Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider operating that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies the response under its own practices. We do not keep or record those search terms on our systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
When you contact us by email, we retain the message as needed to respond. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our servers automatically receive basic technical details when a page loads:
- Page-view timestamps
- Your device's IP address
- Browser name and version
- Device type and operating system
- Pages viewed and time spent on them
- The referring website, when available
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files saved on a device. We use them with analytics services to understand aggregate traffic, including popular pages and points where visits end. Browser controls can block cookies, though disabling them may change how parts of the website function.
What We Do With This Data
- Route search requests to the relevant partner service
- Maintain website availability and performance
- Find and correct technical problems
- Measure which content visitors use
- Display advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Illinois Criminal History does not maintain, compile, or sell a database of personal criminal-record information. It provides general directions to records held by the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification, the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Illinois State Police Sex Offender Registry, Illinois courts, and local offices across 102 counties. Illinois conviction dissemination through ISP is governed by the Uniform Conviction Information Act, 20 ILCS 2635, while BOI repository access and subject review arise under the Criminal Identification Act, 20 ILCS 2630. Those laws concern official Illinois records, not visitor data held here. We are not a consumer reporting agency, and visitor information is not assembled into consumer reports or third-party criminal records.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the search boxes. Information submitted through a tool is controlled by the partner's privacy policy rather than this policy. We do not set the partner's retention or disclosure rules, so review those terms before entering a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Illinois agencies, judicial portals, circuit clerks, sheriffs, legal-aid organizations, and outside search providers. Once you leave Illinois Criminal History, the destination's privacy policy applies. Review it before providing personal information.
Some advertising companies may observe activity across websites to personalize ads. That processing occurs through their systems and practices.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Data may be available to:
- Analytics providers measuring traffic and performance
- Search partners processing a query you submit
- Advertising networks serving ads
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable standard safeguards are used for information we collect. No internet-connected system is fully secure, however, so we cannot guarantee that a breach or unauthorized access will never occur.
Users Under 18
Illinois Criminal History is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from a person under 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such data, we will remove it.
Your Data Rights
Rights may vary with residence and applicable law. Illinois consumer protections include the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, governs records held by Illinois public bodies and does not convert a private website's visitor data into a state public record. Subject to applicable law, you may:
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Ask for a copy of information associated with you
- Opt out of certain processing where the law provides that choice
- Request deletion where a legal exception does not require retention
Updates to This Policy
We may revise this policy. A new version becomes available on this page with an updated effective date, so return periodically to review the current practices.
Effective date: August 11, 2026