Complete a Free Lake County Warrant Search (Illinois)

Perform a free Lake County warrant search today to find out if you or someone else has a summons out for arrest. A warrant should never be ignored, as it carries serious ramifications that can cost a person their liberty.

Courts of law and law enforcement agencies issue warrants only upon probable cause that an offense has been committed or is being committed. Courts and law enforcement agencies typically offer the public free online databases to search for warrants and criminal case information.

This streamlined resource empowers citizens to efficiently run a warrant lookup in Lake County, Illinois at any time.

A Look at What’s Needed To Check Warrants in Lake County for Free

Because warrants are documents created by and maintained by public offices, they are subject to public records law. The state open records law can be found in Title 5 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes 140/1.¹ Illinois declares that it is the policy of the state that all persons are entitled to information from the government and its public offices and that the people shall have access to public records.

Public offices are entitled to charge fees that are reasonable. They are required to respond to requests for public records access within 5 business days.

Illinois state and local government agencies cannot restrain the public’s access to public records unless one of the limited exemptions applies. If an exception applies then the agency must provide the statutory basis in written form to the person who issued the request.

Arrest and search warrants are involved in criminal matters by nature. One of the exemptions to the open records law is records created by law enforcement for law enforcement purposes. These records are only exempt to the extent that disclosure would interfere with law enforcement proceedings, deprive a person of a fair trial, identify a confidential source, disclose unique investigative techniques, obstruct an ongoing investigation, or endanger the life or safety of any person.

An arrest warrant may contain information that would be exempted. For example, a warrant may contain the identity of a confidential informant used as a witness to a crime. A search warrant would certainly obstruct an ongoing investigation, as a suspect would likely destroy any incriminating evidence before it could be searched by law enforcement if they were made aware of the search beforehand.

Nonetheless, law enforcement agencies have the authority to redact any information exempt from disclosure and produce the remainder of the public record. Further, it is within the discretion of agencies to not produce exempted information. They may elect to provide information from warrants if it benefits public policy and is in the best interests of the state.

As arrest warrants become criminal cases filed in court, a court may elect to make its records available to the public through online databases at no cost. Law enforcement agencies may also make warrant information public through search tools and most wanted lists. The Lake County Circuit Court and Sheriff’s Office is where you can find this information.^{2, 3}

When conducting a warrant search, an interested party must know the name of the offender. They will likely be asked to provide both the first and last name, and maybe the address or county where the person lives. There are many different types of warrants which will be explained in further detail in subsequent sections.

There are many ways to check for warrants in Lake County, Illinois. Find out how using the details below.

How To Perform a Lake County Warrant Search

Criminal and traffic cases in Lake County are filed in the Circuit Court. The court has exclusive jurisdiction over both felony and misdemeanor criminal cases. The Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the records custodian for court cases.⁴

When an arrest warrant leads to a criminal case, the case is filed in the circuit court. Requests to inspect cases may be submitted online in the Lake County Circuit Clerk’s Online Portal.⁵

Users can request to view criminal cases and traffic citations, pay outstanding fines, and even plead guilty through the portal. Users must create a free account to use the portal.

After you register to create an account, click on the ‘Case Access Request’ link. It should be noted that you must be a party to the case to gain access. For more information contact the circuit court clerk.

Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court
18 N. County Street
Waukegan, Illinois 60085

Phone: 847.377.3380
Email: [email protected]

You may also begin your warrant search by checking with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office not only issues its own warrants but also executes on behalf of the county circuit court.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office provides a most current warrant list for members of the public to access for free.⁶ This list displays a list of offenders with outstanding arrest warrants for crimes and violations of court orders.

This does not provide the offense description but does provide the corresponding Illinois criminal statute.⁸ You can navigate the statute to determine what type of offense an offender is alleged to have committed. The list does provide the warrant number and issuance date, as well as the offender’s name, address, and physical characteristics.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office also provides a list of most wanted sex offenders.⁹ This is a list of individuals who have failed to comply with state registration requirements and now have active arrest warrants. The list provides the name, mugshot, charge, birth date, last known address, and physical characteristics of the offender.

In addition, the sheriff’s office works closely with the Lake County Crime Stoppers, a collaborative community law enforcement organization.¹⁰ This organization provides a wanted suspects list of individuals with outstanding arrest and bench warrants in Lake County, Illinois.¹¹ It displays the name, mugshot, reason for warrant, and physical characteristics of the offender.

For more information concerning warrants, contact the sheriff’s office using the details below.¹²

Lake County Sheriff’s Office
25 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
Waukegan, Illinois 60085

Phone: 847.377.4000; 847.549.5200
Fax: 847.984.5974
Email: [email protected]

Types of Warrants, What They Mean & Their Significance

Warrants come in different names but what they mean are essentially the same two things. Warrants are issued by courts of law and law enforcement agencies to effectuate an arrest of a person, or a search for a very specific thing in a private place. Warrants must be accompanied by probable cause that an offense has been committed or is in the process of being committed, and also must be signed by a judge or magistrate.

The different types of warrants in Lake County, Illinois are listed below. Find out what they mean and their significance.

Arrest Warrants: legal order granting law enforcement the authority to arrest a person who is alleged to have committed a violation of the Illinois criminal statutes.

Bench Warrants: type of arrest warrant issued by a judge or magistrate when a defendant fails to make an appearance for their scheduled court proceeding. Some bench warrants are independent criminal charges while others are civil in nature.

Probation & Parole Violation Warrants: When a person is placed on probation or parole, they are subject to certain conditions. If they fail to comply with those terms, arrest warrants will be issued.

Traffic Warrants: citations issued by traffic officers when they observe a driver violate a traffic offense.

Child Support Warrants: recommended by child protective services or a family court when a parent fails to make court ordered child support payments without just cause. The parent will be held in contempt of court and arrested.

Capias & Capias Pro Fine Warrants: criminal convictions don’t always end in prison time. When a fine is the sentence and the defendant fails to pay the fine, a warrant will be issued for their arrest.

Fugitive Warrants: these warrants are reserved for the most dangerous felons. When an inmate breaks out of prison or an offender commits a violent crime and evades capture, arrest warrants will be issued.

Search Warrants: legal order issued upon probable cause that evidence is likely to be found in connection with a criminal investigation.

How To Handle an Active Warrant in Lake County Illinois

Warrants are not to be handled lightly, and there are certain steps you should take if you learn that you or someone you know has one. In general, when someone has an active warrant out for their arrest they should consider getting legal counsel. A criminal defense attorney should be able to help them navigate the criminal justice system and put them in a better position than they would be without experienced counsel.

If you find out that someone you know has a warrant, you may choose to let them know. There is a chance that the person may be unaware they have an active warrant. Show them what custodian issued the warrant so they can prepare to handle the situation.

Only inform the person if you deem it safe to do so. Some individuals may be fugitives by choice and actively evading law enforcement capture. If that’s the case, they likely will not take kindly to someone knowing their whereabouts.

In this instance, you may contact a local police department. Tip lines are very helpful for this type of situation.¹³

Lake County Sheriff’s Office
25 South Martin Luther King Jr. Ave,
Waukegan, IL 60085

Phone: 847-377-4000 or 847-549-5200 (Non-Business Hours)

If you learn that you have an active warrant, consider turning yourself in. You do not want more charges piled on top of the current ones. If a court issued the warrant, you may have the opportunity to pay a fine and have the warrant quashed.

You can perform a Lake County warrant search today at no cost; take advantage of free public resources and discover if you or someone you know has an active warrant here.