As the Illinois criminal records are part of the public domain, anybody interested in searching these records can be granted permission to do so. Despite however being public records, the right to individual privacy is taken into account and the use of any information derived from these records is the subject of stringent laws and regulations. If the information obtained were to be used for an employment background check for example, then prior permission to use the information would need to be obtained from the individual in question.

Any search of Illinois criminal records would start at the Illinois State Police where any and all information relating to criminal matters is held on file. This is not a free search however. There is an administrative fee of $16.00. After the Illinois State Police, a search of records held at the state Circuit Courts would also be a good source of information. Additionally, Jackson Country allow search access to their database for a small search fee of $12.95.

All databases of criminal records held with law enforcement agencies are required to be accurate and up to date. Law enforcement agencies tend to share information, so these records can be disbursed to a wide range of agencies. Often, courts and even certain individuals will also be granted access. A database operator will typically be in charge of the regular updates done to the information on file. The level of arrest records information available will be a direct result of the proper maintenance of the database and its regular updating.

Statistically, in recent years, Illinois criminal records show a higher arrest rate then the national average. In spite of this however, the state has shown an overall reduction in the number of arrests. In rough figures, this is approximately a 28% decrease in the number of arrests made over a 12 year period.

In keeping with the times and trends, the internet has become the preferred way to search Illinois criminal records. Government agencies inevitably mean long queues and time delays. An alternative to these delays are commercial information providers. These commercial providers are also able to access private and proprietary networks as well as the more readily available public databases, making their services both practical and accurate. Search results are typically available for download within a few minutes of running the search