Start with the Clerk’s case lookup, then move to the official file when you need proof
Cook County criminal records are spread across several systems. The Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains criminal case dockets and official court files, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office maintains county-jail and custody information, and Illinois State Police maintains statewide criminal-history conviction information. Knowing which record you need is important because an online court docket, a booking record and a statewide criminal-history check are not the same thing.
First decide what kind of criminal record you actually need
A common mistake is searching the Sheriff’s website when the needed information is a court disposition, or searching the court docket when the question is whether someone is currently in custody. These systems serve different purposes.
Criminal court docket
Case number, docket activity, hearings, charges, court events and general case status.
Filed documents
Complaints, orders, motions, petitions, warrants and other public documents maintained with the case.
County jail record
Current custody and booking information for people held by the Cook County Department of Corrections.
Arrest or incident report
Law-enforcement records created by the agency that handled the arrest or investigation.
State conviction history
Statewide conviction information available under Illinois’ Uniform Conviction Information Act.
State prison record
Information concerning people in Illinois Department of Corrections custody.
Cook County’s criminal record system is split by case type and location
Cook County is unusual because “criminal court” does not mean one records counter. The Clerk’s Criminal Department, Criminal Division and suburban municipal districts maintain different categories of cases.
Criminal Department
Handles records for misdemeanor, quasi-criminal and felony preliminary-hearing matters arising in Chicago’s First Municipal District.
Phone: 312-603-4641
Criminal Division
Maintains felony trial records for cases in the City of Chicago and related felony post-conviction, appeal, expungement and sealing matters.
Phone: 773-674-3140
Municipal districts
Suburban criminal records are maintained by the municipal district serving the location where the case was heard rather than automatically by a Chicago records counter.
Use the official Cook County Criminal Division page to identify the current suburban-district criminal-services contacts when a case was not filed in Chicago.
How to search Cook County criminal court cases online
The Clerk of the Circuit Court provides an Online Case Information service for checking the general status of historical and active Cook County court cases.
Open official Cook County Case LookupOpen the Clerk’s official Case Lookup
Start from the Clerk’s website rather than a commercial records site. The online system provides access to the electronic docket.
Search with the strongest identifier available
A full Cook County case number is generally more precise than a name. When searching by name through a public-access search, use the person’s formal name and verify possible matches carefully.
Open the matching docket
Review the case number, court division, docket entries, hearing information and available case status.
Check the disposition rather than stopping at the charge
A filed charge tells you what was alleged. Later docket events and the certified disposition tell you how the matter was resolved.
Request the official file if the result matters
The Clerk expressly states that its online docket is not the official court record. Obtain the actual court file or a certified disposition when formal verification is required.
Searching by defendant name vs. case number
Cook County’s public-access system supports searching for court records using a case number or name. On the Clerk’s Odyssey public-access system, name searches are entered in Last Name, First Name order.
Case-number search
Use this whenever you already know the complete case number. It minimizes false matches and takes you directly to the correct docket.
Name search
Search the defendant’s legal name, then confirm date, court location and case details before assuming a result belongs to the person you are researching.
Information worth collecting before you search
- full first and last name
- middle name or middle initial
- former or alias name
- approximate date of birth
- approximate arrest year
- Chicago vs. suburban location
- case or citation number
- known charge
A very recent arrest or filing may not appear online immediately
The Clerk warns that updates to the online electronic docket can sometimes take a few days. If the case or court event is extremely recent, a blank web search does not necessarily mean no case exists.
For Chicago Criminal Department matters, the Clerk says staff can help determine the next court date using information such as the person’s names or aliases, date of birth, arrest year and charge.
How to read a Cook County criminal docket correctly
| Docket item | What it tells you | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Unique identifier for that Cook County court case. | Save it before leaving the search result. |
| Charge | The criminal offense alleged in the case. | A charge alone is not a conviction. |
| Docket entry | A brief summary of a filing, hearing, order or court event. | The docket summary is not necessarily the complete document. |
| Court date | Scheduled or completed hearing information. | Check current information if the hearing is approaching. |
| Disposition | How the charge or case was resolved. | Review each count separately if multiple charges exist. |
| Sentence | Penalty or conditions imposed after an applicable conviction. | Connect the sentence to the correct count and disposition. |
What can be inside a Cook County criminal case file?
The exact contents depend on the type and age of the case. For Chicago Criminal Department matters, the Clerk says a file may contain records such as:
- arrest report
- criminal complaint
- warrants
- mittimus
- appearances
- court orders
- affidavits
- motions
- petitions
- notices
Felony Criminal Division files may include appearances, court orders, affidavits, certificates, motions, petitions and other filings. Documents that have been impounded by court order are not available for ordinary public review without the required judicial authorization.
How to obtain a certified criminal disposition
A certified disposition is useful when you need an official court-authenticated record showing the outcome of a criminal case rather than merely a screenshot of the online docket.
For Chicago Criminal Department cases
The Clerk says it needs the following information to locate and issue a certified disposition:
- defendant’s name
- date of birth
- date of arrest
- case number, if known
The Criminal Department provides dispositions for Chicago cases. If the prosecution occurred in a suburban Cook County district, contact that district’s criminal-services office instead.
Current certification fee
The Clerk’s published miscellaneous-fee schedule lists $6 for certification with the seal of office for a criminal disposition. Court fees can change, so verify the current Clerk fee schedule immediately before ordering.
Criminal Department instructions Court document request contactsReviewing a criminal case file in person
For a Chicago Criminal Department case, the Clerk instructs people who want to review a case file to use the Court File Request Counter in:
Richard J. Daley Center
50 W. Washington StreetRoom 1006
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-4641
The Clerk says Criminal Department files filed within the previous four years are normally maintained on-site and can generally be viewed on the date of request unless the file is pending in court. A valid photo identification card is required to view the file.
Chicago felony records
Criminal Courts complex
2650 S. California Avenue5th Floor, Room 526
Chicago, IL 60608
Phone: 773-674-3140
This Criminal Division maintains Chicago felony trial records. Suburban felony cases remain with the appropriate Cook County suburban district.
Older Cook County criminal records may require the Archives Department
Cook County’s Archives Department preserves non-current, pre-electronic court records. The Clerk says computerized indexing and docketing began in the early 1980s, so substantially older cases can require manual index research.
Archived case files are stored off-site. The Clerk advises researchers to allow approximately 2–10 days for requested records to be transferred to Archives for viewing.
Richard J. Daley Center
50 W. Washington StreetRoom 1113
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-603-6601
Case number makes everything easier
Archives says it ultimately needs a case number to locate a case file. If the number is unknown, staff can search historical indexes using names, dates and case type.
The Archives Department currently lists a $6 search charge for each year searched in historical indexes. It also lists $6 per certified document plus applicable photocopy charges. Confirm current fees before placing an order.
Cook County ArchivesUse the Sheriff’s locator for current Cook County jail information
A court docket tells you about a case. It does not necessarily tell you whether the person is physically in Cook County Jail right now.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office operates an official Individual in Custody Locator.
The locator currently supports searching by:
- full first name and full last name
- Cook County booking ID
For individual-in-custody information, the Sheriff’s Office also publishes the phone number 773-674-JAIL (5245).
Where to find a Cook County booking photograph
The Cook County Sheriff says that when a person has been booked, processed and remains in its custody, the booking photograph may appear in the Individual in Custody Locator.
Sheriff guidance says locator results are typically published approximately 4–6 hours after booking and processing.
If a booking photo does not appear, the Sheriff notes several possible reasons. For example, a person who was released before full booking may not have had a photograph taken.
Police reports and arrest records come from the agency that created them
Cook County criminal court records should not be confused with police investigative records. If you need an arrest report, incident report, body-camera record or another law-enforcement document, identify the agency that created it.
Sheriff-created records
Use the Cook County Sheriff’s FOIA process when the Sheriff’s Office created the responsive record.
CPD-created records
Chicago Police Department is a separate entity. Sheriff FOIA requests should not be used as a substitute for CPD’s records process.
Cook County Sheriff FOIA requests
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office accepts Freedom of Information Act requests through its electronic request system and by mail.
Cook County Sheriff FOIARecords may also be withheld or redacted when an Illinois FOIA exemption or another confidentiality law applies. A pending investigation can affect access to investigative materials even when some basic arrest information is public.
Illinois State Police conviction records answer a different question
The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains statewide criminal-history information. Illinois’ Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA) requires conviction information collected and maintained by ISP to be available to the public.
The important word is conviction. UCIA public dissemination does not mean that every non-conviction arrest or confidential criminal-history event is freely available to anyone.
Illinois State Police Criminal History| ISP service | Current processing fee | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| UCIA name-based inquiry — paper/manual | $16 | Public Illinois conviction-information inquiry. |
| UCIA name-based inquiry — electronic | $10 | Electronic conviction-information processing where available to the requester. |
| UCIA fingerprint inquiry — paper card | $20 | Fingerprint-supported UCIA conviction inquiry. |
| UCIA fingerprint inquiry — Live Scan | $15 | Electronic fingerprint-supported UCIA inquiry. |
| Access & Review / Record Challenge | No ISP processing fee | Reviewing or challenging your own Illinois criminal history; fingerprint vendor fees may apply. |
Fees can change. Verify the current Illinois State Police fee schedule before submitting a request.
How to obtain and challenge your own Illinois criminal-history transcript
If you want to know exactly what Illinois State Police associates with your own identity, use the ISP Access and Review process rather than repeatedly searching your name.
Go to an authorized fingerprint provider
ISP says an individual may use an Illinois law-enforcement or correctional facility, or an appropriately licensed fingerprint vendor, for Access and Review.
Submit fingerprints and identity information
Fingerprints help ISP identify the correct record much more reliably than a name-only search.
Receive your transcript
ISP sends the criminal-history transcript—or a statement that no criminal history was found— using the delivery information provided in the request.
Challenge an error if necessary
The Access and Review packet includes a Record Challenge form that can be used to dispute inaccurate or incomplete Illinois criminal-history information.
Use IDOC for Illinois state-prison information
Someone held in Cook County Jail and someone committed to the Illinois Department of Corrections are in different custody systems.
For state correctional records, use the official Illinois Department of Corrections Individual in Custody Search.
Search Illinois state custodyIllinois offender registries are specialized searches
Illinois State Police maintains public offender-registration systems, including the Sex Offender Registry and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registry.
The Illinois Sex Offender Registry can be searched using details such as name, date of birth, city, ZIP code, county and status.
Cook County criminal appeals go to Illinois’ First Appellate District
Appeals from trial courts in Cook County are heard by the Illinois Appellate Court, First District.
Illinois Courts provides electronic appellate case access through its court-record systems, and the First District page links to online records, opinions and other appellate resources.
Illinois First Appellate District Search appellate opinionsFederal criminal cases in Chicago are searched separately
A federal prosecution arising in Cook County will not be a Cook County Circuit Court case. Federal criminal cases are handled through the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Use PACER for federal dockets and documents.
Northern District PACER PACER Case LocatorIf you already know the federal case number, the Northern District also provides a Federal Record Lookup that lets users identify a record by court location, year, case type and case number.
Expunged and sealed Cook County records may disappear from ordinary public searches
Illinois distinguishes between expungement and sealing. Cook County’s Clerk explains that expungement and sealing can apply to qualifying criminal and traffic records depending on the disposition, offense and other eligibility requirements.
Records are cleared under the applicable order
Cook County describes expungement as a process in which law-enforcement records are destroyed and the Clerk impounds the court records covered by the expungement order.
Public access is restricted
Sealed records are closed from ordinary public access but are not necessarily destroyed and can remain available to agencies authorized by Illinois law.
The Clerk also operates an Adult Expungement Advice Desk at the Daley Center. Check the current Clerk page before visiting because published desk days and hours can change.
If a criminal record belongs to someone else or contains an error
Illinois provides different correction routes depending on where the mistake appears.
Contact the Clerk
If the error is in the Cook County court file or docket, start with the Clerk division maintaining that case.
ISP Record Challenge
Use Illinois State Police Access and Review and the Record Challenge process for inaccurate state criminal-history information.
Factual-innocence process
Cook County provides special forms and procedures when another person falsely used your identity during an arrest or conviction.
The Cook County Clerk’s Expungement, Sealing & Identity Theft resource includes information for people whose identity was falsely used in a criminal matter.
What changed after Illinois eliminated cash bail?
Older Cook County pages and court records may use terms such as “Bond Court.” Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act eliminated cash bail for criminal cases beginning in 2023. Cook County’s current Criminal Division materials explain that Initial Appearance Court (IAC) replaced the former cash-bail process for new criminal cases.
At an initial appearance, the judge determines whether the accused person will be released or detained under current Illinois pretrial law.
Map for Chicago felony criminal-court records
Chicago felony trial matters are handled through the Criminal Division at the 26th & California criminal-court complex. The Clerk lists its Criminal Division records office at 2650 S. California Avenue, 5th Floor, Room 526, Chicago, IL 60608.
Cook County search tips that solve the most common problems
Save the case number immediately
Once you identify the correct case, the case number is more reliable than repeating a broad name search.
Recent case missing?
Cook County warns that web docket updates can lag. Try a courthouse Public Access Terminal.
Distinguish misdemeanor from felony
Chicago misdemeanor/preliminary matters and Chicago felony trial records are handled through different Clerk units.
Suburban case?
Do not assume the Daley Center can issue the disposition. Contact the municipal district where the case was heard.
Need proof?
Order a certified disposition rather than relying on a screenshot of the online docket.
Old case?
Cook County began computerized indexing in the early 1980s. Archives may be the correct route for older files.
Current custody?
Switch from the court docket to the Sheriff’s Individual in Custody Locator.
Statewide conviction check?
Use Illinois State Police UCIA records rather than expecting the Cook County docket to cover the rest of Illinois.
Search each disposition
One case can have several counts with different outcomes. Do not characterize the entire case from one charge.
Common questions about Cook County criminal court records
1. Can I search Cook County criminal court records online for free?
Yes. The Clerk of the Circuit Court provides Online Case Information as a public service for checking the general status of historical and active court cases. The electronic docket is not the official court record.
2. Can I search a Cook County criminal case by a person’s name?
Cook County public-access systems support name-based court-record searching. When using Odyssey-style Smart Search, names are entered in Last Name, First Name order. Verify results carefully because people can share similar names.
3. Why is a very recent criminal case not appearing online?
The Clerk says electronic docket updates can sometimes take several days. For very recent filings, use a courthouse Public Access Terminal or contact the appropriate Criminal Department, Criminal Division or suburban district.
4. Is the online Cook County docket an official court record?
No. The Clerk explicitly states that online case information is an electronic docket containing brief summaries and is not the official court record. Official records are maintained by the Clerk.
5. How do I obtain a certified Cook County criminal disposition?
Contact the Clerk unit maintaining the case. For Chicago Criminal Department cases, provide the defendant’s name, date of birth and date of arrest. Suburban cases should be handled through the applicable suburban district.
6. Where can I find someone currently in Cook County Jail?
Use the Cook County Sheriff’s Individual in Custody Locator. It currently supports searches using a person’s full first and last name or their booking ID.
7. How do I search an old Cook County criminal record?
Start with Online Case Information. If the record predates computerized indexing or is no longer maintained with the active files, contact the Clerk’s Archives Department. Archived files are stored off-site and can take several days to retrieve.
8. Does Illinois State Police provide public criminal background checks?
Yes. Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act, Illinois State Police makes conviction information maintained by the Bureau of Identification available to the public. This is different from searching the complete Cook County court docket.
9. Can an expunged or sealed case disappear from public search?
Yes. Illinois expungement and sealing can remove or restrict qualifying records from ordinary public access. Sealed records are not necessarily destroyed and may remain accessible to agencies authorized by law.
10. Where do I search a federal criminal case from Chicago?
Federal prosecutions are separate from Cook County Circuit Court cases. Use PACER for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, or use the nationwide PACER Case Locator if the federal court is unknown.
Official sources for verifying Cook County criminal-record information
- Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County — Online Case Information
- Cook County Clerk — Online Case Search
- Cook County Clerk — Criminal Department
- Cook County Clerk — Criminal Division
- Cook County Clerk — Archives Department
- Cook County Clerk — Court Document Requests
- Cook County Clerk — Adult Expungement and Sealing
- Cook County Sheriff — Individual in Custody Locator
- Cook County Sheriff — FOIA Requests
- Illinois State Police — Criminal History
- Illinois State Police — Access and Review
- Illinois State Police — Criminal History Fee Schedule
- Illinois Department of Corrections — Individual in Custody Search
- Illinois State Police — Sex Offender Registry
- Illinois Appellate Court — First District
- PACER — Federal Court Records