Peoria Police Records Lookup

Police records in Peoria come from the Peoria Police Department and the Peoria County Sheriff's Office. Peoria is the largest city along the Illinois River and serves as the county seat of Peoria County. The city police department handles incidents inside city limits, while the sheriff covers rural areas and unincorporated parts of the county. This page breaks down how to request police reports from both agencies, explains the FOIA process, and covers criminal history checks through the state system.

Peoria County and City Records

Peoria is the county seat of Peoria County. The Peoria County Sheriff's Office is at 301 N. Maxwell Road, Peoria, IL 61604. Call (309) 672-6011 for general questions. The sheriff's office keeps police records for incidents in unincorporated Peoria County and handles court security and jail operations.

The Peoria County Circuit Clerk is Robert M. Spears. The office is at 324 Main Street, Room G-22, Peoria, IL 61602. Phone: (309) 672-6000. Criminal case records end up with the circuit clerk once charges are filed. The police report stays with whichever agency responded to the call.

Peoria PD and the Peoria County Sheriff are separate agencies. Reports from inside city limits go to Peoria PD. Reports from outside the city go to the sheriff. This matters a lot when you are trying to track down a specific record. Start by figuring out where the incident took place.

Filing a FOIA Request

Peoria County has an online FOIA portal at peoriacounty.justfoia.com. This is the fastest way to submit a request for records held by the county, including the sheriff. You fill out the form online, describe what records you need, and submit. The portal tracks your request and sends updates by email.

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/) gives the county five business days to respond. They can extend to ten if things are complex. You do not need to explain why you want the records. Just describe what you need clearly.

The screenshot below shows the Peoria County FOIA portal where you can start a new request online.

Peoria PD may use a different system than the county portal. If your request is for a city police report (inside Peoria city limits), check with the city first to see which FOIA channel they prefer. Some city departments use the county portal; others handle it through their own process.

Include all the detail you can. Dates, addresses, names, and case or report numbers make things go faster. A broad request for "all police reports from 2024" will get pushed back. Narrow it down to the specific event or time period you care about.

Fees for Peoria Police Records

First 50 pages free. That is state law. After that, black and white copies cost $0.15 per page. Color copies are higher. Pay by check or money order. Credit cards are not typically accepted for FOIA copy fees in Peoria.

No charge to submit a request. You only pay when records are ready. The county or city tells you the cost before releasing anything. If you want to keep it within the free 50-page limit, say so in your request. They can often provide just the core document and leave out supplements.

Commercial requests must be identified as such when you file. The law requires disclosure. If you are using the records for a business reason, say so up front. Penalties apply for not disclosing commercial use.

Criminal History Checks

Peoria PD and the Peoria County Sheriff do not run criminal background checks for the general public. That is a state function. Contact the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification at 260 North Chicago Street, Joliet, IL. Phone: (815) 740-5160.

The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/) limits public access to conviction data only. If someone was arrested but not convicted, that record stays sealed. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/) lays out who can see what.

Use CHIRP for name-based conviction searches. Register first. For fingerprint-based checks, find a Live Scan vendor near Peoria. The ISP Access and Review process lets you check your own record at no cost.

State Police Coverage

ISP Troop 4 patrols Peoria County. This is different from the Chicago-area Troop 3. State troopers handle I-74, I-474, and other state routes near Peoria. If a trooper wrote the report, it belongs to ISP, not local police.

Crash reports from ISP cost $5. Order them at isp.illinois.gov/CrashReports or send a check to 801 South 7th Street, Suite 600-M, Springfield, IL 62703. Reports are redacted. Unredacted copies need a court order.

For other ISP records, contact FOIA Officer Sarah Wheeler at ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov. The ISP is at 801 South 7th Street, Springfield, IL 62703. First 50 pages free, $0.15 per page after. Check or money order only. The Sex Offender Registry is at sor.isp.illinois.gov.

Nearby Cities

These cities in central Illinois have their own police departments and records systems.