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Below is information on how to obtain your criminal history in Illinois. To see if you are eligible for one of our criminal record clearing services, take our FREE Eligibility Check.
To obtain criminal history and conviction information in Illinois, one must request it from the Illinois State Police's Bureau of Identification. The Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act was passed on January 1, 1991, and it mandates that all conviction information must be maintained and disseminated in a uniform manner by the State of Illinois through the Bureau of Identification. It also provides that the public will have access to the information so long as there are no specific restrictions on releasing said information. The ILUCIA establishes guidelines to ensure that all information is accurate and complete. This Act was passed with the intention of streamlining the procedure for obtaining and updating records, and it lessens the likelihood that information will be inaccurate. This is good news for those that are interested in obtaining their criminal history information. To obtain this information, one must visit the Illinois State Police website and access the section on obtaining criminal records.
To obtain criminal records, an individual must fill out a Conviction Information Request Form. To obtain the required form, that individual would access the Illinois State Police website, and the form is found under the "Criminal History" tab, and is labeled as the Uniform Conviction Information Form. There are two forms to chose from: the Non-Fingerprint Request Form (ISP6-405B), and the Fingerprint Request Form (ISP6-404B). The Non-fingerprint request form performs a search based on alphanumeric identifiers such as name, sex, date of birth, and race. The Fingerprint Request Form performs a positive identification match based on the fingerprints contained on the Request Form. Individuals with an older or more extensive criminal history may prefer to utilize the Fingerprint Request Form, especially if the individual has changed their name, or if a conviction was under a maiden name or alias, because it will provide more accurate information and will lessen the likelihood that the individual's criminal history report will show inaccurate or incomplete information. If the Fingerprint Request Form is used, the individual would need to visit a live scan fingerprinting location to have their fingerprints taken. The individual would then request that the live scan request form have the same Transaction Control Number as was issued to them on the Fingerprint Request Form by the Illinois State Police.
The Illinois State Police has developed a system that allows the individual to submit their basic personal information, and then the Illinois State Police generates a form that is specifically tailored to the requesting individual and mails it to their address. Each requesting individual receives a personal Document Control Number (DCN), Transaction Control Number (TCN), and a personal barcode that is pre-printed on the form. Once the form is filled out and submitted to the Illinois State Police, the barcode can be scanned upon receipt and will allow the process to begin immediately. These two numbers and the barcode number are directly linked to the applicant specifically, and as a result Uniform Conviction Information forms cannot be photocopied or reused by another individual that is interested in accessing their criminal record.
Once an individual receives the Uniform Conviction Information Form, it must be filled out completely and submitted to the Illinois State Police's Bureau of Identification. Both forms require that a fee be submitted along with the form for the service. The Non-Fingerprint Request Form carries a fee of $16.00, and the Fingerprint Request Form carries a fee of $20.00. The fee must be paid by check or money order.
Once the process of filling out the form and enclosing a check is completed the form will be ready to send off to the Bureau of Identification. It is important that the request form is sent to the right address. There is a separate mailing address for each type of form.
If you are submitting the Non-fingerprint Request Form, it must be submitted to:
Illinois State Police
Bureau of Identification
P.O. Box 88727
Chicago, Illinois 60680-1727
If you are submitting the Fingerprint Request Form, it must be submitted to:
Illinois State Police
Bureau of Identification
260 North Chicago Street
Joliet, Illinois 60432-4072
Once submitted, both forms take about two to three weeks to process and about five to ten business days to receive a copy of your complete criminal history in the mail.
More information can be found at https://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/5-727.pdf
Illinois has several options for clearing your criminal record such as expungements, record sealings, and pardons.
If you would like to find out if your Illinois record is eligible to cleared, the quickest and easiest way is to take this free online eligibility test or call (877) 573-7273 for a free phone consultation.
By Jennifer Strange, Attorney at Law
Ms. Jennifer Strange handles criminal defense cases and is the supervising attorney for all cases in the RecordGone.com division. She has overseen the successful completion of more than 9,000 criminal record clearing cases. She graduated from Whittier Law School with a concentration in criminal law.
