Lee County DUI Records

Lee County DUI records are filed and maintained by the 15th Judicial Circuit Court in Dixon, Illinois. This page covers how to get DUI case documents from the Circuit Clerk, request arrest records from the Sheriff under Illinois FOIA, check your statewide criminal history through the Illinois State Police, and pull a driving abstract from the Secretary of State. Each of these sources holds a different piece of the record, and understanding which one to contact first saves time.

Lee County Circuit Clerk

Amy Johnson is the Circuit Clerk for Lee County. Her office handles all court case filings in the 15th Judicial Circuit, including every DUI case brought in Lee County. When a DUI charge is filed under 625 ILCS 5/11-501, a case number is assigned and all court activity is tracked through this office. Hearings, plea agreements, verdicts, and sentencing orders are all part of the case file maintained here in Dixon.

Certified copies of DUI court documents are available by request. These are often needed for license reinstatement hearings with the Secretary of State or for legal proceedings. You can request documents in person at the Dixon courthouse or by mail. Call ahead to confirm office hours and any copy fees before making the trip or mailing your request.

The Lee County website has current office hours and details for the circuit clerk's records division. Check there first before contacting the office.

Lee County Sheriff and FOIA Requests

DUI arrests in unincorporated Lee County are handled by the Sheriff's Office, which also holds the arrest records for those incidents. This includes the arrest report, booking information, and field documentation. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, you can submit a written request to get copies of these records. Contact the records division at the Sheriff's Office to start that process.

The arrest record and the court record are separate documents. The Sheriff has the arrest side, and the Circuit Clerk has the court outcome. If you need both, you will have to contact each office on its own. They don't automatically share records with each other.

The Lee County Sheriff page has contact information for the records division and may list the current FOIA submission process for arrest records.

Illinois DUI Law and How It Shapes the Record

Illinois DUI law under 625 ILCS 5/11-501 makes it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher, or while impaired by any substance. A first DUI is a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois. The second offense carries higher penalties but is still a misdemeanor. A third DUI is a Class 4 felony. Beyond that, the charge can rise to a Class 2 felony with each additional conviction.

When a driver is arrested for DUI in Lee County, the Statutory Summary Suspension under 625 ILCS 5/11-501.1 takes effect almost right away. If the driver refuses to take a chemical test, the suspension runs for 12 months. Failing the test brings a 6-month suspension. The driver gets 90 days to file a petition in circuit court to rescind the suspension. Without a successful challenge, it takes effect and appears on the Secretary of State driving record.

License revocation after a DUI conviction is mandatory under 625 ILCS 5/6-205. That is a full revocation, not a suspension, and getting the license back requires going through the Secretary of State. And because DUI convictions cannot be expunged or sealed under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2, the ISP criminal history shows the conviction permanently. There is no legal process available in Illinois to remove it.

The Illinois Courts site at illinoiscourts.gov has general information about how circuit courts handle DUI cases, which can help you understand what to expect if you have a case pending in Lee County.

The Illinois Courts page covers how circuit courts are organized in Illinois and what types of cases each court handles, including DUI matters in the 15th Judicial Circuit.

ISP Criminal History Access

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains statewide criminal history records that include DUI convictions from all 102 counties, including Lee. If you want to check your own record, the ISP My Record portal at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification/MyRecord lets you view and print your own Illinois criminal history. It is the fastest way to see what the state record shows about you.

The CHIRP system (Criminal History Information Response Process) is used by courts, attorneys, and authorized agencies to access official ISP records. The ISP Bureau of Identification can be reached at 815-740-5160. Their main page is at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification, and criminal history information is at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification/CriminalHistory.

The ISP criminal history page explains how to submit a records request and what information is included in the response for DUI and other criminal convictions.

Secretary of State Driving Records

The Illinois Secretary of State keeps a driving abstract for every licensed Illinois driver. This record shows license status, suspensions, revocations, and DUI-related driving history. A standard abstract costs $20 and can be ordered online at ilsos.gov. This document is separate from the ISP criminal history but gives you the driver's side of the record, including any Statutory Summary Suspension that was imposed after a DUI arrest.

For Lee County drivers whose licenses were revoked after a DUI conviction, reinstatement requires a formal hearing with the Secretary of State Office of Administrative Hearings. Details on that process are at ilsos.gov/departments/administrative-hearings.html. The SOS Driver Analysis Section can be reached at 217-782-2720 for questions about license status and hearing scheduling.

DUI Evaluations in Lee County

Illinois requires a DUI evaluation before a revoked driver can petition for license reinstatement. A licensed evaluator conducts a risk assessment and places the driver in a category that determines what treatment or education must be completed first. The evaluation report is submitted as part of the SOS reinstatement hearing process.

Licensed evaluators in the Dixon area can be found through the Illinois Department of Human Services or by asking the Circuit Clerk's office for guidance. Some courts in the 15th Judicial Circuit may also require an evaluation as a condition of sentencing before the case is closed. Check with the Lee County courthouse or your attorney for what applies in your specific situation.

Cities in Lee County

Dixon is the county seat of Lee County and is home to the Circuit Clerk and Sheriff offices. Other communities in the county include Amboy, Ashton, and Paw Paw. None of these cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page, but all Lee County residents use the 15th Judicial Circuit courthouse in Dixon for DUI case proceedings.

Nearby Counties

Lee County is located in north-central Illinois and borders several other counties, each with its own circuit court for DUI filings.