Lake County, Illinois Court Records (Chicago Metropolitan Area)

Lake county, with its population of about 714,000, sits just north of the heart of Chicago along Lake Michigan. It is a major part of the Chicago metropolitan area, with nearby counties that include Cook, Kenosha, and McHenry. Major employers in the area include Walgreens, Caterpillar, and AbbVie.

A blend of suburban bedroom communities for Chicago and industrial zones, the region continues attracting newcomers looking for cheaper real estate and other opportunities outside of the city. Employers must keep this in mind, especially in a metro area as large as Chicago. Vetting candidates must include the assumption that they may have lived or spent time in any of the metro's surrounding counties, so thorough screening is a must.

Background checks provide an excellent way to check for criminal records in all of the Chicago area's surrounding counties. However, you must follow state and federal law as you begin obtaining consumer reports for hiring purposes. All private employers with 15 or more people on staff throughout Illinois must obey the state's "ban the box" law. Failing to follow these directives can lead to fines, bad PR, and other problems. 

Here's what you need to do:

• Your job applications can't include criminal history questions. You'll have to conduct a job interview or provide a job offer conditional on a background check first. Don't make any inquiries until you've satisfied this part of the law.
• A prior conviction alone is not a sufficient basis for dismissing an applicant without clearly demonstrating that there would be a "substantial relationship" between the job's responsibilities and the past crime.
• You must assess every applicant's record using the "Green factors" defined by the EEOC. These elements include considering the nature and severity of the crime, how long ago it occurred, and what rehabilitative efforts the applicant has made.

You will also need to abide by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which requires that you provide a standalone disclosure, obtain an applicant's consent, and follow specific adverse action and notification guidelines. Currently, there are no restrictions on how employers may use drug tests in either Lake County or Illinois.

Once you've written and verified a compliant background check policy, it's time to start ordering reports when you have a candidate to screen. Looking at as many records as possible is the best place to begin; for that, you will want to choose the US OneSEARCH. We make reports available almost instantly based on a nationwide database of professionally compiled and maintained records from state resources. Our online coverage map has more details.

Many counties nationwide make their records available to third-party agencies, but not all do. Sometimes, the best way to obtain up-to-date local criminal records will be through a county courthouse search. In Lake County, you can also use an online search tool hosted by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Background reports sourced from county court records may include the subject's:

• Name
• Offense/Charge
• Sentence
• Disposition

Proper planning, effective tools and careful considerations will help you build a hiring process that leads you towards the best candidates. See how a better screening solution can benefit your team today.