Search Chicago Criminal Records

Chicago criminal records come from two main places. The Chicago Police Department keeps arrest data and RAP sheets at its headquarters on South Michigan Avenue. Cook County Circuit Court holds the court case files for all criminal charges filed in the city. If you want to search for someone's criminal record in Chicago, you can start with the CPD online arrest search tool or contact the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Both sources cover different parts of the same process, from the arrest through the court case. Most people need to check both to get a full picture of criminal records in Chicago.

Chicago Police Department Criminal Records

The Chicago Police Department is the main law enforcement agency in the city. Their headquarters sits at 3510 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60653. The CPD keeps arrest records, RAP sheets, and other criminal history data for crimes that take place in Chicago. You can reach the Records Division at (312) 745-5508. For questions about criminal history access and review, call (312) 745-5623. The non-emergency line is 3-1-1 or (312) 746-6000. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You can also email police@cityofchicago.org for general questions about Chicago criminal records.

A RAP sheet from the Chicago Police Department costs $16. You pay by cash, check, or money order made out to the City of Chicago, Dept of Revenue. The RAP sheet stands for Record of Arrests and Prosecutions. It shows your arrest history as recorded by the CPD. When you get your Chicago RAP sheet, the department also sends your fingerprints to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification. They pull your state criminal history transcript at no extra cost. That state record comes back as a separate document you can view but not keep a copy of, since state law does not allow copies to be given out.

The Chicago Police Department website has general info on services and contact details for each district.

You can browse unit and district contact info on the site if you need to reach a specific station about a case or record in Chicago.

Chicago Criminal Records Online Search

The Chicago Police Department runs a free online arrest search at publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org. This is the quickest way to look up arrest data in Chicago without leaving home. The tool covers arrests from January 1, 2014 to the present. Only adults aged 18 and over at the time of arrest show up. And only arrests made by the Chicago Police Department are in the database. If another agency made the arrest, even within city limits, it will not appear here.

The database has some limits worth knowing about. It does not show arrests before 2014. Juvenile arrests are not included. Cases handled by Cook County Sheriff or Illinois State Police are not in it either. You search by name and the system returns matching arrest records. Each result shows the arrest date and basic charge info. This tool is good for a quick check, but it does not replace a full criminal history search through the state system or the courts.

The Chicago Police arrest search portal is free and open to the public.

Results from this portal give you a starting point. For full case details, you still need to check with the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk.

Note: The online arrest search only covers CPD arrests from 2014 onward for adults 18 and older.

Getting a Chicago RAP Sheet

To get your RAP sheet in Chicago, visit Police Headquarters at 3510 S. Michigan Ave. Fingerprinting is available Tuesday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Bring $16 in cash, check, or money order. The department processes your request and prints your Chicago arrest history. At the same time, CPD sends your fingerprints to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification. The state rap sheet comes back separately and shows your criminal history from across Illinois, not just Chicago.

Here is the important part about the state record. By law, copies of the state rap sheet cannot be given out. You get to view it only. The Chicago Police Department will contact you when your state record is ready. You have one month from the date listed to call Criminal History Access and Review at (312) 745-5623 and set up a time to come in and look at it. If you miss that window, you may need to start the process over. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635) governs what conviction data can be shared with the public in Illinois. Your personal rap sheet goes beyond that, but the view-only rule for the state copy still applies.

The $16 fee covers the Chicago portion. The state transcript is included at no added cost. That makes this one of the more affordable ways to check your own criminal record history in the Chicago area.

Chicago Criminal Records Through FOIA

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act under 5 ILCS 140 gives the public a right to request government documents, including certain police records. The Chicago Police Department has its own FOIA process. You can submit requests by email to foia@chicagopolice.org or by phone at (312) 745-5308. Written requests go to: Chicago Police Department, Attn: Freedom of Information Officer, 3510 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60653. The department must respond within five business days, though they can take a short extension in some cases.

The Chicago Police FOIA page has details on what you can ask for and how to submit your request.

FOIA covers a wide range of records. You can request incident reports, arrest reports, and other documents tied to criminal cases in Chicago. Some records are exempt. Anything that could interfere with an active investigation may be withheld. Juvenile records, sealed files, and personal information like Social Security numbers are also off limits. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) sets the rules for what can and cannot be released when it comes to criminal history data in Illinois.

FOIA is useful when the online arrest search does not cover what you need. If the arrest happened before 2014 or was handled by a different unit, a FOIA request may be the way to get that Chicago criminal record information.

Chicago Criminal Records in Cook County Court

Criminal court cases in Chicago go through the Cook County Circuit Court. The Clerk of the Circuit Court keeps all the case files. Their main office is at 50 W. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602. The general number is (312) 603-5030. For misdemeanor criminal records, call (312) 603-4641. For felony records, the number is 773-674-3147. These lines connect you with staff who handle criminal case files in Cook County.

Criminal case files in Cook County are not available online. This is a big deal because most other Illinois counties have some form of web access through systems like Judici. Cook County is the exception. The Illinois Supreme Court set a policy that blocks remote access to certain court documents, and criminal filings in Cook County fall under that rule. If you want a criminal court record from a case in Chicago, you must go to the courthouse in person or send someone on your behalf.

The Cook County case lookup tool does let you search some case types online. Civil, law, chancery, traffic, and a few other categories are in the system. Criminal is not. But the tool can still help you confirm that a case exists and get basic status info. That way you know what to ask for when you show up at the right office. The Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th and California handles most felony cases filed in Chicago.

Note: Criminal case files in Cook County are kept in hard copy paper format only and require in-person access.

State Tools for Chicago Criminal Records

Beyond the local level, state tools can fill in gaps when searching for criminal records that involve Chicago. The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification holds criminal history files for the whole state. Their database has more than five million fingerprint records. Conviction data collected by the Bureau must be shared with the public under the Uniform Conviction Information Act. Name-based checks cost $10 for electronic requests. The CHIRP system is the online portal for running those checks. You need an Illinois driver's license or state ID to register.

CHIRP stands for Criminal History Information Response Process. It works for all of Illinois, including Chicago and Cook County. You enter a name and the system searches state conviction records. Results come back fairly fast. This is a good option if you want to check conviction history without going to a courthouse. Keep in mind that CHIRP only shows convictions, not arrests that did not lead to a conviction.

For people who want to see their own record, the Access and Review process through the Illinois State Police is free. You visit a Live Scan vendor or law enforcement office to get fingerprinted. The state does not charge a fee, though the fingerprint vendor might. Your results get mailed to you. If you find errors, you can challenge them through the Bureau of Identification.

Clearing Criminal Records in Chicago

Illinois law allows some criminal records to be expunged or sealed. Expungement removes the record. Sealing keeps it hidden from most public searches but law enforcement can still see it. The rules depend on the type of case and how it ended. Arrests that did not lead to a conviction are often eligible. Certain supervision and probation outcomes may qualify too.

Waiting periods apply under the Criminal Identification Act. Two years after supervision ends. Five years after qualified probation. You file a petition with the Cook County court where the case was heard. The court order fee is $60. Once granted, both the Clerk and the Illinois State Police update their records. The Office of the State Appellate Defender has a full guide on how expungement works in Illinois. Their site includes forms, step-by-step instructions, and details on what offenses qualify.

Free legal clinics in the Chicago area can help with the paperwork. Groups like Illinois Legal Aid and the State Appellate Defender run events where you can get one-on-one help filing your petition. This is worth looking into if you have an old case in Chicago that might qualify for relief.

Chicago Criminal Record Fees

Costs for getting criminal records in Chicago depend on what you need. The Chicago Police RAP sheet is $16, payable by cash, check, or money order. The state criminal history transcript that comes with it is free. The online arrest search at publicsearch1.chicagopolice.org costs nothing to use. FOIA requests to the Chicago Police Department are also free to submit, though the department can charge for copying costs if your request pulls a lot of pages.

At the state level, the Bureau of Identification has its own fee schedule for criminal history checks that cover Chicago records:

• Name-based conviction check: $10 electronic, $16 paper
• State fingerprint check: $15 electronic, $20 paper
• State plus FBI check: $27 electronic, $32 paper
• Access and Review of your own record: free from the state
• Expungement or sealing court order: $60

Court copy fees at the Cook County Clerk's office vary. Call (312) 603-5030 before you visit to confirm what it costs. Certified copies run more than plain ones. Each division may post its own rates at the window.

Cook County Criminal Records

Chicago is in Cook County. All criminal court cases from the city go through the Cook County Circuit Court system. The county page has more details on the Clerk of the Circuit Court, court districts, fees, and how to access criminal case files in person. If your search involves a case filed outside Chicago but still in Cook County, the county page covers suburban districts too.

Nearby Cities for Criminal Records

Several large cities sit close to Chicago. Each one falls under its own county circuit court, though some share Cook County with Chicago. If the record you need ties to a case outside city limits, check the nearby city pages below for local details on searching criminal records.