OPEN PUBLIC RECORDS

Because You Need to Know
RECORDS SEARCH
A
Chicago, Illinois · PD Transparency Grade

Chicago PD gets a A.

Chicago PD has been under federal consent decree since 2019, and it shows in the data infrastructure. Body-cam release within 60 days, COPA-published critical-incident video, machine-readable use-of-force on Open Data. The drag is the same as Cook County: PA 102-0237 blocks booking photos for non-violent suspects. The court order made the PD better; the legislature gates one criterion.

Computed 2026-04-28 20:21 UTC · Score 20/24

Free federal court search · bankruptcies, civil, criminal · no PACER fees

ILLINOIS · FEDERAL COURT SEARCH

Live data · checked just now

Chicago PD main
LIVE · HTTP 200 · 2026-04-28 20:21 UTC
CPD · Adult Arrest Search
LIVE · HTTP 200 · 2026-04-28 20:21 UTC
Chicago FOIA portal
LIVE · HTTP 206 · 2026-04-28 20:21 UTC
Chicago CLEARMAP
LIVE · HTTP 200 · 2026-04-28 20:21 UTC

Status legend: LIVE = HTTP 200–399 · WARN = 4xx · DEAD = 5xx · PENDING = checker could not reach (may still be live in browser)

Scorecard · six criteria, 0–4 each

1. Records request process 4/4
Chicago routes FOIA requests through the city FOIA portal. CPD-specific FOIA requests go to the Records Inquiry Section. 5-business-day clock per Illinois FOIA. Reform Board has been closely monitored by the Public Access Counselor following Justice Department oversight. Source: www.chicago.gov
2. Mugshot / booking release policy 0/4
Restricted by state law. Chicago arrestees flow into Cook County Jail (CCSO custody). Per PA 102-0237, neither CPD nor CCSO publishes booking photos for non-violent suspects. CPD removed photo searches from its public arrest search in 2022. Source: ilga.gov
3. Body-camera footage access 4/4
Strong. CPD has worn body cameras since 2017 (~7,000 deployed). The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) maintains a public video portal of officer-involved shootings and use-of-force incidents. The 2017 federal consent decree requires release within 60 days of critical incidents — one of the strongest body-cam access regimes in the country. Source: home.chicagopolice.org
4. Incident report fees 4/4
CPD charges only the actual cost of duplication per Illinois FOIA. First 50 black-and-white pages free. Crash reports through CPD Records: $6 each in person or by mail. Free for involved parties. Source: home.chicagopolice.org
5. Online portal availability 4/4
CPD maintains a department site, the Adult Arrest Search public lookup, the CLEARMAP incident-mapping tool, and Chicago Open Data publishes arrests, complaints, and use-of-force data in machine-readable form. Among the most-developed PD data programs in the country. Source: data.cityofchicago.org
6. Response speed (live feed health) 4/4
CPD main, Adult Arrest Search, FOIA portal, and CLEARMAP all verified live just now. See data strip above for HTTP status and timestamps. Source: home.chicagopolice.org

Getting a police record from Chicago

FOIA requests: file through the City of Chicago FOIA portal — centralized for all city departments including CPD. CPD HQ: 3510 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60653. Records Inquiry phone: (312) 745-5630. First 50 pages free, additional copies at actual duplication cost per IL FOIA.

For arrest records: use the CPD Adult Arrest Search. Returns name, charge, location, and arrest date but no booking photo (PA 102-0237). For current custody, use the Cook County Sheriff IIC Locator.

For body-cam footage of critical incidents: the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) maintains a public video portal. Required release within 60 days of officer-involved shootings or major use-of-force per the federal consent decree. CPD policy and reform updates published at home.chicagopolice.org.

For machine-readable crime data: Chicago Open Data publishes arrests, complaints, use-of-force, and stop-and-frisk data in CSV/JSON. Among the largest open municipal datasets in the country.

City court vs county court

Chicago does not run its own criminal court. Felonies, misdemeanors, civil cases, and traffic all go to the Cook County Circuit Court. Chicago operates Administrative Hearings for city ordinance violations (parking, building code, animal control) at 400 W. Superior St, Chicago, IL 60654.

Chicago PD vs Cook County

Chicago PD's grade is A. Cook County overall grades on a different rubric (court system, jail, prosecutor). Both inherit Springfield's PA 102-0237 booking-photo block. Where CPD outperforms is body-cam release and open data — the federal consent decree forced infrastructure that most PDs do not have. Cook County leads on e-filing maturity and county-wide IIC Locator coverage.

Sources checked

Method: All facts verified live against linked CPD and Chicago government sources at the timestamps shown. URLs verified by direct fetch with a real browser user-agent.

Common Questions About Public Records in Chicago

Real questions from people researching records in Chicago. Each answer is verified against official agency sources — no third-party services.

🚔 Where do recent arrests show up in Illinois? ▼
Illinois recent arrests: each Illinois sheriff and city PD posts independently. Cook County Sheriff (https://www.cookcountysheriff.org/) for largest county. Statewide criminal history: Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification (https://isp.illinois.gov/CrimeHistory) — $20 name-based, fingerprint $30, 20 ILCS 2630/3 (https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=2120). Court records: Illinois Courts (https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Public/) and county circuit clerks. Illinois Department of Corrections inmate (https://www.illinois.gov/idoc/Offender/Pages/InmateSearch.aspx). FBI Identity History Summary $18. Illinois FOIA (5 ILCS 140/1). Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times for community blotter.
Tagged: Illinois · arrest

Have a question about records in Chicago? The agencies that hold these records are listed throughout this page — start there.