Tazewell County Booking Releases
Tazewell County booking releases are handled by the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office in Pekin. The county has a population of about 130,290, making it one of the mid-size counties in central Illinois. The Sheriff's Office posts inmate data through two separate online tools, giving the public quick access to current jail records and recent release information. You can also file a FOIA request for older booking releases or records that are not shown in the live search tools on the site.
Tazewell County Quick Facts
Tazewell County Sheriff Booking Releases
The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office is the primary source for all booking releases in the county. This office runs the county jail and keeps records of every person who is booked in or let out. When someone is arrested within Tazewell County, local police or deputies bring them to the jail for processing. Staff log the arrest, take prints and a photo, and record the charges. All of that goes into the booking file.
The Sheriff's Office sits at 101 S. Capitol Street in Pekin. That is where you go if you need booking release records in person. You can visit the office to ask about a specific case, or you can call ahead to check if a record is on file. The staff there handle a fair number of public record requests each month, so they know the process well.
The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office website is the best place to start any search for booking releases.
The main page of the Tazewell County Sheriff's website shows contact details and links to their inmate tools.
From this page you can get to both the inmate search and the custody lookup tool, which are the two main ways to check booking releases for Tazewell County online.
| Address | 101 S. Capitol Street, Pekin, IL 61554 |
|---|---|
| Website | sheriff.tazewell-il.gov |
| FOIA Response | 5 business days |
Online Inmate Search for Booking Releases
Tazewell County runs an inmate search tool on the Sheriff's website. You can find it at sheriff.tazewell-il.gov/inmate-search/. The tool is free. No login is needed. Just type in a name and hit search. Results show the person's name, booking date, charges, and current status. This is the fastest way to check if someone was booked into the Tazewell County jail.
The search works by last name and first name. You can leave the first name blank if you are not sure of it. The system will pull up all matching records in the database. Keep in mind that this tool shows people who are currently held or were recently booked. It does not always go back very far in time. For older booking releases in Tazewell County, a FOIA request is the better route.
The inmate search page lets you look up current detainees by name.
Search results update throughout the day as new bookings are processed and people are released from custody.
One thing to note. The inmate search may not show every piece of data from the booking file. Bond amounts, for instance, might not be listed for all entries. If you need the full record, you can ask the Sheriff's Office directly or submit a written request under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Tazewell County Custody Lookup
There is a second tool on the Tazewell County Sheriff's site. The custody lookup is at sheriff.tazewell-il.gov/inmate-lookup-c/. This works a bit differently from the main inmate search. The custody lookup is built more for checking if a specific person is currently in jail right now. It pulls real-time data from the jail management system.
Both tools are useful but serve slightly different needs. The inmate search is broader and may show recent bookings even after release. The custody lookup is more of a live check. If someone was arrested yesterday and you want to know if they are still held, this is the tool to use. The two tools together give you solid coverage of booking releases in Tazewell County without having to call or visit the jail.
The custody lookup page provides real-time status checks for Tazewell County jail.
This tool is especially helpful for family members trying to find out if a person is still in custody at the Tazewell County jail.
FOIA Requests for Tazewell County Booking Releases
When the online tools do not have what you need, you can file a Freedom of Information Act request. This is the legal process for getting public records from any government office in Illinois. The law that governs this is 5 ILCS 140, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. It applies to all booking releases held by the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office.
To file a FOIA request, write a letter or send an email to the Sheriff's Office. Be specific about what you want. Include the person's full name, a rough date range, and what kind of records you need. Saying "all booking releases for John Smith from January 2025 to June 2025" is much better than just asking for "all records." The more detail you give, the faster the office can find what you are looking for.
Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, the Sheriff's Office has five business days to respond. They can take five more days if they send you written notice. The first 50 pages of black and white copies are free. After that, it costs $0.15 per page. Most requests for individual booking releases fall well within the free range.
If your request is denied, the response must say why. Common reasons include records tied to an active investigation or records sealed by court order. You can appeal a denial to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor. That process is free.
Illinois Law on Booking Releases
Booking releases in Tazewell County are public records. The Illinois FOIA at 5 ILCS 140 gives anyone the right to access government records, and jail booking data falls under that umbrella. There are some limits though. Juvenile records are not available to the public. Cases that are sealed or expunged will not show up either.
The Criminal Identification Act at 20 ILCS 2630 also plays a role. This law deals with arrest records and rap sheets at the state level. It sets rules on what can be shared and what must stay confidential. For most standard booking releases in Tazewell County, the records are open to the public. The Sheriff's Office follows both laws when it decides what to release and what to hold back.
There is no fee to use the online inmate search or custody lookup. Those tools are funded by the county budget. FOIA requests follow the fee schedule already mentioned. No special license or status is needed to look up booking releases. Any person can check, whether you are a family member, a lawyer, a reporter, or just someone who wants to know.
What Tazewell County Booking Releases Show
A typical booking release record from Tazewell County includes several key data points. The exact content can vary based on the case and how the data was entered, but most records share a common set of fields.
- Full name of the person booked
- Date and time of booking and release
- Charges at the time of arrest
- Bond amount if one was set
- Arresting agency
- Reason for release
Some records also include a photo taken at intake. Not all booking releases will have every field filled in. Bond amounts, for example, are sometimes left blank if the person was released on recognizance. If you need a complete picture, request the full booking file through FOIA rather than relying on the online tool alone.
Tips for Searching Tazewell County Booking Releases
Start with the online tools. Check the inmate search first. If that does not show what you need, try the custody lookup. If neither works, move on to a FOIA request. This order saves time because the online tools are instant while FOIA takes days.
When using the search tools, try different name spellings. A typo in the booking system can cause a record to not show up under the name you expect. Drop the first name and search by last name only to cast a wider net. You can also try common nicknames or shortened versions of a first name. These small changes can make a difference when a record seems to be missing from the system.
For FOIA requests, call the Sheriff's Office before you send your letter. Ask if they have the records on file and what format they are in. This step is not required but it helps you write a better request. It also lets the staff know a request is coming, which can speed things up on their end. The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office is generally responsive to public records requests and handles them within the five-day window set by state law.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Tazewell County. Each one runs its own jail and keeps its own booking releases. If you are not sure which county handled an arrest, check the arrest location or the arresting agency listed on the report.