Monroe County IL Court Records Search: Judici, Circuit Clerk, 24th Circuit, Copies & PACER
Use this guide to find the correct official route for Monroe County Illinois court records in Waterloo and the Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit. It explains when to use Judici, the Circuit Clerk, the 24th Circuit court page, County Clerk and Recorder, sheriff, eFileIL, re:SearchIL, Illinois appellate resources, and PACER.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not Monroe County, the Monroe County Circuit Clerk, the Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit, Judici, the Illinois Courts, the Monroe County Sheriff, a law firm, PACER, or a Consumer Reporting Agency. This page is general information only and is not legal advice.
Responsible-use warning: a name match does not prove identity. A complaint, charge, citation, indictment, petition, warrant, docket entry, civil filing, jail entry, or court setting does not prove guilt or liability. Do not use this page for employment, tenant, credit, insurance, licensing, or other FCRA-regulated screening decisions.
Monroe County IL court records are mainly Circuit Court records, but not every public record belongs in Judici
Illinois circuit courts are the trial courts of original jurisdiction, and each county has an elected Circuit Clerk who preserves court files and case records. For Monroe County, the Circuit Clerk page points users to Judici for daily dockets, case information, and online payments.
That does not mean every Monroe County public record is a court record. Land records, marriage/vital records, sheriff jail information, civil process service, Illinois appellate documents, e-filing submissions, and federal court records use different official systems.
Monroe County is listed in Illinois’s Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit.
The Circuit Clerk is listed at the Monroe County Courthouse in Waterloo.
Monroe County appears as a participating court on Judici.
The Fifth District handles appeals from the 24th Circuit.
Monroe County IL court record route finder
Select the record type. This helper runs in your browser and does not ask for names, case numbers, birth dates, addresses, ticket numbers, or other personal identifiers.
For CF, CM, DV, MX, and related criminal matters, use the Monroe County Judici route for case lookup or docket review, then contact the Circuit Clerk for certified dispositions, copies, sealed-record questions, or older file help.
Choose the correct Monroe County IL record source
Most failed court-record searches happen because the user chooses the wrong source. Use this table before searching by name.
| Need | Correct source | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal felony or misdemeanor case | Judici + Monroe County Circuit Clerk | Search the Monroe County Judici page, then contact the Circuit Clerk for certified disposition, copies, case access, or sealed/expunged-record questions. |
| Traffic, DUI, conservation, ordinance, or quasi-criminal matter | Judici + Circuit Clerk traffic/criminal desks | Use the citation or ticket number when available. Confirm the case type, court date, payment option, and whether a court appearance is required. |
| Civil law case over $50,000 | Circuit Clerk / Law division | Search by case number or party name, then verify pleadings, motions, orders, judgments, satisfaction, and appeals with the Clerk. |
| Law minor case over $10,000 and under $50,000 | Circuit Clerk / Law Minor category | Use Judici for docket review and the Circuit Clerk for official copies or case-document questions. |
| Small claims case under $10,000 | Circuit Clerk / Small Claims category | Search the case, then review judgment, dismissal, satisfaction, appeal, or collection-related entries before relying on the docket. |
| Eviction case | Circuit Clerk / Eviction category | Search Judici and verify later entries. Do not use this page as a tenant-screening product. |
| Divorce, family, child-related, or order of protection matter | Circuit Clerk / family or OP desks | Search only through official routes and expect privacy limits. Do not republish children’s names, addresses, or sensitive family details. |
| Probate, will, guardianship, or mental-health matter | Circuit Clerk / probate and related categories | Use the docket to identify the case, then contact the Clerk for letters, orders, certified copies, or restricted-document guidance. |
| Deed, mortgage, lien, release, plat, land judgment, or marriage/vital record | Monroe County Clerk and Recorder | Use the County Clerk and Recorder route, not the court docket route. Land records have separate index and document-image systems. |
| Jail custody, inmate housing, visitation, or sheriff civil process | Monroe County Sheriff | Use sheriff or jail resources for custody and civil-process questions. Use the Circuit Clerk for case disposition and court records. |
| State appeal | Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court / re:SearchIL where available | Search appellate resources separately and compare the trial-court case number to the appellate case. |
| Federal district or bankruptcy case | PACER + Southern District of Illinois | Use PACER Case Locator or the specific federal court. Monroe County state systems do not contain federal cases. |
How to search Monroe County IL court records on Judici
Monroe County’s official Circuit Clerk page points users to Judici for daily dockets, case information, court payments, and current court dates. Judici also lists Monroe County, IL as a participating court.
Judici is an authorized public access route, but the Circuit Clerk remains the official case-record custodian for certified copies, official dispositions, older files, restricted documents, corrections, and case-specific file questions.
Open the Monroe County Circuit Clerk page or the 24th Judicial Circuit Monroe County page, then use the linked Judici route.
Judici covers many courts. Confirm you are on the Monroe County, IL court page before searching or paying anything.
Case-number searching reduces false matches. If you only have a name, use a cautious name search and compare the whole record.
Look for codes such as CF, CM, DT, TR, OV, SC, EV, DN, DC, OP, PR, MH, JV, JA, or JD to understand the case category.
A docket can show settings, motions, continuances, pleas, orders, judgments, dismissals, or other events. Do not infer the final outcome from one entry.
If you need a certified judgment, certified disposition, order, decree, docket sheet, or other official copy, contact the Circuit Clerk with the case details.
Monroe County case codes that help you route your request
The Circuit Clerk page lists deputy-clerk areas by case-code group. These codes help you understand what type of case you may be looking at before you call, email, or request copies.
| Code or group | Meaning shown by the Clerk page | Practical search tip |
|---|---|---|
| CF, CM, DV, MX | Criminal Felony, Criminal Misdemeanor, Domestic Violence, Miscellaneous Criminal | Use criminal case routing, then request certified disposition or sentencing documents from the Circuit Clerk if needed. |
| DT, TR, MT, OV, CV, QC | Driving Under the Influence, Minor Traffic, Major Traffic, Ordinance Violation, Conservation Violation, Quasi Criminal | Use ticket/citation details when available and verify whether payment, plea, or court appearance is required. |
| DN, DC, OP | Dissolution No Children, Dissolution with Children, Orders of Protection | Expect privacy limits. Do not republish child-related or protected-party details. |
| SC, EV, LA, LM | Small Claims under $10,000, Eviction, Law over $50,000, Law Minor over $10,000 and under $50,000 | For judgments, review later docket activity for satisfaction, appeal, dismissal, or collection steps. |
| PR, WI, MH | Probate, Wills, Mental Health | Use the docket to identify the file, then call about certified letters, orders, restricted documents, or in-person review. |
| JV, JA, JD, AD | Juvenile, Juvenile Abuse and Neglect, Juvenile Delinquent, Adoption | Treat these as restricted or confidential unless the Clerk confirms lawful access. |
Monroe County IL court-record copy and payment notes
The Circuit Clerk page says court fees, fines, assessments, and copy charges may be paid through Judici, CourtMoney, the courthouse drop box on the Market Street circle drive, by mail to 100 S. Main St., Waterloo, IL 62298, or in person from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monroe County’s codified Circuit Clerk fee provisions list miscellaneous court fees, including record-search and copy-related items. Because fees can change by statute, local order, case type, certification type, and delivery method, confirm the exact amount with the Circuit Clerk before ordering.
| Request | Official fee clue reviewed | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Record search | County code lists a record-search fee item. | Ask whether the search is per name, per year, per case, or per request. |
| Document reproduction | County code lists reproduction fees with a first-page amount and lower later-page amounts. | Ask whether the fee applies to your document, format, and delivery method. |
| Certification or authentication | County code lists certification, authentication, and certified-copy items. | Ask whether the certification is per document, per judgment, per page, or tied to a specific record type. |
| Appeal record preparation | County code lists appeal-preparation fees based on record size. | Ask the Clerk about the current appellate record process and whether e-filing rules affect your request. |
| Court payments | The Circuit Clerk page lists Judici, CourtMoney, drop box, mail, and in-person payment routes. | Confirm payment method, case number entry, receipt, processing delay, and whether the payment resolves the court obligation. |
Official Monroe County IL court-record links and what to do after opening each one
Every important official link below includes next steps. Use the original court or clerk source instead of a commercial look-alike records site.
Use this as the local court-record custodian starting point.
- Confirm the page is on monroecountyil.gov.
- Open the linked daily docket or court case information route.
- Review copy, payment, and deputy-clerk case-code information.
- Call the Circuit Clerk for certified copies or access questions.
Use this for online case lookup, docket review, court dates, and payment routing when available.
- Confirm the court is Monroe County, Illinois.
- Choose the case-search or payment route that fits your need.
- Search by case number when possible.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk for official documents or certification.
Use this for Monroe County judges, courthouse details, daily docket links, online payments, and e-filing references.
- Review the listed judges and court personnel.
- Use Daily Court Docket or Search Court Cases when needed.
- Open Online Payments or E-Filing only when relevant.
- Use the Circuit Clerk contact for case-file questions.
Use this to understand Illinois trial courts and the Circuit Clerk’s role.
- Read the circuit-court structure.
- Confirm that circuit courts are trial courts of original jurisdiction.
- Use the county Circuit Clerk for local court files.
- Use appellate resources only when a case has moved to appeal.
Use this for electronic filing, not ordinary public case lookup.
- Confirm whether you are filing a new document or searching for a record.
- If filing, choose an approved electronic filing service provider.
- Prepare documents before entering the system.
- Use Judici or the Clerk for case search and record-copy questions.
Use this for Illinois e-filed document access where user group, court, case type, and remote-access policy allow it.
- Review who can access the system.
- Sign in or register only if you qualify.
- Check whether the document type is available remotely.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk if the document is not available online.
Use this for land records, vital records, election records, and recorder functions—not ordinary court dockets.
- Choose Land Records for deeds, mortgages, releases, liens, judgments, and plats.
- Choose Vital Records for marriage, birth, and death record instructions.
- Do not use this page for Circuit Court docket searching.
- Call the office to confirm current ID and copy requirements.
Use this for deeds, mortgages, releases, judgments, liens, plats, and older recorder indexes.
- For newer records, follow the link for records from 1984 to present.
- For deed records from 1952 to 1984, follow the RecordHub route.
- Choose Monroe County in any vendor dropdown.
- Remember land-record vendors are not the same as court dockets.
Use this for county public records that are not court-case records held by the Circuit Clerk.
- Submit a written request in person, by mail, or email.
- Describe the record clearly and include date ranges.
- Do not use FOIA to bypass court confidentiality.
- Use the Circuit Clerk for court case files and certified court copies.
Use this for jail, custody, law enforcement, civil process, and sheriff service questions.
- Decide whether you need jail information or a court record.
- Use the Correctional Division for jail-operation questions.
- Use Civil Process and Records for service-of-process questions.
- Use the Circuit Clerk for court disposition and certified case records.
Use this for appeals from trial courts in the 24th Circuit when the case is before the Fifth District.
- Confirm the appeal is in the Fifth District.
- Review opinions, Rule 23 orders, oral argument calendars, and court resources.
- Compare the trial-court case number with the appellate case.
- Contact the appellate clerk for appellate record questions.
Use this for federal district, federal appellate, and bankruptcy records.
- Use PACER Case Locator if you do not know the federal court.
- Use the specific federal court for the most current docket.
- Review PACER pricing before opening documents.
- Remember Illinois county portals do not contain federal records.
Monroe County courthouse and clerk locations for record help
Many record questions can start online, but certified copies, older files, payment errors, sealed-record questions, public terminals, and access problems often require direct contact with the official office. Call before visiting to confirm the correct room, hours, fees, payment method, security rules, and record availability.
100 South Main Street
Waterloo, IL 62298
County phone: 618-939-8681
Use this courthouse for local Circuit Clerk, County Clerk/Recorder, and other county-government office routing.
100 S. Main St., Room 115
Waterloo, IL 62298
Phone: 618-939-8681
Fax: 618-939-1929
Hours listed by official sources: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The 24th Circuit page lists Lisa Fallon as Circuit Clerk.
100 S. Main Street
Waterloo, IL 62298
Phone listed by MoCoClerk: 618-939-8623
Use for land records, vital records, marriage records, election records, tax extensions, and County Clerk/Recorder services.
225 East 3rd Street
Waterloo, IL 62298
Sheriff department phone: 618-939-8651
Use for custody, correctional division, civil process, records division, and courthouse-security related questions—not certified court dispositions.
Monroe County court records are not the same as sheriff or jail records
The Monroe County Sheriff is responsible for jail operations, civil process, courthouse security, and law-enforcement services. The Circuit Clerk preserves court files and case records. These are related but separate systems.
| Need | Use | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Current custody, jail housing, inmate mail, or visitation | Monroe County Sheriff / Correctional Division | A jail entry means the person was convicted. |
| Civil process service, summons, subpoena, writ, or mileage fee | Sheriff Civil Process and Records Division | Sheriff service status is the final court outcome. |
| Court date, case docket, plea, sentence, judgment, or dismissal | Judici and Circuit Clerk | A pending case has a final disposition. |
| Certified disposition or certified judgment | Circuit Clerk | A screenshot or jail page is a certified court record. |
Do not confuse court records with Monroe County land or vital records
The Monroe County Clerk and Recorder maintains land-record and vital-record services that are different from court dockets. A lawsuit judgment may appear in a court case, while a recorded judgment, deed, lien, mortgage, release, or plat may appear in recorder records.
- Criminal court cases.
- Traffic, DUI, ordinance, and conservation cases.
- Civil, law, law minor, and small claims dockets.
- Eviction cases.
- Divorce, family, order of protection, probate, and will case records.
- Certified court dispositions, judgments, and orders.
- Deeds and mortgages.
- Releases and liens.
- Plats and recorded judgments.
- Marriage and vital records.
- Assumed business names.
- Land-record vendor access and historical recorder indexes.
Where Monroe County IL appeals, federal cases, and bankruptcy records go
Appeals and federal cases do not stay in the same local search path. Use Illinois reviewing-court resources for appeals and PACER for federal district or bankruptcy records.
The Fifth District Appellate Court page lists the 24th Circuit, including Monroe County, among the circuits it hears. Use appellate resources separately and compare the trial-court case number.
Monroe County is in the Southern District of Illinois for federal district court matters. State court and Judici records do not replace PACER or the federal clerk.
Bankruptcy is federal. Use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois and PACER for bankruptcy dockets and documents.
| Record type | Official route | Important caution |
|---|---|---|
| Appeal from a Monroe County trial case | Illinois Fifth District Appellate Court and re:SearchIL when available | Search appellate records separately and compare the lower-court case number. |
| Illinois Supreme Court or appellate documents filed after April 1, 2025 | re:SearchIL public reviewing-court access where non-confidential records are available | The record on appeal generated by the circuit court and confidential filings may not be available through public remote access. |
| Federal civil or criminal case | Southern District of Illinois and PACER | County court search tools do not show federal district court records. |
| Bankruptcy case | U.S. Bankruptcy Court Southern District of Illinois and PACER | Do not search small claims, law, or county land records when you need a federal bankruptcy docket. |
| Unknown federal court | PACER Case Locator | PACER Case Locator helps identify the court; the specific court docket is usually the most current source. |
How to request a certified Monroe County IL court record
An online docket, Judici search result, or printed screen is not the same as a certified court record. The Circuit Clerk must issue official certified copies from the court file.
Use Judici, the daily docket, or court paperwork to identify the case number, party names, court, case code, and filing year.
Examples include docket sheet, certified judgment, certified disposition, sentencing order, divorce decree, order of protection, probate order, will record, or dismissal order.
Call 618-939-8681 or use the Circuit Clerk page to route the request to the correct deputy clerk or department.
Confirm copy fees, certification fees, search fees, mailing charges, and accepted payment methods before sending money.
Do not separate a seal, cover sheet, certification page, ribbon, stamp, or clerk attachment if the record must be used officially.
What to do if a Monroe County IL court-record search returns no result
- Wrong Monroe County: Illinois vs another state.
- Wrong source: Judici vs County Clerk land records vs Sheriff vs PACER.
- Name spelling, maiden name, suffix, business name, or abbreviation mismatch.
- Searching by name when a case number is needed.
- Looking for a land record, vital record, jail record, or federal case in the court docket.
- Sealed, impounded, expunged, or confidential record.
- Juvenile, adoption, mental-health, or protected family matter.
- Older paper, archive, or non-digitized record.
- Document image not available through Judici or remote access.
- Appeal or federal case filed in a separate court system.
How to read Monroe County docket fields without over-interpreting them
A docket is a case activity log. It may show filings, hearings, settings, motions, orders, payments, judgments, or dispositions, but it does not always explain the full legal meaning of each entry.
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, applicant, estate, decedent, guardian, ward, debtor, creditor, appellant, and appellee are roles. A role does not always mean wrongdoing.
Complaint, petition, information, indictment, answer, summons, motion, order, hearing, plea, sentence, judgment, dismissal, satisfaction, warrant, or continuance should be read in context.
Open, pending, disposed, dismissed, adjudicated, deferred, inactive, reopened, or satisfied should be verified through later docket entries or the Circuit Clerk before relying on the record.
Use Monroe County IL court records carefully
- Do not identify a person from a common name alone.
- Compare court, case number, filing date, party role, docket entries, and lawful identifiers.
- Do not assume an arrest, charge, ticket, or booking is a conviction.
- Do not assume a judgment has not been paid, appealed, vacated, or satisfied.
- Do not harass, threaten, shame, or retaliate against anyone.
- Do not republish children’s names, addresses, protected health details, or unnecessary sensitive information.
- Do not bypass sealed, expunged, juvenile, adoption, mental-health, or confidential restrictions.
- Contact the official custodian for corrections, sealing, expungement, and certified-copy needs.
Frequently asked questions about Monroe County IL court records
What is the official way to search Monroe County Illinois court records?
Start with the Monroe County Circuit Clerk or the 24th Judicial Circuit Monroe County page, then use the official Judici Monroe County page for online case search, daily dockets, and payment routing. Contact the Circuit Clerk for certified copies, older files, access questions, and record-custody issues.
Can I search Monroe County IL court records by name?
Yes, Judici generally supports name-based case searching for participating Illinois courts, including Monroe County. A name match alone does not prove identity, so compare the case number, case type, filing date, party role, court location, docket events, and disposition before relying on a result.
Who is the Monroe County IL Circuit Clerk?
The Monroe County Circuit Clerk page identifies Lisa Fallon as Circuit Clerk. The office is listed at 100 S. Main St., Room 115, Waterloo, IL 62298, with phone number 618-939-8681.
Which judicial circuit is Monroe County Illinois in?
Monroe County is part of the Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit of Illinois, along with Perry, Randolph, and Washington Counties. The Monroe County circuit page lists the Circuit Clerk, judges, docket links, online payments, e-filing, and courthouse information.
Are Monroe County court records the same as land records?
No. Court records involve cases, dockets, hearings, judgments, orders, tickets, probate, family cases, and criminal matters. Land records are maintained by the Monroe County Clerk and Recorder and include deeds, mortgages, releases, judgments, liens, and plats.
Are Monroe County jail records the same as court records?
No. Jail records relate to custody, jail operations, booking, visitation, and release or bond information. Court records relate to filings, hearings, orders, judgments, pleas, sentences, dismissals, and dispositions. A jail record or arrest does not prove a conviction.
How do I get a certified Monroe County IL court record?
Identify the case number, case type, party names, filing year, and exact document needed, then contact the Monroe County Circuit Clerk. Ask whether you need a plain copy, certified copy, certified judgment, certified disposition, or another official record type.
Where do I find Monroe County IL appellate records?
Monroe County appeals are handled through Illinois reviewing-court systems, and the Fifth District Appellate Court covers the Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit. Use Illinois appellate resources and re:SearchIL when appropriate, then compare the trial-court case number to the appellate case.
Where do I search federal or bankruptcy cases from Monroe County Illinois?
Use PACER for federal court records. Monroe County is in the Southern District of Illinois for federal district and bankruptcy matters, so state court and county court portals will not contain the federal case docket.
Why might a Monroe County IL case not appear online?
The case may be in the wrong county, wrong case category, older paper or archive files, a sealed or expunged record, a juvenile, adoption, mental-health, confidential, or restricted matter, a land record instead of a court record, a jail record instead of a court case, an appellate matter, or a federal case that belongs in PACER.
Official-source review checklist
This guide was reviewed against Monroe County’s official website, Monroe County Circuit Clerk page, Monroe County Judici page, Judici participating-courts and services pages, Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit Monroe County page, Illinois Circuit Court overview, eFileIL, re:SearchIL, Illinois reviewing-court public-access resources, Fifth District Appellate Court, Monroe County Clerk and Recorder, Monroe County land-record pages, Monroe County FOIA page, Monroe County Sheriff, Southern District of Illinois federal court, Southern District of Illinois bankruptcy court, and PACER. Review date: September 7, 2026.