Access Lee County Police Records
Lee County police records are managed by the Sheriff's Office and Circuit Clerk in Dixon. Here is how to search for and request police records from Lee County law enforcement.
Lee County Quick Facts
Lee County Sheriff Police Records
The Lee County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the county. The office is at 240 E Progress Drive in Dixon, IL 61021. Call (815) 284-5217 to reach the sheriff. The department handles patrol, investigations, and jail operations across Lee County. Police records from unincorporated areas and towns without their own force are kept here.
To request a police report, contact the sheriff's office. You can visit in person at the Dixon location or call first to ask about the process. Put your request in writing. Include the date of the incident, any names tied to the case, and a case number if you have one. Lee County has about 34,000 residents. Dixon is the largest city. If the incident happened within Dixon city limits, the Dixon Police Department may hold the report instead of the sheriff.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office page is shown below.
The sheriff's page has contact details and information about services at the office in Dixon.
Arrest records and booking data from the Lee County Jail are also on file at the sheriff's office. Some booking info is public. Other parts may be restricted. Ask the staff about what they can release.
| Address | 240 E Progress Drive, Dixon, IL 61021 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (815) 284-5217 |
| Website | leecountyil.com/258/Sheriffs-Office |
FOIA Requests for Lee County Police Records
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/) gives you the right to request police records from any public body in Lee County. This covers the sheriff, the circuit clerk, and any local police department. Put your request in writing. Include dates, names, and what type of record you need.
Lee County agencies must respond within five business days. Complex requests can take up to five extra days. The first 50 pages of black and white copies are free. Each additional page costs $0.15. If your request is denied, the denial must cite a specific FOIA exemption. You can appeal to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor at no cost to you.
Be as specific as you can when writing your request. A clear description of the record you want helps the staff find it faster. Broad requests like "all police reports" can be rejected. Give dates, names, and locations. This protects your rights under the FOIA and speeds up the process in Lee County.
Lee County Circuit Clerk Court Records
The Lee County Circuit Clerk is Denise McCaffrey. Her office is at 309 S. Galena Avenue, Suite 320, in Dixon, IL 61021. Call (815) 284-5234 for questions. The Lee County Circuit Clerk website has info about court services and records access.
The Lee County Circuit Clerk page is shown below.
This page from the circuit clerk site shows services and contact info for Lee County court records.
The circuit clerk keeps all court case files from Lee County. After an arrest, the case moves to circuit court. Every filing, motion, hearing, and order is in the case record. Court records show charges, plea deals, trial results, and sentences. This is where you look to find out what happened after a police report was filed. Visit the clerk's office in Dixon with a photo ID to search case records in person.
Lee County is part of the 13th Judicial Circuit. The clerk's staff can help you search for a case by name, date, or case number. Ask about fees for copies when you visit.
| Circuit Clerk | Denise McCaffrey |
|---|---|
| Address | 309 S. Galena Avenue, Suite 320, Dixon, IL 61021 |
| Phone | (815) 284-5234 |
| Website | leecountyil.com/183/Circuit-Clerk |
Criminal History Checks for Lee County
A criminal background check is not the same as a police report. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/) limits public access to conviction data. Arrests that did not end in a conviction are not public. The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification processes background checks statewide.
Use CHIRP for name-based searches. Go to a Live Scan vendor for fingerprint-based checks. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/) controls sealed and expunged records in Illinois. Sealed records are off limits to the public. Only certain agencies and the person named in the record can access them. The Access and Review process lets you check your own record for free at a Live Scan location.
The Lee County Sheriff and circuit clerk cannot run full background checks. Their records cover local cases only. For a statewide criminal history, go through ISP.
State Police Records in Lee County
ISP Troop 1 covers Lee County. Troopers patrol highways and state roads in the area. If a state trooper was involved, the report is with ISP. Contact the ISP FOIA Officer at ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov or visit isp.illinois.gov/Foia.
Crash reports from ISP cost $5.00 each by mail. Send a check to the Patrol Records Unit at 801 South 7th Street, Suite 600-M, Springfield, IL 62703. Online ordering is also available. Lee County has I-88 and several state routes, so ISP handles a share of the crash reports in the area. For other record types from troopers, a standard FOIA request to ISP applies.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Lee County. Check the incident address to confirm which county you should contact for records.