Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Chicago is a city in Cook County, Illinois, with about 2.7 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps police reports, council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Chicago offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 3 city office pages for Chicago, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, Police records, City Hall, Records requests, Other cities and Questions.
City or county record: where Chicago records are kept
- Kept by the City of Chicago: police reports, council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Cook County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Cook County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Chicago City Clerk: council records and ordinances
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Chicago.
- Website: chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov (page title: Office of the City Clerk)
- Phone: (312) 744-6870
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Chicago police reports and records
Incident reports, crash reports and the other records of the Chicago police are requested from the department's records unit, usually in writing or through an online form. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted, and some states limit crash reports to the people involved and their insurers. The page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Chicago police records.
- Website: chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cpd/supp_info/cpd_foia.html (page title: City of Chicago | File a Police FOIA Request)
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Jail bookings and inmate lookups are usually handled by the county, not the city police. They are in the Cook County public records guide under jail and inmate lookups.
Chicago City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: chicago.gov/city/en/general/contact.html (page title: City of Chicago | Contact Us)
- Phone: 312.744.5000
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Chicago
Illinois public records law applies to the city government of Chicago. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records, the police records unit for police reports and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
Other cities and towns in Cook County
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for these other cities and towns in Cook County. The Cook County public records guide covers the records the county keeps for all of them.
- Evanston
- Arlington Heights
- Palatine
- Des Plaines
- Orland Park
- Oak Lawn
- Mount Prospect
- Berwyn
- Tinley Park
- Hoffman Estates
- Park Ridge
- Streamwood
- Wheeling
- Hanover Park
- Calumet City
- Northbrook
- Niles
- Burbank
- Lansing
- Wilmette
- Oak Forest
- Chicago Heights
- Morton Grove
- Elmwood Park
- Blue Island
- Park Forest
- Dolton
- Evergreen Park
- Brookfield
- Matteson
- Alsip
- Lemont
- Bellwood
- Franklin Park
- Palos Hills
- Bridgeview
- Westchester
- Country Club Hills
- Prospect Heights
- Hickory Hills
- Chicago Ridge
- Lincolnwood
- Richton Park
- Winnetka
- Northlake
- Palos Heights
- Schiller Park
- Markham
- Summit
- Barrington
- Crestwood
- Lyons
- River Grove
- Flossmoor
- Riverside
- Harwood Heights
- Glenwood
- Broadview
- North Riverside
- Stickney
The 60 largest are listed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Chicago website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Chicago offices listed above, and the city's own website is chicago.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
How do I get a police report in Chicago?
Request it from the Chicago police records unit at chicago.gov. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted.
Where do I find Chicago city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov, phone (312) 744-6870. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Chicago?
Chicago cases are heard by the courts that serve Cook County, and people arrested in Chicago are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Cook County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Chicago?
From the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records, the police records unit for police reports and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. Illinois public records law applies to city governments.