Circuit Clerk

The Bureau County Circuit Clerk is the keeper of the court records and the official court seal. Our office is located on the main floor of the Courthouse and is divided into two parts. Our front office contains the Traffic, Criminal, and Civil Departments and the Public Access workstation where court records may be searched. Our back office contains the Probate, Jury, Juvenile and Child Support Departments.

Copies of court records and documents may be obtained in our office (copying charges apply).

Probate records dating back to 1837 are contained in our back office. Genealogists may visit our office to research probate and naturalization records and to request copies.

Passport Processing

Although not a requirement of the office, the Bureau County Circuit Clerk processes U.S. passport applications in our back office. We do not take passport photos. Hours to process passport applications are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (it takes 15 to 20 minutes to process a passport application).

Collection of Court Fines, Costs & Fees

The Circuit Clerk’s Office is responsible for the collection and disbursement of all fines, costs and fees assessed by the court. We do not take credit card payments by phone, but payments can be made online through Our Website Here. Credit card payments made in our office must be a minimum payment of $25.00. A 3% credit card fee is assessed on each transaction. Payments by cash, money order or certified check are accepted in our office.

Court Records

Online court records can be viewed Online Here. Sealed and suppressed cases cannot be viewed on the Circuit Clerk’s website.

Jury Duty

The Circuit Clerk is responsible for summoning Petit and Grand Jurors. Information on serving as a juror is available on our website Here.

Child Support

The Circuit Clerk does not collect Child Support payments but does maintain a record of all child support payments made through the State Disbursement Unit (SDU). A record of payments may be obtained in our back office.

Court & Legal Forms

Forms are available in our office for filing in certain (not all) cases. We do not provide forms on our website. Forms for many case types are available free of charge by going to Illinois Legal Aid, a website developed by the Illinois Supreme Court for Illinois residents who are not using services of an attorney. Certain standardized forms developed by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice are available at their Website.

Expungements

Information on the process for expunging or sealing a court record is available on Our Website Here.