Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Illinois Free Public Criminal Records

By Ben Kingsley


The UCIA or Uniform Conviction Information Act makes criminal records that have received convictions available to the public. The records are preserved and collected by the Illinois State Police or ISP and are made available to the community. The criminal records can serve as a background check on any individual to check their personal arrest records or to check on another person's history. Currently the ISP provides two ways to obtain criminal records - fingerprint or non-fingerprint. To request for criminal records, the person requesting should use the forms provided by the ISP as each form has its own unique processing control number.

To request using the non-fingerprint form, the person requesting should submit as many details or information of the person they are looking for. This option might not be efficient if one is looking for convicted criminals or sexual offenders as these people more often than not use alias and different names. Cost for the processing is $16 and $30 for cheques that are not drawn from a US bank. A more reliable search may be made if one will use the fingerprint request form. The ISP will search their fingerprint database record for the person being requested. The cost for the processing is $20 and $50 for checks not drawn from a US bank. The ISP accepts payment through credit cards, checks and money orders.

The ISP accepts multiple requests and a single payment made through the options mentioned above are allowed; however, each request must include only one name. A person's maiden name is considered as a separate request. Before submitting the request form, it is pertinent that one should check the details submitted as the ISP will not process incomplete request forms and the fee is non-refundable.

For those who want to view and challenge their criminal records, they may do so by requesting their local law enforcement agency to initiate a fingerprint-based inquiry that would allow the person to access and review their own criminal record transcript. The ISP does not charge for the Access and Review or Record Challenge processing; however, the law enforcement agency or the correctional facilities may charge the person a fee to cover the cost of the request.

For those who want to obtain their criminal record from the FBI, they can do so by sending a request copy directly to the FBI. The cover should include an introduction of the person, contact info, a copy of their fingerprints as well as payment of $18. Payments can be made through credit card, money order and check. Processing can take between one to two months upon receipt.

Another way for one to obtain their criminal records is to visit the local police department or the circuit clerk court where the case was filed. For a more convenient way to access arrest records, public search sites are available online. They provide the fastest and most convenient way to obtain criminal records or do background checks for individuals or others. A small nominal fee might be required to obtain the full report; however, for those who do bulk researches, most of the sites do offer packages, which would not only be convenient but also cost efficient.




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