Terms of Use

1. What This Website Is

Gallatin County Criminal History is a private reference website with no government affiliation. It cannot retrieve an official record, perform an official background check, file a court document, or maintain government criminal-history data for a visitor.

Its information points toward the Gallatin County Sheriff, Gallatin Circuit Court, Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification, Illinois Sex Offender Registry, and other offices that maintain source records. Links may also connect to outside research tools.

2. Rules for Using This Site

As a condition of access, you agree not to:

• Violate a local, Illinois, or federal law through use of the website
• Stalk, intimidate, harass, or threaten another person with information found here
• Use content for decisions involving employment, housing, lending, or insurance
• Attempt unauthorized entry into any website system
• Deploy bots, scrapers, or other automated collection tools against the pages
• Interfere with site performance or another visitor's access

3. No Harassment, Stalking, or Discrimination

You may not use information from these pages or a linked tool to threaten, stalk, intimidate, harass, or discriminate against anyone. Such acts may also violate the law. Sex offender registry information is meant for community safety awareness, not vigilantism, blacklisting, or discrimination. Illinois law controls access to and use of registry information, and misuse directed at a listed person can lead to legal consequences.

4. We Are Not a Consumer Reporting Agency

Gallatin County Criminal History is not a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA. It does not create consumer reports, credit files, or background screening products. The website and its advertising partners do not offer tools designed to judge job applicants, rental applications, insurance rates, or credit. You agree not to use information from these pages or linked tools to:

• Make a hiring or termination decision
• Evaluate a renter or housing applicant
• Set an insurance premium or judge creditworthiness
• Decide eligibility for a license, permit, or government benefit
• Carry out any other FCRA-regulated purpose

When an authorized official check is required, use the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification or a screening provider that complies with the FCRA.

5. No Legal Advice

Website material is general information, not legal advice. It cannot determine how a warrant, charge, conviction, sealing rule, or expungement provision applies to a particular person. Obtain advice about an individual matter from a licensed Illinois attorney.

6. No Warranties

All website material is offered "as is." No promise is made that:

• Information will always be accurate, complete, or current
• Access will be continuous and free from interruption
• The pages will contain no defect, error, or security weakness
• An outside search provider will return a complete or correct result

Criminal records can change as charges are filed or dismissed and as records are sealed or expunged. Gaps and delays can occur. Nothing published here is an official declaration by Gallatin County, a court, a sheriff, Illinois State Police, or another government agency.

7. Third-Party Services and Links

Links lead to court portals, sheriff and state agency websites, legal-aid resources, and independent search services. Following one takes you to a service outside our control. We are not responsible for its content, prices, availability, or data practices. Review the destination's terms before using it.

8. Intellectual Property

Text, graphics, branding, and code on the website belong to Gallatin County Criminal History or its content partners. They may not be copied, changed, distributed, or used to make a derivative work without prior written permission.

9. Limits on Our Liability

To the maximum extent allowed by law, we are not responsible for damages arising from use of the website, including a decision based on content found here or through a linked provider.

10. Indemnification

You agree to protect and hold us harmless from claims, demands, or legal proceedings caused by your website use or your breach of these terms, including resulting legal fees and costs.

11. Governing Law

Illinois law governs these terms, including the public-record framework of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, and the public conviction-information rule at 20 ILCS 2635/5 where those laws apply to source government records. A dispute concerning use of this private website must be brought in a court located in Illinois.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these conditions at any time. A revision takes effect when the updated terms are posted on this page.

13. Cutting Off Access

Access may be restricted or ended at any time, without advance notice and for any reason.

14. Severability

If a court finds one provision invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms continue in effect. The affected provision will be changed only to the extent needed to make it enforceable.

15. Questions

For a question about these conditions, use the Contact page.