Cook County, IL Arrests & Jail Inmate Records

Anyone may obtain copies of the Cook County Sheriff's Office arrest records by submitting a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request. This may be done electronically through the FOIA Request Center.

Alternatively, individuals may fill out the FOIA request form and submit it to the Sheriff's Office by US mail to:

Cook County Sheriff's Office

Attn: FOIA Officer

Richard J. Daley Center

50 W. Washington, Room 704

Chicago, IL 60602

Local police departments in Cook County maintain records of arrest incidents within their respective jurisdictions. Individuals seeking these records may visit the arresting agency to submit a formal request at the Records Office. Records custodians may require specific details, such as the arrestee's full name and the incident's date, to facilitate the search. Additionally, requesters may check the police department's website to determine if arrest records can be accessed online. Some police departments in Cook County are:

• Alsip Police Department
• Berkeley Police Department
• Arlington Heights Police Department
• Brookfield Police Department

The Illinois State Police (ISP) provides access to criminal histories containing arrest records through the Bureau of Identification (BOI). To obtain such records for arrests made in Cook County, interested individuals may use the Criminal History Information Response Process (CHIRP), an online system managed by ISP. They may create an account on the CHIRP portal and submit requests for arrest records through name-based or fingerprint-based searches. Users searching for arrest records by name may need to provide the individual's full name and birth date. Applicants may also pay fees that vary according to the search method.

Arrest records related to incidents that resulted in charges against offenders in Cook County may be accessed through the Cook County Circuit Court. The Criminal Department of the Court maintains case files relating to misdemeanors, felony preliminary hearings, and quasi-criminal cases, while the Criminal Division keeps records of felony trial cases. Anyone may access these cases on the Circuit Clerk's Online Case Search portal. Additionally, individuals may submit a completed record search request form in person at Room 1006 in the Richard J. Daley Center, for misdemeanor records.

For felony records, submit the form at:

Leighton Criminal Courthouse

2650 South California Avenue

Room 526

Chicago, IL 60608

Likewise, interested persons may conveniently access Cook County arrest records on reliable third-party websites like InfoTracer. These websites allow users to find arrest records using different search criteria.