Search Arrest, Mugshot & Inmate Records by Name
Search by name and state for arrest, booking, mugshot, inmate, jail roster, prison, criminal and court-record search categories.
Independent records-search resource. This website is not a government agency, police department, sheriff's office, jail, prison or courthouse. Search coverage varies by source and jurisdiction. Some links may lead to third-party services, and compensation may be received when a partner service is used.
Find an Illinois Inmate in the Right Jail or Prison System
An Illinois jail inmate search works best when you first identify who is likely holding the person. Someone arrested recently may be in a county jail, while a person serving an Illinois state-prison sentence is searched through the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). Federal custody uses a separate federal locator.
- Recently arrested or awaiting court: search the sheriff or jail for the county where the arrest occurred.
- Serving an Illinois state-prison sentence: use the IDOC Individual in Custody Search.
- Federal case: use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator.
- Not sure where the person went: check the county jail first, then IDOC, then the court case.
Information checked: October 18, 2026. Custody locations, jail rosters, visitation rules and release information can change quickly, so use the linked government system for the final live status.
Choose the Correct Illinois Custody Search First
Illinois does not have one public database containing every person held in every county jail, state prison, municipal lockup and federal facility. IDOC’s statewide search covers people in Illinois Department of Corrections custody; local sheriffs maintain their own jail information.
This distinction matters because IDOC itself lists being in a county jail awaiting trial or sentencing as one reason a person may not appear in the state-prison search.
| If the person is… | Search here first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Arrested recently | County sheriff/jail | Booking normally starts in the local system. |
| Awaiting trial in a local criminal case | County jail | Pretrial detention is generally administered locally. |
| Serving an IDOC prison sentence | IDOC Individual in Custody Search | IDOC maintains the official Illinois state-prison record. |
| Held on a federal matter | Federal Bureau of Prisons | Federal custody is separate from IDOC and county jails. |
| Only recently picked up by city police | County sheriff, then local police/lockup | Some people are transferred from a municipal holding location into the county jail after arrest. |
IDOC’s FY2025 annual report states that Illinois has 102 counties and 92 of them maintain a county jail. That is another reason a search based only on the county name can be misleading: some jurisdictions use another facility rather than operating their own county jail.
If the arrest involved a municipal holding facility, our city jail inmate search guide explains why someone arrested by city police may later appear in a county system instead.
How to Use the Official Illinois IDOC Inmate Search
Use IDOC when the person has entered Illinois state correctional custody. The official search accepts a last name, IDOC number or birth date.
Step-by-step IDOC search
- Open the Illinois Department of Corrections Individual in Custody Search.
- Choose the information you know: last name, IDOC number or birth date.
- For a name search, enter the person’s legal last name. IDOC also permits a partial last-name search.
- If you know the IDOC number, use it because it is more precise than a common name.
- For a birth-date search, enter the requested date in the format shown by IDOC.
- Open the matching record and compare identifying information before assuming it belongs to the correct person.
- Record the IDOC number and current facility because you may need both for mail, money, visitation or phone arrangements.
Information IDOC may make public
IDOC says public information for a current or former person in its custody can include the person’s name, IDOC number, parent institution, current location or status, identifying information, admission and release information, and sentencing information. Other records may be confidential or require appropriate legal process.
If the online search is temporarily unavailable or you need assistance, IDOC lists its public information telephone number as 217-558-2200.
How to Search an Illinois County Jail
If someone was arrested recently, do not begin with the state-prison database simply because it says “Illinois.” Start with the county where the arrest or booking most likely occurred.
- Identify the county of arrest, not just the city name.
- Open that county’s official sheriff or county government website.
- Look for wording such as Inmate Search, Inmate Lookup, Inmate Roster, Detainee Search, Who’s in Jail or Individual in Custody.
- Search the person’s full legal name. Use a booking or subject number if the system provides one.
- Compare age, booking information, charges or other identifiers when several people have similar names.
- After confirming custody, use the same sheriff’s site for visitation, mail, deposits and jail contact information.
Official Illinois County Jail Lookup Starting Points
The following links go to official county or sheriff resources for several of the state’s most commonly searched jail systems. If your county is not shown, use the same method: locate the official sheriff website and look for its corrections or inmate section.
| Illinois county | Official search/resource | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| Cook County | Individual in Custody Locator | Official Cook County Sheriff jail locator for Chicago-area county custody. |
| DuPage County | DuPage Sheriff Inmate Search | Official sheriff inmate search for DuPage County. |
| Kane County | Kane County Custody Resources | Use the official “Locate a Detainee” or “Who’s in Jail” option. |
| Lake County | Lake County Locate an Inmate | Official Lake County jail search. |
| Will County | Will County Sheriff | Use the site’s official Inmate Search quick link. |
| Winnebago County | Winnebago Inmate Inquiry | Search by last name or the first letter of the last name. |
| Sangamon County | Sangamon Jail Reports | The Sheriff’s page links to its current Inmate Roster. |
| Champaign County | Champaign Jail Records Portal | Official portal for people currently in custody. |
| Peoria County | Peoria Jail & Inmate Information | Includes the county’s online inmate-record search. |
| Kendall County | Kendall County Corrections | The official corrections page links to inmate search information. |
For Chicago and Cook County specifically, see our detailed Cook County Jail inmate search guide. If you see the abbreviation “CCDOC,” it means Cook County Department of Corrections; our CCDOC jail inmate search guide explains that system separately.
If You Cannot Find the Person
A zero-result search does not automatically mean the person is not incarcerated. Work through these checks before paying for an unofficial records search.
- Check spelling. Try the complete legal last name and, for IDOC, a partial last name if needed.
- Allow for booking time. A recent arrest may still be moving through intake, fingerprinting, medical screening or court processing.
- Search the correct county. The place of arrest and place of incarceration may be different.
- Try IDOC. A person transferred from a county jail to an Illinois prison may disappear from the local current-custody list.
- Check the court case. The person may have been released, transferred or ordered into another type of custody.
- Check federal custody. Federal defendants and prisoners are not searched through IDOC.
- Consider another name. IDOC notes that someone may be incarcerated under a different name.
- Consider discharge. A former IDOC prisoner may no longer appear as currently incarcerated after completing the sentence or supervision status covered by the search.
For a recent Cook County arrest, for example, the Sheriff’s communications office says locator results are typically published roughly 4–6 hours after booking and processing. Other Illinois counties use different systems and update schedules, so do not apply Cook County’s timing statewide.
What an Illinois Inmate Lookup Can—and Cannot—Tell You
| Information | Best source |
|---|---|
| Current jail custody | County sheriff or jail inmate search |
| State-prison location | IDOC Individual in Custody Search |
| IDOC number | IDOC search |
| County booking number | County jail search |
| Charges listed at booking | County jail record and court docket |
| Upcoming court events | County Circuit Clerk |
| Case disposition or conviction | Court record, not merely the jail roster |
| Release/custody-change alert | Illinois VINE |
| Federal imprisonment | Federal Bureau of Prisons locator |
A jail roster is mainly a custody tool. For the actual criminal case, use the appropriate circuit clerk. The Illinois Courts Circuit Court Clerks directory provides county-by-county clerk contact information.
How to Check Court Dates, Release and Pretrial Status
Once you identify the correct inmate record, note the county, booking number and any case number shown. Then check the Circuit Clerk for the underlying court case.
Use this order
- Confirm the person’s identity in the jail or IDOC record.
- Copy the available case or booking number.
- Open the circuit clerk or court system for that county.
- Review the docket for court events, orders and case status.
- Contact the jail or clerk when a live release decision has not yet appeared online.
The Illinois Courts Directory can help you locate the appropriate courthouse or circuit when you know the county but do not know which court website to use.
After You Find an IDOC Inmate: Visit, Call, Send Mail or Add Money
Finding the correct record is only the first step. Save the person’s exact custody name, IDOC number and facility before using family-and-friend services.
IDOC visitation
IDOC’s current visitation instructions tell visitors to:
- Locate the individual and facility using the IDOC search.
- Make sure you are on the person’s approved visitation list.
- Schedule the visit through the current IDOC scheduling process.
- Check the facility for lockdowns or special restrictions before traveling.
- Arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled visit.
IDOC states that adult visitors should bring two forms of identification, with one being a current state-issued photo ID. Facility-specific restrictions can apply. The current IDOC visitation page also links to the full 2026 visitation rules.
IDOC phone calls
IDOC currently uses ICSolutions for individual-in-custody phone service. People in IDOC custody cannot receive ordinary incoming telephone calls; they make calls to people on their approved calling list. IDOC lists ICSolutions customer service at 888-506-8407.
Use the official IDOC contact page before creating or funding an account because provider rules can change.
Sending money to an IDOC inmate
IDOC currently lists electronic funding through JPay, MoneyGram and Western Union’s Send2Corrections service, plus money orders sent under the department’s lockbox process.
| Method | Current IDOC guidance |
|---|---|
| JPay | Electronic deposit; IDOC number and incarcerated last name are required. |
| Western Union / Send2Corrections | Electronic option using the inmate’s IDOC number and last name. |
| MoneyGram | IDOC publishes receiving code 7364 and a maximum transaction limit of $3,000. |
| Money order | Maximum $999.99; send with the required lockbox deposit slip rather than directly to the prison. |
IDOC says electronic deposits through JPay and Western Union are generally anticipated within 24–48 business hours, while MoneyGram may take 72–96 business hours. Transfers between facilities can create additional delay. Check IDOC Deposit Services before sending funds.
For IDOC correspondence, include the person’s IDOC number near their name on the envelope. Use the person’s current facility shown in the inmate search, then obtain the mailing address from the IDOC Facilities directory. Do not assume an old facility address is still correct after a transfer.
County jails have their own mail, visitation, phone and deposit rules. Do not use IDOC instructions for a person who is actually in a county jail.
Get an Alert if Custody or Release Status Changes
If you need ongoing custody notifications rather than repeatedly checking a roster, Illinois provides access to VINE — Victim Information and Notification Everyday.
IDOC says Illinois VINE can provide registered users with notifications involving custody changes, transfers and criminal case information. Notifications can be delivered through email, text messages, telephone calls or the VINE mobile application.
- Illinois VINE registration: VINELink Illinois
- VINE telephone: 866-566-8439
- IDOC Victim Services: 877-776-0755 during published business hours
Victims who need post-conviction notifications can also review the Illinois Prisoner Review Board Victim & Witness Services program.
What if the person is in federal custody?
Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. The BOP locator covers federal inmates from 1982 to the present and allows searches by name or federal identifying number. A federal facility located in Illinois is still federal custody and will not be part of the IDOC inmate search.
Best Search Sequence When You Know Very Little
If all you have is a person’s name and the fact that the arrest happened somewhere in Illinois, use this sequence:
- Find the city or county where the arrest happened.
- Search that county sheriff’s current jail roster.
- If there is no result, check IDOC using the last name and birth date if known.
- Search the appropriate circuit court record for evidence of release, transfer or a current criminal case.
- Check BOP only if federal charges or federal custody are possible.
- Use VINE if you need future custody-change notifications.
This approach prevents the most common mistake in an Illinois inmate lookup: repeatedly searching the correct person’s name in the wrong custody system.
Illinois Jail Inmate Search FAQs
1. Is there one official statewide Illinois county jail inmate search?
No. IDOC provides a statewide search for Illinois state-prison custody, but county jail records are maintained by local sheriffs or county detention agencies. Search the county jail when the person was recently arrested or is awaiting local court proceedings.
2. How do I search for an inmate in the Illinois Department of Corrections?
Use the official IDOC Individual in Custody Search. You can search using a last name, IDOC number or birth date. IDOC also permits partial last-name searches.
3. What is the difference between an Illinois county jail and an IDOC prison?
County jails handle local custody such as recent bookings, people awaiting court and certain local sentences. IDOC operates Illinois state correctional facilities for people committed to state prison custody.
4. What information should I have before searching for someone?
The person’s full legal name is the best starting point. A date of birth, IDOC number, county booking number or other identifier helps distinguish people with the same or similar names.
5. Why does the IDOC inmate search show no result?
IDOC says possible reasons include discharge, incarceration under another name, custody in a county jail while awaiting trial or sentencing, or incarceration in another state’s prison system. Check the spelling and the likely custody level before concluding the person is not incarcerated.
6. Why is a recently arrested person not showing in the county jail search yet?
The person may still be going through booking and intake, or may be held temporarily by another agency. Update times differ by county, so wait for processing and then check the official sheriff system again or contact the jail.
7. Does an Illinois inmate search show a release date or bond?
Some jail and IDOC records display release, sentencing or custody-related information, but the exact fields vary. For current pretrial release decisions, verify the court docket because Illinois eliminated cash bail beginning September 18, 2023.
8. How do I find an Illinois inmate’s court date?
After identifying the county and, when available, the case number, use that county’s Circuit Clerk. The Illinois Courts website provides a statewide Circuit Court Clerks directory and court directory.
9. Can I receive an alert when an Illinois inmate is transferred or released?
Yes. Illinois VINE allows eligible users to register for custody and case-status notifications by methods including phone, text, email and the VINE application. IDOC also provides Victim Services information for qualifying notifications.
10. How do I search for a federal inmate located in Illinois?
Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator rather than IDOC. The BOP search covers federal inmates from 1982 to the present and accepts searches by name or federal identification number.
Official Illinois Resources
- Illinois Department of Corrections — Individual in Custody Search
- IDOC — Jail and Detention Standards Unit
- IDOC — Visitation Rules & Information
- IDOC — Individual in Custody Deposit Services
- Illinois Courts — Circuit Court Clerks
- IDOC — Victim Services and Illinois VINE Information
- Federal Bureau of Prisons — Inmate Locator
Use this page to identify the right system and understand the process. For a final live custody status, release decision, visit appointment or payment, confirm the transaction in the responsible sheriff, court, IDOC or federal government system.