St. Clair County Court Docket
The St. Clair County court docket contains civil, criminal, traffic, and family case records managed by Circuit Clerk Kinnis Williams at the 20th Judicial Circuit courthouse in Belleville, Illinois. This page explains how to look up cases, obtain certified copies, and use the free public tools available for searching the St. Clair County docket online and in person.
St. Clair County Quick Facts
St. Clair County Circuit Clerk
Kinnis Williams serves as Circuit Clerk for St. Clair County. The office is at 10 Public Square in Belleville, the county seat. This office keeps all records that flow through the 20th Judicial Circuit, including civil lawsuits, criminal charges, traffic violations, family law matters, and small claims cases. Staff can help you locate case records, confirm filing requirements, and process copy requests.
The main phone number for the St. Clair County Circuit Clerk is 618-277-6832. The fax is 618-277-1562. A reference link to the clerk's website is available at co.st-clair.il.us/circuitclerk, but the site may have intermittent access issues, so calling ahead is a good idea. Standard business hours apply Monday through Friday; confirm current hours before making the trip to Belleville.
| Circuit Clerk | Kinnis Williams |
|---|---|
| Address | 10 Public Square, Belleville, IL 62220-1623 |
| Phone | 618-277-6832 |
| Fax | 618-277-1562 |
| Judicial Circuit | 20th Judicial Circuit |
| Website | co.st-clair.il.us/circuitclerk (reference only) |
Searching the St. Clair County Court Docket Online
Judici.com is the main free tool for St. Clair County court docket searches. It covers 82 of Illinois's 102 counties, and St. Clair County is included. You can search by party name, case number, attorney name, or judge. The results show case type, filed date, and current status. Visit judici.com to start. No sign-up or fee is needed for public docket lookups.
The Illinois Courts main site at illinoiscourts.gov provides links to court services, e-filing resources, and a directory of all circuit court clerks by district. The re:SearchIL portal added free public access to appellate and Illinois Supreme Court documents starting May 1, 2025. If a St. Clair County case was appealed, the higher court records would appear there.
In-person searches at the Belleville courthouse are also available for anyone who wants to review physical case files or needs records that may not be indexed online. Staff can look up cases by name or case number and direct you to the right file room.
The Illinois Courts homepage provides access to court tools and resources that apply across St. Clair County and all 102 Illinois counties.
Links to e-filing, the circuit court clerk directory, and self-help guides are all available from this statewide resource.
Electronic Filing for St. Clair County Cases
Illinois mandates electronic filing for civil cases statewide. St. Clair County cases are filed through eFileIL at efile.illinoiscourts.gov. There are 17 state-approved Electronic Filing Service Providers to choose from. Each connects to the same court system. Filers pick the EFSP that suits them, then submit documents which route directly to the St. Clair County Circuit Clerk for review and acceptance.
After the clerk accepts a filing, it becomes part of the public court docket for St. Clair County. Self-represented filers who are not attorneys can use the guidance page at illinoiscourts.gov/eservices/information-for-filers-without-lawyers to walk through the process step by step. This page covers account setup, how to pick an EFSP, and what to expect after you submit your documents in St. Clair County.
What St. Clair County Court Docket Records Are Public
The St. Clair County court docket is open to the public for most case types. Civil cases and criminal cases are generally accessible. As Illinois Legal Aid Online explains, in Illinois you can look up most criminal and civil court records without paying for a background check service. Their full guide is at illinoislegalaid.org.
Certain categories of records are restricted. Juvenile cases are confidential by statute. Adoption records are sealed. Cases that have been expunged or sealed no longer appear in public searches. State court rules also limit remote access for eviction cases, foreclosure actions, orders of protection, small claims, probate, guardianship, and some family matters. If you search the St. Clair County online docket and can't find a case you expect to see, it may fall into one of these groups. Calling the Circuit Clerk at 618-277-6832 can help clarify.
One more thing worth knowing: the Illinois judicial branch is not subject to the state Freedom of Information Act under 5 ILCS 140. That means you cannot use a FOIA request to obtain court records. Instead, you access them directly through the clerk or the public docket tools.
The re:SearchIL portal makes appellate and Supreme Court documents free to search, including cases that were appealed from St. Clair County's 20th Judicial Circuit.
Public access to these upper-court records launched in May 2025 and covers all Illinois appellate districts.
Obtaining Copies of St. Clair County Court Documents
To get certified copies of documents from the St. Clair County court docket, contact the Circuit Clerk's office in Belleville. In-person requests are processed while you wait in most cases. Mail requests take longer. You will need the full case number or names of the parties, the specific documents you want, and payment for copy and certification fees. Bring a valid photo ID when visiting in person.
Plain copies without certification cost less. Some document images appear free of charge on the Judici portal for St. Clair County, depending on the case type and filing date. Older paper files may require extra time to retrieve. The clerk can tell you the current fee schedule and expected turnaround when you call. Requests for large volumes of documents may take several days to process.
Help and Resources for St. Clair County Court Filers
Illinois Legal Aid Online provides plain-language guides for anyone dealing with the court system in St. Clair County. Their page on getting court records is at illinoislegalaid.org. They cover civil cases, family matters, criminal records, and what to do when you need copies from a specific county courthouse. The site is free to use.
The Illinois Courts self-help e-filing page at illinoiscourts.gov/eservices/information-for-filers-without-lawyers is written for people who are representing themselves without an attorney. It walks through e-filing from start to finish and addresses common questions about the process in St. Clair County and across Illinois. Local legal aid organizations in the Belleville and Metro East area may also provide low-cost help for qualifying residents.
Cities in St. Clair County
St. Clair County includes a number of cities and communities in the Metro East area of Illinois. All court cases from these communities are filed at the 20th Judicial Circuit courthouse in Belleville. No cities in St. Clair County currently exceed the 50,000 population threshold for a dedicated city page.
Cities in St. Clair County include Belleville, O'Fallon, Fairview Heights, Cahokia Heights, Mascoutah, Swansea, Shiloh, and Centreville. All court filings from these communities run through the St. Clair County Circuit Clerk in Belleville.
Nearby Counties
St. Clair County borders Madison and Monroe counties in Illinois. It also sits near Missouri across the Mississippi River. For Illinois court docket purposes, cases involving St. Clair County residents are filed with the 20th Judicial Circuit. If your case involves events in a neighboring county, you may need to contact that county's clerk.