Joliet DUI Records

Joliet DUI records are maintained by the Joliet Police Department for arrest data and by the Will County Circuit Clerk for all court case filings, hearings, and final dispositions. Joliet is the county seat of Will County, and the 12th Judicial Circuit courthouse where all Joliet DUI cases are heard is located in the city. This page covers each agency that holds Joliet DUI records, how to access them, and what state-level resources are available for conviction and driving record data.

Joliet Police Department

The Joliet Police Department is located at 150 W. Jefferson St., Joliet, IL 60432. The main line is 815-726-2491. Chief William Evans leads the department. The JPD handles DUI enforcement throughout Joliet and submits fingerprint data to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification at the time of arrest. Joliet is a major city in northeastern Illinois and one of the larger cities in the state, so the JPD processes a significant volume of DUI arrests each year.

Records requests from the Joliet Police Department are handled under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. A written FOIA request must receive a response within five business days. Arrest records from closed DUI cases are generally part of the public record. The JPD website at joliet.gov/police has FOIA request instructions and contact details for the Records Unit. JPD arrest records show what happened at the scene and during booking, but court outcomes and final dispositions are held by the Will County Circuit Clerk.

12th Judicial Circuit Court and Will County Clerk

All Joliet DUI cases are filed in the 12th Judicial Circuit, which covers Will County. The Will County Circuit Clerk is the official repository for DUI case filings, hearing transcripts, plea entries, verdicts, sentencing orders, and final dispositions for charges prosecuted in this circuit. The courthouse is in Joliet, which is both the county seat and the location of the 12th Circuit courthouse where all Will County DUI cases are heard.

The Will County Circuit Clerk website at willcountyillinois.com/county-officials/circuit-clerk has case search tools, office contact information, and guidance on accessing court records for Joliet DUI cases. You can search by name or case number. Full document copies typically require an in-person visit to the clerk's office or a formal written request. More information on Will County DUI records is on the Will County DUI Records page.

Under 625 ILCS 5/11-501, DUI in Illinois covers alcohol, cannabis, controlled substances, prescription drugs, intoxicating compounds, and methamphetamine. Joliet court records reflect the full range of charge types that fall under this statute. A first-offense Joliet DUI is a Class A misdemeanor. The third offense is a Class 2 felony. Prior convictions from any Illinois court count toward the charge level for a new case in Joliet. Aggravating factors such as a minor in the vehicle or an accident with serious injury can elevate the charge on a first offense as well.

Illinois Secretary of State Hearings in Joliet

The Illinois Secretary of State maintains an Administrative Hearings office in Joliet. Drivers whose licenses have been revoked following a Joliet DUI conviction, or who want to challenge a Statutory Summary Suspension, can request a hearing through the SOS. The Joliet location makes it more accessible for Will County residents dealing with license-related consequences from a DUI arrest in the area.

The Statutory Summary Suspension takes effect before the criminal case is resolved. If a driver fails or refuses a chemical test during a Joliet DUI stop, the suspension begins 46 days after the officer issues the notice. Refusing the test on a first offense means a 12-month suspension. Failing the test on a first offense means a 6-month suspension. Drivers can challenge the suspension through a formal SOS hearing. More on that process is at ilsos.gov/departments/administrative-hearings.html.

Driving record abstracts showing Joliet DUI convictions, suspensions, and revocations are available from the SOS at ilsos.gov. The abstract costs $20 and covers the full license action history tied to a driver's Illinois record, including any actions that came from Joliet DUI cases handled in the 12th Judicial Circuit.

Illinois State Police Records for Joliet DUI Cases

When a Joliet DUI arrest is made, the JPD submits fingerprints to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification. When the 12th Judicial Circuit reports a conviction to the ISP, that outcome is linked to the fingerprint record. The ISP then holds a statewide criminal history that covers all Joliet DUI arrest and conviction data going back through the years the ISP system has been in operation.

The ISP Bureau of Identification at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification is the central state repository for Illinois DUI criminal history, including records from Joliet cases filed in the 12th Judicial Circuit.

Under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2, DUI convictions in Illinois cannot be expunged or sealed. This rule applies to every Joliet DUI conviction in the ISP system, no matter when the case was resolved or what the charge level was. Conviction data is public under the Uniform Conviction Information Act. The ISP criminal history page at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification/CriminalHistory explains how to request a criminal history report that includes Joliet DUI data. Authorized users can also access conviction history through the ISP CHIRP portal.

The ISP criminal history request page explains the process for getting a certified criminal history report that includes DUI conviction data from Joliet and other Illinois courts that have reported to the ISP.

Finding Joliet DUI Records Across Multiple Agencies

Joliet DUI records are not held in one place. The JPD has the arrest-level records: the incident report, booking data, and any documents created at the time of the stop and arrest. The Will County Circuit Clerk has the court case records: the charge, all hearing dates, plea or trial outcome, and sentencing. The ISP has the statewide conviction history. The SOS has the driving record and license action data.

If you are researching a Joliet DUI case, the most efficient approach is to start with the Will County Circuit Clerk case search to find the case number and get the disposition. Then use the JPD Records Unit for arrest-level detail if needed. Check the ISP and SOS for statewide data if the goal is a complete picture of a person's DUI history across all Illinois agencies.

The Illinois Courts website at illinoiscourts.gov/courts/circuit-court has background on how the 12th Judicial Circuit operates and how Joliet DUI cases move through the court process from initial filing through final disposition. This is useful context before contacting the clerk's office or consulting an attorney about a Joliet DUI matter.

Nearby Cities

These nearby cities also have DUI records pages with local police and court information.