Cook County Police Records

Cook County is home to more than 5.1 million people, making it the most populous county in Illinois and one of the largest in the nation. Police records here come from dozens of law enforcement agencies spread across the county. The Cook County Sheriff's Office and the Chicago Police Department are the two biggest sources of police records in Cook County. Getting the right report means knowing which agency handled your case. This page walks through how to search for and get copies of police records in Cook County, what to expect from the FOIA process, and where to send your request.

Cook County Sheriff Police Records

The Cook County Sheriff's Office keeps police records for incidents in unincorporated areas and handles county-wide law enforcement duties. Their main office sits at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington, Room 704, Chicago, Illinois 60602. This is where you go if you need records from the sheriff's patrol division. The sheriff also runs the Cook County jail, one of the largest in the country, and keeps booking records for all people held there.

To get police records from the Cook County Sheriff, you must file a FOIA request. The office uses a GovQA online portal that lets you submit and track requests from home. This portal replaced the old email system. You need Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge to use it since older browsers do not work with GovQA. You can also submit a request in person at Room 701, the Civil Process Division at the Daley Center. Mail works too. Under 5 ILCS 140/, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, the office has five business days to respond. That window can stretch to ten days if they need more time.

One thing to know is that the Cook County Sheriff's Office is a separate body from the Chicago Police Department. Many people mix them up. If the incident took place in the city of Chicago, you need to contact CPD instead. The sheriff handles unincorporated Cook County and provides court services, but city police records stay with the city.

Note: FOIA is not the right way to get a full criminal background report in Cook County; contact the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification for that.

Chicago Police Department Records

The Chicago Police Department is the largest law enforcement agency in Cook County. CPD keeps its own police records at 3510 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60653. Their FOIA section can be reached at (312) 745-5308. For most people looking for a police report in Cook County, this is where the search starts since Chicago holds about half the county's population.

The CPD FOIA page lists four ways to submit a records request. You can mail your request to the Freedom of Information Officer at 3510 S. Michigan Ave., Freedom of Information Section, Unit 114, Chicago, IL 60653. In-person visits work at the Records Customer Service Section at the same address from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Fax goes to (312) 745-6948. Or you can email foia@chicagopolice.org. Each city department in Chicago acts as its own public body, so make sure you send the request to the right one. The first 50 pages are free under 5 ILCS 140/6(b). If you are making a request for commercial use, you must say so up front.

CPD also posts data on its own. The Chicago Data Portal, annual reports, and a directives system are all online. You can find your police district and look at community area maps. Some of these give you what you need without filing a FOIA request at all for Cook County police records.

Cook County State's Attorney Records

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office is another source of police records in Cook County. Their office is at 500 Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago, Illinois 60602. You can email FOIA requests to SAO.FOIA@cookcountysao.org or use the CCSAO Records Portal online. The portal is the best choice because it sends you a receipt right away. Email works but does not give you a confirmation.

The screenshot below shows the Cook County State's Attorney FOIA page where you can start a records request online.

Records held by this office include law enforcement records, court records, civil and criminal case files, investigative materials, and forensic documents. Requests must be in writing and describe the records you want. The request is not considered received until it reaches the FOIA Officer. A delayed response does not count as a denial under Cook County policy.

How to Get Police Records in Cook County

The process for getting police records in Cook County depends on what kind of record you need. Incident reports, arrest records, and field reports all come from the agency that made them. For most FOIA requests, the steps are the same no matter which Cook County agency you contact.

Start by figuring out which agency handled the case. If it happened in Chicago city limits, contact CPD. If it was in an unincorporated area or involved the sheriff's patrol, go to the Cook County Sheriff. Suburban cities like Evanston, Skokie, Cicero, and Oak Park each have their own police departments with their own FOIA process. You need to send the request to the right department. Include your name, address, phone number, and a clear description of what you want. Avoid saying "any and all records" because that kind of broad request can be denied as unduly burdensome under the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/). The more specific you are, the faster you get your records.

Cook County police records follow the standard FOIA fee schedule. The first 50 pages of black and white copies are free. After that, each page costs $0.15. Color copies and non-standard sizes cost more. Payment goes by check or money order to the agency you are dealing with. Most Cook County agencies do not take credit cards for FOIA requests.

Criminal Records in Cook County

Criminal history checks in Cook County work differently from regular police report requests. Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/), only conviction data goes to the public. Arrest records that did not lead to a conviction stay private. The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification at 260 North Chicago Street in Joliet handles these checks. You can use the CHIRP system for name-based searches or go through a Live Scan vendor for fingerprint-based results.

The ISP does not charge for the Access and Review process if you want your own record. Vendors may charge a fee for fingerprinting. For conviction data on someone else, the CHIRP portal at chirp.isp.illinois.gov requires registration. This is the proper channel for criminal history in Cook County. Filing a FOIA request with local police will not get you a full background check.

State Police Coverage for Cook County

ISP Troop 3 covers Cook County along with several neighboring counties. The troop has headquarters in Des Plaines at 9511 West Harrison Street. This is important for crash reports and incidents on state highways. If a state trooper handled the case, you need to request the record from the Illinois State Police, not local police in Cook County.

For crash reports from ISP, visit isp.illinois.gov/CrashReports. Reports by mail cost $5 each. Send a check to the Patrol Records Unit at 801 South 7th Street, Suite 600-M, Springfield, Illinois 62703. You will get a redacted copy. Unredacted crash reports need a court order. The ISP FOIA Officer, Sarah Wheeler, can be reached at ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov for other types of Cook County police records from state troopers.

Note: Reports from the Troop 3 Des Plaines office cover Cook County highways and tollway incidents specifically.

Cities in Cook County

Cook County contains more than 130 municipalities. Each city with its own police force keeps separate police records. Below are the qualifying cities with their own pages on this site. For smaller suburbs, contact the local police department or the Cook County Sheriff's Office for records.

Other Cook County communities like Brookfield, Park Ridge, Niles, Elmwood Park, and Riverside also maintain their own police departments. Contact those departments directly for police records in their jurisdiction.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Cook County. If you are not sure where an incident took place, check the address against county lines before you send a request.