Vermilion County Court Records Search
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Vermilion County sits in east-central Illinois along the Indiana border, with the city of Danville as its county seat. The county’s judicial operations are anchored at the Rita B. Garman Vermilion County Courthouse in downtown Danville, where the Circuit Clerk’s office processes filings, preserves case records, and handles public record requests spanning criminal, civil, family, and probate matters. Whether a resident needs to verify a past court judgment, confirm a case disposition, or obtain a certified copy of a legal document, several pathways exist for locating and retrieving court records in Vermilion County.
Illinois court information can be explored through local clerk offices, public-access terminals at the courthouse, and online search tools. IllinoisCourts.us may assist users in locating court directories, forms, and general case information across the state. Within Vermilion County, the primary resource is the Circuit Clerk’s office, which maintains official records for all proceedings in the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Records may be searched in person during business hours, requested by email, or located through the county’s online case-search portal. The method that works best depends on the record type, whether a certified or uncertified copy is needed, and how quickly the requester needs the information.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Vermilion County?
Vermilion County is part of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Illinois, which also encompasses Clark, Coles, Cumberland, and Edgar counties. The presiding judge is Hon. Thomas M. O’Shaughnessy. All circuit-level judicial business — felonies, misdemeanors, civil lawsuits, domestic relations, probate, and juvenile matters — is handled within this circuit at the Vermilion County Courthouse.
Vermilion County Circuit Court / Circuit Clerk
Address: 7 North Vermilion Street, 1st Floor, Danville, IL 61832
Phone: (217) 554-7700
Fax: (217) 554-7728
Court Administration: (217) 554-7830
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Two additional municipal courts operate within the county for ordinance violations and minor infractions:
| Court | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Danville Municipal Court | 17 West Main Street, Danville, IL 61832 | (217) 431-2296 |
| Hoopeston Municipal Court | 301 West Main Street, Hoopeston, IL 60942 | (217) 283-7645 |
Online searching. The Circuit Clerk provides a free online case search powered by the Clericus Magnus platform. Users can search by participant name or case number to view docket entries, hearing dates, charges, and dispositions. The system may load slowly; technical support is available through the eMagnus Help Desk at (866) 512892. Additional counties using the same platform can be reached through the Judici case-search portal.
Email requests. Record search requests may be submitted by email to allrecordrequest@vercounty.org. Include the full case number (if known), the names of the parties, and a description of the documents needed. A downloadable Record Search Request form is available on the clerk’s website.
In-person access. Visit the first floor of the Vermilion County Courthouse during business hours to inspect files or use public-access computer terminals. Staff cannot provide legal advice but can direct requesters to the correct division.
Copy fees. Under the Clerks of Courts Act (705 ILCS 105), certified copies of court orders and letters of office cost $2.00 per page. Uncertified photocopies from the County Clerk’s office run $0.50 per page. The Circuit Clerk may assess additional record-search fees depending on the scope of the request; confirm the total before submitting payment.
Are Court Records Public in Vermilion County?
Illinois law presumes that court records are open to public inspection. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) establishes a broad right of access to government records, including many documents generated or held by public bodies. Court filings specifically qualify as public records under 720 ILCS 5/32-8(C5), which encompasses pleadings, motions, orders, and other documents received by the clerk as part of criminal or civil proceedings.
Records generally available for public inspection include:
- Criminal case filings, charges, and dispositions
- Civil complaints, answers, motions, and judgments
- Probate petitions, estate inventories, and orders
- Liens, garnishments, and abstracts of judgment
- Marriage dissolution case dockets (though not all underlying financial documents)
- Traffic and ordinance-violation records
Records that are restricted or confidential include:
- Adoption records, which are sealed under Illinois law
- Juvenile delinquency and abuse/neglect proceedings
- Records sealed or expunged by court order under the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630)
- Mental health commitment proceedings
- Certain law enforcement investigative files and notes
- Personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers and financial account numbers that have been redacted pursuant to court policy
Vital records — birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses — are maintained by the County Clerk and the Vermilion County Health Department and are explicitly not subject to FOIA. Access to these records is limited to eligible individuals such as the record subject, parents, legal guardians, or authorized agents.
Any person denied access to a record believed to be public may file a request for review with the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor or pursue relief in circuit court.
Vermilion County Criminal Court Records
Criminal cases in Vermilion County are prosecuted by the State’s Attorney’s Office and adjudicated in the Circuit Court. Felony cases, misdemeanors, and traffic offenses all produce records maintained by the Circuit Clerk.
Vermilion County State’s Attorney
Address: 7 North Vermilion Street, Suite 201, Danville, IL 61832
Phone: (217) 554-7750
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
How to search criminal court records:
- Online — Use the Vermilion County case search to look up a defendant by name or case number. Results display charges, statutes violated, hearing dates, plea entries, and disposition information.
- In person — Visit the Circuit Clerk’s office at the courthouse. Staff can pull case files for inspection during regular hours.
- By email — Submit a request to allrecordrequest@vercounty.org with the defendant’s name, date of birth (if available), and case number.
Arrest and booking records are maintained by the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Office:
Vermilion County Sheriff
Address: 2 East South Street, Danville, IL 61832
Phone: (217) 442-4080
The Sheriff’s website also hosts the OffenderWatch system, which allows citizens to search registered sex offenders residing in Vermilion County. For information about individuals incarcerated in state correctional facilities, the Illinois Department of Corrections maintains an Individuals in Custody search tool, where users can look up inmates by name, IDOC number, or date of birth.
Criminal background checks through the Danville Police Department require a photo ID and Social Security card, with a $1.00 service fee. Statewide background checks are processed by the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification through its fingerprint-based background check program. Members of the public and non-criminal-justice entities such as employers must submit fingerprint impressions; name-based searches via the CHIRP system are restricted to law enforcement and authorized users with an ISP agreement.
Expungement and sealing. Under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2, individuals may petition to seal or expunge certain criminal records. The Circuit Clerk’s office provides criminal division forms to assist with these filings. Statewide standardized expungement and sealing forms are also available through the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender.
Vermilion County Civil Court Records
Civil matters in Vermilion County — including contract disputes, personal injury claims, property actions, evictions, and small claims — are filed in the Circuit Court. The Circuit Clerk maintains all civil case files and makes them available for public inspection subject to standard restrictions.
Where civil records are located:
- Circuit Clerk’s Office — 7 North Vermilion Street, 1st Floor, Danville, IL 61832. Open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- Online — The Vermilion County case search displays civil case dockets, party information, and status updates.
- By email — Send requests to allrecordrequest@vercounty.org.
Filing fees for civil cases in Illinois are governed by 705 ILCS 105. Vermilion County adopted a detailed fee ordinance aligned with the state schedule. Key fees include certified copies at $2.00 per page, exemplification fees of $2.00 plus copy charges, and jury demand fees set by statute. The full local fee schedule is maintained at the Circuit Clerk’s office; requesters should call (217) 554-7700 to confirm current amounts before filing.
Forms and self-help resources. The Circuit Clerk provides an extensive library of downloadable civil division forms, covering complaints, summonses, motions, post-judgment collection documents, mortgage foreclosure responses, name-change petitions, eviction record removal, and much more. Additional Illinois Supreme Court standardized forms are accepted in Vermilion County as well. Self-represented litigants can also consult the Legal Self-Help Center linked from the Circuit Clerk’s website or Illinois Legal Aid Online for guidance.
Fee waivers. Litigants who cannot afford filing fees may apply through the waiver of court fees process. Approved forms for the application and order are available on the clerk’s website.
Danville Municipal Court handles City of Danville ordinance violations — primarily building code, property maintenance, and lesser criminal offenses. Hearings are held Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. at 17 West Main Street. Municipal Court fines range from $100 to $2,500, plus court costs of $105 per case. Decisions may be appealed to the Circuit Court under the Administrative Review Law.
Vermilion County Family Court Records
Family-law proceedings in Vermilion County — including divorce, child custody, child support, parentage, orders of protection, and guardianship of minors — are handled in the Circuit Court and administered by the Circuit Clerk. The county provides a particularly robust set of self-help forms for domestic relations matters.
Divorce. Vermilion County offers downloadable packets for both divorce with children and divorce without children through the Civil Division forms page. Each packet contains petitions, summons templates, letters to the sheriff for service, default motion forms, and judgment templates. A joint simplified dissolution packet is also available for uncontested cases meeting statutory requirements. Illinois is a no-fault state; irreconcilable differences is the sole ground for dissolution.
Child support and maintenance. Forms for support orders, income-withholding instructions, employer notification letters, and motions to modify or terminate support obligations are available on the clerk’s website. The court uses a Uniform Order for Support template. Child support data sheets and financial affidavits are required filings in most family cases.
Orders of protection. Domestic violence protective orders can be obtained through the Circuit Court. Service information forms and related documents are available among the court-approved forms.
Marriage licenses are issued by the Vermilion County Clerk — not the Circuit Clerk:
Vermilion County Clerk
Address: 201 North Vermilion Street, 1st Floor, Danville, IL 61832
Phone: (217) 554-1900
Fax: (217) 554-1914
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The license fee is $50.00. Both parties must be at least 18 years old (or 16–17 with both parents’ consent). The license must be obtained at least one day before the ceremony, is valid only in Vermilion County, and expires 60 days after issuance. Certified copies of a marriage license cost $15.00 for the first copy and $8.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.
Birth and death records are maintained by the Vermilion County Health Department (for events from June 1, 1983 onward) and the County Clerk’s office (for earlier records). Birth records are restricted to parents listed on the record, the subject (if age 18+), or legal guardians. Death records require a written request from a person with a personal or property right interest.
| Record Type | First Copy | Additional Copy |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | $19.00 | $8.00 |
| Death certificate | $23.00 | $12.00 |
| Marriage license | $15.00 | $8.00 |
Applications can be mailed to the Vermilion County Health Department, Attn: Vital Records, or faxed to (217) 431-7483. Vital records are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Online ordering through VitalChek is also available through the County Clerk’s vital records page, although VitalChek adds a $12.00 processing fee plus shipping costs. For genealogical requests, contact the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Vital Records at (217) 782-6553.
Vermilion County Probate Court Records
Probate matters in Vermilion County are adjudicated in the Circuit Court’s Probate Division and filed with the Circuit Clerk. The division handles estate administration, will contests, guardianships of minors and disabled adults, conservatorships, and small estate proceedings.
Common probate filings include:
- Petitions for probate of a will or for letters of administration
- Estate claims and creditor filings
- Small estate affidavits (for estates that qualify under the Illinois Small Estate Affidavit Act)
- Guardianship of a minor petitions, including oath and bond forms, consent forms, and orders appointing guardians
- Guardianship of a disabled adult petitions
Forms. The Probate Division page provides a comprehensive set of downloadable forms, including the small estate affidavit, estate claim forms, and a full guardianship-of-a-minor packet covering petitions, notices of hearing, consent documents, oaths of guardian, and orders. Additional fiduciary and probate forms are accessible through the Illinois Supreme Court standardized forms library.
How to access probate records:
- Online — Search the Vermilion County online case search using the decedent’s or ward’s name or the case number to view probate docket entries and filings.
- In person — Probate files may be inspected at the Circuit Clerk’s office, 7 North Vermilion Street, 1st Floor, during business hours.
- By email — Send a record search request to allrecordrequest@vercounty.org with identifying details such as the decedent’s name, date of death, or case number.
Fees. Certified copies of probate orders and letters of office cost $2.00 per page under the Clerks of Courts Act. Filing fees for opening a probate case follow the statutory schedule in 705 ILCS 105. Contact the Circuit Clerk at (217) 554-7700 for current filing fee amounts.
Public access. Probate petitions, inventories, accountings, and court orders are generally public records. However, guardianship reports containing sensitive medical or financial information about a ward may be restricted by court order. Adoption files processed through the probate docket are sealed and not available for public inspection.
Property records related to estate transfers or real property in Vermilion County are maintained by a separate office — the Vermilion County Recorder. The Recorder provides a free land records index search covering records from July 1987 forward, searchable by name or document number. Subscription-based remote access is also available through the Laredo and Tapestry platforms for title professionals and frequent users. The Recorder’s office is located at 201 North Vermilion Street, Danville, IL 61832.