Illinois police records are prepared and submitted by the local county police to the Illinois State Police Department (ISP) for compilation purposes. Under the Freedom of Information Act, citizens have the right to access public records especially those that include government transactions. Although the public has access to public records, restrictions apply when it comes to juvenile records under the Uniform Conviction Information Act wherein criminal records are only available to public when a conviction is made on the case. The records are available from the Bureau of Identification.
Applicants or individuals who want to obtain police records or any records for that matter should check if the records are public properties. They can call the local enforcement agency or the county clerk to determine the nature of the report. Reports that include minors or those that were mentioned above are ineligible for access. Police records are categorized depending on the nature of the reports though almost all are available from the Bureau.
One type of police report is a traffic/crash report. Researchers can get the report through either online query or by mail. The one requesting the report should indicate the agency crash report number, the persons involved in the accident and the IDOT number. A fee of $5 is charged for every report requested. For those who require a reconstruction report, they can do so but will have to pay the $20 fee. A self-addressed stamped envelope should be included together with the request form and the cheque and sent to the Illinois State police. Do note that the ISP is not responsible for crashes/traffics that happened within the municipalities.
For those who want a criminal record report, they can request for the report from the Bureau as well. There are two types of form to fill up – (1) Form ISP6-405B – Non-fingerprint and (2) Form ISP6-404B – Fingerprint report. Each request is for a single person only. However the researcher can request for other information pertaining the person he/she wants the research done. Researchers have to pay $16 for the inquiry and if he/she decides to use a cheque not drawn on a United States bank, the payment is $30. This is applicable for the non-fingerprint form.
For ISP6-404B or fingerprint form, the fee is $20 and $50 for cheques not drawn in the US banks. For those who want detailed information, this form tends to more accurate as it involves the fingerprints of the person. This is ideal especially for those who require specific criminal records as most criminals or people with existing criminal records do hide behind nicknames or aliases. Bear in mind that there is a need to provide full details to ensure that the search is a success as the fees are not refundable.
It is easy for researchers to learn how to find police records as there are many ways to do so online. For those individuals who prefer not to pay, many sites offer such services. One disadvantage though is that the results might yield limited results. However if you only need basic information like checking your own criminal records, this beats having to pay for the reports. You can also access full reports and only have to pay a minimal fee. As the reports are readily available, it will save you time and effort.
For more tips and recommendations on how to go about conducting Illinois Police Records searches and other associated information, visit Police Reports Online.