To get a copy of your criminal record in Illinois, request a statewide criminal history transcript from the Illinois State Police through its Access and Review process. The request itself is free, but you have to be fingerprinted at a licensed live scan vendor, a law enforcement agency, or a correctional facility so the ISP can match the record to you with certainty. If you were arrested in Chicago, the Chicago Police Department keeps its own file and uses a separate in-person process. Individual police departments, sheriff’s offices, and circuit court clerks hold jurisdiction-specific records you may need to request on top of the statewide transcript.
Which Agency Holds What
No single office holds every piece of your criminal history, so it helps to know who keeps what before you start.
The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification collects criminal history information reported by agencies across the state, and its transcript is the most comprehensive single document available.1Illinois State Police. Bureau of Identification Local police departments and county sheriff’s offices keep records of arrests and incidents in their own jurisdiction. Circuit court clerks maintain case files and the disposition records that show how each case ended. If your history spans several counties, each clerk’s office is a separate stop.
Requesting Your Statewide Transcript From the Illinois State Police
The ISP’s Access and Review process is the primary route to your statewide criminal history transcript. Under the Criminal Identification Act, the ISP must release your criminal history information once your identity is verified through fingerprints.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 20 ILCS 2630 – Criminal Identification Act You cannot request your own record by name alone; the fingerprint match is what ties the file to you.
You can be fingerprinted for an Access and Review request at any licensed live scan fingerprint vendor, any Illinois law enforcement agency, or any correctional facility during regular business hours.3Illinois State Police. Bureau of Identification – Viewing My Record Live scan vendors are the common choice because they capture prints electronically and transmit them straight to the ISP. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation publishes a list of licensed vendors, and the ISP website links to a vendor search tool.
What to Bring and What It Costs
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID to the appointment. The vendor or agency will have you complete an Access and Review request form and collect your name, date of birth, and mailing address so the ISP knows where to send the transcript.
The ISP charges nothing for processing an Access and Review request.3Illinois State Police. Bureau of Identification – Viewing My Record The fingerprint location, however, may charge its own service fee, and those vary. Call ahead to confirm pricing and whether the vendor takes credit cards, cash, or money orders.
Getting Your Results
After the fingerprint location transmits your submission, the ISP processes it and mails the transcript to the address you provided. If the ISP has no criminal history on file for you, it sends a written statement saying so.3Illinois State Police. Bureau of Identification – Viewing My Record
The ISP does not publish an official processing timeline, so turnaround varies. If your results feel delayed, you can check status by emailing ISP.BOI.Customer.Support@illinois.gov or calling 815-740-5160.1Illinois State Police. Bureau of Identification Have the Transaction Control Number the fingerprint technician gave you at the appointment; that is the number the ISP uses to look up your submission.
Requesting a Chicago Police Department RAP Sheet
If you were arrested in Chicago, the CPD maintains its own criminal history records separate from the ISP transcript. Getting the Chicago RAP sheet is an in-person process at CPD headquarters.
Report to the Public Access Information Room on the first floor at 3510 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60653. Fingerprinting is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and the hours are strictly enforced. Bring a valid state driver’s license or state ID card, a pen or pencil, and $16 in cash, check, or money order payable to the Department of Revenue. Credit cards are not accepted.4Chicago Police Department. Get a Copy of My RAP Sheet
At the window you complete a Request for Access and Review form, pay the fee, and receive a pink receipt. You are fingerprinted in the waiting area after paying. The record is available for pickup the next two business days between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Window #1. You must bring the pink receipt, and only you can pick it up, not a friend or relative. If you do not collect it within a month, you have to start over.4Chicago Police Department. Get a Copy of My RAP Sheet For juvenile arrests at age 16 or younger, contact the CPD Youth Division at 312-745-6004.
Local Police Reports and Court Records
The statewide transcript and Chicago RAP sheet may not capture everything. For records of a specific arrest or incident from a particular police department or sheriff’s office, contact that agency directly. Procedures differ; some accept requests in person, others by mail or online.
In many cases you can request local arrest records through the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Under FOIA, criminal justice agencies must make basic arrest information public within 72 hours of each arrest, and arrest reports can be requested from any public body. The first 50 pages of black-and-white, letter- or legal-sized paper copies are free, and additional pages cost no more than 15 cents each. Electronic copies cannot be charged beyond the actual cost of the recording medium.5Illinois Attorney General. FOIA Guide for Law Enforcement Be specific about the records you want. A request for “any and all records” can be denied as unduly burdensome.6Illinois State Police. How to Submit Your Freedom of Information Act Request
For court records showing how a case was resolved, contact the circuit clerk in the county where the case was filed. Many clerks offer in-person searches, and Illinois has been rolling out re:SearchIL, a statewide system for searching court records electronically.7Illinois Courts. The Circuit Court of Illinois Full-document access through that system is currently limited, so you may still need to visit or call the clerk’s office for complete files.
If You Need a Federal FBI Record
Your ISP transcript covers Illinois only. If you have been arrested in another state, were involved in a federal case, or need proof of a clean record for international travel or immigration purposes, request your FBI Identity History Summary as well, sometimes called a federal RAP sheet. It draws from fingerprint submissions by law enforcement agencies nationwide.
The FBI charges $18 per request, whether submitted electronically or by mail. The fastest route is to submit the request electronically through the FBI’s website and then visit a participating U.S. Post Office location to have your fingerprints captured and transmitted. Processing for electronic submissions typically takes three to five business days. If you cannot pay the $18 fee, contact the FBI at 304-625-5590 or identity@fbi.gov to request a fee waiver before submitting.8FBI. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
Checking the Transcript and Correcting Errors
When the transcript arrives, read it line by line. Confirm your name, date of birth, and other personal details. Then look at each entry for accurate arrest dates, charges, and dispositions. Missing dispositions are one of the most common problems: a case that was dismissed or ended in acquittal sometimes still appears as an open arrest with no outcome, making it look worse than it is.
If you find errors on the ISP transcript, use the Record Challenge form that comes with it. Fill in the inaccurate information and return the form to the ISP. The ISP will investigate and send a written response explaining any corrections made, or telling you no correction was warranted. There is no fee for a Record Challenge submission.3Illinois State Police. Bureau of Identification – Viewing My Record If you disagree with the ISP’s decision, the Criminal Identification Act provides for administrative appeal through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 20 ILCS 2630 – Criminal Identification Act
For errors on local police or court records, contact the originating agency. The ISP can only correct what is in its own database.
What Happens After You Have the Record
Once you have reviewed your transcript, Illinois law may allow some entries to be expunged (physically destroyed or returned to you) or sealed (hidden from most public searches but still visible to law enforcement). Eligibility depends on how the case ended, the offense involved, and time elapsed since your last sentence was completed. Cases ending in acquittal, dismissal, or a finding of not guilty are generally eligible for expungement, and successfully completed orders of supervision are as well because such an order is not treated as a conviction for expungement purposes.9Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 20 ILCS 2630/5.2 Sealing covers a broader range, including many misdemeanor and some felony convictions, though certain offenses such as sex crimes and DUI are excluded.
After you complete the Access and Review process, the ISP is required to automatically seal records it identifies as eligible during that review and to notify the circuit court where the case originated.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 20 ILCS 2630 – Criminal Identification Act You can also use the Record Challenge form to request sealing of records you believe are eligible. For records that are not automatically sealed, you would file a petition in the circuit court, and an attorney or legal aid organization can help with that step.