DeKalb County Booking Releases
DeKalb County booking releases are managed by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office in Sycamore. With a population of about 100,703, this county sits in northern Illinois just west of the Chicago suburbs. Sheriff Andrew Sullivan oversees the office, which runs two public online tools: a current inmate roster and a released inmate roster. These give the public direct access to recent booking and release data without having to file any kind of formal records request with the county.
DeKalb County Quick Facts
DeKalb County Sheriff Booking Releases
The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office is the central point for all booking releases in the county. Sheriff Andrew Sullivan leads the office, which is located at 150 North Main Street in Sycamore. The jail is at the same location. Every person arrested in DeKalb County who needs to be held goes through this facility. Local police departments in DeKalb, Sycamore, Genoa, and other towns bring their arrests here for processing.
The office has several contact numbers. The non-emergency line, which is available 24 hours a day, is 815-895-2155. The jail line is 815-895-4177. If you need to reach the Sheriff directly, the email address is asullivan@dekalbcounty.org. For general booking release questions, the non-emergency number is the best choice. Someone is always there to answer.
The Sheriff's website has links to both the current and released inmate rosters along with other department resources.
The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office main page provides access to inmate tools and contact information.
The site links directly to the inmate roster pages, making it a good starting point for any search related to DeKalb County booking releases.
| Address | 150 North Main Street, Sycamore, IL 60178 |
|---|---|
| Non-Emergency (24hr) | 815-895-2155 |
| Jail | 815-895-4177 |
| Sheriff Email | asullivan@dekalbcounty.org |
| Website | dekalbsheriff.org |
DeKalb County Current Inmate Roster
The current inmate roster shows everyone who is in the DeKalb County jail right now. You can view it at dekalbcountysheriff.org/roster.php. This is a live list that updates as people are booked in and released. It is free to use and does not need a login or account. Just go to the page and browse the roster.
The roster shows names, charges, booking dates, and bond amounts. It gives you a clear picture of who is currently in custody at the DeKalb County jail. If you are looking for someone who was just arrested, this is the first place to check. New bookings appear on the roster once the intake process is done, which usually takes a few hours after the arrest. The page is easy to read and loads quickly on both computers and phones.
The current inmate roster for DeKalb County lists all people held at the jail with their charges and booking details.
This roster is one of the two main public tools for checking booking releases in DeKalb County.
DeKalb County Released Inmate Roster
What makes DeKalb County stand out from many other Illinois counties is the released roster. This is a separate page that shows people who have been released from the jail. You can find it at dekalbcountysheriff.org/roster.php?released=1. Most counties only show current inmates. DeKalb County shows both sides of the process.
The released roster is valuable for several reasons. If you are checking on someone and they are not on the current roster, it could mean they were released. The released roster confirms that. It shows when the person was let go and under what conditions. This saves you from having to call the jail to ask. Family members and attorneys use this tool regularly. It removes a lot of the guesswork that comes with trying to track booking releases.
The released roster for DeKalb County shows recently released inmates with their release details.
Having both a current roster and a released roster gives the public a more complete picture of jail activity in DeKalb County.
The released roster does not go back forever. It shows recent releases only. How far back it goes depends on the system settings, but you can generally find releases from the past few weeks. For older booking releases, a FOIA request is the right approach.
FOIA Requests for DeKalb Booking Releases
If neither roster has the record you need, a FOIA request gets you into the deeper archive. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act at 5 ILCS 140 gives anyone the right to request public records from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office. Booking releases are public records, and the office must provide them unless an exemption applies.
Send your request to the Sheriff's Office at 150 North Main Street, Sycamore, IL 60178. You can also email it. Include the person's full name, the approximate dates of the booking, and what type of records you want. Be as specific as you can. A targeted request gets a faster response than a broad one. Say exactly what you need and you will likely get it within the five-day window.
Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, the office must respond within five business days. An extension of five more days is allowed with written notice. The first 50 pages are free. After that, copies cost $0.15 per page. If you want records in electronic form and they already exist digitally, the office may provide them at no charge.
Illinois Law on DeKalb County Booking Releases
Two main statutes govern access to booking releases in DeKalb County. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act at 5 ILCS 140 is the broader law. It makes all government records presumptively public. Booking and release data from the jail fall under this law. The DeKalb County Sheriff must release these records to anyone who asks, subject to certain narrow exemptions.
The Criminal Identification Act at 20 ILCS 2630 covers criminal history records in more detail. This law governs how arrest data and rap sheets are stored, shared, and restricted. For the average person looking up a recent booking release, the FOIA is the relevant statute. The Criminal Identification Act matters more when dealing with formal background checks, sealing, or expungement.
Sealed and expunged records do not appear on either roster. Juvenile records are never made public through the booking release system. If someone's record has been expunged by court order, it is removed from all public-facing tools. The Sheriff's Office follows these rules strictly, as required by state law.
What DeKalb County Booking Releases Show
Booking releases from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office contain a core set of data fields. The rosters show a summary, and full FOIA responses may include more detail. Here is what most records contain.
- Full name of the person
- Booking date and time
- Charges at the time of arrest
- Bond amount and type
- Release date and reason
- Arresting agency
The current roster focuses on booking data. The released roster adds release details. A FOIA request can get you the full file, which may include the booking photo, property inventory, and other intake records. The level of detail depends on what you request and what the office can legally share.
Contacting DeKalb County for Booking Releases
The best phone number for booking release questions is the non-emergency line at 815-895-2155. This line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody, when they were booked, and whether they have been released. For questions about the jail itself, call 815-895-4177 during regular hours.
For written requests, you can email the Sheriff at asullivan@dekalbcounty.org or send a letter to the office at 150 North Main Street in Sycamore. Email is faster for most requests. If you are filing a formal FOIA request, email works just as well as a physical letter under Illinois law. The office must treat both the same way and respond within the same five-day time frame. If you do not hear back within five days, follow up by phone. The non-emergency line is always staffed, so you can check on the status of your request at any time.
Nearby Counties
These counties sit next to DeKalb County. Each has its own jail and keeps separate booking releases. If you are not sure where an arrest was processed, check the arresting agency or the police report.