| Circuit Clerk | Kane County Circuit Clerk |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Kane County Circuit Clerk, 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 |
| Phone | (630) 232-3413 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Kane County is a single-county circuit, the 16th Judicial Circuit, and the Circuit Clerk's office keeps case records for the full range of circuit-court matters — civil, family, criminal, juvenile, and more — filed anywhere in the county. The office is located at 540 S. Randall Road in St. Charles, apart from the historic courthouse in Geneva, the official county seat.
Kane County's online public access relies on an Odyssey-based portal that the clerk's office has flagged as subject to periodic maintenance and outages; when it is unavailable, the office directs the public to a viewing room at the clerk's office for in-person lookups.
Cities in Kane County such as Aurora, Elgin, and St. Charles run their own municipal courts for ordinance and some traffic matters, which are not part of the circuit clerk's index.
Search Kane County court records online
Circuit Clerk
Kane County Circuit Clerk
- Cost
- Free case lookup through the public portal; fees for copies
- Coverage
- 16th Judicial Circuit case types including civil, criminal, family/juvenile, probate, and traffic
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
The public case-lookup portal has experienced periodic outages; the clerk's office directs the public to an in-person viewing room when it is down.
What is available online
The Circuit Clerk's public case-lookup relies on a hosted Odyssey portal that has had documented reliability issues; the office recommends checking its announcements before relying on the online search and offers an in-person viewing room at the St. Charles office as a fallback. Case categories span the standard Illinois circuit-court docket codes (civil, family, juvenile, criminal, and traffic).
Which clerk has your record
In Illinois, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Illinois page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Appellate Court (5 districts) | Appeals from circuit-court civil and criminal judgments; Interlocutory appeals; Administrative review in some case types | Clerk of the relevant Appellate Court district |
| Circuit Courts (25 judicial circuits) | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Civil suits of any amount; Divorce, custody, and other family cases | Circuit Clerk of the county (elected countywide) |
Request records in person or by mail
Kane County clerk offices
Kane County Circuit Clerk, 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174
Phone: (630) 232-3413
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Online. Try the case-lookup portal linked from the Circuit Clerk's website; check the office's posted announcements first if the portal has been unreliable.
In person. Visit the Circuit Clerk's viewing room at 540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174, during business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) if the online portal is unavailable or you need document copies.
By mail. Write to the Circuit Clerk's office with the case number, the documents needed, and whether you require certified copies; the office will confirm the current fee.
Fees. Copy and certification fees follow the Clerks of Courts Act (705 ILCS 105); call ahead to confirm the current per-page rate.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Illinois |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Circuit clerk fees, including copy and certification fees, are set under the Clerks of Courts Act (705 ILCS 105), which gives minimum-and-maximum ranges by county population (Section 27.1a for counties under 500,000 people, Section 27.2 for counties between 500,000 and 3,000,000). Because each county board can set its own fee within that range, the actual per-page and certification cost varies by county — confirm the current amount with the circuit clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Illinois court records are presumed open, but several categories will not appear in a public search:
The Illinois guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I access the Kane County online case search?
The Circuit Clerk's public portal has had periodic maintenance and technical outages. When it is down, the clerk's office directs the public to an in-person viewing room at its St. Charles office.
Where is the Kane County Circuit Clerk located?
540 S. Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 — a separate building from the historic Kane County Courthouse in Geneva, the official county seat.
What case types does the Kane County Circuit Clerk keep?
All circuit-court case types, including civil, criminal, family and juvenile, probate, and traffic cases filed anywhere in the 16th Judicial Circuit.
Are Aurora or Elgin traffic tickets in the Kane County court search?
Only if they were filed in circuit court. Ordinance violations and some traffic matters handled by Aurora, Elgin, and other Kane County municipalities' own courts are not part of the circuit clerk's index.
Sources
- Kane County Circuit Clerk — https://cic.countyofkane.org/
- State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts — https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/
- Illinois Courts — Circuit Court overview — https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/courts/circuit-court/
- re:SearchIL (Illinois Supreme Court document access portal) — https://researchil.tylerhost.net/CourtRecordsSearch/Home
- Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification — Name-Based Background Checks — https://isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification/NameBased
- Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification — Fee Schedule — https://isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification/FeeSchedule
- Illinois Supreme and Appellate Court Opinions Search — https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/top-level-opinions/
- 20 ILCS 2630 — Criminal Identification Act — https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=350&ChapterID=5
- 705 ILCS 105 — Clerks of Courts Act — https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=1847&ChapterID=50
- Northern District of Illinois — U.S. District Court — https://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/
- PACER — Federal court records — https://pacer.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Illinois counties.