Lee County Booking Releases
Lee County booking releases are maintained by the Sheriff's Office at 240 E Progress Drive in Dixon. The county has a population of about 33,869 and sits in the northern part of Illinois. The Sheriff runs the county jail and processes all bookings and releases for arrests within Lee County. You can call the Sheriff at 815-284-5217 for general questions or 815-284-6631 for emergencies. The county also has ties to InmateSales for video visitation services. A FOIA request is the standard route for getting written copies of booking release records.
Lee County Quick Facts
Lee County Sheriff Booking Releases
The Lee County Sheriff's Office is the agency responsible for creating and keeping booking release records. Every arrest in Lee County that leads to jail time goes through this office. Staff record the arrest charges, the bond set by the court, personal details, and the exact booking time. When that person leaves the jail, the release gets documented with a date, time, and reason. All of this information becomes part of the public record under Illinois law unless a court later orders the file sealed or expunged.
The office is at 240 E Progress Drive in Dixon, IL 61021. Dixon is the county seat. Call 815-284-5217 for the Sheriff's main line. This number handles general questions, records inquiries, and non-emergency calls. If you have an emergency, dial 815-284-6631 instead. When you call the main line, staff can check whether someone is in the jail, what their charges are, and what bond has been set. They can also confirm release dates for people who have already left custody. Keep the person's full name handy when you call, and a date of birth if you have it.
The Lee County Sheriff's website gives an overview of the office, its divisions, and contact details for reaching staff about booking releases and other services.
From this page you can find the office address, phone numbers, and links to other Sheriff resources in Lee County.
| Address | 240 E Progress Drive, Dixon, IL 61021 |
|---|---|
| Sheriff Phone | 815-284-5217 |
| Emergency | 815-284-6631 |
| Website | leecountyil.com/Sheriffs-Office |
Lee County Jail and InmateSales
Lee County uses InmateSales for video visitation services at the county jail. This platform lets friends and family members schedule video calls with people who are in custody. While InmateSales is mainly a visitation tool and not a booking release search portal, it does require you to know whether someone is currently in the jail. If you are trying to set up a visit and need to confirm that a person is still in custody, the InmateSales system can help point you in the right direction.
To use the service, go to inmatesales.com and look for the Lee County facility. You will need to create an account to schedule a visit. The platform handles payment for video calls and manages the scheduling. It is a separate system from the Sheriff's Office records, so it will not give you copies of booking release files. For actual records, you still need to go through the Sheriff directly or file a FOIA request. But if you are a family member trying to stay in touch with someone at the Lee County jail, InmateSales is the tool the county uses.
Searching Lee County Booking Releases
There is no dedicated online inmate search for Lee County. To get booking release information, you need to contact the Sheriff's Office by phone, in person, or through a written FOIA request. The method you choose depends on what you need and how quickly you need it.
Calling 815-284-5217 is the fastest option. Staff can confirm whether someone is in custody and give you basic booking details. This works for real-time checks. If you need the actual record on paper, a FOIA request is the formal route. You can also walk into the Sheriff's Office at 240 E Progress Drive in Dixon during regular hours to ask about a booking in person. Staff may help you on the spot for simple lookups or direct you to file a written request for more involved searches.
FOIA Requests for Lee County Booking Releases
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) makes booking release records available to the public. Anyone can file a request. You do not have to be the person who was arrested. You do not have to give a reason for wanting the records. The law says government records are public, and booking data falls squarely within that. The Lee County Sheriff's Office must follow FOIA just like every other public body in the state.
Send your FOIA request to the Lee County Sheriff's Office at 240 E Progress Drive, Dixon, IL 61021. Be specific. Name the person whose records you want. Give a date of birth if you have it. Include a date range. Something like "booking release records for Thomas Williams from March 2025 through October 2025" tells the office exactly what to look for. Vague requests take longer to process and can result in back-and-forth that delays the whole thing. You can send the request by mail or drop it off at the office in person.
The Sheriff has five business days to respond. A five-day extension is allowed for larger or more involved requests. Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest data must be released within 72 hours of the arrest. That covers recent booking releases in Lee County. The first 50 pages of records are free. After that, the office can charge up to $0.15 per page. Certified copies cost up to $1.00 each. If the office denies your request, the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor handles appeals at no charge.
Lee County Court Records and Bookings
The Lee County Circuit Clerk manages court records that are tied to bookings. After an arrest, the case enters the court system. The clerk handles charging documents, court dates, plea records, and dispositions. If you want to see what happened after someone was booked in Lee County, the clerk's records tell you whether the charges led to a conviction, a plea, or a dismissal.
Reach the Circuit Clerk at the courthouse in Dixon. A case number speeds up the search. If you do not have one, the person's name and approximate arrest date can work. Court records in Illinois are public unless a judge has ordered them sealed. The clerk charges a fee for copies, with certified copies costing more. Pulling records from both the Sheriff and the Circuit Clerk gives you the full story from the initial booking through the final court outcome in Lee County.
Illinois Law on Lee County Booking Releases
Two Illinois statutes govern booking releases in Lee County. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) establishes the public's right to access government records. It covers arrest logs, booking data, and release records held by the Sheriff. The law imposes a five-day response deadline, limits what agencies can charge for copies, and gives you the right to appeal denied requests through the Attorney General. Most booking releases are fully public under this law, and the Lee County Sheriff must comply.
The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) addresses criminal history records at a state level. It covers how arrest data and booking records get stored and shared. It also handles sealing and expungement. If a court in Lee County orders a record sealed, the booking release file is removed from public view. The Sheriff can no longer share it, and it will not come up in any public search. Expunged records go a step further and are destroyed. These are the exceptions. The vast majority of booking releases in Lee County remain on the public record.
Juvenile records are always kept out of public view in Illinois. A minor arrested in Lee County does not have a public booking release on file. Those records go through the juvenile court system and are confidential under state law. No FOIA request can access juvenile booking data.
Tips for Lee County Booking Releases
Start with a phone call if you need a fast answer. The Sheriff's main line at 815-284-5217 can confirm whether someone is in the Lee County jail and give you basic details. For written records, file a FOIA request with the office at 240 E Progress Drive in Dixon. Keep your request clear and specific to avoid delays.
If you need to arrange a visit with someone in the Lee County jail, use InmateSales to schedule a video call. This platform is separate from the records process but can help confirm whether someone is still in custody at the facility. For any questions about a specific case, the Circuit Clerk at the courthouse in Dixon has court records that complement the booking release data held by the Sheriff.
Nearby Counties
Booking releases are filed in the county where the arrest took place. If you are looking for a booking from a different area, these counties border Lee County.