Do not rely on one name match for identity.
- Restricted, sealed, impounded, expunged, adoption and juvenile information may not display.
- Use the Circuit Clerk for official copies and certification.
Use the official Lake County Circuit Clerk website before entering the vendor-hosted portal, so you understand the registration and access rules.
The portal information page explains public user, attorney and firm administrator registration. Case access can depend on your role.
Search by case number when possible. Use name search only after confirming spelling, party type and case category.
A docket entry can show a filing, motion, order, hearing or payment event. Read the sequence and confirm the final disposition.
The Circuit Clerk portal instructions say eligibility review may take one to two business days after a case-access request.
Viewing a case online is different from ordering a document copy or certified copy.
Which Lake County IL court-record route should you use?
Lake County is one circuit court system, but the correct division, branch, access method and custodian still matter. Use this table before searching by name.
| Need | Correct official route | Important search note |
|---|---|---|
| Civil lawsuit, law case, chancery, foreclosure or arbitration | Lake County Circuit Clerk online portal or Civil / General Division | The Civil / General Division phone line covers case types such as law, arbitration, chancery and foreclosure. Search by case number when available. |
| Divorce, dissolution, family or child-support-related civil filing | Lake County Circuit Clerk portal and Civil / General Division contact route | The clerk’s contact page lists divorce, family and child-support-related case codes under the Civil / General Division phone line. Family records may contain restricted information. |
| Probate, estate, guardianship or wills | Circuit Clerk Probate Division | The Probate Division handles probate cases, guardianship cases and wills. Sensitive guardianship material may be restricted. |
| Small claims | Circuit Clerk Small Claims Division | The Circuit Clerk site describes small claims as lawsuits of $10,000 or less. The Small Claims phone line also covers law magistrate and post-judgment filings. |
| Eviction / forcible entry | Small Claims Division / court file copy route / Sheriff Civil Process for enforcement | Effective May 1, 2026, the Circuit Clerk no longer forwards certified eviction enforcement requests to the Sheriff for parties. Parties must submit their own certified copies to the Sheriff. |
| Criminal case | Circuit Clerk Criminal / Traffic Division and online portal | A criminal charge, arrest or docket entry is not proof of conviction. Verify pleas, orders, sentencing and final disposition. |
| Traffic, ordinance or conservation citation | Criminal / Traffic Division or branch court tied to the citation | Mundelein, Park City and Round Lake branch courts provide services for traffic, ordinance and conservation citations. Use the citation and court location shown on the ticket. |
| Juvenile record | Juvenile Branch / authorized access only | Juvenile records are sealed and not available to the public through ordinary record searches. |
| Certified copy | Clerk E-Certify, Certified Copies department, mail or in-person request | Clerk E-Certify is for eligible non-restricted cases and non-restricted documents. Sealed cases are not available online. |
| State appeal | Illinois Appellate Court Second District, re:SearchIL or Circuit Clerk Appeals department | Lake County appeals generally route to the Second District in Elgin. The Circuit Clerk Appeals department prepares appellate court records. |
| Federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy case | PACER, U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, or U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Illinois | Federal records are not Lake County Circuit Clerk records. Lake County is in the Northern District of Illinois federal system. |
Requesting a Lake County IL record search by mail or in person
If you cannot locate a case online, the Circuit Clerk record-search page states that record searches may be requested for an individual or a business by mail or in person. This is different from ordering a document copy, viewing a portal docket, or running a Consumer Reporting Agency background check.
- Name of the person or business.
- Years you want searched.
- Types of cases to search, such as criminal, traffic or civil.
- Date of birth if the request is for an individual.
- Self-addressed stamped envelope.
ATTN: Record Search
Clerk of the Circuit Court
18 North County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085
Payment note: mail payment must be by money order, certified check or cashier’s check payable to “Clerk of the Circuit Court.” The clerk states personal checks are not accepted. Cash and credit cards are accepted in person only.
Clerk-assisted record-search fee estimator
This estimator uses the published $6 per name per year record-search fee. It is only a planning aid. The Clerk’s Office controls the actual fee and payment requirements.
Official Lake County IL court-record links and what to do after opening each one
These links are included with next-step instructions so this page is more useful than a basic directory list.
Use this as the official starting point for local Lake County Circuit Court records.
- Confirm you are on lakecountycircuitclerk.org.
- Choose Online Portal, Record Search, Request a File or Document, Certified Copy Requests, Filing Fees or Contact Us.
- Use the correct division phone number for your case type.
- Do not use Florida Lake County clerk pages for Illinois records.
- Contact the clerk for official record verification.
Use this before logging into the public portal.
- Review what the portal can access.
- Register as attorney, firm administrator or public user as appropriate.
- Use the case-access request process if you are a party of record.
- Allow one to two business days for eligibility review where required.
- Use the help desk route for technical portal assistance.
Use this for certain civil, criminal and traffic public records after understanding access rules.
- Register or sign in if required.
- Search by case number when possible.
- Use name search carefully and compare all details.
- Review docket activity before ordering documents.
- Do not assume sealed, impounded, expunged, adoption, juvenile or restricted documents will display.
Use this when you need the Clerk’s Office to search records by person or business.
- List the name of the person or business.
- List the years to be searched.
- List whether you need criminal, traffic or civil case types.
- Include date of birth for an individual request when required.
- Include payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailed requests.
Use this to request documents from a court file or a file from storage.
- Have your case number ready.
- Identify the case title.
- List the document name and filing date if known.
- Use the storage file retrieval request if the file is in storage.
- Use certified-copy instructions if certification is required.
Use this for Clerk E-Certify, mail or in-person certified-copy options.
- Use Clerk E-Certify for eligible non-restricted cases and documents.
- Remember no account or sign-in is required for Clerk E-Certify.
- Do not order sealed cases online.
- Contact Records at 847-377-3211 if “Case Document Images” appears and you need a specific document.
- Ask about raised-seal needs before ordering if an Illinois apostille is required.
Use this to choose the right department instead of calling the wrong branch.
- Use Civil / General Division for divorce, family, law, arbitration, chancery and foreclosure questions.
- Use Criminal / Traffic for traffic, criminal, conservation and ordinance matters.
- Use Probate for probate, guardianship and wills.
- Use Small Claims for small claims, eviction and law magistrate matters.
- Use Appeals for appellate record-preparation questions.
Use this to understand the difference between the court and the record custodian.
- Read the court’s explanation that court files are maintained by the Circuit Clerk.
- Use the Circuit Clerk for traffic, civil and criminal court records.
- Use the County Clerk for vital records and certain county records.
- Use the Recorder/County Clerk recording route for deeds and recorded documents.
- Use the Sheriff only for jail, custody or civil process needs.
Use this for Lake County appeals that proceed to the Illinois Appellate Court.
- Confirm the appeal is from the 19th Judicial Circuit.
- Use the appellate case number when available.
- Check opinions, oral argument calendars and local rules.
- Use re:SearchIL where remote appellate records are available.
- Contact the appellate clerk for official appellate-record questions.
Use this for Illinois reviewing-court electronic records when available under Illinois access policy.
- Register or sign in if required.
- Search by appellate case details where available.
- Review confidentiality and remote-access limits.
- Do not assume circuit-court trial records are all available through re:SearchIL.
- Use the appropriate clerk for official copies.
How to request Lake County IL court documents and certified copies
A portal result, docket page, payment receipt or unofficial download is not always an official certified record. Certified copies must come through the Circuit Clerk’s certified-copy process or the correct appellate or federal clerk.
- Case number.
- Case title or party names.
- Case type and approximate filing year.
- Exact document name, such as judgment, order, disposition, decree, probate order or eviction order.
- Document filing date, if known.
- Whether you need a plain copy, certified copy, raised-seal copy or apostille-ready document.
- Mailing, pickup or electronic delivery preference.
- Clerk E-Certify: online certified copies for eligible non-restricted cases and non-restricted documents.
- Document Copy Request Form: court-file documents by case number and document name.
- Storage File Retrieval Request: when a file must be requested from storage.
- Records Department: call 847-377-3211 for “Case Document Images” and record-copy questions.
- Certified Copies department: use the clerk’s published certified-copy contact route for certification payment and processing.
Use the portal, record-search request or department contact to identify the correct case number.
Use the docket to determine whether you need a judgment, order, decree, disposition, motion, pleading, probate filing or appellate record.
The certified-copy page states Clerk E-Certify works for non-restricted cases and non-restricted documents, and sealed cases are not available online.
Older cases may show “Case Document Images” rather than individual document titles. You can request the entire image file or ask Records for help locating a specific document within the bulk scan.
The certified-copy page notes that Illinois apostille needs may require a raised seal. Contact Records at 847-377-3211 before ordering if the document will need apostille handling.
Lake County Circuit Clerk locations and record-related departments
The main Circuit Clerk office is in the lower level of the Lake County Courthouse and Administrative Complex at 18 North County Street in Waukegan. The clerk’s site notes visitors may enter through the Criminal Court Tower at 301 Washington Street or through the north entrance near the county parking garage. Not every service is available at every branch, so verify before visiting.
| Office or branch | Address | Phone / record note |
|---|---|---|
| Waukegan Main Branch / Circuit Clerk | 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085 | 847-377-3380; main hours listed as Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
| Appeals | 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085 | 847-377-3229; files notices of appeal, prepares appellate court records and processes appeal fees. |
| Certified Copies / Records | 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085 | Certified Copies and Records contact: 847-377-3211; handles copies, certification and public viewing of court files where allowed. |
| Civil / General Division | 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085 | 847-377-3209; includes divorce, family, law, arbitration, chancery and foreclosure case categories listed by the clerk. |
| Criminal / Traffic | 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085 | 847-377-3250; handles traffic, criminal, conservation and ordinance violation filings and payments. |
| Probate Division | 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085 | 847-377-3260; handles probate, guardianship and wills. |
| Small Claims Division | 18 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085 | 847-377-3226; handles small claims, eviction, law magistrate and listed post-judgment filings. |
| Mundelein Branch Court | 105 E Route 83, Mundelein, IL 60060 | 847-377-3300; traffic, ordinance and conservation citation services. |
| Park City Branch Court | 301 Greenleaf Street, Park City, IL 60085 | 847-377-3500; traffic, ordinance and conservation citation services, plus some civil proceedings such as probate and arbitration. |
| Round Lake Branch Court | 1792 Nicole Lane, Round Lake, IL 60073 | 847-377-3400; traffic, conservation and ordinance citation services. |
| Juvenile Branch Court | 24647 N Milwaukee Ave, Vernon Hills, IL 60061 | 847-377-7888; juvenile matters and DCFS-related adoption cases, with public access restrictions. |
| Illinois Appellate Court Second District | 55 Symphony Way, Elgin, IL 60120 | 847-695-3750; state appeals from the 19th Judicial Circuit route here when applicable. |
Why some Lake County IL court records may be missing, restricted or redacted
Illinois court access depends on statutes, court rules, the Illinois Remote Access Policy, local court rules, case type and user role. Remote access is not the same as complete courthouse access to every public record, and some records are not public at all.
- Wrong county or wrong Lake County state.
- Wrong branch court or wrong case category.
- Name spelling, maiden name, business suffix or party-role mismatch.
- Case number entered without required format, year or leading zeros.
- New filing not yet visible in the online system.
- Older file in storage or bulk-scanned as “Case Document Images.”
- Federal, bankruptcy or appellate case in a separate system.
- Juvenile matters.
- Adoption matters.
- Sealed, impounded or expunged cases.
- Restricted documents on any case type.
- Domestic, family or child-related sensitive information.
- Guardianship and medical information.
- Victim information, protected addresses and personal identifiers.
Lake County IL case-type notes that prevent wrong-system searches
The 19th Circuit Civil Division describes law cases as civil suits for recovery or monetary damages in excess of $50,000. Chancery, foreclosure, arbitration and other civil matters may use the Civil / General Division route.
The Circuit Clerk describes small claims as lawsuits of $10,000 or less. Use the Small Claims Division contact route for small claims and many post-judgment matters.
Eviction matters may appear with small-claims or forcible-entry-related routing. For enforcement, parties now submit their own certified copies and Sheriff request materials.
Criminal, traffic, conservation and ordinance violation matters may involve the Criminal / Traffic Division and branch courts. Court records and jail custody are separate.
The Probate Division accepts probate and guardianship cases and maintains wills. Guardianship or medical-related documents may have access limits.
The Juvenile Branch handles juvenile matters, and the Circuit Clerk warns juvenile records are sealed and not available to the public.
Clerk E-Certify, “Case Document Images” and DocAccess are different tools
Lake County’s court-record pages now mention multiple digital tools. They do not all do the same thing.
- Used to request certified copies online.
- No account or sign-in required.
- Available for non-restricted cases and non-restricted documents.
- Sealed cases are not available online.
- If “Case Document Images” appears, the older case may have a bulk scan rather than individual document titles.
- Lake County announced DocAccess in July 2026 for accessible online versions of public clerk documents.
- It is useful for public-facing accessibility and document access.
- It should not be confused with a complete case-record search portal.
- Use the Circuit Clerk portal for case lookup.
- Use the certified-copy route when an official certified court record is required.
Lake County IL appeals: Circuit Clerk Appeals, Second District and re:SearchIL
Lake County is part of Illinois’ Second Appellate District. The Second District Appellate Court is located in Elgin and hears appeals from the 19th Judicial Circuit. Trial-court case numbers and appellate case numbers can be different, so save both when researching an appeal.
- Notice of appeal processing.
- Preparing the appellate court record.
- Appeal fee processing.
- Questions about the trial court record sent on appeal.
- Local case-number verification before appellate searching.
- Illinois Appellate Court case information.
- Opinions and Rule 23 orders when posted.
- Oral argument calendars and audio.
- Reviewing-court documents available under Illinois remote-access policy.
- Appellate clerk contact and local rules.
Lake County IL federal and bankruptcy court records use PACER
Federal civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases are not Lake County Circuit Clerk records. Lake County is within the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for federal district matters. Bankruptcy matters use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, where Lake County is listed in the Eastern Division.
Use this for federal civil and criminal district court information.
- Confirm the case is federal, not Lake County Circuit Court.
- Use PACER for docket and document access.
- Use the Northern District court site for clerk, judge, local rule and courthouse information.
- Contact the federal clerk for certified-copy or restricted-document questions.
Use this to confirm Northern District division and county coverage.
- Review the counties served by the Eastern Division.
- Confirm Lake County is included.
- Use division information before contacting the wrong courthouse.
- Use PACER Case Locator if the federal court is unknown.
Use this for bankruptcy division routing and Clerk information.
- Confirm the debtor’s county and division.
- Lake County is listed in the Eastern Division.
- Use PACER for bankruptcy dockets and documents.
- Contact the bankruptcy clerk for archived, certified or restricted records.
PACER pricing verified: September 1, 2026.
- Review the current $0.10 per-page fee.
- Check which documents are capped at $3.
- Remember search results and non-case-specific reports do not have the same cap.
- Note that quarterly bills of $30 or less are currently waived.
- Recheck the January 1, 2027 temporary fee increase before publishing old PACER prices.
Lake County court records vs jail, sheriff, county clerk and recorder records
| Need | Correct source type | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Court case, docket, filing, order, judgment or court date | Lake County Circuit Clerk or 19th Judicial Circuit route | This is the court-record route for local civil, criminal and traffic cases. |
| Certified court document or court-file copy | Circuit Clerk certified-copy, document-copy or E-Certify route | A portal result or unofficial copy may not satisfy official-use requirements. |
| Current custody, jail booking or inmate information | Lake County Sheriff or jail system | Jail custody is separate from court disposition. |
| Civil process or eviction enforcement | Lake County Sheriff Civil Process after obtaining the required certified court documents | The Circuit Clerk no longer forwards eviction enforcement requests to the Sheriff for parties. |
| Birth, death, marriage or county vital record | Lake County Clerk / vital records route | Vital records are not the same as Circuit Court dockets. |
| Deed, mortgage, lien or recorded instrument | Lake County Clerk recording / official records route | Recorded documents may relate to cases, but they are not the full court case file. |
| Federal district or bankruptcy docket | PACER and federal court clerk | Federal cases are not stored in the Lake County Circuit Clerk portal. |
How to read a Lake County IL court docket responsibly
A docket or register of actions is a chronological record of activity in the case. It is not a background report, jail booking, criminal-history product or proof that an allegation is true.
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee, creditor, debtor, decedent, guardian and ward mean different things. A party role does not automatically mean wrongdoing.
Complaint, petition, motion, notice, order, judgment, dismissal, hearing, plea, sentence, ticket or payment entries should be read in sequence and verified with the actual document when needed.
Open, pending, closed, disposed, dismissed, expunged, impounded, sealed, stayed or reopened can describe procedural status. It may not answer every question about liability, payment, appeal or satisfaction.
Use Lake County IL court records responsibly
- Full name and spelling variations.
- Business legal name and suffix when relevant.
- Case number.
- Court division or branch court.
- Filing date and case type.
- Party role.
- Attorney, judge or citation information when relevant.
- Final disposition or latest order.
- Certified copy when an official record is required.
- Harass, threaten, shame or retaliate against anyone.
- Publish unnecessary personal information.
- Bypass sealed, expunged, impounded, juvenile, adoption, confidential or restricted records.
- Make FCRA-regulated employment, housing, tenant, credit or insurance decisions.
- Claim a person was convicted based only on an arrest, citation, charge or filing.
Frequently asked questions about Lake County IL court records
How do I search Lake County IL court records by name?
Use the official Lake County Circuit Clerk Online Portal for certain civil, criminal and traffic public records of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court. You may need to register for a public account. If you search by name, compare the case number, court, branch, filing date, case type, party role and docket entries before relying on a match.
What is the official Lake County IL court records portal?
The official local portal is the Lake County Circuit Clerk Online Portal, linked from the Circuit Clerk website and the 19th Judicial Circuit public-records page. It provides access to certain civil, criminal and traffic public records and allows registered users to access basic case information, documents, fines and fees, and proposed-order submission where permitted.
Who maintains Lake County Illinois court records?
The Lake County Circuit Clerk maintains records for traffic, civil and criminal cases filed and heard in Lake County. The 19th Judicial Circuit Court creates many records, but the Circuit Clerk is the official records custodian for court files.
Are juvenile Lake County IL court records public online?
No. The Lake County Circuit Clerk states that juvenile records are sealed and excluded from record searches. The portal terms also state that adoption and juvenile matters, impounded or expunged cases, and restricted documents are not displayed.
How much is a Lake County IL clerk-assisted record search?
The Circuit Clerk record-search page lists $6 per name per year for a record search and states that mail payments must be by money order, certified check or cashier’s check payable to Clerk of the Circuit Court. Cash and credit cards are accepted in person only.
How do I get certified Lake County IL court records?
Use Clerk E-Certify for eligible non-restricted cases and non-restricted documents, or request certified copies by mail or in person through the Circuit Clerk. Sealed cases are not available online, and older cases may show Case Document Images instead of individual document names.
Where do I request documents from a Lake County court file?
Use the Circuit Clerk Request a File or Document page. The document-copy request asks for information such as your name, case number, phone, email, case title, document name and filing date. If the file is in storage, use the storage file retrieval request route.
Which appellate court handles Lake County IL appeals?
Lake County is in Illinois’ Second Appellate District. The Second District Appellate Court is located in Elgin and hears appeals from the 19th Judicial Circuit, along with several other northern Illinois circuits.
Where do I search Lake County IL federal or bankruptcy records?
Federal civil and criminal records use PACER and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Bankruptcy records use PACER and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Lake County is part of the Eastern Division for Northern District bankruptcy purposes.
Can I use this page for employment, tenant, credit or insurance screening?
No. Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency, and this guide is not an FCRA screening product. Do not use this page to make employment, housing, tenant, credit, insurance or similar eligibility decisions.
Lake County IL court-record publishing checklist
This guide was structured around official Lake County Circuit Clerk resources, the Lake County eCourt portal, 19th Judicial Circuit public-record and court-organization pages, Illinois Courts appellate resources, re:SearchIL, Northern District of Illinois federal court resources, Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court resources and PACER. Before publishing or updating, re-check portal login rules, portal terms, document access, certified-copy instructions, E-Certify availability, record-search fees, department phone numbers, branch locations, court hours, eviction enforcement instructions, appellate resources and PACER pricing.