FOIA in Chicago: How to Request Public Records

Illinois's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives the public a statutory right to inspect and copy records held by government bodies across the state, including every department, agency, and office within the City of Chicago. This page explains how FOIA applies within Chicago's municipal government, how to reach out, which agencies handle distinct record types, and where the law draws hard boundaries on disclosure. Understanding these mechanics reduces delays, misdirected requests, and denials that arise from procedural errors rather than substantive exemptions.

Definition and scope

Illinois FOIA is codified at 5 ILCS 140, enacted by the Illinois General Assembly and enforceable statewide. The statute defines a "public record" broadly: any document, electronic communication, recording, or other material created by or for, used by, received by, in the possession of, or under the control of a public body (5 ILCS 140/2(c)). Within Chicago, that definition covers records generated by departments such as the Chicago Department of Buildings, the Chicago Department of Finance, and the Chicago Police Department, among others.

Scope and coverage: This page addresses FOIA as it applies to agencies and offices of the City of Chicago municipal government and its sister agencies. It does not address:

Cook County government records, which are handled through separate Cook County FOIA officers (see Cook County Government).
Records held by the State of Illinois, which flow through the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor office.
Federal agency records, which are governed by the federal Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), a separate statute with distinct procedures.
Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Housing Authority, which operate as independent public bodies with their own designated FOIA officers, even though they are affiliated with the city.

The Chicago City Clerk maintains general information on municipal FOIA compliance, and each city department designates its own FOIA officer responsible for responding to requests directed to that body.

How it works

Submitting a Chicago FOIA request involves a defined procedural sequence with statutory deadlines that public bodies must observe.

Step-by-step submission process:

Identify the correct public body. Each city department maintains a separate FOIA officer. A request for building permits goes to the Department of Buildings; a request for budget documents goes to the Office of Budget and Management. Misdirected requests to the wrong department restart the clock.
Submit in writing. Requests must be in writing — email, postal mail, or an online portal — addressed to the department's FOIA officer. No specific form is required, but the request must describe the records sought with enough specificity for the agency to locate them.
Await the statutory general timeframe. Under 5 ILCS 140/3(d), a public body must respond within 5 business days of receiving a written request. The body may extend this by an additional 5 business days for specified reasons, including when records require retrieval from off-site storage or when a request requires consultation with another agency.
Review the response. The agency must either produce the records, deny the request in writing citing a specific statutory exemption, or notify the requester of a permissible extension.
Appeal a denial. If the agency denies the request in whole or in part, the requester may file an appeal with the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor (PAC) within 60 calendar days of the denial. The PAC has authority to review the denial and issue a binding opinion.

Fees: Public bodies may charge for the actual cost of copying records. The first 50 pages of black-and-white, letter- or legal-size copies are free; thereafter agencies may charge no more than $0.15 per page under 5 ILCS 140/6. Electronic records provided electronically carry no charge.

Common scenarios

Different agencies within Chicago's government generate distinct record categories that requesters frequently seek.

Police and accountability records: Requests for incident reports, use-of-force records, or complaint files involving the Chicago Police Department go to CPD's FOIA office. Records concerning officer disciplinary proceedings may also involve the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) or the Police Board. See the Chicago Police Accountability page for the full agency map.

Building and zoning records: Permit applications, inspection histories, and code violation records are held by the Chicago Department of Buildings. Zoning determination letters and land-use approvals typically reside with the Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

Financial and contract records: Vendor contracts, payment records, and expenditure data are held by the Chicago Department of Finance or the Office of the Comptroller. Much of this data is also published proactively on the Chicago Open Data Portal, which may satisfy requests without a formal FOIA submission.

City Council and legislative records: Legislative documents, ordinance files, and aldermanic correspondence fall under the jurisdiction of the Chicago City Clerk, who serves as the official keeper of municipal legislative records. The Chicago City Council itself is subject to FOIA as a public body.

Inspector General records: Investigation records and audit findings from the Chicago Office of Inspector General are subject to FOIA with specific exemptions for ongoing investigations.

Decision boundaries

Not all records are disclosable. Illinois FOIA enumerates 23 categories of exempt information at 5 ILCS 140/7. Key exemptions relevant to Chicago municipal requests include:

Exemption type	Applies to
Privacy (§7(1)(b))	Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy for private individuals
Law enforcement (§7(1)(d))	Records that would interfere with pending investigations
Deliberative process (§7(1)(f))	Pre-decisional internal communications, drafts, and working notes
Attorney-client privilege (§7(1)(m))	Legal advice from the Chicago Department of Law
Trade secrets (§7(1)(g))	Proprietary business information submitted by third parties

FOIA vs. proactive disclosure — a key distinction: Illinois FOIA requires disclosure on request. A separate provision, 5 ILCS 140/4, requires public bodies to proactively publish certain categories of information — meeting agendas, budgets, contracts exceeding $25,000, and compensation schedules — without a request being filed. The Chicago Open Data Portal and individual department websites serve as the primary channels for this proactive disclosure.

A denial based on an exemption is not final. The Illinois Attorney General's PAC issued 271 binding opinions between 2010 and 2022 finding that public bodies improperly withheld records (Illinois Attorney General, PAC Annual Reports). Requesters who believe a denial is improper have the statutory right to pursue PAC review before seeking judicial enforcement in circuit court.

For a broader orientation to how Chicago's government is structured — including the departments and offices that generate the records most frequently sought under FOIA — the Chicago Metro Authority home page provides a reference map of the municipal governance system.

References

Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140 — Illinois General Assembly
Illinois Attorney General, Public Access Counselor — Appeal authority and binding opinions
Chicago City Clerk — FOIA information — Municipal FOIA officer directory and submission guidance
Chicago Open Data Portal — City of Chicago proactive disclosure platform
5 ILCS 140/3(d) — Statutory response deadlines
5 ILCS 140/6 — Copy fee schedule
5 ILCS 140/7 — Exemption categories
Illinois Attorney General, PAC Annual Reports — Binding opinion statistics