Cook County criminal-record research is split among the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police and federal courts. Chicago felony cases are maintained by the Criminal Division at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Chicago misdemeanor records are handled by the Criminal Department, suburban Cook County cases remain with the relevant municipal district, and statewide conviction-history searches are handled by Illinois State Police.
Which Cook County Criminal Record System Should You Use?
Court case / docket
Search active and historical court-case status and docket summaries.
Chicago felony
Felony trial cases arising in Chicago are maintained through the Criminal Division at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
Chicago misdemeanor
Maintains misdemeanor, quasi-criminal and felony preliminary-hearing files arising in Chicago.
Jail / booking
Use the Individual in Custody Locator for current Cook County Jail custody information.
State criminal history
Public UCIA inquiries provide Illinois conviction information; fingerprint-supported procedures are available for other authorized purposes.
Federal prosecution
Federal cases in Cook County are handled through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and PACER.
Cook County Criminal Court Case Lookup
The official starting point is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Case Lookup .
The Clerk describes its public online system as a resource for determining the general status of historical and active cases.
Open the official Clerk Case Lookup
Begin with Cook County’s official court source instead of a commercial background-search site.
Search the correct criminal court area
Determine whether the case is a Chicago felony, Chicago misdemeanor or suburban Cook County matter.
Use the case number when possible
A case number is generally more reliable than a common-name search.
Read the electronic docket
Review court events, orders, charges and disposition information.
Request the official record when accuracy matters
The online docket is not the official record of the court.
The Cook County Online Docket Is Not the Official Court Record
Cook County’s Clerk expressly describes online case information as an electronic docket containing brief summaries of filed documents and court events.
The Clerk also warns that updates can take a few days to appear online.
Chicago Felony Criminal Records
Felony trial cases arising in the City of Chicago are handled by the Criminal Division.
Leighton Criminal Courthouse
2650 South California Avenue5th Floor, Room 526
Chicago, IL 60608
Phone: 773-674-3140
Criminal Division files can contain:
- appearances
- court orders
- affidavits
- motions
- petitions
- bond refund records
- notices
- other public criminal filings
Chicago Misdemeanor and Preliminary Felony Records
Cook County’s Criminal Department maintains:
- misdemeanor criminal cases
- quasi-criminal cases
- felony preliminary-hearing cases
- domestic-violence criminal files
- certain warrant-related records
Richard J. Daley Center
50 West Washington StreetRoom 1006
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-4641
Branch courts throughout Chicago also handle misdemeanor cases, felony preliminary hearings, domestic-violence matters and warrants.
Suburban Cook County Criminal Records
Cook County is divided into municipal districts. Suburban criminal records should be requested from the district where the case was handled.
| District | Location | Courthouse |
|---|---|---|
| Second District | Skokie | 5600 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, IL 60077 |
| Third District | Rolling Meadows | 2121 Euclid Avenue, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 |
| Fourth District | Maywood | 1500 Maybrook Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153 |
| Fifth District | Bridgeview | 10220 S. 76th Avenue, Bridgeview, IL 60455 |
| Sixth District | Markham | 16501 Kedzie Avenue, Markham, IL 60428 |
How to Read a Cook County Criminal Docket
| Docket term | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint | Criminal accusation filed against a defendant. | Not proof of guilt. |
| Preliminary hearing | Early felony proceeding evaluating probable cause. | A later felony case can continue elsewhere. |
| Indictment | Formal felony charges returned by a grand jury. | Review each count separately. |
| Plea | Defendant’s formal response or negotiated resolution. | Check which counts were included. |
| Dismissed | The charge did not result in a conviction on that count. | Other counts may have different outcomes. |
| Finding / judgment | Final judicial outcome. | Verify whether conviction, acquittal or another disposition occurred. |
| Sentence | Court-ordered consequences after a qualifying conviction. | Review custody, probation, supervision, fines and restitution separately. |
How to Review a Cook County Criminal Case File in Person
The Criminal Department states that Chicago criminal case files can be reviewed at its Court File Request Counter.
Criminal Department Court File Request Counter
Richard J. Daley Center50 West Washington Street
Room 1006
Chicago, IL 60602
Files from the previous four years are generally kept on site and can usually be viewed on the date requested unless the file is currently pending in a courtroom.
Certified Criminal Dispositions and Court Copies
A certified disposition is more useful than an online docket when an employer, licensing board, immigration authority, attorney or another court asks for an official record.
For Chicago Criminal Department cases, the Clerk asks for:
- defendant’s name
- date of birth
- date of arrest
| Cook County Clerk service | Current listed fee |
|---|---|
| Certification with seal of office — criminal disposition | $6 |
| Certification and exemplification | $12 |
| Certified copy of expungement order | $4 |
How to Find a Cook County Criminal Court Date
For Chicago Criminal Department matters, Clerk staff can perform a computer lookup to identify a court date.
Useful information includes:
- full name and aliases
- date of birth
- year of arrest
- charge
- case number when known
Criminal Department phone: 312-603-4641.
Cook County Warrant Information
The Criminal Department handles certain Cook County and non-Cook County warrants at its branch courts, but a normal online docket should not be treated as a guaranteed live warrant database.
Cook County Sheriff’s Individual in Custody Locator
The Cook County Department of Corrections manages Cook County Jail. Current custody information is available through the official Individual in Custody Locator .
The locator can help identify:
- current Cook County Jail custody
- booking identification number
- housing location
- booking photograph when available
- information needed for visitation or jail services
The Sheriff’s automated custody-information line is 773-674-5245.
Open Cook County Jail LocatorCook County Booking Photos
The Sheriff’s Office advises that a booking photograph should first be requested from the arresting agency.
If the person was booked, processed and remains in Cook County custody, the photo can also appear through the Individual in Custody Locator.
The Sheriff’s Office states that readily available archived digital booking photographs generally date from 2009 forward.
Cook County Sheriff Public Records and FOIA
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office accepts Illinois Freedom of Information Act requests for records it maintains.
Sheriff records can include:
- police / incident reports
- traffic crash reports
- body-worn-camera footage
- 911 audio
- dispatch records
- warrant service reports
- electronic-monitoring records
Cook County Sheriff’s Office
Attn: Freedom of Information OfficerRichard J. Daley Center
50 West Washington, Room 704
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-6444
Chicago Police Reports Are Separate From Sheriff’s Records
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Chicago Police Department are separate agencies.
If Chicago Police made the arrest or created the incident report, request the report from Chicago Police Department, not the Cook County Sheriff.
Illinois State Police Criminal History Records
Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains Illinois criminal-history information.
Under the Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act, the public can obtain conviction information collected and maintained by ISP.
Illinois uses the Criminal History Information Response Process, commonly called CHIRP, for qualifying electronic criminal-history inquiries.
Illinois State Police Criminal-History Fees
| Inquiry | Electronic fee | Manual / paper fee |
|---|---|---|
| UCIA name-based conviction inquiry | $10 | $16 |
| UCIA fingerprint-card inquiry | $15 | $20 |
| Fee applicant — Illinois state only | $15 | $20 |
| Fee applicant — State + FBI beginning Oct. 1, 2026 | $30 | $35 |
How to Get Your Own Complete Illinois Criminal History
If your goal is to see what Illinois State Police actually maintains about you, use the ISP Access and Review procedure.
Visit a Live Scan provider or eligible agency
Your fingerprints and identity information are collected.
Submit fingerprints to ISP
ISP uses fingerprints to match the record to the correct person.
Receive your criminal-history transcript
ISP mails the record or a statement that no criminal history was found.
Use the Record Challenge form if necessary
The Access and Review packet includes a process for challenging inaccurate information.
What if the Illinois Criminal Record Is Wrong?
If ISP’s transcript contains information that does not belong to you or shows an incorrect disposition, use the official Record Challenge process.
Useful supporting records can include:
- certified Cook County disposition
- dismissal order
- acquittal record
- vacatur order
- expungement or sealing order
- identity documentation
Expungement and Sealing in Cook County
Illinois distinguishes between expungement and sealing.
Records removed or destroyed under the statute
Available primarily for qualifying nonconvictions, certain supervision dispositions and other eligible records.
Records restricted from ordinary public access
The record is not destroyed and can remain available to authorized law-enforcement and other permitted entities.
Cook County provides an Adult Expungement Advice Desk at the Daley Center for people seeking assistance.
Adult Expungement Advice Desk
Richard J. Daley Center50 W. Washington Street
10th Floor, Room 1006
Chicago, IL 60602
Current Clerk information lists assistance on selected weekday mornings. Confirm the current schedule before traveling.
Cook County Expungement and Sealing Waiting Periods
Current Cook County Clerk guidance summarizes common waiting periods as follows:
| Disposition | General waiting period |
|---|---|
| Acquittal or dismissal | No waiting period |
| Eligible supervision | 2 years after successful completion |
| Qualifying probation | 5 years after successful completion |
| Eligible conviction sealing | 3 years after completion of the most recent sentence across conviction cases |
Cook County’s current public guidance lists a filing cost of approximately $152 for an expungement/sealing petition, although the exact total can vary and a qualifying person can apply for a court fee waiver.
Illinois State Police charges no fee for filing the petition itself with ISP, but currently lists a $60 processing fee for a court order to expunge or seal criminal history.
Cook County Juvenile Criminal Records
Juvenile records have separate confidentiality and expungement rules from ordinary adult criminal cases.
Federal Criminal Cases in Cook County
Federal prosecutions in Chicago and Cook County are handled by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Federal criminal dockets and documents are available through PACER .
The Northern District also provides a federal case-number lookup tool for known cases.
Leighton Criminal Courthouse Map
Leighton Criminal Courthouse: 2650 South California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608. Chicago felony trial records are handled by the Criminal Division inside this courthouse.
Cook County Criminal Record Search Tips
Know Chicago vs suburban
A suburban disposition should be requested from the suburban municipal district.
Online docket is only a summary
Obtain the official court document when precision matters.
Recent event may lag
Cook County warns online updates can take a few days.
Current custody? Use Sheriff
Court dockets do not replace the Individual in Custody Locator.
Police report follows the agency
Chicago Police and Cook County Sheriff’s Police are separate entities.
Use DOB and arrest date
These identifiers help the Clerk locate a certified disposition.
ISP public search = convictions
It should not be confused with your complete Access and Review record.
Check every count
One criminal case can contain convictions, dismissals and other dispositions together.
Federal case? Use PACER
Federal prosecutions are not part of the Cook County Circuit Court database.
Using Cook County Records for Employment or Tenant Screening
A Cook County public docket or Sheriff custody search is not automatically a legally compliant employment, housing, credit, licensing or insurance background report.
Illinois State Police public conviction searches and authorized fingerprint checks serve different purposes, and third-party consumer-reporting companies can be subject to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Cook County Criminal Records: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where can I search Cook County criminal court cases?
Start with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Case Lookup for public online case-status information.
2. Is Cook County’s online case information the official court record?
No. The Clerk states that online information is an electronic docket containing summaries. The official court record is maintained by the Clerk in its official files and repositories.
3. How current is Cook County’s online criminal docket?
The Clerk warns that recent filings and events can take a few days to appear online.
4. Where are Chicago felony records maintained?
Chicago felony trial records are maintained by the Criminal Division at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, 2650 South California Avenue.
5. Where can I search for someone currently in Cook County Jail?
Use the Cook County Sheriff’s official Individual in Custody Locator at iic.ccsheriff.org.
6. Can I get a Cook County booking photo online?
If the person has been booked and processed into Cook County custody, a booking photo can appear in the Individual in Custody Locator. The arresting agency is another appropriate source.
7. Does Illinois State Police provide public criminal-history searches?
Yes. Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act, qualifying Illinois conviction information is available through ISP criminal-history inquiry procedures.
8. How do I see my own complete Illinois criminal history?
Use the Illinois State Police Access and Review process. It requires fingerprints and provides a criminal-history transcript plus a Record Challenge form when applicable.
9. Can Cook County criminal records be expunged or sealed?
Many qualifying Illinois records can be expunged or sealed depending on the exact charge, disposition, sentence and statutory exclusions.
10. Are federal criminal cases included in Cook County Case Lookup?
No. Federal cases are maintained by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and are searched through PACER.
Official Sources
- Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County — Case Lookup
- Cook County Clerk — Online Case Information
- Cook County Clerk — Criminal Division
- Cook County Clerk — Criminal Department
- Cook County Sheriff — Individual in Custody Locator
- Cook County Sheriff — FOIA Requests
- Illinois State Police — Criminal History
- Illinois State Police — Criminal History Fee Schedule
- Illinois State Police — Access and Review
- Cook County Clerk — Adult Expungement and Sealing
- Illinois Courts — Expungement and Sealing Forms
- U.S. District Court — Northern District of Illinois
- PACER — Federal Court Records