Access Free McHenry County Arrest Records (Online Tools)

Find free McHenry County arrest records through the accessible search methods covered in this step-by-step resource.

Certain laws protect the right of the public to view and obtain copies of arrest reports made by local law enforcement bodies throughout the state; citizens can request copies documented by local and state custodians in Illinois.

This article explains which custodians keep records regarding custody and detainment, any nuances between searching for recent arrest reports and archived ones in McHenry County, Illinois, and how bailing a loved one out of the correctional facility works.

Look Up McHenry County Arrest Records & Recent Mugshots at No Cost

In the state of Illinois, all people are equally entitled to the information regarding official government ongoings and actions, according to the state’s Freedom of Information Act.

This means that, unless otherwise kept confidential for valid reasons, all public records are available to everyone, not just the person named on the record. Including McHenry County, Illinois, arrest records fall under this category.

McHenry County Correctional Facility: To view the most recent arrest records for the county, check out the two different inmate search options available through the Corrections Division of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.

Individuals can search for current or recent inmates at the county’s correctional facility by conducting an Inmate Search by Name or an Inmate Search by Date.¹

The two lists will contain the same information organized by the two different methods.

Along with the inmate’s name and the date he or she was booked, the search tools will also allow viewing of the following:

• Mugshot of the inmate
• Offenses that led to the arrest
• Projected release date, or date inmate was released
• Whether or not a bond has been set (and the bond amount if applicable)

The correctional facility is open 24 hours a day and can be reached by phone at 815-338-9396. It is located at the following street address:

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

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office: If the details of interest of an arrest are not found using the jail’s inmate search, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office’s Records Division will be able to help locate it. The department updates records daily and archives of all different types of records: Traffic citations, criminal records, crash reports, and miscellaneous reports.

To obtain a copy or details of a record, a written request must be made, either by email or mail. For email, utilize the sheriff’s office’s FOIA Request Form, that can be completed and submitted online.²

Searches are free, along with the first 50 pages copied (after that, fees start at 15 cents per page).

Alternatively, folks can send an email to [email protected] instead. If opting for this method or for preferring to mail in a request, citizens must disclose the following information in their letter:

• Name and contact details of the requester (phone number, mailing address, email address)
• Desired response type (email, fax, mail, etc.)
• A detailed description of the desired record
• Mention whether or not the copy will be used for commercial purposes

Due to the State’s FOIA Law, the county has 5 business days to either process or deny the submitted request for information. Mail can be sent directly to the sheriff’s office, located at the same address at the correctional facility:

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office
Attn: Records
2200 North Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, IL 60098

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Friday and can be reached by phone at 815-338-2144.

Crystal Lake Police Department: Crystal Lake is the largest city in McHenry County, and for all arrests made through its City Police Department corresponding arrest records are created and stored. Since the city sends arrestees to the McHenry County Jail, the same inmate search tool can be used to search for arrests made by the police department as well.

To search for recent arrest reports that are not available through this tool, the Crystal Lake Police Department’s Record Unit will have it stored.

To find a record, fill out the city’s online FOIA Request Form.³ To do so, individuals will have to select “FOIA Non-Commercial Request,” and then create a free account with the city. For “Type of Information,” select “Police.”

There is then space to type a description of the record being requested, select the type of response method preferred, and add the requester’s date of birth. There’s also an option to upload any relevant documents to the submission.

The records unit can be reached by phone at 815-356-3620 or by email, which is listed on the records unit link above. The unit is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday and is located at the police station:

Crystal Lake Police Department
Attn: Freedom of Information Officer
100 West Woodstock Street
Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Additionally, third-party services like VINELink may be able to provide similar information or details on arrest reports in the county. These companies are not affiliated with any local government in McHenry County and will not be able to provide any sort of official documentation.

Sometimes, if the arrest records an individual is seeking are older, there are other custodians that can aid in the search. The next section outlines the additional resources individuals may be able to utilize.

How To Acquire Prior Arrest & Criminal Information in McHenry County Illinois

There are agencies that offer some ways if you want to access prior arrest records in McHenry County. Listed below are several options you can explore to obtain the information you need, each with its own requirements.

Clerk of the Circuit Court: Although the McHenry County Clerk of the Circuit Court cannot help with obtaining a copy of an arrest record, there is a free Online Case Search Portal available that will come up with all records reported within the jurisdiction.⁴

Citizens can search by case number, ticket number, or the party’s name, and will be able to see documents related to the case, along with charges and sentences and other relevant details.

Any questions on using this portal or how to interpret information can be directed to the clerk of the circuit court, who can be reached by phone at 815-334-4190. The circuit clerk’s office is located inside the McHenry Courthouse, which is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Friday, and can be found at the following address:

McHenry County Circuit Clerk
2200 North Seminary Avenue, Rm. 136
Woodstock, IL 60098

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office: To obtain copies of previous arrest records and criminal information for the county, requests will still have to be made through the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office FOIA Request, but there are other forms available to fill out, such as the FOIA Request Form.⁵

However, even though it’s available through the clerk’s office, it still needs to be turned in to the correct department – in this case, the sheriff’s office or whichever law enforcement body made the arrest.

If choosing to fill out the PDF form linked above, it needs to be turned in to the sheriff’s office via email, mail, fax, or in person. For email, send to [email protected]. To send the form in the mail, send it to the following address:

McHenry County Sheriff’s Office
Attn: Records
2200 North Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, IL 60098

Requests can be faxed to the department as well at 815-338-9285, or reached by phone for any questions regarding the request at 815-338-2144. The building is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Friday.

Crystal Lake Police Department: For previous arrest records, the Crystal Lake Police Department’s Records Unit is still the best custodian to contact. Send a request via email on the contact page linked above, or call the department at 815-356-3620.

In addition to the police station, the city has an online request form individuals can fill out for any type of public record.⁶ All new users will need to create an account.

After this, users will be asked to select either “Commercial use” or “Non-commercial use.” For arrest reports, select the category “Police”, and for subcategory, select “Records.” There is a supplementary information PDF available to anyone wanting more information on filling out a FOIA request form.

In addition to submitting a request electronically, folks can fax or mail one in as well. Any request relating to police matters should be sent directly to the police station.

The fax number for the station is 815-477-4732. To mail in a request, send all details to:

The Crystal Lake Police Station is located at:

Crystal Lake Police Station
100 West Woodstock Street
Crystal Lake, IL 60014

The associated fees with a FOIA request are minimal: The first 50 pages are free. After that, each page costs 15 cents.

Illinois State Police: Illinois’ State Code 1210.20 protects the right of citizens to obtain reports on their own criminal history from any law enforcement officer or agency during regular business hours. What this means is that an individual can go to any police station or sheriff’s office (or other local or state-level law enforcement body) and request his or her criminal history.

The law enforcement office will then take the individual’s fingerprints and forward them to the Illinois State Police (ISP). The state police will either send a criminal history transcript back to the agency that was contacted or a written letter explaining that the individual does not have a criminal history.

If searching for a criminal history on a third party, the Illinois State Police will process requests for criminal records from any agency throughout the state. The state police do not keep track of every arrest made, only those that ended in a conviction.

Requests should be submitted by email or mail. For email, send requests to [email protected]. Folks can write their own email, but filling out one of the ISP’s forms will expedite the record-retrieving process.

To access a document, such as a criminal history transcript, download and fill out the Document & Audio Request Form.⁷

If there is possible video footage corresponding to an incident, the ISP also has a Video Request Form that any interest party can submit.

To mail in a request, send all forms and/or letters to:

Illinois State Police
801 South Seventh Street, Suite 1000-S
Springfield, IL 62703

Phone: 217-786-7107

When an individual gets arrested, the next section outlines the steps an arrestee will go through, and any possible actions friends and family can take to help their loved one be released.

How Do I Post Bail for Someone Arrested in McHenry County Illinois?

In 2023, Illinois passed the SAFE-T Act, which prohibits a cash bail system.

The law has instead implemented a pretrial release process, under which Illinois circuit courts must hold a hearing, typically within 48 hours of the arrest of an individual, to determine whether or not the arrestee should be detained or released for the time period awaiting his or her trial.⁸ This law first took effect on September 18th, 2023, so all arrests made after this date will utilize the pretrial release system.

If an inmate was incarcerated before this date and is still awaiting trial, previous laws allowing cash bail to be made may still be in effect. In these cases, the only way to post bail would be to post self-bail, meaning without the help of an agency (the state already previously prohibited the use of bail bondsmen or agencies). Accepted forms of payment are:

• Cash: The amount must be exact. The jail cannot make changes or keep any extra amount. Anyone wanting to pay in cash can call first.
• Visa, MasterCard, or Discover: There will be an additional fee added for charging a credit card.
• Cashier’s Checks: Cashier’s checks will only be accepted after first being approved by the circuit clerk’s office.

Regardless of the type of payment method, there will be a $28 fee when the bond is posted. Bonds can be posted 24 hours a day at the McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility, except during the three shift changes each day (6:00 – 6:30 am, 2:00-2:30 pm, and 10:00 – 10:30 pm).⁹

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

Because of Illinois state codes and statutes mentioned in this article, proper documentation is not only taken on arrests by any law enforcement body within the state but also made available to members of the public for viewing or copying.

So, unless a document is marked confidential, individuals should always be able to find McHenry County arrest records through one custodian or another, and thanks to the SAFE-T Act of 2023, friends and family of an inmate should not have to worry about available finances and posting bail while awaiting trial.