Find Edgar County Police Records
Edgar County police records are kept at the Sheriff's Office on North Central Avenue in Paris. This page explains how to get copies of incident reports, arrest records, and court filings from law enforcement agencies in the county.
Edgar County Quick Facts
Edgar County Sheriff's Office
The Edgar County Sheriff's Office sits at 228 N. Central Ave. in Paris. The main phone line is (217) 465-4166. Deputies patrol the rural parts of the county and respond to calls outside city limits. The sheriff also manages the county jail and serves legal papers for the court.
To get a police report, file a FOIA request. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/) gives everyone the right to request public records. Put your request in writing. State the date of the incident, the names of people involved, and a case number if you know it. You can use the county's downloadable FOIA form or write your own letter.
The Edgar County website provides a FOIA request form that you can download and fill out before submitting your records request.
Download the form from the Edgar County FOIA page and submit it to the appropriate office with your request details.
| Address | 228 N. Central Ave., Paris, IL 61944 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (217) 465-4166 |
| FOIA Form | Download Form |
FOIA Process in Edgar County
Every public body in Edgar County must follow the same FOIA rules. Write your request. Be specific. The more detail you give, the less time it takes for staff to find the right records. Agencies have five business days to respond. They can extend that to ten days if the records are hard to locate or the request is large.
Copy fees follow state law. The first 50 pages are free for black and white copies. After that, each page is $0.15. Electronic copies on a disc cost under a dollar. You can ask for a fee waiver if the records serve a clear public interest. The agency does not have to say yes, but you lose nothing by asking.
If your request is denied, the agency must cite a specific FOIA exemption. Ongoing investigations and personal privacy are the most common reasons. You can appeal to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor at no cost. The PAC will review the denial and issue a binding opinion. Most appeals are resolved within a few weeks, though more involved cases can take a bit longer. The right of appeal is an important check on how government agencies handle records requests in Edgar County.
Edgar County Circuit Clerk
Angela Barrett serves as the Edgar County Circuit Clerk. Her office is at 115 West Court Street in Paris. You can reach her staff at (217) 466-7447. The circuit clerk keeps all court records for criminal, civil, traffic, and family cases in the county.
After police file a report and the State's Attorney decides to press charges, the case moves to circuit court. The clerk tracks every filing from that point on. You can look up charges, hearing dates, plea deals, sentencing, and case outcomes. Edgar County is part of the Fifth Judicial Circuit. All criminal cases go through the courthouse in Paris.
Court records fill in the blanks that police reports leave out. A police report tells you what happened at the scene. The court record shows what came after. If you want to know how a case ended, you need both the police file and the court file. The clerk's office can help you find what you need. Walk in or call ahead to ask about specific cases in Edgar County.
| Clerk | Angela Barrett |
|---|---|
| Address | 115 West Court Street, Paris, IL 61944 |
| Phone | (217) 466-7447 |
Illinois State Police in Edgar County
ISP Troop 7 patrols Edgar County. State troopers work the highways and state routes. If a trooper wrote the report you need, contact ISP directly. File your request at isp.illinois.gov/Foia or email ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov. County and city agencies cannot provide state police reports.
The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/) controls public access to criminal history data. Only conviction records can be shared with the general public. Arrests without convictions are not available. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/) governs record sealing and expungement in Illinois. People with eligible records can petition the court to have them sealed or wiped clean.
Need your own criminal history? Visit a Live Scan vendor for fingerprinting. ISP will mail you a copy of your record at no cost. Crash reports from state police cost $5.00 each. Pay by check or money order payable to Illinois State Police.
Police Record Types in Edgar County
Edgar County agencies keep a range of police records. What you can get depends on the type of incident and which agency responded.
- Incident and offense reports
- Arrest records and booking logs
- Traffic crash reports
- Dispatch and call logs
- Court case filings and outcomes
- Active warrant lists
Some records have limits on access. Open case files may be partly redacted. Juvenile records are sealed by state law. Witness statements in active investigations are often held back until the case closes. The ISP Sex Offender Registry covers Edgar County and is free to search online. No FOIA request is needed to use it.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Edgar County in east-central Illinois. Each has its own sheriff and court system.