Illinois Public Records Guide
Illinois residents and other members of the public can request records
maintained by government agencies under the Illinois Freedom of
Information Act. This guide explains how to make a focused request and
how DocumentWatch can help you manage it.
Request records, not answers
A public records request is used to obtain existing government records.
It is generally more effective to identify documents, communications,
recordings, databases or other material than to ask a government official
to explain why something happened.
Why did the Village approve this contract?
All contracts, purchase orders, invoices, memoranda, emails and
correspondence concerning the contract between January 1, 2026
and June 30, 2026.
Records you might request
Government spending
Contracts, purchase orders, invoices, payments, budgets,
expense records and procurement documents.
Government communications
Emails, letters, memoranda, text messages and other communications
concerning public business.
Police and public safety
Reports, policies, logs, recordings and other law-enforcement
records that are subject to disclosure.
Meetings and decisions
Agendas, meeting materials, reports, correspondence, resolutions,
studies and records supporting government decisions.
Be specific when possible
Clearly identifying the records you want can make a request easier to
process and reduce disputes about its scope. Consider identifying:
- The type of record.
- The public body or department involved.
- A reasonable date range.
- People, projects, locations or subjects involved.
- Search terms when requesting electronic communications.
- The electronic format you prefer, when appropriate.
Submitting your request
Public bodies may accept requests by email, online portal, mail, fax,
personal delivery or another available submission method.
DocumentWatch can preserve the exact request you prepared. If the public
body uses an online request portal, use Copy Request Text
and paste the request into that system. After submission, return to
DocumentWatch and record the submission date and any government
confirmation number.
After you submit
Keep every acknowledgment, extension notice, fee notice, denial,
clarification request and production of records. DocumentWatch allows
these events and received files to be stored with the original request.
A response does not necessarily mean the request is complete. An agency
may acknowledge a request, extend its response period, provide a partial
production or produce records in multiple batches.
Illinois FOIA guidance
DocumentWatch contains a versioned copy of the Illinois Freedom of
Information Act and uses rules derived from that law to assist with
response periods, recurrent-requester activity, extensions, fees,
denials and Public Access Counselor review deadlines.
The software provides informational guidance and workflow assistance.
It does not replace legal advice or make final legal determinations.
Ready to request records?
Sign in to your Niles Connect account to create, organize and track
your public records requests.