Tazewell County Public Records / Tazewell County Arrest Records

Tazewell County Arrest Records

Are Arrest Records Public in Tazewell County

Arrest records in Tazewell County are generally accessible to members of the public under Illinois law. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS § 140) establishes the public's right to inspect and copy records maintained by government agencies, including law enforcement bodies. Under this statute, arrest records — including booking logs, incident reports, and related documentation — are presumed to be public unless a specific exemption applies.

It is important to distinguish between an arrest record and a conviction record. An arrest record documents the act of being taken into custody by law enforcement and does not indicate guilt or a criminal conviction. A conviction record, by contrast, reflects a formal finding of guilt by a court of law. Under Illinois law, individuals who are arrested but not convicted may be eligible to have those records expunged, thereby removing them from public access. The Illinois State Police maintains statewide criminal history records and governs access to conviction data through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

What's in Tazewell County Arrest Records

Tazewell County arrest records contain a standardized set of data fields compiled at the time of booking and updated as a case progresses through the criminal justice system.

Arrestee Identifying Information:

Full legal name, including any known aliases
Date of birth and age at time of arrest
Race, sex, and physical descriptors (height, weight, eye and hair color)
Last known address

Arrest Details:

Date, time, and location of arrest
Name of the arresting agency (e.g., Tazewell County Sheriff's Office, Morton Police Department, Illinois State Police)
Arresting officer's name or badge number

Charge Information:

Specific criminal charges filed, including statute references
Classification of offense (felony, misdemeanor, or petty offense)
Whether charges were later amended or dismissed

Warrant Information (if applicable):

Warrant number and issuing court
Type of warrant (arrest warrant, bench warrant)
Warrant status (active, served, or recalled)

Booking Information:

Booking number assigned by the Tazewell County Jail
Date and time of booking
Facility where the individual is or was held

Bond/Bail Information:

Bond type (personal recognizance, cash bond, or surety bond)
Bond amount set by the court
Bond status (posted, forfeited, or pending)

Court Information:

Case number assigned by the Tazewell County Circuit Court
Scheduled court dates and hearing types
Presiding judge and courtroom assignment

Custody Status:

Current custody status (in custody, released, transferred, or discharged)
Release date and conditions of release, if applicable

Additional Information May Include:

Mugshot photograph taken at booking
Fingerprint records submitted to the Illinois State Police
Incident or police report number associated with the arrest

How To Look Up Arrest Records in Tazewell County in 2026

Members of the public may obtain Tazewell County arrest records through several official channels. The following steps outline the standard process currently in effect:

Contact the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office — The Sheriff's Office maintains booking records for individuals processed through the Tazewell County Jail. Requestors may appear in person during public counter hours or submit a written request by mail or email.
Submit a FOIA Request — Pursuant to 5 ILCS § 140/3, any person may submit a Freedom of Information Act request to the relevant law enforcement agency. Requests must be responded to within five business days.
Contact the Tazewell County Circuit Clerk — Court records associated with an arrest, including charging documents and case dispositions, are maintained by the Circuit Clerk's office.
Request Records from the Illinois State Police — Statewide criminal history records, including arrest and conviction data, may be requested through the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification.

Tazewell County Sheriff's Office 101 S. Capitol St., Pekin, IL 61554 (309) 477-2250 Tazewell County Sheriff's Office

Tazewell County Circuit Clerk 342 Court St., Pekin, IL 61554 (309) 477-2214 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tazewell County Circuit Clerk

Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification 260 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432 (815) 740-5160 Illinois State Police

How To Find Tazewell County Arrest Records Online

Several official online resources currently provide access to Tazewell County arrest and custody information without requiring an in-person visit.

Tazewell County Sheriff's Inmate Lookup — The Sheriff's Office publishes an online roster of individuals currently held at the Tazewell County Jail. Members of the public may search current custody records by last name to identify individuals booked into the facility.
Active Warrant Search — The Sheriff's Office also maintains a publicly accessible list of individuals with active arrest warrants in Tazewell County, which is updated on a regular basis.
Illinois Department of Corrections Inmate Search — For individuals who have been sentenced to a state correctional facility, the IDOC offender search tool allows the public to locate individuals currently in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Tazewell County Circuit Clerk Online Case Search — Court case information, including charges and case status, may be searched through the Illinois Courts' case management portal at illinoiscourts.gov.

How To Search Tazewell County Arrest Records for Free?

Multiple no-cost options are currently available for members of the public seeking Tazewell County arrest information.

Sheriff's Office Online Inmate Roster — The jail and inmate information page maintained by the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office is freely accessible and provides booking details for individuals currently in custody at no charge.
Illinois Courts Public Access Portal — The Illinois Courts system provides free online access to circuit court case records, including criminal case filings associated with arrests, through its public access portal.
In-Person Inspection at the Circuit Clerk's Office — Pursuant to 5 ILCS § 140/3, members of the public have the right to inspect public records in person at no cost. Copies may be subject to a nominal per-page fee.
IDOC Offender Search — The Illinois Department of Corrections individuals in custody search is available to the general public at no cost and does not require account registration.

How To Delete Arrest Records in Tazewell County

Illinois law provides two primary legal mechanisms for removing or restricting public access to arrest records: expungement and sealing. These remedies are distinct in their scope and effect.

Expungement results in the physical destruction or return of arrest records to the petitioner, effectively eliminating them from law enforcement databases. Sealing restricts public access to records without destroying them; sealed records remain accessible to law enforcement and certain licensing agencies but are not visible to the general public or most employers.

Under 20 ILCS § 2630/5.2, individuals may petition for expungement of arrests that did not result in conviction, including arrests where charges were dismissed, the individual was acquitted, or the case was stricken with leave to reinstate and subsequently dismissed. Certain misdemeanor and felony convictions may qualify for sealing after applicable waiting periods have elapsed.

The process for pursuing expungement or sealing in Tazewell County involves the following steps:

Obtain a copy of the individual's criminal history from the Illinois State Police to identify all eligible records.
Complete the standardized petition forms available through the Office of the Illinois Courts expungement and sealing forms page.
File the completed petition with the Tazewell County Circuit Clerk and pay the applicable filing fee, or request a fee waiver if eligible.
Serve copies of the petition on all relevant agencies, including the arresting agency and the Illinois State Police.
Attend the scheduled court hearing, at which a judge will determine whether the petition meets the statutory criteria for relief.

Tazewell County Circuit Clerk 342 Court St., Pekin, IL 61554 (309) 477-2214 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tazewell County Circuit Clerk

What Happens After Arrest in Tazewell County?

The criminal justice process in Tazewell County follows a structured sequence of events from the point of arrest through final case disposition.

Upon arrest, the individual is transported to the Tazewell County Jail for booking, during which identifying information, fingerprints, and a photograph are collected. Within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest, the individual must be brought before a judge for a probable cause determination. At the initial appearance or arraignment, the court sets bond conditions and the individual is formally advised of the charges.

If the offense is a felony, the case proceeds to a preliminary hearing or grand jury proceeding to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to bind the case over for trial. Misdemeanor cases are typically handled entirely at the circuit court level. Throughout this process, the defendant may enter a plea, negotiate a plea agreement with the State's Attorney, or proceed to trial. Upon conviction, sentencing is imposed by the court; upon acquittal or dismissal, the individual may become eligible for expungement of the arrest record.

Tazewell County State's Attorney's Office 342 Court St., Suite 301, Pekin, IL 61554 (309) 477-2205 Tazewell County State's Attorney

How Long Are Arrest Records Kept in Tazewell County?

Arrest records in Tazewell County are subject to retention schedules established under Illinois law and applicable local agency policies. Under the Illinois Local Records Act (50 ILCS § 205), local government agencies, including law enforcement bodies, are required to maintain records in accordance with schedules approved by the Local Records Commission.

At present, arrest records for cases resulting in conviction are generally retained permanently or for extended periods, as they form part of an individual's criminal history. Records associated with arrests that did not result in conviction may be subject to shorter retention periods, particularly following a successful expungement order. Different agencies within the county — including the Sheriff's Office, the Circuit Clerk, and the State's Attorney — maintain separate record sets and may apply different retention schedules to their respective holdings. Retention of arrest records serves the dual purposes of preserving evidence for potential future proceedings and maintaining accountability within the criminal justice system.

Members of the public seeking specific retention schedule information may contact the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office or the Illinois State Archives, which oversees compliance with the Local Records Act.

Illinois State Archives Margaret Cross Norton Building, Capitol Complex, Springfield, IL 62756 (217) 782-4682 Illinois State Archives

How to Find Mugshots in Tazewell County

What Mugshots Are A mugshot is a standardized photographic record taken by law enforcement at the time of booking. It typically includes a frontal and profile view of the arrested individual and is associated with the corresponding booking record.

Where Mugshots Are Maintained Mugshots taken at the Tazewell County Jail are maintained by the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office as part of the official booking record. The Illinois State Police may also retain copies as part of a statewide criminal history record.

Finding Mugshots Members of the public may request mugshot photographs by submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office. Requests should identify the individual by full name and, if known, the date of arrest or booking number.

Can They Be Found Online The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office currently publishes limited booking information through its online inmate lookup tools. Mugshot photographs may or may not be included in publicly accessible online rosters, depending on the agency's current publication policy.

Obtaining Mugshots Officially Official copies of booking photographs may be obtained by submitting a written FOIA request to the Sheriff's Office. Requestors should be prepared to pay any applicable reproduction fees as permitted under 5 ILCS § 140/6.

Restrictions on Mugshot Access Illinois does not currently have a statute that specifically prohibits the publication of mugshots; however, records subject to an expungement order must be removed from public access by all agencies in possession of those records, including any published online rosters.

Tazewell County Sheriff's Office 101 S. Capitol St., Pekin, IL 61554 (309) 477-2250 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Tazewell County Sheriff's Office