Bloomington Illinois DUI Records

Bloomington DUI records are held by the Bloomington Police Department, which handles arrests within city limits, and by the McLean County Circuit Court, which is where all DUI cases from Bloomington are filed and tried. This page covers both sources, explains how state systems tie in, and tells you what to do if you need to find a DUI record connected to Bloomington.

Bloomington Police Department

The Bloomington Police Department is the agency that makes most DUI arrests within city limits. Officers patrol city roads and respond to impaired driving calls throughout Bloomington. Each DUI arrest generates an arrest record at the department. That record is also tied to state data through mandatory fingerprint submission to the Illinois State Police.

Requests for Bloomington DUI arrest records go through the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. You can submit a FOIA request to the Bloomington Police Department by contacting the records division. The department must respond within five business days. Arrest records from closed DUI cases are public. Records from cases still open in court may be withheld until the case is resolved.

The City of Bloomington website at cityblm.org has department directories and public records guidance. The police department page at cityblm.org/police covers how to reach the records unit and what information the department can provide. If you have a case number or know the approximate date and name involved in a Bloomington DUI arrest, including that detail will help staff find the record faster.

Bloomington also has a separate municipal court function for some offenses, but DUI cases fall under the McLean County Circuit Court, not a city court. The city police make the arrest, but the county court system handles the case from that point on.

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification is the central state repository for all Illinois DUI criminal history data, including records of Bloomington arrests and convictions. The screenshot below was taken from the ISP Bureau of Identification page.

The ISP Bureau of Identification receives fingerprint submissions from Bloomington Police, which links each DUI arrest in Bloomington to a statewide criminal history record that can be accessed through the ISP system.

McLean County Circuit Court and Bloomington DUI Cases

All DUI charges from Bloomington are filed in the McLean County Circuit Court, which operates as part of the 11th Judicial Circuit. The circuit clerk in McLean County keeps the official case records for every DUI filed from Bloomington: the charging documents, hearing dates, plea records, verdicts, sentencing orders, and final dispositions. If a Bloomington DUI case went to court, those records are at the McLean County courthouse.

McLean County is one of the larger downstate circuits, covering both Bloomington and Normal. The circuit clerk can search by name or by case number. Walk-in access during business hours is available at the McLean County courthouse. Written requests are another option if you can't get there in person. The Illinois Courts website at illinoiscourts.gov/courts/circuit-court has background on how the circuit court system works in Illinois, including the 11th Circuit.

DUI in Illinois is charged under 625 ILCS 5/11-501. That statute covers impairment from alcohol, cannabis, controlled substances, and prescription drugs, among other compounds. A first DUI is a Class A misdemeanor. A third offense becomes a Class 2 felony. McLean County court records show what was charged, what happened to the charges, and what the court ordered in each Bloomington DUI case.

Illinois State Police Records and Bloomington DUI Convictions

The ISP criminal history system holds statewide DUI data from all Illinois courts and law enforcement agencies, including Bloomington. When a Bloomington officer submits fingerprints on a DUI arrest, that arrest gets tied to the person's state record. When McLean County Circuit Court reports a conviction, the ISP adds it to that record. The result is a permanent entry that follows the person regardless of where they move.

DUI convictions in Illinois cannot be expunged or sealed under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2. A Bloomington DUI conviction stays on the state record. Full stop. It does not fade with time. The ISP criminal history page at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification/CriminalHistory explains how to request a criminal history search that includes Bloomington DUI conviction data. This is public information under the Uniform Conviction Information Act.

The CHIRP portal at chirp.isp.illinois.gov gives authorized users online access to Illinois criminal history. Individuals can check their own records through CHIRP. Authorized employers and agencies with proper ISP certification can also use the system to pull conviction data, including any Bloomington DUI convictions reported by the McLean County court.

The ISP criminal history request page is shown below, which describes how to access DUI conviction records from Bloomington and other Illinois locations through the state system.

The ISP criminal history page outlines the process for requesting DUI records from the state database, which includes Bloomington convictions submitted by the McLean County Circuit Court.

Driving Record and License Status for Bloomington DUI Cases

A DUI conviction from a Bloomington case triggers mandatory license revocation through the Illinois Secretary of State. The SOS handles revocation as a separate administrative matter, independent of the criminal case in the 11th Judicial Circuit. Getting a license back after revocation requires a formal SOS hearing, and the terms depend on the number of prior DUI convictions on the driver's record.

The Statutory Summary Suspension kicks in before the court case is over. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-501.1, if a driver fails or refuses a chemical test during a Bloomington DUI stop, the suspension begins 46 days after the officer issues the notice. Refusing the test on a first offense brings a 12-month suspension. Failing brings a 6-month suspension. Drivers can contest the suspension through an SOS hearing. Details are at ilsos.gov/departments/administrative-hearings.html.

A driving record abstract from the SOS at ilsos.gov costs $20. It shows DUI convictions, summary suspensions, revocations, and all other license actions tied to a Bloomington driver. This is the best way to check the official state record of license consequences from any DUI case involving a Bloomington driver.

Nearby Cities

These nearby cities have their own DUI records pages with information on local police, courts, and state data for each area.