Access Free McHenry County Public Records of All Types

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Free McHenry County Public Records Search

Access McHenry County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

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McHenry County public records are available at no cost to members of the public. This information is accessible and transparent due to public record laws such as the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the state-level statute of the same name.

Our resource provides streamlined guidance for seamlessly obtaining public records in McHenry County, Illinois, and can help anyone find the marriage, divorce, property, and court records they’re looking for.

In addition, readers will be equipped with helpful online search tools and contact information for county custodians so they can effectively conduct background checks and locate criminal records, prisoner information, probation details, and any arrests or open warrants in citizens’ files.

How To Check Public Arrest Records for Free in McHenry County Illinois

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act grants all members of the public the right to check public records maintained by state, county, or local agencies unless exempted by law.¹ These rights are also protected by the similar Freedom of Information Act at the federal level.²

Thanks to these statutes, individuals have the right to look up jail records and other public information pertaining to inmates in McHenry County.

When searching for McHenry County arrest records, the best place to start is with the sheriff’s department. However, local law enforcement agencies are worth checking too.

Whatever method you use for locating information on inmates and arrests, be sure to have the subject’s full name before starting the search. Knowing where the person may have been arrested can also be key to conducting an efficient records lookup.

See Who’s in a McHenry County Jail Through the Sheriff’s Office

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office maintains the county’s jail, the McHenry County Correctional Facility.^3,4 This jail houses prisoners awaiting trial for criminal offenses, as well as inmates who have been sentenced.

Inmates can be sentenced to the McHenry County Jail for up to 364 days. Typically, criminals who have received sentences longer than that are sent to facilities run at the state level by the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The sheriff’s office makes it easy for anyone to search McHenry County bookings through its online inmate reports. These reports list all inmates, except for federal prisoners, juvenile offenders, and “weekenders” who are currently working and living outside the facility on a temporary basis. (Weekenders are added to the report once they’re back in the prison.)

You can view a report in which inmates are listed by name or one in which they’re listed according to the date they were confined.^5,6

There’s no need to enter personal information into search fields; all searchers must do to find the McHenry County bookings they’re looking for is scroll through the reports. The reports also include booking photos, making this an easy way to find someone’s mugshot, too.

The inmate reports include pertinent information, including the date the person began their sentence, their date of birth and age, and charges leveled against them. Court date information and case numbers are listed here as well.

Note that the reports don’t include inmates who have been released for longer than 3 days. To find out information about inmates who may have been arrested and released in the past, you can scroll down in this article to find instructions for searching McHenry County criminal records.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office also has its own app that lets users search inmates by name, date, or ID number. Interested parties can also scroll through the inmate listing and sort it by date of incarceration or alphabetically. You can download the app for free from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

Also, interested parties can contact the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for more information:

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office
2200 North Seminary Ave
Woodstock, IL 60098

Phone: 815.338.2144

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Alternatively, searchers can contact the McHenry County jail for more details:

McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility
2200 North Seminary Ave
Woodstock, IL 60098

Phone: 815.338.9396

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Look Up Arrests & Acquire Police Reports Through Police Departments in McHenry County

If searching inmates through the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office yields no luck, the next best way to check arrest records and police reports is by contacting local city police departments.

McHenry County has dozens of law enforcement agencies. Here’s a list of the 10 most prominent municipal police departments to start with:

Local Police Department	Address	Phone Number
Crystal Lake Police Department	100 West Woodstock St. Crystal Lake, IL 60014	815.356.3620
Lake in the Hills Police Department	1115 Crystal Lake Rd. Lake in the Hills, IL 60156	847.658.5676
City of McHenry Police Department	333 South Green St. McHenry, IL 60050	815.363.2200
Woodstock Police Department (Records Division)	656 Lake Ave. Woodstock, IL 60098	815.338.2131
Cary Police Department	775 Georgetown Dr. Cary, IL 60013	847.639.2341
Harvard Police Department	203 West Front St., P.O. Box 310 Harvard, IL 60033	815.943.4431
Marengo Police Department	142 East Prairie St. Marengo, IL 60152	815.568.7231
Johnsburg Police Department	1515 Channel Beach Ave. Johnsburg, IL 60051	815.385.6024
Spring Grove Police Department	7401 Meyer Rd. Spring Grove, IL 60081	815.675.2596
Village of Lakewood Police Department	2500 Lake Ave. Lakewood, IL 60014	815.459.2151

To find the contact information for other police departments in McHenry County, type “[city name] Illinois police department contact information” into any search engine.

How To Obtain Free McHenry County Illinois Criminal Records

You can learn more about someone’s history by conducting a free criminal record check.

This information will be particularly helpful to individuals who want to know whether someone was previously incarcerated in McHenry County. After all, the sheriff’s office doesn’t post information on inmates who were released more than 3 days ago.

When you look up someone’s criminal record, you’ll also find out information about any potential warrants and probation orders. Other types of criminal records include sex offender registries and background check reports.

Find Prior Charges & Criminal Convictions Through the McHenry County Clerk of the Circuit Court

The 22nd Circuit Court serves McHenry County and maintains an online public records repository that can be accessed through the Public Case Access search tool.⁷

Interested parties can search these files by case, ticket number or party name. The only required input when checking records by name is the search subject’s last name (first and middle are optional).

Click on “Open Case Record” to find out more information, including a public index of court events and further details about charging and sentencing.

Researchers can also request copies of court records to be delivered via mail or email.

No matter which delivery method you choose, the costs are the same: $2 for the first page, 50 cents per page for the next 19 pages, and 25 cents per page for additional pages beyond that. Document certification costs an extra $6.

To order a court document by email, send a request to [email protected] and specify whether you wish to have your document delivered to you by mail or email.

Be sure to include:

• Your name
• Your address
• Your phone number
• Your email address
• The case number and document title
• The date the case documents were filed
• The names of parties in the case

If you don’t know all of this information, the office may charge a $6 research fee on top of other costs.

The Circuit Clerk will email you back with the required payment amount, as well as instructions for paying with a credit card. Note that credit card payments incur an additional processing fee (which can be determined by using this schedule of credit card fees).

Alternatively, you can mail a check or money order to:

McHenry County Circuit Clerk
Attn: Electronic Copies
2200 North Seminary Ave.
Woodstock, IL 60098

Once the office has received your payment, the requested document will be mailed to the provided address or emailed to you as a PDF.

For more information on using the Circuit Clerk’s research to conduct a free McHenry public records search, visit or write to the office at the address above or call the office at 815.334.4190. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

How To Verify if You or Someone Else Has a Warrant Out for Their Arrest in McHenry County

Individuals interested in information about McHenry County warrants should start their search with the sheriff’s office.

Both the office’s website and app contain a Most Wanted list.¹⁰ This list consists of 10 individuals who are wanted by the McHenry County Sheriff.

In addition, requesters can contact the office to find out more details about warrants using the information below:

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office
2200 North Seminary Ave
Woodstock, IL 60098

Phone: 815.338.2144

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

However, be aware that if you visit the office and have an outstanding warrant, you may be arrested on the spot.

In addition, interested parties can contact the different law enforcement agencies throughout the county for McHenry County public records regarding warrants. Contact information for these municipal agencies can be found in the table above, in the section on arrests.

Another way to look for information on potential warrants is by using the Public Case Access tool hosted by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The “Court Events” tab will include any issued warrants related to criminal cases.

Additionally, requesters can use the contact information in the table above to reach out to different police departments in McHenry County to find out if someone has an open warrant.

How To Run a McHenry County Probation Search on Anyone

Researchers can check to see if someone received probation as a sentence by using the previously mentioned Public Case Access tool on the Circuit Court’s website (see the criminal case search section above for detailed instructions for using the tool).

If they are a probationer, you can expect to see “Supervision” listed in the “Charges/Sentences” tab.

In McHenry County, the probation program is run by the county’s Probation & Court Services department.¹¹ You can contact the office at:

McHenry County Probation & Court Services
2200 North Seminary Ave., Rm. 240
Woodstock, IL 60098

Phone: 815.334.4400

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition, the office is open until 7 p.m. on the first four Tuesdays of every month.

How To Perform a Background Check in McHenry County Illinois

There are two types of background checks: personal and professional.

Typically, personal background checks are those conducted by individuals who want to find out more information about someone they know — whether it’s a potential love interest, a new co-worker, or a neighbor who just moved in next door.

These personal background checks do not require the consent of the subject and are typically what’s known as Level 1 checks, which involve name-based searches.

Personal background checks can be completed using the McHenry County public records search instructions provided throughout this resource.

You can also opt to use a third-party records search service — usually for a fee — that will run a personal background check for you.

On the other hand, professional background checks are those conducted by a business, government agency, or nonprofit company–often for employment or licensing purposes.

These checks do require the consent of the subject. (Scroll down to the final section to find out what to do if you believe a professional check has been completed without your permission.)

Professional background checks can include both Level 1 name-based searches, as well as Level 2 searches, which are fingerprint-based.

Conduct a Background Check in McHenry County — The free public records search methods detailed here can be used as a Level 1 name-based personal background check.

Perform a Statewide Illinois Background Check — However, it’s also possible to conduct a background check through the Illinois State Police’s Criminal History Information Response Process (CHIRP).¹² This system allows individuals to conduct a name-based (Level 1) search. Authorized agencies can also use CHIRP to conduct fingerprint-based (Level 2) background checks online, but this type of check is not openly available.

The Level 1 service is available to both Illinois residents (who must show a valid state-issued identification card) and out-of-state residents. Out-of-state residents must complete a notarized PKI Out of State Certificate Application in order to register for CHIRP.

Once you’ve created a CHIRP account, you can click “Create Inquiry,” then “Add Inquiry” to initiate a background check. Required information includes the subject’s last name, date of birth, race, and sex.

CHIRP searches cost $16 apiece, payable by credit card or echeck. Once payment has been made and the records are ready to view, you will be able to see them through your CHIRP account. Paper copies of the results will not be mailed.

For more information about CHIRP, call the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification at 815.740.5160 or email [email protected]. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

How To View All Criminal Records in Illinois (IL) Using State & Federal Agencies

Using state and federal agencies can give researchers a broader view of someone’s potential criminal history than using just county or local resources. These agencies include:

• Criminal History Information Response Process – Also known as CHIRP, this service is operated by the Illinois State Police and looks into an individual’s criminal past using statewide resources. (See above for details on using this service).
• Illinois Department of Corrections Inmate Search – Allows users to search current state prison inmates by last name or date of birth.¹³
• Illinois State Police’s sex offender registry – You can use this service to search for individuals convicted of crimes of a sexual nature by last name or location.¹⁴ Users can choose to view all registered offenders residing in a specified county.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate search – Anyone can use this tool to find inmates who are incarcerated in BOP-run prisons. This search requires both first and last names or the person’s assigned register number.
• National Sex Offender Public Website – Maintained by the U.S. Justice Department, the NSOPW allows users to search for used to find offenders throughout the country by name or location.

How To Access Court Records in McHenry County Illinois

The court system in Illinois is relatively streamlined, making it easy to find public case records.

At the highest level is the state’s Supreme Court, followed by Appellate Courts (McHenry County is in the Second Judicial District), then the Circuit Courts which operate largely on a county level. McHenry County constitutes the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

The Circuit Court hears felony, misdemeanor, civil, family, traffic, probate, and ordinance cases. The first place to check when conducting a McHenry County case search is the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Public Case Access search tool.

Anyone can use this tool to search McHenry County judicial records by case or ticket number or by party name. When searching by name, the only required input is the search subject’s last name.

Clicking the “Search” button will yield an online directory of relevant cases.

Clicking the “Open Case Record” button will yield more information about a selected case, including a list of court events and any related fines, awards, or sentences.

Copies of court records can also be ordered. The Clerk of the Circuit Court can send you copies either through the mail or by email.

Costs for all court record copies are $2 for the first page, 50 cents per page for the next 19 pages, and 25 cents per page for any additional pages. Requesting certification costs an extra $6.

To order a court document, email [email protected]. Be sure to specify whether you wish to have your document mailed or emailed.

In the email, include:

• Your name
• Your address
• Your phone number
• Your email address
• The case number and document title
• The date the case documents were filed
• The names of parties in the case

Be advised, if any of the required case information is unknown, the office will charge an extra $6 research fee.

The Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office will then reply to your email with the required payment amount and instructions for paying with a credit card (for an additional fee). You can see the schedule of credit card fees online.

However, if you wish to pay by check or money order, send your payment to:

McHenry County Circuit Clerk
Attn: Electronic Copies
2200 North Seminary Ave.
Woodstock, IL 60098

Once your payment has been received, the Circuit Clerk’s office will mail the requested paper copies or email a PDF.

For more information on requesting McHenry County court records, write to or visit the address above or call 815.334.4190. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

How To Retrieve Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death Records in McHenry County Illinois: Vital Records

Government-kept records that have to do with life events — such as a birth certificate, a marriage record, or a certificate of death — can be considered vital records.

Tracking down vital records can help paint a complete picture of someone’s life, whether you want to conduct genealogy research or simply want to find out if someone is married.

However, under the state’s Vital Records Act, vital records are not necessarily Illinois public records.¹⁶ Only certain individuals may be granted access to information about births, deaths, and marriages. (Divorce records are considered public information.)

Find Marital Records (Marriage, Divorce & Dissolution of Marriage) via the McHenry County Clerk or Illinois Department of Health

Public records can be helpful to anyone wanting to check if someone is married or divorced. The following information will cover the most efficient ways of finding these records.

Find Marriage Records Through the McHenry County County Clerk — The County Clerk’s Office maintains McHenry County public records concerning marriages made in the county (as well as county birth and death records). The office is the official keeper of information on marriages made since 1837, as well as civil unions made from 2011 forward.

However, keep in mind that only certain individuals may be granted access to marriage records for 50 years after the event takes place. This includes the parties listed on the marriage certificate, their children, and their parents.

The McHenry County Clerk’s office charges a $12 fee for the first record copy. Additional copies of the same record cost $4. Payment can be made via check or money order made out to McHenry County Clerk.

To request a copy of a McHenry County marriage certificate, mail the completed Marriage or Civil Union Record Request Form along with a photocopy of your state-issued photo ID and payment to:

McHenry County Clerk, Vital Records
2200 North Seminary Ave.
Woodstock, IL 60098

Or visit the office in person (make sure to bring the form and a photo ID):

McHenry County Clerk
667 Ware Rd., Ste. 107
Woodstock, IL 60098

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information, contact the office at 815.334.4242

Alternatively, requesters can order McHenry County marriage records electronically through the third-party service VitalChek. This service charges $12 in agency certificate fees, plus an additional processing fee of $10. Payment may be made via credit card.

To order a copy of a marriage certificate through VitalChek, the first and last names of both marriage parties must be supplied.

Request a Marriage Verification From the Illinois Department of Health — The Illinois Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records is able to verify “facts” of a marriage that has taken place in the state since 1962.

These facts include:

• The parties’ names
• Their dates of birth
• The date the marriage was solemnized
• The city and/or county where the marriage took place

It costs $5 to request a verification by mail, fax, or in person.

To request a marriage verification by mail, send your completed Application for Verification of Marriage/Civil Union Record Files, a copy of your state-issued photo ID, and a check or money order for $5 made out to “Illinois Department of Public Health” to:¹⁷

Illinois Dept. of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East Ridgely Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702

Alternatively, you can fax the completed application, a copy of your state-issued photo ID, a signed cover sheet including your credit card number and expiry date, your daytime phone number, and return address to: 217.523.2648.

Ordering copies by fax incurs an additional $12.95 handling fee.

The office can be visited in person at:

IL Dept. of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East Ridgely Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702

Office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information, call 217.782.6554.

Find Divorce Records Through the McHenry County County Clerk — The easiest way to look up information about divorces granted in McHenry County is by using the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Public Case Access search tool.

Researchers looking for McHenry County divorce records can search by one of the party’s last names. It should be easy to locate information on divorce cases in the search results — just look for the word “Dissolution” in the “Type” column.

Clicking the “Open Case Record” button will yield more information about the divorce case.

Copies of divorce court records can also be ordered from the Clerk of the Circuit Court. These cost $2 for the first page of records, then 50 cents per page for the next 19 pages and 25 cents per page for every page after that.

To order a court document, email [email protected] with:

• Your name
• Your address
• Your phone number
• Your email address
• The case number and document title
• The date the case documents were filed
• The names of parties in the case

If you can’t supply all of this information, the office will charge an extra $6 research fee.

You can pay for the McHenry County divorce records online with a credit card (incurs an additional fee). Or send a check or money order to:

McHenry County Circuit Clerk
Attn: Electronic Copies
2200 North Seminary Ave.
Woodstock, IL 60098

Request a Divorce Verification From the Illinois Department of Health — Alternatively, for $5, researchers can request facts concerning the dissolution of a marriage from the Illinois Department of Health.

Because the Department of Health can issue information on divorces finalized anywhere in the state, this is a good option if you’re not sure the event occurred in McHenry County.

The process for requesting a verification of a marriage dissolution is exactly the same as for a marriage verification (see the section above). The only difference is that this requires a completed Application for Verification of Dissolution of Marriage/Civil Union Record Files form.

Request Death & Birth Records in McHenry County Through Official Channels

The McHenry County Clerk of Court and the Illinois Department of Public Health are the official repositories for birth and death records made in the county. However, not everyone can access these vital records.

Thanks to the Illinois State Vital Information Act, only the registrant, their parents, and a legal guardian or representative may access birth records newer than 75 years old. 

Death records can be obtained only by the deceased person’s relatives or those with a provable personal or property right interest. After 20 years, death certificates may be obtained by anyone for genealogical research purposes.

Find Birth Records for McHenry County — The McHenry County Clerk’s Office maintains records about births in the county since 1877.

To order a copy of a McHenry County certificate of birth, requesters must visit the clerk’s office in person at the address below:

McHenry County Clerk
667 Ware Rd., Ste. 107
Woodstock, IL 60098

Phone: 815.334.4242

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The cost for a birth certificate copy is $12. Payment can be made only with a check or money order made out to “McHenry County Clerk.”

Alternatively, the registrant or a parent can order a copy of a McHenry County birth certificate through VitalChek, a third-party service. This method incurs an additional processing fee of $10. The requester may use a credit card to pay.

Authorized persons may also request a certified copy of a birth certificate from the Illinois Department of Health by mailing the completed Application for Search of Birth Record Files and $10 in payment (payable by check or money order) to:¹⁸

Illinois Dept. of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East Ridgely Ave. 
Springfield, IL 62702

Find Death Records for McHenry County — Authorized individuals may order a copy of a death certificate from the County Clerk’s office either by mail or in person.

No matter how you request this record, the cost remains $16.

To order by mail, complete the Death Certificate Request Form and mail it, along with a copy of a government-issued photo ID and a check or money order for $16 made out to “McHenry County Clerk” to:

McHenry County Clerk, Vital Records
Attn: Joseph K. Tirio
2200 North Seminary Ave.
Woodstock, IL 60098

Alternatively, visit the office in person at:

McHenry County Clerk
667 Ware Rd., Ste. 107
Woodstock, IL 60098

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact the office at 815.334.4242.

As another option, individuals eligible to receive a copy of a death certificate may order one from VitalChek, a third-party service. However, note that using this option will lead to an additional $10 processing fee on top of the $16 owed to the County Clerk.

Death certificates may also be ordered from the Illinois Department of Health. Simply mail the completed Application for the Search of Death Record Files along with a copy of your government-issued photo ID and payment ($19 for a certified copy) in the form of a check or money order made out to “IDPH” to:¹⁹

Illinois Dept. of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East Ridgely Ave. 
Springfield, IL 62702

How To Review Property Records & Taxes for Free in McHenry County Illinois

There are two ways to look up property records for free in McHenry County. You can use:

1. The County Recorder’s office website
2. The county’s property tax inquiry search

The McHenry County Recorder’s Office allows users to search property information for free using an online search tool.

The only requirement to search for a property is the owner’s first and last names (or business name, if applicable). Alternatively, you can look up who owns a property by entering the street address into the relevant fields.

For more information, the Recorder’s Office can be contacted using the following information:

McHenry County Recorder
667 Ware Rd.
Woodstock, IL 60098

Phone: 315.334.4110

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

On the other hand, the McHenry County property tax inquiry search tool–which is maintained by the Treasurer’s office–allows users to look up information by searching the owner’s name, parcel number, address, sale price and date, and even property classes (such as land, mobile home, multifamily unit, etc.).

Clicking “Search” will yield a list of relevant results, including the owners’ names and addresses.

Selecting any of the line items will give you more information about the property, including the owner’s mailing address, the size of the parcel, and assessed values.

For more information, you may contact the McHenry County Treasurer at:

McHenry County Treasurer’s Office
2100 North Seminary Ave.
Woodstock, IL 60098

Phone: 815.334.5260

Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Using McHenry County Public Records Ethically & Understanding Citizens’ Rights

Illinois’ Public Information Act grants everyone access to government records kept by agencies in the state (with a few exceptions). That said, it’s important to always use this wealth of information responsibly.

Anyone who wishes to seek out public records on another individual for their personal use may do so as long as they don’t use the information they find to harass, stalk, or intimidate the subject or to break the law in any way.

On the flip side, any organization that wishes to use the information for professional reasons — including for pre-employment, tenant, or volunteer screenings — can’t do so without the subject’s knowledge and written consent.

Illinois is a “ban the box” state. This means that by law, public sector employers can’t inquire if an applicant has a criminal history on the initial employment application.

It’s also important to always adhere to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when using public records. This law regulates how consumer information is collected, shared, and used.²² The FCRA also guarantees consumers the right to be told if information has been used against them, to dispute inaccurate information, and to seek damages from entities that violate the law.

In addition, anyone who believes that a professional background check has been used against them should contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).²³

In the state of Illinois, another resource that can help address labor-related complaints is the Illinois Department of Labor (IDoL). Lastly, if you feel you are the victim of discrimination, don’t hesitate to contact the Illinois Human Rights Commission.²⁴

That said, if you want to find out more about someone else’s past — or to make sure there are no inaccuracies in your own files — you can do so by conducting a free search of McHenry County public records.