Randolph County Divorce Decree Records
Randolph County divorce decree records are filed and maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Chester, Illinois, the county seat of this southern Illinois county in the 20th Judicial Circuit. This page explains how to search case records online, request certified copies from the clerk in Chester, and use the IDPH verification service when a full court document is not required.
Randolph County Quick Facts
Randolph County Circuit Clerk Office
Julie A. Carnahan is the Randolph County Circuit Court Clerk. Her office holds all civil and domestic court filings in the county, including dissolution of marriage records. Certified copies of divorce decrees must be obtained through this office.
| Office | Randolph County Circuit Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Julie A. Carnahan |
| Address | #1 Taylor Street, Room 302, Chester, IL 62233-0329 |
| Phone | (618) 826-5000 |
| Fax | (618) 826-3761 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | randolphcountyillinois.gov |
The courthouse is at 1 Taylor Street in Chester. Bring valid photo ID for any in-person request. Call (618) 826-5000 before your visit to confirm the case is on file and ask about the current fee per page for copies and certification.
Searching Randolph County Divorce Case Records
Randolph County participates in the Judici free online case search system. Judici covers 82 Illinois counties and requires no account or fee to use.
Go to judici.com and select Randolph County. Enter either spouse's name. Results include case numbers, filing dates, and current case status. Judici does not provide the full text of the decree but confirms whether a case is on file and gives you the information needed to request a copy from the clerk's office.
For older records not yet in Judici, call the clerk at (618) 826-5000. Staff can search paper indexes for early filings. Provide an approximate year and the names of both parties when possible to speed up the search.
Re:SearchIL at researchil.tylerhost.net may offer additional document access for some Randolph County filings. Check it as a secondary option after searching Judici, particularly for more recent cases where electronic documents may be available.
Getting Certified Copies of Divorce Decrees
Certified copies of Randolph County divorce decrees can only come from the Circuit Court Clerk. IDPH and other state agencies cannot issue court-certified documents. You must go through Clerk Carnahan's office in Chester.
In-person requests are the most direct approach. Bring government-issued photo ID. Staff can search by name or case number and usually produce a copy the same day if the file is readily available. For a mail request, send a letter with the full names of both parties, the year of the divorce, the case number if you have it, your return address, and payment. Call first to confirm the current fee. Make checks or money orders payable to the Randolph County Circuit Clerk.
Under 735 ILCS 5/, Illinois court records are generally public. Standard dissolution of marriage decrees are available to any requestor who can identify the case. Portions sealed by court order require authorization to access.
IDPH Divorce Verification Service
The Illinois Department of Public Health provides a $5 divorce verification. This is not a certified copy. The verification confirms that a dissolution occurred and lists the names of both parties and the date of the decree.
IDPH covers records from 1962 to the present. Processing takes four to six weeks. Contact IDPH at 925 E. Ridgely Ave., Springfield, IL 62702-2737, by phone at (217) 782-6554, or online at dph.illinois.gov.
The IDPH verification is useful when you only need to show a divorce happened. For anything requiring an official court document, go to the Randolph County clerk.
Illinois Divorce Law and the 20th Judicial Circuit
Randolph County is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Monroe and St. Clair counties. All divorce cases in the circuit follow the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, 750 ILCS 5/.
To file for divorce in Randolph County, at least one spouse must have been an Illinois resident for 90 days before the petition is filed. The only ground for divorce in Illinois is irreconcilable differences. If the parties have been separated for six continuous months, that separation serves as conclusive proof of irreconcilable differences under the statute.
Under venue rules in 750 ILCS 5/104, either spouse may file in the county where they reside. If one party lives in Randolph County, the case may be filed in Chester regardless of where the other spouse lives, provided that person also lives in Illinois. The decree entered by the circuit court is the permanent legal record of the dissolution.
The Vital Records Act, 410 ILCS 535/, requires the clerk to report each dissolution to IDPH. That is how IDPH builds and maintains its statewide divorce verification records.
E-Filing and Legal Resources in Randolph County
Illinois mandated electronic filing for most civil cases starting July 1, 2018. Divorce petitions in Randolph County must be filed through eFileIL. Attorneys and qualifying self-represented filers use this state platform to submit documents to the 20th Circuit clerk electronically.
Free standardized divorce forms are at illinoiscourts.gov. Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org provides free guidance for people navigating the divorce process without an attorney. Land of Lincoln Legal Aid serves southern Illinois counties including Randolph. Contact the legal aid website for eligibility and service area details.
Nearby Counties
Randolph County borders four other southern Illinois counties, each with its own Circuit Court Clerk handling local divorce records.