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 Illinois FOIA · 5 ILCS 140 30+ Chicagoland Agencies Auto-Generated Letter Licensed PI Available

Illinois Public Records  ·  Chicagoland  ·  FOIA Submission Hub

Illinois & Chicagoland FOIA Submission Hub

Submit a Freedom of Information Act request to any Chicagoland police department or municipal agency under 5 ILCS 140. Select your target city below — we generate a complete, properly-formatted FOIA letter with all required Illinois statutory citations. Save hours, avoid rejection, and submit a request that gets results.

Authority that matters: Supreme Investigations is Supreme Investigations is Supreme Investigations is licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) under 225 ILCS 447 — Agency #117.001922, Detective #115.002750. We obtain FOIA records professionally for clients across Chicagoland.

Need Help? Call (224) 366-9505
Important — Read Before You Submit

This is a general Illinois FOIA submission resource. Each agency has its own designated FOIA officer and may have specific submission preferences (online portal vs. email vs. mail). Always verify the agency's current FOIA contact on their official .gov website before submitting. Supreme Investigations provides licensed investigative services — not legal advice. For Chicago Police Department or OEMC requests, select CPD or OEMC from the agency selector below.

Step 1 — Select Your Target Agency

Choose the city, county, or state agency you need records from. The letter generator and contact info below will update automatically.

Agency Selector
Find Your Agency & FOIA Contact
The selector covers 30+ Chicagoland police departments, sheriffs, and state agencies, and the letter generator updates instantly.

Step 2 — Build Your FOIA Letter

Fill in your details. The letter is generated with all required Illinois statutory citations from 5 ILCS 140. Copy, paste, and send.

Letter Generator
FOIA Request Letter
The letter is anchored in 5 ILCS 140 and auto-fills the agency you selected above.

Step 3 — Pre-Submission Checklist

Run through this before sending. These steps eliminate the most common reasons FOIA requests get delayed or rejected.

Pre-Submission Checklist
Ready to Submit?
Tap each item to mark it complete.
0 of 7 complete
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Illinois FOIA — What You Need to Know

Statute

5 ILCS 140

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act applies to all government bodies in the state. Every city, county, and state agency must designate a FOIA officer.

Response Time

5 Business Days

The agency must respond within five business days of receipt — with records, denial, or extension notice. Extensions are limited to one additional five-day period.

Fees

Free for Most

Electronic delivery is free for most non-commercial requests. Agencies must notify you in advance if fees apply, allowing you to narrow the request.

Tips That Speed Up Your Response
  • Include any case number, RD number, or incident report number you have
  • Specify exact dates, times, and locations
  • Name all parties involved (yourself, suspects, victims, witnesses)
  • Request electronic delivery to skip copy fees
  • State your purpose clearly (commercial vs. non-commercial)
  • Request a fee waiver and an advance fee estimate threshold
  • Save a date-stamped copy of the request you sent

Frequently Asked Questions

5 ILCS 140 — the Illinois Freedom of Information Act — gives any person the legal right to request access to records held by any Illinois government body, including municipal police departments, county sheriffs, state agencies, and local governments. The law applies statewide.
The agency must respond within five business days from receipt of the request. It may take one additional five-business-day extension if it provides written notice before the original deadline expires. After that the agency must respond with records, a denial citing specific exemptions, or a fee estimate.
Yes. Illinois FOIA applies statewide. Each city, village, county, and state agency has its own designated FOIA officer. Use the agency selector above to find the correct submission contact for your target jurisdiction.
Some records are exempt under 5 ILCS 140/7 — including certain investigative files, personnel records, and information that would invade personal privacy. If a request is denied, the agency must cite the specific exemption and provide reasonably segregable non-exempt portions.
If an agency fails to respond within the statutory deadline, you may file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor (PAC) or pursue judicial review under 5 ILCS 140/11. Document your submission with date stamps.
Yes. Supreme Investigations regularly prepares, submits, and processes FOIA requests for clients, attorneys, and law firms across Chicago and Chicagoland. We know which agencies handle which records, how to frame requests for maximum yield, and how to incorporate received records into active investigations.
Need Professional Help?

If your matter requires more than a single FOIA request — if you need records combined with surveillance, witness statements, asset searches, or a complete investigative file ready for court — Supreme Investigations handles the entire process. We are a licensed, bilingual Illinois PI agency based in Chicago. Call (224) 366-9505 or submit a confidential case.

This guide is for general informational reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Illinois FOIA law and individual agency procedures are subject to change. Always verify current FOIA contact information on the agency's official .gov website before submitting. For Chicago Police Department or OEMC requests, select that agency from the selector above.

Supreme Investigations PLLC · Agency #117.001922 · Detective #115.002750 · Chicago, Illinois · (224) 366-9505 · Verify at idfpr.illinois.gov