Search Des Plaines Court Docket Records
The Des Plaines court docket is maintained through the Cook County Circuit Court, which handles all criminal, civil, domestic relations, and probate matters for residents of this north suburban Cook County city. Des Plaines falls within the 2nd Municipal District of Cook County, served by the Skokie Courthouse at 5600 Old Orchard Rd, Skokie. This page covers how to search the docket, what is accessible online, how criminal case access differs, and what the Des Plaines Municipal Court handles separately.
Des Plaines Court Docket: Cook County Circuit Court
All circuit court cases for Des Plaines are filed with the Cook County Circuit Court. The city does not have its own circuit court. The Cook County Circuit Court Clerk is Mariyana T. Spyropoulos. The main clerk's office is at 50 W. Washington, Suite 1001, Chicago, IL 60602, and the main phone number is (312) 603-5030. Visit the Cook County Clerk of Court website for online case lookup, forms, and contact information for the clerk's district offices.
Des Plaines is in the 2nd Municipal District of Cook County. The district courthouse for this area is the Skokie Courthouse at 5600 Old Orchard Rd, Skokie, IL 60077. Many Des Plaines circuit court matters are handled at this location rather than at the main Chicago Daley Center. If you need to appear in court for a case originating in Des Plaines, check with the clerk's office to confirm whether the hearing is at Skokie or at another location before making the trip.
Cook County is the largest court system in Illinois. The court is organized into departments: civil, criminal, domestic relations, probate, and traffic. Understanding which department covers your case type helps you search the docket and contact the right clerk if you need copies or hearing details.
Search Des Plaines Court Dockets Online
Cook County provides online case lookup at cookcountyclerkofcourt.org. The system covers civil, domestic relations, probate, traffic, county division, and court call cases. You can search by case number, party name, or attorney name. Results show brief case summaries including filing dates, hearing schedules, and case status. The online portal shows docket activity, not the full text of filed documents.
Criminal case dockets are not accessible online in Cook County. If you need to look up a criminal court docket for a Des Plaines case, you must go to the clerk's office in person. This limitation applies to all criminal case types and all Cook County residents, including those in Des Plaines. There is no mail option or online workaround. Bring a photo ID and the case number if you have it when you visit.
Cook County is not part of Judici.com, which serves 82 other Illinois counties. All Des Plaines case searching goes through Cook County's own online system. For Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court records tied to Des Plaines cases, use the re:SearchIL portal, which has been free to the public since May 2025.
Note: The Illinois Supreme Court Remote Access Policy excludes certain case types from general public online viewing. These include eviction, family, foreclosure, guardianship, probate, small claims, traffic, and orders of protection. Attorneys and parties may have broader access to their own cases through role-based login systems.
Des Plaines Municipal Court: Local Ordinance Hearings
The City of Des Plaines operates a municipal court for local ordinance violations. This is a separate system from the Cook County Circuit Court and handles only city-level code enforcement matters. The Des Plaines Municipal Court is located at 1420 Miner St, Des Plaines, IL 60016. The phone number is (847) 391-5300. This court handles parking tickets, building code violations, local ordinance enforcement actions, and similar city-level matters.
If you received a citation from the City of Des Plaines for a local ordinance issue, your hearing is scheduled through this municipal court, not through the Skokie Courthouse or the Chicago Daley Center. The local ordinance docket is managed by the city, not the county clerk. Respond to notices promptly. Missing the deadline to request a hearing typically results in an automatic default finding against you.
Unpaid fines from the Des Plaines municipal court can trigger city enforcement actions. The local ordinance docket is not accessible through the Cook County online case portal. Contact the municipal court directly at (847) 391-5300 for information about your local ordinance case.
The eFileIL portal is used for mandatory electronic filing of civil cases in Cook County, including Des Plaines circuit court filings.
The Illinois Courts eFileIL information page explains how mandatory electronic filing works for civil cases filed in all Illinois circuit courts, including Cook County cases tied to Des Plaines.
This screenshot shows the eFileIL information page on the Illinois Courts website, which explains the mandatory e-filing system used for civil court filings in Des Plaines and all other Cook County locations.
Getting Copies of Des Plaines Court Docket Records
For civil, domestic relations, and probate cases in Cook County, brief case summaries are viewable online through the clerk's portal. To get certified copies of actual court documents, visit the Skokie Courthouse at 5600 Old Orchard Rd, Skokie, IL 60077, which serves the 2nd Municipal District covering Des Plaines, or the main Cook County Clerk's office at 50 W. Washington, Suite 1001, Chicago, IL 60602. Call (312) 603-5030 to confirm which location holds the records you need.
Mail requests are accepted for many case types. A written request should include the full case number, both party names, the specific documents needed, and payment for applicable fees. Copy fees are set by state law and apply on a per-page basis. Mail processing takes more time than in-person visits, so call ahead and plan accordingly if you have a deadline.
Criminal case records in Cook County require an in-person visit. There is no mail or online option. Bring a photo ID. Staff can do name-based lookups if you do not have the case number. The Illinois Legal Aid court records guide provides a helpful overview of the process for people who are not represented by an attorney.
Note: Juvenile records, adoptions, sealed cases, and expunged records are never accessible to the public in any Illinois circuit court.
Des Plaines Court Docket: Electronic Filing
Civil cases in Cook County must be filed electronically through eFileIL, Illinois's statewide mandatory e-filing platform. This applies to most civil filings, including new lawsuits, motions, and responses in the Cook County Circuit Court. Both attorneys and self-represented parties can use eFileIL. Self-filers should review the guides on the site before submitting documents, and fee waivers are available for those who qualify.
Once a civil filing is accepted by the clerk, it typically appears in the electronic docket within one to two business days. eFileIL sends email confirmation when filings are accepted or rejected. If you are a party to a Des Plaines civil case, your eFileIL account lets you track active filings on your cases. The Illinois Courts website has general guides on e-filing and court access for both attorneys and self-represented litigants.
Des Plaines Court Docket by Case Type
Cook County Circuit Court is organized into departments. Civil cases over $30,000 go to the Law Division. Smaller civil matters go to the Municipal Department. Family and divorce cases go to Domestic Relations. Estate and probate matters go to the Probate Division. Felony criminal cases are in the Criminal Division. Traffic cases have their own division. For Des Plaines residents, the 2nd Municipal District Skokie Courthouse handles many local district matters, though some case types still route to the Chicago main courthouse.
Federal cases involving Des Plaines parties are filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, not in the Cook County Circuit Court. Federal dockets are accessible through the PACER system. If you cannot find a case in the Cook County online portal, it may be a federal case or a case type excluded from public online viewing under the Remote Access Policy.
When searching by name in the Cook County online portal and you do not get results, try different name spellings or contact the clerk's office directly at (312) 603-5030. Staff can search across all divisions and help you identify whether a case exists and where it is filed. This direct approach is often faster than troubleshooting an online search that keeps coming up empty.
Nearby Cities with Court Docket Pages
Other qualifying Illinois cities near Des Plaines also have court docket pages with local courthouse and clerk information.