How to Search St. Clair County Court Records
The official starting point is the St. Clair County Circuit Clerk page. The Circuit Clerk is the office that keeps the case file for every civil and criminal matter filed in the county. From the Circuit Clerk page, the Court Record Search link opens the county case-lookup portal at clericusmagnus.com. The county notes that the portal covers all civil and criminal court dates. Cases are continued and reset often, so the Circuit Clerk asks users to recheck the site.
Before you start, gather what you know. A name and rough date range is enough for many searches. A case number works best when you have it. Case numbers in St. Clair County are made up of a year, a type code, and a sequence number. The type code points to a case category such as CF for felony, CM for misdemeanor, DC for divorce with children, or PR for probate.
The county's Court Record Search portal is the practical starting point for a name or case-number lookup. 
The portal screen shows the county case-search interface that the Circuit Clerk hosts for public users.
- Open the Circuit Clerk Court Record Search portal from the county Circuit Clerk page.
- Enter the party name or, if you have it, the case number broken into year, type, and number.
- Narrow by case category code if you know it, such as CF for felony or DC for divorce with children.
- Open the case to view court dates and docket entries; rechecking is a good idea since dates are reset often.
- Request a certified copy of any document through the Circuit Clerk Copy Request form.
If a case will not load, the Circuit Clerk asks users to call (618) 825-2334. The county says some lookup trouble is tied to a continued system conversion. For statewide remote access to cases that have been eFiled, the re:SearchIL portal is an option, but the local Circuit Clerk record is still the official source for St. Clair County Court records.
The St. Clair County Judicial System
Illinois has three court layers. The Supreme Court of Illinois is at the top. The Illinois Appellate Court sits in five districts. Below that are the Circuit Courts, which are the trial courts. The Illinois Courts Circuit Court page notes that the state has 25 judicial circuits and that some, like St. Clair, are single-county circuits. 
That page is the source for the state's court-layer explanation used here.
St. Clair County is the 20th Judicial Circuit. Because it is a single-county circuit, all St. Clair County Court cases stay in the county for trial-level filing, hearings, and final orders. The Circuit Court takes the full range of trial work: criminal felony and misdemeanor cases, DUI, traffic, civil law and chancery, small claims, evictions, foreclosures, family and divorce, adoption, juvenile, probate, guardianship, mental health, tax, orders of protection, and ordinance violations. Appeals go to the Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District, which sits in Mount Vernon.
Case flow: Circuit Court › Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District › Supreme Court of Illinois.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court, 20th Judicial Circuit | St. Clair County trial court of original jurisdiction | Criminal, civil, family, probate, juvenile, traffic, small claims, evictions, foreclosures |
| Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District | Intermediate appellate review | Direct appeals from St. Clair County Circuit Court |
| Supreme Court of Illinois | Court of last resort and administrative head of the courts | Petitions for leave to appeal and certain direct appeals |
St. Clair County Courthouse and County Offices
The main court and county building is at 10 Public Square in Belleville. The county lists the same address for the Circuit Clerk, the County Clerk, and the State's Attorney. The official county homepage is the gateway to each office. 
The county homepage links the Circuit Clerk, County Clerk, Sheriff, and State's Attorney pages used across this site.
St. Clair County Circuit Clerk
10 Public Square
Belleville, IL 62220
(618) 277-6600
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
St. Clair County Clerk
10 Public Square
Belleville, IL 62220
(618) 825-2377
Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
St. Clair County Sheriff's Department
700 N. 5th Street
Belleville, IL 62220
(618) 277-3505
Jail: (618) 456-7606
Types of Court Records in St. Clair County
Illinois case files use two-letter category codes. The Circuit Clerk Case Categories page lists each code and what it covers. St. Clair County Court records follow those same codes, so a search is much faster if you know the code that fits your case.
A first-time researcher only needs the most common codes. The list below covers the categories that drive most public searches for St. Clair County Court records.
- Criminal records - CF for felony, CM for misdemeanor, DT for DUI, and DV for domestic battery cases.
- Civil records - LA and LM for tort or contract claims, plus AR, CH, MR, and TX for related actions.
- Family and divorce records - DC for dissolution with children, DN for dissolution without children, and FA for parent-child cases.
- Probate records - PR for decedent estates, and GR for guardianship of a minor, adult, or estate.
- Traffic records - TR for minor traffic, MT for major traffic, and OV for ordinance violations.
- Protective orders - OP for orders of protection, stalking no-contact orders, and firearm-restraining orders.
What St. Clair County Court Records Show
A St. Clair County Court record is a file, not a single page. It holds the pleadings, motions, orders, court dates, and any judgment in a case. The visible online view is usually the docket. The full document set is requested through the Court Docket Search page or through a copy request.
The fields below show what a researcher will see in a typical case file or docket entry, based on the Circuit Clerk's copy-request form and the docket search columns.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Year + type code + sequence number, such as 24-CF-1234. |
| Filing Date | Date the case was opened with the Circuit Clerk. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or petitioner and respondent, depending on case type. |
| Charges or Cause | The criminal counts, civil claim, or family-law relief asked for. |
| Court Date and Courtroom | Next setting and the courtroom shown on the daily docket. |
| Disposition | Outcome such as dismissed, plea, guilty, judgment, or supervision. |
| Sentence or Judgment | Fine, fees, jail or prison time, probation, restitution, or money judgment. |
The Court Docket Search page lets users pull a daily court docket and an attorney court docket. 
The docket page is where dates, courtrooms, and case settings show up after a court file is opened.
Public Access Laws for St. Clair County Court Records
Court files in Illinois are open to the public unless a statute, rule, or order limits access. The split is simple. Administrative records held by a county office are governed by the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Court files held by the Circuit Clerk are governed by court rules, the Supreme Court's Electronic Access Policy, and case-specific laws on sealing, juvenile, adoption, and mental health.
The list below highlights the laws that come up most in St. Clair County Court records research. Each one is linked to the Illinois General Assembly text. Statutes are quoted in plain English so a non-lawyer can see what they cover.
Key Statutes:
5 ILCS 140 (Illinois FOIA) - Sets a presumption that public-body records are open, lists exemptions, and ties the access process to written requests with set response times.
20 ILCS 2630/5.2 - Sets the rules for adult criminal record expungement, sealing, and immediate sealing in the circuit court where the case was filed.
705 ILCS 405/1-8 - Restricts access to juvenile court and law-enforcement records and gives the court room to protect the minor's confidentiality.
750 ILCS 50/18 - Impounds adoption records held by the Circuit Clerk so they are opened only by a specific court order naming who may see the file.
Illinois Courts News, May 1, 2025 - Approves free remote public access to non-confidential reviewing-court cases filed on or after April 1, 2025.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential
Some St. Clair County Court records are restricted by statute or court order. Juvenile abuse, neglect, and delinquency files under 705 ILCS 405 are not open in the same way adult criminal files are. Adoption records held by the Circuit Clerk are impounded under 750 ILCS 50/18. Mental-health cases in the MH category contain protected health details and have limited public access. Search warrants, grand-jury matters, and eavesdropping records can be sealed before execution.
Sealed and expunged criminal records are governed by 20 ILCS 2630/5.2. A person who has a qualifying arrest or disposition can ask the Circuit Court where the case was filed to seal or expunge the record. The petition must include the petitioner's name, date of birth, current address, case number, and arrest details. Fees apply unless the court grants a waiver. The State's Attorney, Illinois State Police, and any arresting agency get notice and a chance to object.
Specialty Programs and Court Services
The 20th Judicial Circuit Court Services and Probation Department supports the Circuit Court. The Probation and Court Services page says the office runs adult probation at 11 West Lincoln in Belleville, juvenile probation at 9002 Lebanon Road, and the St. Clair County Detention Center at 9006 Lebanon Road. The detention center is for juvenile offenders ages 10 to 16. Court Services also runs drug testing, court investigations, and DNA collection that feed into criminal sentencing and family-court reviews.
The Circuit Clerk also links a Court Based Rental Assistance Program for housing and eviction cases. Tenants and landlords in St. Clair County eviction cases can use the toolkit and FAQ tied to that program. The State's Attorney's office runs Victim Services and a Clean Slate outreach that connects to criminal-record relief.
St. Clair County Sheriff and Jail
The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department runs the county jail at 700 N. 5th Street in Belleville. The Sheriff is Richard "Rick" Watson. The Sheriff's Department page links the inmate lookup, sex-offender search, commissary deposits, detainee-mail rules, and the contact page. 
The Sheriff's site is the starting point for jail-related lookups and policy questions.
For current custody, use the Sheriff's inmate lookup with a last name, first name, or booking number. The Corrections page says inmate records update hourly. Court dates are not on the inmate lookup; the Circuit Clerk's docket page is the source for court settings. Full roster details and visitation guidance are on the St. Clair County inmate records page, and active-warrant questions live on the warrant records page.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
The split between the Circuit Clerk and the County Clerk is important. Marriage licenses, vital records, and tax-redemption searches go through the St. Clair County Clerk. Divorce, probate, and guardianship cases go through the Circuit Clerk. The marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page cover each route. 
The County Clerk page links the vital-record forms used on the marriage-divorce subpage.
A few definitions help when reading a probate file:
- Testator
- The person who made the will being filed for probate.
- Executor
- The person named in the will to handle the estate.
- Administrator
- The person the court appoints when there is no will or no named executor.
- Guardian
- The person the court appoints to make decisions for a minor or an adult who needs help.
- Conservator
- An older Illinois term often used for a guardian of the estate of a person who needs help.
St. Clair County Court Records Fees
The Circuit Clerk's copy-fee chart sets the cost of plain and certified copies. The County Clerk runs its own fee table for vital records and licenses. 
The Circuit Clerk copy request page is the route for ordering case documents by mail or email.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain court copy (start) | $2.00 |
| Card or debit fee | 2.25%, minimum $1.00 |
| First certified marriage record | $15.00 |
| Additional marriage copy | $8.00 |
| First certified birth certificate | $15.00 |
| First certified death certificate | $20.00 |
| Marriage license | $45.00 |
| Courthouse wedding fee | $10.00 exact change |
Mail-in payments to the Circuit Clerk go to P.O. Box 691, Belleville, IL 62222. No personal checks are accepted for copy requests.
How to Read St. Clair County Case Numbers and Codes
St. Clair County case numbers have three pieces. The first is the year. The second is a two-letter type code. The third is the sequence number for that year and type. The Circuit Clerk copy form breaks each part out so a user can request the right document. Knowing the type code is the fastest way to find a case in a name search.
The shortlist below covers the codes that drive most St. Clair County Court records lookups.
- CF - Criminal Felony.
- CM - Criminal Misdemeanor.
- DT - DUI and operating under the influence.
- DV - Domestic battery and related domestic-violence case category.
- TR / MT - Minor traffic and major traffic.
- DC / DN - Divorce with children and divorce without children.
- PR / GR - Probate of a decedent or guardianship.
A common point of confusion is the difference between an arrest record and a court conviction. The two are not the same. An arrest is a law-enforcement record made by the Sheriff or local police. A conviction is the final disposition entered by the Circuit Court after a plea or trial. A case may be dismissed, reduced, or set for supervision without becoming a conviction. The disposition field in the court file is the place to confirm what the court actually did.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online court records may lag behind the court file. The Circuit Clerk warns users that cases are continued and reset and asks for rechecks. The Sheriff's inmate lookup updates hourly. Court dates can change after a docket entry is posted. For final answers about a court date or a closed case, call the Circuit Clerk at (618) 277-6600 or the relevant courtroom.
Note: Confirm any case detail with the Circuit Clerk or the Sheriff's Office before acting, since online systems can lag the official court file.
A Short History of St. Clair County Courts
St. Clair County was the first county established in Illinois. The Illinois State Archives IRAD page for St. Clair notes that the county was set up while the region was still part of the Northwest Territory. Early sessions were held at Cahokia, Kaskaskia, and Prairie du Rocher. The County Clerk says marriage records for people married in St. Clair County are available from 1763 to the present, which is unusually deep for a county clerk archive.
The modern Circuit Court is the result of constitutional and rule changes that gave Illinois a unified trial court in each county. The Circuit Clerk now runs eFiling, online payments, text reminders, and a Court Record Search portal next to the older paper and microfilm files. St. Clair's single-county circuit status keeps the trial-level records centered in Belleville.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search St. Clair County court records?
Start at the Circuit Clerk page and open Court Record Search. The portal covers civil and criminal court dates for St. Clair County Court cases. Use a party name or a case number broken into year, type, and sequence. For court hearings on a given date, use the Court Docket Search page. For copies of any document in a case, use the Circuit Clerk Copy Request form. The form asks for case year, type, number, the names of the parties, and whether the copy should be certified.
What is the difference between the Circuit Clerk and the County Clerk?
The Circuit Clerk handles court files, case dockets, copies, payments, and eFiling for St. Clair County Court cases. The County Clerk handles vital records, marriage licenses, tax-redemption searches, and elections. A divorce decree comes from the Circuit Clerk. A marriage record or marriage license comes from the County Clerk. The split shows up across many records questions, so the first step is often deciding which clerk's office holds the file.
Are juvenile and adoption records public in St. Clair County?
No. Juvenile court records are restricted under 705 ILCS 405, and access is limited to parties, counsel, agencies, and people authorized by statute or court order. Adoption records held by the Circuit Clerk are impounded under 750 ILCS 50/18 and are opened only by a specific court order naming who may see the file. Sealed and expunged criminal records also drop out of the public view, except in narrow statutory cases.
More questions are answered on the St. Clair County Court Records FAQ page.