Madison County Residents Directory Search

Madison County sits in the Metro East region of southwestern Illinois with a population of about 264,000 residents. You can search the Madison County residents directory to find property records, court filings, vital records, and other public documents held by county offices. The county seat is Edwardsville, where the recorder and circuit clerk offices are both on North Main Street. Most records in the Madison County residents directory are open to the public under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Online search tools let you look up real estate documents, marriage license indexes, and court case info from home. In-person visits to the Edwardsville offices are also an option if you need certified copies or older records that have not been digitized yet.

Madison County Recorder of Deeds

The Madison County Recorder of Deeds is the main office for property documents in the residents directory. This office records deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and other real estate documents for all of Madison County. They also handle marriage license applications and keep an index of those records. The recorder's office is at 157 North Main Street in Edwardsville, IL 62025. You can call (618) 296-4475 for general questions or (618) 296-4775 as an alternate line. The Laredo line is (618) 296-4467. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The Madison County Recorder website has details on all recording services and fees for the Madison County residents directory.

You can email the recorder at recorder@madisoncountyil.gov for general questions. For copy requests, use recordercopies@madisoncountyil.gov instead. The office warns about deed scams. When you ask for a copy, make sure you have the reference numbers ready. They do not do any kind of title searches. The turnaround time for copy requests is 5 to 7 business days in Madison County.

Search Madison County Records Online

Madison County offers an online records portal through the SFFlexSuite system. This is the fastest way to search the Madison County residents directory for property documents from your computer. The database has real estate documents from 1997 to present. Older records from the early 1800s can be found by book and page number. Marriage license indexes are also available, but there are no images for those. Just the index data shows up in the search results.

The online records search portal is the main tool for finding recorded documents in the Madison County residents directory.

Online access is not free. A one-hour pass costs $30 plus a $1.50 processing fee. If you need more time, a three-hour pass is $70 with a $1.75 fee. These passes give you access to search and view documents in the Madison County residents directory. The system works well for people who know what they are looking for and have document reference numbers or party names ready to search. Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/), most of these recorded documents are public records that anyone can request.

Note: The online system does not include images of marriage licenses, only index data for Madison County.

Madison County Recording and Copy Fees

Recording fees in Madison County follow a set schedule. The standard recording fee is $24 for the first page, then $3 for each additional page. Non-standard documents add $25 on top of that. Plats have their own pricing. An 18x24 plat costs $44 to record plus $25 for each extra page. A 24x36 plat is $69 plus $25 per additional page. Marriage license applications cost $51 to file in Madison County.

Copy fees are straightforward. Regular copies are $1 per page. If you want them sent by email, the cost goes up to $2 per page. Fax copies run $1 per page. Certified copies cost $4 per document in the Madison County residents directory. These fees apply whether you visit in person or send a request by mail. The recorder's office will be happy to help with your request, but keep in mind that 5 to 7 business day turnaround for all copy requests. Plan ahead if you need documents for a deadline or closing date.

• Standard recording: $24 first page, $3 each additional page
• Non-standard surcharge: $25 extra
• Plat 18x24: $44 plus $25 per additional page
• Plat 24x36: $69 plus $25 per additional page
• Marriage license: $51
• Regular copies: $1/page, Email: $2/page, Certified: $4/document

Madison County Circuit Clerk Court Records

The Madison County Circuit Clerk handles court records for civil, criminal, family, and traffic cases. The main courthouse is at 155 N. Main Street in Edwardsville. The Criminal Justice Center is at 509 Ramey Street. These offices maintain the official court records for the Madison County residents directory. Court schedules are updated on Tuesdays and Fridays, so check back on those days for the latest docket info. Asbestos dockets are only updated on Tuesdays.

The Madison County Circuit Clerk website provides access to court schedules and case information in the residents directory.

If you run into trouble with the online system, tech support is available at (800) 250-9884. The circuit clerk's office keeps records of all case filings, judgments, and court orders in Madison County. You can search for cases by name, case number, or date range. Some records may be sealed or restricted by court order, but most civil and criminal case summaries are public. The Illinois courts system lets anyone look up basic case info without having to visit the courthouse in person. For certified copies of court documents, you will need to contact the clerk's office directly since those are not available through the online search tools.

Note: Court schedule updates happen on Tuesdays and Fridays only for Madison County cases.

Vital Records in Madison County

Birth, death, and marriage records for Madison County residents are part of the statewide vital records system. The Illinois Department of Public Health maintains these records at the state level. You can order certified copies of vital records through the Illinois Department of Public Health website. The Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535/) governs who can get certified copies and sets the rules for access. Birth records are restricted for 75 years, and death records are restricted for 20 years from the date of the event.

For marriage licenses specifically, the Madison County Recorder's office handles the application process. The filing fee is $51. The recorder's online system has a marriage license index, though it does not include scanned images of the actual licenses. If you need a certified copy of a marriage record from Madison County, you can contact the recorder's office by email at recordercopies@madisoncountyil.gov or visit in person at 157 North Main Street in Edwardsville. Local records in Madison County can sometimes go further back than what the state has on file, so it is worth checking with the county office first if you need older documents.

Cities in Madison County

Madison County has several cities and towns served by the county offices listed above. Granite City, Alton, Edwardsville, Collinsville, and Glen Carbon are some of the more well-known communities. None of these cities currently have their own page in the residents directory, but all of them use Madison County offices for property records, court cases, and vital records. Residents in any Madison County city should contact the recorder at 157 North Main Street or the circuit clerk at 155 N. Main Street in Edwardsville for public records requests.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Madison County. If you are not sure which county handles your records, check the property address or contact the relevant clerk. Records are kept by the county where the event happened or the property is located.