Search Waukegan Police Records
Police records in Waukegan are kept by the Waukegan Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Waukegan is the county seat of Lake County and the largest city in the county. The city police handle calls within Waukegan. The sheriff covers unincorporated Lake County and operates the county jail. If you need a police report from the Waukegan area, this page explains where to go, what to expect from the FOIA process, and how to access criminal history data through the state.
Waukegan Quick Facts
Lake County and Waukegan Records
Waukegan is the county seat of Lake County. The Lake County Sheriff's Office is at 25 S MLK Jr. Avenue, Waukegan, IL 60085. The main line is (847) 377-4000. For records specifically, call (847) 377-4200. The sheriff handles police records for unincorporated areas of Lake County and runs the county jail system.
The Lake County Circuit Clerk's office is at 18 N. County Street, Waukegan, IL 60085. Phone: (847) 377-3380. Lake County sits in the 19th Judicial Circuit. The Lake County Circuit Clerk website has tools for searching court records. Criminal cases from Waukegan arrests go through this court system.
As with most Illinois cities, the police report and the court record are kept in different places. The police report stays with whichever agency wrote it. The court record sits with the circuit clerk. You may need to contact both if you want the full file on a criminal case.
How to Request Police Reports
Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/), you can request police records from any public agency in Waukegan or Lake County. Put the request in writing. Include your name, contact details, and a clear description of the records you want.
One important detail for Waukegan: wait at least 5 to 7 days after an incident before requesting the report. It takes time for the report to be written, reviewed, and entered into the system. If you ask too soon, the records staff may not be able to find it yet. This is a practical timing issue, not a legal restriction.
The agency has five business days to respond once your request is received. They can extend that to ten if the request is complex. A denial must come in writing and cite a specific FOIA exemption. You can appeal to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor if you disagree with a denial.
The screenshot below shows the Lake County Sheriff's website, which is one of the main sources for police records in the Waukegan area.
Both Waukegan PD and the Lake County Sheriff process FOIA requests separately. A request to one does not pull records from the other. Make sure you send your request to the right place.
Fees for Records
First 50 pages are free. That is the state standard under FOIA. After that, each page costs $0.15 for black and white copies. Color copies cost more. Pay by check or money order. Credit cards are generally not accepted for FOIA fees.
No charge to submit. You pay when the records are ready. The agency will tell you the total first. If it is more than you expected, you can narrow the scope of your request. For instance, ask for just the incident report rather than the full case file with all supplements and attachments.
Commercial requesters must identify themselves. If you are making a FOIA request for business use, say so when you file. This is a legal requirement, not a suggestion. Most personal requests do not fall into this category.
Criminal Background Checks
Neither Waukegan PD nor the Lake County Sheriff runs criminal background checks for the public. That goes through the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification at 260 North Chicago Street, Joliet, IL. Call (815) 740-5160 for details.
Public access is limited to conviction data under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/). Arrests without convictions do not show up. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/) controls access to the full criminal history file.
Use CHIRP for name-based conviction searches. Register an account first. For fingerprint-based checks, go through a Live Scan vendor. Several operate in Lake County. To see your own record, the ISP Access and Review process is free and gives you a chance to fix any mistakes.
State Police Coverage in Waukegan
ISP Troop 3 covers Lake County. Troopers patrol I-94, Route 41, and Route 137 near Waukegan. If a state trooper took the report, the record belongs to ISP, not local agencies.
ISP crash reports cost $5 each. Order online at isp.illinois.gov/CrashReports or mail payment to the Patrol Records Unit, 801 South 7th Street, Suite 600-M, Springfield, IL 62703. Reports are redacted by default. An unredacted version takes a court order.
For non-crash ISP records, contact FOIA Officer Sarah Wheeler at ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov. The ISP main office is at 801 South 7th Street, Springfield, IL 62703. Standard fees: first 50 pages free, $0.15 per page after, check or money order only.
The Sex Offender Registry at sor.isp.illinois.gov lets you search for registered offenders in the Waukegan area or anywhere in Illinois.
Nearby Cities
Waukegan is the only city over 50,000 in the immediate Lake County area. Nearby communities like North Chicago, Highland Park, and Gurnee have their own police departments but are not large enough for separate pages on this site. Contact those departments directly for police records in their jurisdictions.