The petition to expunge must be filed in the courthouse where the arrest was originally handled.
The non-refundable filing fee of $120.00 per District is payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court by cash, money order, certified check, cashier’s check, or personal check. (705 ILCS 105/27.2a) Your Driver’s License, State I.D., or Matricular Consular number, telephone number, and case number should be written on the face of the check.
The Clerk’s Office has six Districts: Chicago, Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview, and Markham. If you file all of your petitions in one District at the same time, there is only one $120.00 filing fee. If your cases originate from more than one District, you will pay a separate $120 filing fee in each District. $60.00 of the $120.00 filing fee must be forwarded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court to the Illinois State Police (ISP). When the Illinois State Police receives your payment from us, it will evaluate whether to object to your petition for expungement and, if your petition is granted, it will process the court order and send you a letter notifying you that your Illinois State Police records have been expunged/sealed.
In addition to the $120.00 filing fee, you are required to pay a $15.00 mailing fee plus the cost of postage. (705 ILCS 105/27.2a).
If required in the District in which you are filing, you will also be charged $9.00 per certified copy for each disposition (copy of the Clerk’s Office’s docket for each criminal case on your record). This is also payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Districts Two through Six do not require that you attach a copy of your rap sheet to your petition. However, if you are filing your petition in District 6, Markham, the Presiding Judge requires that you attach the certified copies of your dispositions to your petition.
Please review the
Expungement and Sealing Packet for more details on filing and paying for expungement and or sealing.