The state of Illinois covers 55,584 square miles and is populated by almost 13 million people, making it the fifth most populated state in the nation. The capital city is Springfield, but honors for the largest city go to Chicago. In terms of population, the Chicago metropolitan area ranks third in the country. Illinois entered the union in 1818 and is currently represented in the U.S. Congress by two senators and 19 representatives. The state contains 102 counties, Cook county having the most residents. With O’Hare International Airport as one of the world’s busiest airports and the Port of Chicago acting as a major connection to other global ports, Illinois is considered a major transportation hub. Tourism also plays a large role in the state’s economy.
A Guide to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act is available through the web site of the Illinois Attorney General. This guide defines the purpose of the act, explains which public records are made available through the FOIA, and which records are exempt. There are explanations as to who is eligible to access these records and instructions regarding the request and retrieval of state recorded documents. For the most part, each state government agency has individual responsibility for adhering to the FOIA for the documents they maintain.
It can be difficult to locate recorded documents and information for a state as large as Illinois. PublicRecordCenter compresses the search process by providing categorized direct links to state agency web sites which, in many instances, offer immediate access and retrieval of state documents. A single page directory will route the researcher to the most current and essential information in any public record search.
An Illinois law, the Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA). was enacted in 1991. This law makes all criminal history record convictions public information. This data is collected and maintained by the Illinois State Police, Bureau of Identification. Any person may request this data, in writing, from the aforementioned agency. Request instructions and fee information are provided on the agency web site.
There is much information available to the public regarding Illinois businesses, corporations, and assets. From the Secretary of State, a major corporate and LLC search database detailing information on a multitude of state business entities. Also from the Secretary of State, an online search for UCC filings and tax liens. Additionally, database searches for land records and property information are provided by many county recorders on their individual web sites. Searches can also be conducted for identifying professional license holders and unclaimed property in the state.
Some court records in Illinois are open and accessible to private citizens. Individual courts such as district, circuit, bankruptcy, appellate and the supreme court, to name a few, make up the court system. These courts offer individual web sites specific to the jurisdictions and purposes of each court. These web pages are packed with helpful information as to the operation and rules of each court, as well as instructions on how to obtain case records and view dockets in instances where allowed. It is not unusual to also find searches that locate records regarding judgments and liens.
PublicRecordCenter is an indispensable tool for locating recorded documentation when searching a large database such as the site for the state of Illinois. An easy to follow directory leads the individual to official state agency web pages filled with information detailing how to locate and retrieve public records. Utilizing PublicRecordCenter will shorten search time and result in the most current, easy to find data from a multitude of official databases.
