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Terms of Use

These conditions govern use of the website. Visiting a page, reading its content, or running a search confirms your agreement. If you do not accept the terms, discontinue use.

NO FCRA USE. This privately owned website is not affiliated with a local, Illinois, or federal government body. Neither the site nor its advertising partners offers a service intended for credit, employment, insurance, tenant, or other decisions regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). It helps readers locate Hardin County, Illinois criminal-record resources. It is neither a private investigation firm nor a consumer reporting agency.

1. What This Website Is

This is a private reference site with no government connection. We do not store official records, obtain records on a visitor's behalf, perform official background checks, or file documents.

Its role is to identify Hardin County custodians, including the sheriff, criminal courts, Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification, and Illinois Sex Offender Registry, and to link to outside research tools.

2. Rules for Using This Site

As a condition of use, you will not:

  • Use the website in violation of federal, Illinois, or local law
  • Threaten, stalk, or harass a person with information found here
  • Rely on site content for lending, insurance, housing, or hiring decisions
  • Attempt unauthorized access to any system
  • Deploy a bot, scraper, or other automated collection tool
  • Interfere with performance or another visitor's access

3. No Harassment, Stalking, or Discrimination

You may not use information found here or through a linked tool to stalk, harass, threaten, intimidate, or discriminate against anyone. Such conduct may be criminal. Illinois law restricts misuse of Illinois Sex Offender Registry information. Registry data supports public-safety awareness, not vigilantism, employment blacklisting, or housing discrimination.

4. We Are Not a Consumer Reporting Agency

We are not a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA and do not produce background checks, credit reports, or other consumer reports. Our advertising partners likewise do not offer tools here for evaluating applicants, rental requests, insurance rates, or creditworthiness. You must not use site or linked-tool data to:

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

For a check required for a regulated purpose, use the proper official channel through the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification or a screening provider that complies with the FCRA.

5. No Legal Advice

The content is not legal advice. General explanations of Hardin County records cannot determine how a charge, conviction, warrant, sealing, or expungement rule applies to you. Consult an Illinois-licensed attorney for advice.

6. No Warranties

The site is provided "as is," without a guarantee that:

  • Partner search results will be accurate or complete
  • Content will always be current, complete, and correct
  • Pages contain no bugs, errors, or security weaknesses
  • Service will remain continuously available

Criminal records change as charges are filed, dismissed, sealed, or expunged. Gaps may remain despite update efforts. No content here is an official statement from a court, sheriff, or government agency.

7. Third-Party Services and Links

Links may lead to sheriff pages, court portals, Illinois agencies, legal-aid organizations, and outside search providers. We do not control those services or accept responsibility for their content, data practices, prices, or availability. Read their terms before use.

8. Intellectual Property

Hardin County Criminal History or its content partners owns the site's text, graphics, logos, and code. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative material without prior written permission.

9. Limits on Our Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not liable for damages arising from site use, including reliance on information found here or through a linked service.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless against claims, proceedings, or demands caused by your use of the site or violation of these terms, including related legal fees and costs.

11. Governing Law

Illinois law governs these terms, including applicable provisions of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, and Uniform Conviction Information Act, 20 ILCS 2635. Any dispute related to site use must be brought in a court located in Illinois.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these terms at any time. A revision takes effect when it is posted here.

13. Cutting Off Access

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

14. Severability

If any provision is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms continue in effect. The affected provision will be modified only as necessary to make it enforceable.

15. Questions

Questions about these terms may be submitted through the Contact page.