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A criminal record lists the offenses you were arrested for, the offenses you were charged with, and the outcome of the cases including any sentences you received. You need this information to find out if your offenses can be expunged (erased) or sealed (hidden).
You can get records at the Illinois State Police Department, the Chicago Police Department, specific suburban or municipal police departments, specific county sheriff’s department, and the Illinois Circuit Court. Depending on your situation only a few of these steps may be necessary.
VIDEO: Learn how to clear a cannabis-related criminal record.
Statewide criminal history transcript
You can get a "Statewide Criminal History Transcript" from the Illinois State Police (ISP). This document includes all arrests and convictions that happened in Illinois.
You will need to get your fingerprints taken. You can do this by contacting the ISP here:
Illinois State Police, Bureau of Identification
260 N. Chicago St.
Joliet, IL 60432
Monday - Friday, 8 am - 4 pm
(815) 740-5160 - select option 2
You can also go to any licensed live scan fingerprint vendor. They will take your fingerprints and send your information to the ISP.
If you are homeless, you might be able to get fingerprinted for free. Contact your local law enforcement agency for details.
The ISP will email you an encrypted version of your report. In order to read your report, you’ll need to receive an online permission certificate and an encryption application for your computer or you can pick it up at a later date in the office where you ordered the transcript. Read more about the encryption-approval process.
Learn more about the fees involved.
Access and review
Municipal Chicago - Chicago Police Headquarters
If your arrest was in Chicago, you can get your Chicago RAP Sheet (Record of Arrests and Prosecutions). The RAP sheet is a list of all arrests, charges, and court case outcomes that happened in Chicago.
In person
There is a $16 fee, payable only by cash, check, or money order. While you are there, request a copy of your Illinois State Police Statewide Criminal History Transcript at no additional cost.
Chicago Police Headquarters
3510 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60653
(312) 745-5508
You will need to first go and get your fingerprints taken. The hours for this service are 8:30-1:30 pm, Monday-Friday. While there, you will fill out an envelope with the address you wish to receive the RAP sheet. You will receive your RAP sheet in the mail 7-10 business days from the date you were fingerprinted.
By mail
You can also request your RAP sheet by mail. You will need:
- A set of your fingerprints from a local police department,
- A photocopy of your ID,
- A $16 money order made out to the Department of Revenue,
- A self-addressed stamped envelope (the RAP sheet will be sent directly to you), and
- A letter to the Chicago Police Department asking for a copy of your Chicago RAP sheet along with your phone number in case they have questions.
Name Based Background Checks
You can also run a name-based inquiry for a quicker background check. You can do this through the Criminal History Response Process (CHIRP). To do this, you’ll need to register and link directly with CHIRP from the ISP website. While a fingerprint inquiry requires the consent of the person, a name search does not.
Name-based inquiries are $16 for paper documents and $10 for electronic records. For more information on how to set up an account, visit the Illinois State Police Guide.
Get help
After you have your police record for Chicago, you can also get help at the Expungement Help Desk.
Cook County Circuit Court records
Cook County does not provide online access to criminal records. If your case was filed in Cook County, go to the Circuit Clerk's Office in the district where you went to court. There are no court dispositions for arrests or charges that did not lead to a court case. In certain courthouses, the Clerk may charge you a Certified Disposition Fee to process your request. If you’d like to access your criminal court records in the Circuit Court of Cook County, you must use a public-access terminal at a Cook County courthouse since the system does not publish criminal records online. You can purchase a certified disposition of your case directly from the circuit court for $9.
The Cook County Circuit Court is separated into 6 districts that each serve a specific area of the city.
| City of Chicago | |
| Northern suburbs of Cook County | |
| Northwestern suburbs of Cook County | |
| Western suburbs of Cook County | |
| Southwestern suburbs of Cook County | |
| Southern suburbs of Cook County |
If you went to court in more than one district, you need to go in person to each district to get your records.
Other Circuit Court Records (not Cook County)
Ask the circuit clerk for copies of your court dispositions or use the public computer at the courthouse to look them up and print them out. There may be a fee to get copies of or print out your court dispositions, but you can look at them on the computer and write down the information for free. Some circuits may have online record searching. Local law enforcement agencies can give this information. Call to find out costs and times.
Find your local circuit clerk.
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