Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search box is sent directly to the outside provider operating that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. We do not retain or record those search terms on our systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
We retain an email you send long enough to respond and manage the correspondence. Messages remain within our organization unless disclosure is required by law.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, the servers automatically receive basic technical information about the visit:
- Page-view timestamps
- Your device's assigned IP address
- Browser name and version
- Operating system and device category
- Visited pages and time spent on them
- Any referring website
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They help show which pages receive traffic and where visits end. Analytics providers combine this usage information for reporting. You may block cookies through your browser, although doing so can change how parts of the site function.
What We Do With This Data
- Maintaining site availability and performance
- Routing a query to the correct search provider
- Measuring which material is useful or needs improvement
- Diagnosing and correcting technical faults
- Selecting advertising that may reflect your interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
We do not maintain, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal-record information. The site provides general directions to Hardin County record custodians, including the sheriff, criminal courts, Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification, and Illinois Sex Offender Registry. We are not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Visitor information is not compiled into consumer reports or third-party criminal profiles.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the search boxes. Information submitted there is governed by the provider's privacy policy, rather than this policy. Each provider controls its own retention and disclosure practices. Review those terms before running a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to courts, the sheriff, Illinois agencies, legal-aid resources, or outside search services. Once you follow a link, the destination's privacy policy controls. Review it before providing personal information.
Some advertising providers may track activity across websites to select ads. That tracking occurs through their systems.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. Limited information may be received by:
- Analytics providers measuring traffic and performance
- Search partners processing a query you submit
- Advertising networks placing ads
- A government or law-enforcement body acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, standard safeguards are used for collected information. No internet service is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee that a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The site is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such data, we will delete it.
Your Data Rights
Depending on where you live, Illinois law, including the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, and the Uniform Conviction Information Act, 20 ILCS 2635, may provide additional rights concerning information. At a minimum, you may:
- Request access to information held about you
- Seek correction of inaccurate data
- Ask that your data be deleted
- Decline certain forms of processing
Updates to This Policy
This privacy policy may be revised. Any revision will be posted here with an updated effective date, so review the page periodically for changes.
Effective date: July 20, 2026