Jo Daviess County Court Records Search
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Jo Daviess County sits in the northwestern corner of Illinois, with Galena as its county seat and home to the county's primary courthouse. The court system operates within Illinois's unified trial court framework, handling criminal prosecutions, civil disputes, family matters, probate proceedings, and more. Records produced through these proceedings document everything that occurs in a case — from initial complaints and pretrial hearings to final judgments and orders — and their public availability is central to accountability in the local justice system.
If you're searching for court case information in Illinois, IllinoisCourts.us can help you find publicly available case information at the state level. In Jo Daviess County specifically, records can be searched through the Circuit Clerk's office in person, at public access terminals inside the courthouse, through the county's online services portal, and through the Judici court records platform — all covered in detail below.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Jo Daviess County?
Start with the Jo Daviess County Circuit Clerk's Office — it's the official keeper of all court records in the county. By law, the Clerk must attend all court sessions, preserve all court records, and issue legal process. As a constitutional office and non-judicial arm of the state's Judicial Branch, the Circuit Clerk operates independently from county government.
Jo Daviess County Circuit Court
Address: Jo Daviess County Courthouse, 330 North Bench Street, Suite 2C, Galena, IL 61036
Phone: (815) 777-0037
Fax: (815) 776-9146
Email: circuitclerk@jodaviesscountyil.gov
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (closed holidays)
If you visit in person, the Clerk's office has a terminal computer system at the courthouse where you can view case records at no charge. Fees apply if you print documents. Staff can help you locate cases by party name, case number, or filing date.
For online access, the Judici court records platform offers free case index searches for Jo Daviess County by party name or case number. Basic results — including hearing dates, case minutes, litigant information, criminal charges, civil judgments, and will indexes — are available without registration. Full document access requires a paid premium account. The county's online services page also links directly to the Judici portal and other electronic resources.
Illinois mandates electronic filing for all civil pleadings. The Circuit Clerk's office accepts e-filed documents through eFileIL, the statewide e-filing system operated by the Illinois Courts. Criminal e-filing is also accepted. Self-represented litigants can access approved statewide forms — including fee waiver forms for civil cases — through the Illinois Courts website.
Are Court Records Public in Jo Daviess County?
Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), all records held by public bodies in Illinois — including courts — are presumed open and available for inspection or copying unless specifically exempted. That presumption applies to Jo Daviess County court records.
FOIA requests can be submitted to each county department in writing by mail, fax, hand delivery, or email (in the body of the message — attachments will not be opened). The county provides an optional FOIA Request Form for paper submissions. Each county office has its own FOIA Officer, so direct your request to the appropriate department. The county's FOIA policy, approved February 10, 2026, outlines the current procedures in full.
The following categories of records are exempt from public disclosure under 5 ILCS 140/7:
- Personal information whose disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy
- Records that could identify a confidential source or cause harm to an individual or business
- Law enforcement information that could interfere with pending proceedings or compromise a fair hearing
- Special criminal investigative information or techniques
- Juvenile case files and mental health records
Jo Daviess County Criminal Court Records
The Jo Daviess County Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over all criminal matters in the county — from misdemeanors heard by a magistrate to felony jury trials. The Circuit Clerk keeps all criminal case filings, dockets, and judgments.
You can search criminal case records at the courthouse terminal during office hours or through the Judici platform online. Case information available through Judici includes criminal charges, case minutes, hearing dates, and fine and fee details for Jo Daviess County criminal proceedings.
Arrest Records and Sheriff's Office
The Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office is the county's chief law enforcement agency and maintains dockets, registers, jail records, fingerprints, and arrest files. The Sheriff's Office is at 330 North Bench Street, Galena, IL 61036, and can be reached at (815) 777-2141 (email: sheriff@jodaviess.org). Arrest records are public records under FOIA and available to any member of the public on written request.
To request arrest or other law enforcement records from the Sheriff's Office, submit a written FOIA request. The Sheriff's Office maintains its own FOIA Officer and posting. Requests may be submitted by mail, fax, email, or in person during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).
Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records
If you want to expunge or seal a criminal record, you can file a petition with the Circuit Clerk. The filing fee is $60.00, plus $4.00 per certified copy of the order. If the petition is granted, you must also submit a separate check payable to the Illinois State Police for $60.00. These fees are set in the Jo Daviess County Filing Fees schedule effective October 1, 2025.
Jo Daviess County Civil Court Records
The Jo Daviess County Circuit Court handles all civil cases. Filing fees effective October 1, 2025 are as follows:
| Case Type | Filing Fee | Appearance/Answer Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Chancery (CH) | $306.00 | $181.00 |
| Law – Greater than $50,000 (LA) | $256.00 | $181.00 |
| Law Magistrate – $10,001 to $15,000 (LM) | $256.00 | $181.00 |
| Law Magistrate – $15,001 to $50,000 (LM) | $306.00 | $181.00 |
| Eviction – Standard (EV) | $256.00 | $181.00 |
| Eviction – Possession Only | $89.00 | $109.00 |
| Miscellaneous Remedy (MR) | $306.00 | $181.00 |
| Small Claims – $0.01 to $2,500 (SC) | $89.00 | $0.00 |
| Small Claims – $2,500.01 to $10,000 (SC) | $256.00 | $0.00 |
| Foreclosure – Residential or Commercial (FC) | $306.00 | $181.00 |
| Order of Protection (OP) | No Fee | No Fee |
| Mental Health (MH) | No Fee | No Fee |
| Juvenile (JA, JD, JV) | No Fee | No Fee |
All civil filings must go through eFileIL, since e-filing is mandatory for civil cases in Illinois. If you can't afford the filing fees, you can apply for a waiver using the Illinois Courts' approved fee waiver forms.
Civil case records — judgments, orders, and docket entries — can be searched at the courthouse or through Judici. Civil judgments are indexed on Judici and accessible without a premium subscription.
For property-related civil matters such as liens, the Jo Daviess County Recorder's Office maintains the index of all recorded property transactions, including federal and state tax liens. On-site copies cost $0.50 per page; mailed or emailed copies cost $1.00 per page. The Recorder's Office is in Room 104 of the Courthouse and can be reached at (815) 777-9694 (email: recorder@jodaviesscountyil.gov). Recorded documents can also be searched remotely through Tapestry at a fee of $8.75 per search plus $1.00 per page for printed copies.
Jo Daviess County Family Court Records
Family law proceedings in Jo Daviess County — divorce, child custody, visitation, and child support matters — are handled by the Circuit Court. These cases are filed with the Circuit Clerk, and records are accessible at the courthouse or through Judici.
Filing Fees for Family Matters (Effective October 1, 2025)
| Case Type | Filing Fee | Appearance/Answer Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce/Dissolution (with children – DC) | $306.00 | $181.00 |
| Divorce/Dissolution (without children – DN) | $306.00 | $181.00 |
| Family/Custody/Visitation (FA) | $306.00 | $181.00 |
| Adoption (AD) | $89.00 | $0.00 |
Orders of protection carry no filing fee and no appearance fee, making them accessible at no cost regardless of financial circumstances.
Marriage Records
Marriage licenses are issued by the Jo Daviess County Clerk's Office (Room 108, County Courthouse; Phone: (815) 777-0161; email: countyclerk@jodaviesscountyil.gov). The fee for a marriage or civil union license is $50.00. To get a certified copy of a marriage license, the County Clerk provides an Application for Certification of Marriage Record form. Certified copies cost $20.00 for the first copy, with additional copies of the same record at $6.00 each. Fees are payable by cash or check only.
The same office offers an Application for Certification of Civil Union Record at the same pricing. The County Clerk's records include over 36,000 marriage licenses issued since 1830. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) can verify facts of marriages — such as names, dates of birth, and county of event — for events from 1962 onward for a $5.00 fee, using the application to verify dissolution of marriage form. Mail-in requests go to: Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 925 East Ridgely Avenue, Springfield, IL 62702-2737.
Birth and Death Records
Birth records are restricted under the Illinois Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535/25) to the person named on the record (if 18 or older), a parent, or a legal representative. The County Clerk's office has over 17,000 birth certificates on file dating back to 1877. You can request a certified copy in person using the Application for Certification of Birth Record, or by mail using the same form. For a deceased person's birth certificate, a separate Application for Search of Birth Record Files of Deceased Person is available. County-level certified birth copies cost $20.00, with additional copies at $6.00 each. A valid driver's license or government-issued ID is required.
Death records are restricted under 410 ILCS 535/25/4(d) to individuals with a personal or property right interest in the decedent's estate. The County Clerk maintains over 19,000 death certificates dating from 1877. Use the Application for Certification of Death Record form to submit your request. A certified copy costs $20.00; additional certified copies of the same certificate cost $10.00 each. Genealogical (uncertified) copies also cost $20.00, with additional copies at $6.00 each.
IDPH also issues both certified and uncertified death certificates. Certified copies from the state cost $19.00 plus $4.00 per additional copy; birth certificates from IDPH cost $10.00 for the first copy and $2.00 for each additional copy. State requests require a completed application form and valid government-issued photo identification.
Jo Daviess County Probate Court Records
Probate proceedings in Jo Daviess County — estate administration, will filings, guardianships, and conservatorships — fall under the Circuit Court's Probate Division. The Circuit Clerk maintains all probate case records, which are generally public and available for inspection.
Probate Filing Fees (Effective October 1, 2025)
| Probate Matter | Fee |
|---|---|
| Administration of Decedent's Estate (Testate or Intestate) | $356.00 |
| Appearance/Answer/Response Fee – Decedent's Estate | $181.00 |
| Letters of Office – Probate/Estate | $2.00 each |
| Each Accounting (other than Final Account) | $25.00 |
| Filing of a Will | No charge |
| Guardianship of a Minor | No filing fee |
| Guardianship of Person with a Disability | $256.00 |
| Probate Claims – $150.01 to $500.00 | $25.00 |
| Probate Claims – $500.01 to $10,000.00 | $40.00 |
| Probate Claims – $10,000.01 or more | $60.00 |
To access probate records, visit the Circuit Clerk's office in person at Suite 2C, 330 North Bench Street, Galena, or submit a written request by mail to the same address. The Judici platform also indexes probate matters, including will indexes, which you can search online by party name. Full document access requires a premium Judici account.
For notices of probate and related instruments recorded with the property records system, those documents can be searched through the County Recorder's Land Records portal or remotely via Tapestry.