Monroe County Court Docket Records
Monroe County court docket records are filed with the 24th Judicial Circuit Court Clerk in Waterloo, Illinois, covering civil, criminal, family, traffic, and probate matters for this southwestern Illinois county near the St. Louis metro area. The clerk's office at 100 S. Main Street in Waterloo handles all public record requests, and free online search tools are available for many case types through statewide Illinois platforms.
Monroe County Quick Facts
Monroe County Circuit Court Clerk
Lisa Fallon serves as the Monroe County Circuit Court Clerk. The office is at 100 S. Main St, Room 115, Waterloo, IL 62298. You can call the office at 618-939-8681 or fax documents to 618-939-1929. The clerk's office is the central point of contact for case filings, record requests, and copies of court documents in Monroe County.
The clerk keeps the official docket for every case filed in Monroe County. That means orders, judgments, motions, and scheduled hearing dates are all part of the record maintained by this office. If you need a certified copy of a court document, the clerk's office is where you get it. Certified copies include the court's seal and are the legal version required for things like refinancing a property tied to a judgment or proving marital status changed.
| Clerk | Lisa Fallon |
|---|---|
| Address | 100 S. Main St, Room 115, Waterloo, IL 62298 |
| Phone | 618-939-8681 |
| Fax | 618-939-1929 |
| Judicial Circuit | 24th Judicial Circuit |
Monroe County is part of the 24th Judicial Circuit. The 24th is one of 24 circuits that serve Illinois' 102 counties outside Cook County. Each circuit operates under local rules set by the chief judge. Those rules cover filing deadlines, document formats, and specific procedures that may differ from other circuits. Anyone with a case pending in Monroe County should get familiar with the 24th Circuit's local rules.
Search Monroe County Court Dockets Online
Monroe County is included in the Judici.com platform, which provides free public search access to case dockets for 82 Illinois counties. Judici lets you search by party name or case number. Results show the type of case, filing date, event history, and upcoming court dates. No registration is needed to use the service.
The Illinois Courts website at illinoiscourts.gov is the state's official court information hub. It connects to e-filing, clerk directories, and public access resources. For appellate-level records, the re:SearchIL portal opened free public review access in May 2025 and covers the Illinois Supreme Court and all five Appellate Court districts. Monroe County decisions that were appealed may appear there.
Not everything can be accessed online. Illinois rules restrict remote access for eviction, family law, foreclosure, guardianship, probate, small claims, traffic, and orders of protection. Those case types may be public at the courthouse but are not viewable through online dockets. Records that are never public include juvenile cases, adoptions, sealed and expunged files, and documents containing information like Social Security numbers or bank account details.
The screenshot below shows the Judici platform, captured from judici.com, the free portal for Monroe County court docket searches and 81 other Illinois counties.
Judici provides case summaries, event listings, and hearing dates for Monroe County cases at no cost and with no account required.
Monroe County Court Docket: What Cases Are Filed
The Monroe County circuit court hears civil and criminal matters. Civil cases cover everything from small debt claims to real estate disputes, contract issues, and personal injury actions. Chancery handles equity matters, which includes mortgage foreclosures and injunctions. Domestic relations cases include divorce, custody, child support, and orders of protection.
Felony criminal cases are filed in circuit court. So are misdemeanors and most traffic offenses. Probate cases involving estates, wills, and guardianship are part of the court's docket as well. For each of these, the clerk maintains a record of all filings, hearings, and outcomes. You can look up cases by name or case number using the online tools described above, or by visiting the Waterloo courthouse.
Illinois requires electronic filing for civil cases statewide. Monroe County uses the eFileIL system like all other Illinois counties. Filers pick from 17 approved Electronic Filing Service Providers. The self-help section of the Illinois Courts site covers e-filing basics for self-represented parties who need to file without a lawyer.
Getting Monroe County Court Records
You can get records in person or by mail. In person is fastest. Go to Room 115 at 100 S. Main St. in Waterloo during office hours. The staff can pull the case file, let you review it, and process copy requests. Certified copies cost more than plain copies and require the court seal. Call ahead at 618-939-8681 to confirm what you need to bring and what fees apply.
For mail requests, send a written request with the case number, party names, the type of document you need, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Include payment or ask the clerk to tell you the fee before you send anything. For old archived cases, retrieval may take additional time. The clerk can give you an estimate when you call.
The Illinois Legal Aid guide to court records is a helpful reference. It explains in plain terms what is public, what is not, and how to request records in each county. It also notes that court records do not reflect uncharged arrests. Only cases that were actually filed and prosecuted appear in the circuit court record.
Illinois FOIA and Court Records
Illinois courts are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140). That law applies to executive branch agencies, not the judicial branch. So you cannot file a FOIA request to get Monroe County court records. The correct route is through the circuit court clerk's office. Most civil records are public under Illinois court rules. Criminal records are generally public for adults. Narrow exceptions apply by statute or court order.
The Illinois circuit clerk directory on the courts website lists all 102 county clerks with contact information organized by district and circuit. Monroe County appears under the 24th Circuit. If you are unsure which county handled a particular case or need to reach a different clerk, the directory is the place to start.
The Illinois circuit court clerks directory is shown below, taken from illinoiscourts.gov, which lists all clerks including Monroe County under the 24th Judicial Circuit.
The directory is updated by the Illinois Supreme Court and includes phone numbers, addresses, and circuit assignments for every county in the state.
Cities in Monroe County
Waterloo is the county seat and the largest city in Monroe County, with a population of around 11,000. Other communities include Columbia, Hecker, Maeystown, and Valmeyer. None of these cities meets the population threshold for individual pages on this site. All court docket records for Monroe County communities are filed with the circuit court clerk in Waterloo.
Nearby Counties
Monroe County borders three other Illinois counties in southwestern Illinois.