Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Illinois Public Criminal Records

By Ben Kingsley


In 1991 of January the 1st, the Uniform Conviction Information Act or UCIA became law in the State of Illinois. As such, all Illinois criminal records with convictions that was maintained and collected by the Illinois State Police or ISP to be made available to the public. A check of criminal records whether for oneself or for another is important as this record serves as a valid document that shows a person's background. Currently two forms are available that one can may be able to request for criminal history records from the Illinois State Police - Non-Fingerprint and Fingerprint Conviction Information Request Form. All requests should be made using the forms as each of the forms has their own unique processing control number.

For those who use the "non-fingerprint conviction information request form", the ISP will search the database based on the identification provided by the person requesting the information and thus may affect the results of the search. Processing fee for non-fingerprint costs $16; for checks not drawn in US banks, the cost is $30. On the other hand, for those who want a more accurate research, they might want to request for a fingerprint conviction report. The report will search the ISP fingerprint database criminal records. The payment costs about $20 for each record request and $50 is charged for checks not drawn from a US bank. All payments must be made payable through checks or money order and addressed to the ISP.

Only one name per request is accepted; however, the ISP accepts multiple requests and a single check to pay for the entire request. One should re-check the information before submitting to the ISP as the fee would not be refunded for requests that are incomplete.

For those who want to view and challenge their criminal records, they may do so by requesting their local law enforcement agency to initiate a fingerprint-based inquiry that would allow the person to access and review their own criminal record transcript. The ISP does not charge for the Access and Review or Record Challenge processing; however, the law enforcement agency or the correctional facilities may charge the person a fee to cover the cost of the request.

To get a copy of one's criminal records from the FBI, they can send a request to the FBI introducing themselves, their contact info as well as their own fingerprints. The cost of the request is $18 and payments made through money orders, credit cards or checks are accepted. The processing for the report will take about 8 to 10 weeks upon the receipt of the request.

Another easier way to get a background check on oneself or another person is by visiting the local police department or the county clerk office. The police department contains arrest records for public use whereas case records with conviction are available from the Court clerk. For those who want a faster and convenient way to obtain records, they can research through public search portals available online. These sites provide access to vital records as well as public records for free or for a minimal fee.




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