Your Librarian
Subjects: Government Information; Regulatory Compliance; Gender & Sexuality Studies
Northwestern University Library
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
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Public Records Search Resources & Guides
Public Records Sites
City of Chicago
City of Chicago Employee Directory - Use the More Options link to add department name or position title
Cook County
Cook County Home Ownership & Mortgage - Cook County Recorder of Deeds responsibilities have been assumed by the Cook County Clerk's Office (effective 12/7/2020).
Cook County Property Assessment - Cook County Tax Assessor's Office
Records & Archives - Clerk of the Circuit Court, Cook County
Other Illinois Counties
Illinois Association of County Clerks & Recorders
Illinois Circuit Court directories - by Circuit, use a Map
State of Illinois
Illinois State Employee Phone Directory
Illinois Lawyer Search - Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court Illinois
Illinois Occupational License Look-up - Illinois, Division of Professional Regulation
Ilinois Sex Offender Registry - Illinois State Police
Illinois Birth, Death and Other Records - Illinois Dept of Public Health
Public Records Search Guides
- Illinois Vital RecordsFamily Search provides this guide to online research for vital records in Illinois. Emphasis is on vital records to support geneaological research.
- Public access to public records byCall Number: Oak Grove Library Center 324.448 R221pPublication Date: 1983Request online using NUSearch
- Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)Resources and online request form
- A summary guide to local governmental records in the Illinois Regional Archives byCall Number: Main Library, Government Information - Lower Level Room B190 016.9773 I29sPublication Date: 1999 2nd ed.Also available at the Pritzker Legal Research Center
Freedom of Information Act Guides
- Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)Resources and online request form
- Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts (Illinois) 2013 EditionIllinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education provides this guide to the origins, text, amendments, procedures, enforcement, exemptions, and ethical dimensions of the FOIA law.
- Sunshine laws (Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education) byCall Number: Online edition, NU Affiliated Users OnlyPublication Date: 2020 editionPrint copy at the Pritzker Legal Research Center, request online through NUSearch
Municipal / County Ordinances
- MuniCode Library: IllinoisLinks to searchable current codes from Illinois state cities and counties. For governments not included, look on the web for the Office of the Clerk for the municipality or county government. Other states also available.