Find Chicago Police Records

Police records in Chicago are kept by the Chicago Police Department, one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country. CPD handles all police reports, arrest records, and incident files for events that take place within city limits. Requesting these records means going through CPD's Freedom of Information Act process. The Cook County Sheriff's Office is a separate agency and does not hold Chicago city police files. This page covers how to find, request, and get copies of police records from CPD and related agencies that serve the city.

Cook County and Chicago Police Records

Chicago sits in Cook County. But Cook County and Chicago keep their records in separate systems. This trips up a lot of people. The Cook County Sheriff handles law enforcement for unincorporated areas and runs the county jail. CPD covers the city. If you need a police report from inside Chicago, go to CPD. If the event was in suburban Cook County or an unincorporated area, try the sheriff's office instead.

The Cook County Circuit Clerk holds court case records. Criminal cases that start with a Chicago police arrest move through the Cook County court system. So while the police report comes from CPD, any court filings tied to that case sit with the circuit clerk at the Leighton Criminal Court Building or at the Daley Center.

Keep in mind that some records overlap. An arrest report from CPD and a booking record from the county jail may cover the same event but come from two different agencies. You might need to file requests with both.

How to Request CPD Police Records

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/) gives you the right to ask for police records from CPD. The law says public bodies must respond within five business days. They can take up to ten if they need more time. You do not have to give a reason for your request.

CPD accepts FOIA requests four ways. You can mail them to: Attention FOI Officer, Unit 114, 3510 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60653. In-person visits work at the Records Customer Service section at that same address. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can fax to (312) 745-6948. Or you can send email to foia@chicagopolice.org. Each method works. Email tends to be the fastest since you get a confirmation right away.

Your request should include your name and contact info. Describe the records you want as clearly as you can. Give dates, names, case numbers, or report numbers if you have them. A vague request for "all records" can be denied as too broad. Be specific. The more detail you put in, the faster things move.

The CPD FOIA page has full instructions and a downloadable request form. The screenshot below shows what the FOIA page looks like.

Check this page before you submit anything. CPD updates it from time to time, and the contact info or process can shift.

Fees for Chicago Police Records

The first 50 pages are free. This is set by state law under FOIA. After that, black and white copies cost $0.15 per page. Color copies and large format pages cost more. CPD takes payment by check or money order. Credit cards are not an option for FOIA fees.

If your request is for a commercial purpose, you must say so up front. Commercial requests can be charged at the actual cost of reproducing the records, which may be higher than the standard rate. Failing to disclose that the request is commercial can lead to penalties under the law. Most people making personal requests do not need to worry about this.

There is no fee to submit the request itself. You only pay once the records are ready. CPD will tell you the cost before they release anything, so you can decide if you want to move forward.

Criminal History Checks in Chicago

A FOIA request to CPD gets you a specific police report. It does not get you a full criminal background check. Those are handled at the state level. The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification in Joliet runs criminal history checks for all of Illinois, including Chicago.

Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/), only conviction records are public. Arrests that did not result in a conviction are not released. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/) spells out who can see what and under what conditions.

For name-based checks, use the CHIRP portal run by the ISP. You need to create an account first. Fingerprint-based checks go through a Live Scan vendor. Results come from the ISP Bureau of Identification at 260 North Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432. Their phone number is (815) 740-5160.

If you want to review your own record, the ISP offers an Access and Review process at no charge. This lets you see what shows up on your file and challenge anything that looks wrong.

State Police Coverage in Chicago

ISP Troop 3 covers Cook County. State troopers patrol expressways and state routes in the Chicago area. If a trooper handled the incident, the report sits with ISP, not CPD. This comes up most often with traffic crashes on the Dan Ryan, the Stevenson, or other expressways.

Crash reports from state troopers cost $5 each. You can order them online at isp.illinois.gov/CrashReports or send a check to the Patrol Records Unit at 801 South 7th Street, Suite 600-M, Springfield, IL 62703. Reports are redacted. An unredacted copy requires a court order.

For other ISP records, contact the ISP FOIA Officer, Sarah Wheeler, at ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov. The ISP headquarters is at 801 South 7th Street in Springfield. The same FOIA rules apply. First 50 pages are free. Copies after that are $0.15 per page. Payment by check or money order only.

Chicago Police Online Resources

CPD puts quite a bit of data online. The Chicago Data Portal has crime statistics, arrest data, and calls for service. You can search by address, date, or type of crime. Annual reports from CPD are posted each year and give a broad look at department activity. The Directives System shows current CPD policies and procedures. A districts map helps you figure out which police district covers a given address.

The Sex Offender Registry is run by the state at sor.isp.illinois.gov. This covers all of Illinois, including Chicago. You can search by name, address, or zip code.

Some of these online tools may give you the data you need without filing a formal FOIA request. If you just want crime stats or general department info, start with the Data Portal. For a specific incident report or arrest record, you will still need to go through the FOIA process.

Nearby Cities

These cities near Chicago also have their own police departments and records processes. Select one to learn how police records work in that area.