McHenry County Court Dockets

McHenry County court records in Illinois are available through several channels. McHenryCourt.us allows you to search publicly accessible information about court cases in the county. Additionally, records can be found through the official resources of the 22nd Judicial Circuit, the office of the circuit court clerk, and public terminals installed directly in the courthouse. Online tools typically allow searches by party name or case number.

McHenry Court System & Jurisdictions

McHenry County is served by the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit Court — the only general jurisdiction circuit court. Illinois does not have separate District Courts or Magistrate Courts at the county level; instead, the Circuit Court is divided into specialized divisions.

Here are the main categories of cases and their respective divisions:

• Criminal Cases (Criminal Division) — felonies, misdemeanors, probation violations.
• Civil Cases (Civil Division) — claims over $50,000, evictions, debt collections.
• Small Claims — disputes up to $10,000 are handled by the same Circuit Court under a simplified procedure.
• Family Law (Family Division) — divorces, custody, child support, protection orders. Standardized forms for such cases are approved by the Illinois Supreme Court.
• Probate Proceedings (Probate Division) — wills, estate management, guardianship of incapacitated persons.
• Traffic Violations (Traffic Division) — fines, DUI, traffic rule violations.

All these divisions operate under one roof — the McHenry County Courthouse. If you are unsure which division your case belongs to, contact the clerk's office.

McHenry Court Calendar & Upcoming Hearings

To find out the schedule of hearings for today, tomorrow, or the current week, the quickest way is to visit the 22nd Judicial Circuit website. There, you can find up-to-date judges' calendars and lists of cases scheduled for hearing.

Here are some practical tips:

1. On the county website, navigate to the Court Calendar section. Searches are usually available by date, judge's name, or courtroom number.
2. If you need information about a specific case, use the case number search — it's more precise than searching by last name.
3. Public terminals in the courthouse display the daily schedule in real-time.
4. Call the clerk's office to confirm whether a hearing has been rescheduled — changes occur frequently.

General information about the state court system, including a directory of all county courts, can be found on the Office of the Illinois Courts portal.

How to Get a Copy of a McHenry Court Document

The Circuit Court clerk's office maintains all county court documents and issues their copies. There are two types of copies:

• Uncertified copy — suitable for review. The clerk simply copies the document without official certification.
• Certified copy — bears the clerk's seal and confirms authenticity. Usually required for submission to another court, government agencies, or for immigration procedures.

You can obtain a copy in three ways:

1. In person — visit the clerk's office in the courthouse. You will need the case number or the full name of the party and the approximate filing date.
2. By mail — send a written request specifying the case number, document type, and contact information. Include a check or money order for the appropriate amount.
3. Online — some documents are available through the court's electronic system. Check the 22nd Judicial Circuit website.

Mail request address:

Divorce records can also be requested through the Illinois Department of Public Health, although certified copies of court decisions are issued by the clerk of the county where the lawsuit was filed.

Some records have restricted access. Juvenile cases, adoptions, and sealed criminal cases are usually closed to the public.

McHenry Court Records Fees & Payment

Fees are set according to Illinois state law (705 ILCS 105/27.2a) and local administrative orders. Below are approximate rates — we recommend confirming exact amounts directly with the clerk's office, as they may change.

Acceptable payment methods:

• Cash (in-person only)
• Money order
• Cashier's check, made payable to McHenry County Clerk of the Circuit Court

Personal checks and credit cards are not always accepted — confirm this in advance by phone. For mail requests, be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want to receive a copy by mail.

Additional resources: approved standardized forms for filing in any Illinois court are available for free on the state Supreme Court's website. To check information about individuals in custody, use the IDOC inmate search, and for checking the sex offender registry, use the Illinois State Police registry.