Bureau Circuit Court, Illinois Sealing & Redaction Procedures

An original Qualified Domestic Relations Order containing Social Security numbers in a divorce file must be impounded by the Circuit Clerk and may be opened only by court order.

Any original Qualified Domestic Relations Order filed in divorce files in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit which contain social security numbers shall be impounded by the Circuit Clerk, only to be opened by order of the court.

The filing party or counsel is responsible for ensuring electronic filings do not disclose protected private, sealed, or impounded information; the Clerk has no duty to review or redact it.

It is the responsibility of the filing party or counsel to insure that documents or exhibits filed electronically do not disclose previously or statutorily impounded or sealed information or private information as defined in Supreme Court Rules 15 and 138. The Clerk is not responsible for the content of filed documents and has no obligation to review, redact or screen any expunged, sealed or impounded information.

Social Security Numbers in court-filed or open-court documents must be redacted to show only the last four digits, except that the specified original Qualified Domestic Relations Orders and Child Support Data Sheets are impounded under the stated conditions.

An individual’s social security number which appears in any pleading, attachment to pleading, order, exhibit, or other document filed in the court file or filed in open court shall be redacted so only the last four digits are visible with the following exceptions: 1) Any original Qualified Domestic Relations Order filed in divorce files in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit which contain social security numbers shall be impounded by the Circuit Clerk, only to be opened by order of the court. 2) The “Child Support Data Sheet”, attached as an Exhibit to the Uniform Order of Support, shall contain social security numbers and be impounded by the Circuit Clerk and used for child support enforcement according to law.

Financial Affidavits and supporting documentary evidence must remain outside the public record unless the court orders otherwise.

Consistent with section 501(a)(1), no Financial Affidavit and supporting documentary evidence shall be made part of the public record unless otherwise ordered by the court.

The Child Support Data Sheet attached to the Uniform Order of Support must contain Social Security numbers, be impounded by the Circuit Clerk, and be used for child support enforcement according to law.

The “Child Support Data Sheet”, attached as an Exhibit to the Uniform Order of Support, shall contain social security numbers and be impounded by the Circuit Clerk and used for child support enforcement according to law.

Social Security numbers in court-filed or open-court documents must be redacted to show only the last four digits, subject to the stated exceptions.

An individual’s social security number which appears in any pleading, attachment to pleading, order, exhibit, or other document filed in the court file or filed in open court shall be redacted so only the last four digits are visible with the following exceptions: