Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside company that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies the response under its own systems. We do not retain or log those search terms on our servers.
Messages and Contact Submissions
Messages sent by email may be kept long enough to review and answer them. We limit those communications to our team and disclose them outside the organization only when the law requires us to do so.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a visitor loads a page, the servers automatically receive basic technical and usage details:
- Page-view dates and times
- The referring website, when one is reported
- Pages viewed and approximate time spent on them
- Device category and operating system
- Browser type and version
- The device's assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. We use them with analytics services to understand traffic in aggregate, including which pages receive visits and where sessions end. A browser can reject or remove cookies, although disabling them may change how parts of the website function.
What We Do With This Data
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Measuring which material visitors use and where revisions may help
- Maintaining site availability, speed, and operation
- Routing search submissions to the applicable outside provider
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Knox County Criminal History does not keep, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. Its reference material identifies access routes through the Knox County Sheriff's Office, the Circuit Court of Illinois, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification, and the Illinois State Police Offender Registry. We are not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and visitor information is not compiled into consumer reports or third-party criminal-history files.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the search boxes. Information submitted through a box is governed by that provider's privacy policy rather than this policy. Each provider controls its own retention, processing, and disclosure practices. Review those terms before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to the Knox County Sheriff's Office, court systems, Illinois agencies, legal-aid resources, or outside search services. Once a visitor follows such a link, the destination's privacy rules apply. Read those rules before providing personal information.
Some advertising companies may use their own systems to follow activity across websites and select targeted advertisements. We do not operate that tracking infrastructure.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Limited data may be disclosed to:
- Analytics vendors that measure visits and performance
- Outside search providers that receive a submitted query
- Advertising networks that serve advertisements
- Government or law-enforcement authorities responding to a valid legal demand
How We Protect Your Data
We use customary safeguards for information under our control. No internet transmission or storage method is completely secure, however, so we cannot guarantee that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such information, we will remove it.
Your Data Rights
Rights vary with the law that applies to a visitor. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, governs requests to public bodies and does not make this private website a public body. Other Illinois statutes include the Personal Information Protection Act, 815 ILCS 530, which addresses safeguards and breach notice for covered personal information, and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may ask us to:
- Stop certain forms of processing when a legal right applies
- Delete covered information when the law requires deletion
- Correct inaccurate information held about the visitor
- Provide a copy of personal information we maintain about the visitor
Updates to This Policy
This privacy policy may be revised as practices or legal requirements change. A revised version will be posted here with an updated effective date, so visitors should review it periodically.
Effective date: July 20, 2026