Peoria County Court Docket Access
The Peoria County court docket is maintained by Circuit Clerk Robert Spears at the 10th Judicial Circuit courthouse in Peoria, Illinois. Peoria County is also home to the 3rd District Appellate Court. This page explains how to search the Peoria County court docket online and in person, how to get copies of case documents, and what public records are accessible from the circuit and appellate courts in Peoria.
Peoria County Quick Facts
Peoria County Circuit Clerk Office
Robert Spears is the Circuit Clerk for Peoria County, Illinois. His office at 324 Main Street, Room G22 in Peoria handles all court docket filings and records for the 10th Judicial Circuit. The office manages civil cases, criminal matters, traffic violations, family law cases, probate, and small claims. It is the direct contact point for case searches, copy requests, and questions about court filings in Peoria County.
The main phone number is 309-672-6989. The fax is 309-677-6228. A reference website is at peoriacounty.org/circuit-clerk, though access may vary at times. For the most current hours, call before visiting. Staff can tell you what to bring and how long the search or copy process takes for different types of Peoria County court docket records.
| Circuit Clerk | Robert Spears |
|---|---|
| Address | 324 Main Street, Room G22, Peoria, IL 61602-1319 |
| Phone | 309-672-6989 |
| Fax | 309-677-6228 |
| Judicial Circuit | 10th Judicial Circuit |
| Website | peoriacounty.org/circuit-clerk (reference only) |
The 3rd District Appellate Court in Peoria County
Peoria County is home to the Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court. This court hears appeals from trial courts in central Illinois, including cases from the 10th Judicial Circuit. If you are looking for appellate decisions that came from a Peoria County case, you can now search those records through the re:SearchIL portal at researchil.tylerhost.net. Free public access to appellate court documents launched on May 1, 2025.
The presence of the 3rd District Appellate Court in Peoria means the county has a deeper court infrastructure than most Illinois counties. The appellate court handles cases appealed from circuit courts in Peoria and surrounding counties. Its decisions can be searched by case name, docket number, or party through re:SearchIL. For trial-level cases still in the 10th Circuit, the Judici portal and the Circuit Clerk's office are the right resources.
The re:SearchIL portal provides free access to appellate court documents, including 3rd District decisions from cases that originated in Peoria County.
Public access to these records launched statewide on May 1, 2025, covering all five Illinois appellate districts.
Searching the Peoria County Court Docket Online
Judici.com covers Peoria County and is the main free tool for circuit-level case searches. It indexes 82 Illinois counties including Peoria. Search by party name, case number, attorney, or judge. The site shows case type, filing date, and recent entries. No fee or account is needed. Visit judici.com to get started. Select Peoria County from the dropdown and run your search.
The Illinois Courts site at illinoiscourts.gov provides access to court tools across all 24 judicial circuits. This includes links to the circuit clerk directory, e-filing resources, and court rules. The directory at illinoiscourts.gov lists Peoria County under the 10th Circuit and confirms clerk contact details.
In-person searches are available at Room G22 in the Peoria courthouse. Bring a photo ID and any information you have about the case, including party names or a case number if you have one. Staff can search by name and help you locate documents in the Peoria County docket.
E-Filing in Peoria County Circuit Court
Civil cases in Peoria County are filed electronically through the statewide eFileIL system at efile.illinoiscourts.gov. This is the same system used across all 102 Illinois counties. There are 17 state-approved Electronic Filing Service Providers to choose from. Each one routes filings to the same backend where the Peoria County Circuit Clerk reviews and accepts submissions.
Once accepted, filed documents appear on the Peoria County public court docket. Filers who are representing themselves without an attorney can use the self-help resource at illinoiscourts.gov/eservices/information-for-filers-without-lawyers. That page walks through account creation, selecting an EFSP, and what to expect after submitting a filing in Peoria County. It is written to be accessible for people who are new to the e-filing process.
The Illinois Legal Aid guide explains how to get copies of court records from the Peoria County docket and from any other Illinois circuit court.
The guide is free to use and covers what is public, what is restricted, and how to request certified copies.
What Is Public in the Peoria County Court Docket
Most civil and criminal records in the Peoria County court docket are open to the public. You can search them without being a party to the case and without paying a commercial service. Illinois Legal Aid Online makes this clear on their records guide at illinoislegalaid.org: in Illinois, most criminal and civil court records can be found without paying for a background check service.
Some records are not public. Juvenile cases are sealed by law. Adoption files are confidential. Expunged or sealed criminal cases do not appear in public searches. State court rules also restrict remote access to certain case types: eviction cases, foreclosure filings, orders of protection, small claims, probate, guardianship, and some family matters cannot be accessed remotely under current rules. These restrictions apply in Peoria County the same as everywhere else in Illinois. If a case is not showing up in the Judici search for Peoria County, call the clerk at 309-672-6989 to ask whether it falls into a restricted category.
The Illinois judicial branch is not subject to the state FOIA law (5 ILCS 140). You do not submit a FOIA request to get court records in Peoria County. Instead, you go directly to the clerk or use the public docket tools described on this page.
Obtaining Certified Copies from the Peoria County Clerk
Certified copies of Peoria County court documents are available from the Circuit Clerk's office at 324 Main Street in downtown Peoria. In-person requests are typically processed the same day. Mail requests take longer but are accepted. For mail orders, include the full case number, names of the parties, a description of what you need, and payment for fees. Call 309-672-6989 to confirm current copy and certification rates.
Plain (uncertified) copies cost less and are useful for research or general reference. Some Peoria County case documents may also be available to view at no charge through the Judici portal, depending on the case type and when it was filed. For very old cases that predate digital storage, paper retrieval from archive may add to the processing time. If you are not sure whether a specific document is available online or only through the clerk, call first to avoid making an unnecessary trip to Peoria.
Cities in Peoria County
Peoria is the county seat and largest city in Peoria County. All court cases from communities in Peoria County are filed at the 10th Judicial Circuit courthouse in downtown Peoria.
Other communities in Peoria County include Peoria Heights, Bartonville, Chillicothe, Dunlap, Edwards, and Limestone. All court filings from these areas go through the Peoria County Circuit Clerk's office.
Nearby Counties
Peoria County sits in central Illinois and borders several other counties. If you need to check whether a case was filed in Peoria County or in a neighboring county, look at where the parties live or where the relevant events occurred. That is almost always the county with jurisdiction.