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.
Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, with about 76,000 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 Evanston 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 Evanston, 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 Evanston records are kept
- Kept by the City of Evanston: 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.
Evanston 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 Evanston.
- Website: cityofevanston.org/government/city_clerks_office/index.php (page title: City Clerk's Office)
- Phone: (847) 448-4311
- Address: 909 Davis Street, 2nd Floor, Evanston, IL 60201
- Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Evanston police reports and records
Incident reports, crash reports and the other records of the Evanston 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 Evanston police records.
- Website: cityofevanston.org/departments/police/reports/police_reports.php (page title: City of Evanston)
- Phone: 847-866-5000
- Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:45 am to 4:15 pm
- 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.
Evanston 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: cityofevanston.org (page title: City of Evanston, IL)
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Evanston
Illinois public records law applies to the city government of Evanston. 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.
- Chicago
- 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 Evanston website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Evanston offices listed above, and the city's own website is cityofevanston.org; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
How do I get a police report in Evanston?
Request it from the Evanston police records unit at cityofevanston.org, phone 847-866-5000. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted.
Where do I find Evanston city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at cityofevanston.org, phone (847) 448-4311. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Evanston?
Evanston cases are heard by the courts that serve Cook County, and people arrested in Evanston 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 Evanston?
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.