Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Purpose

The Freedom of Information Act "FOIA" (Illinois General Assembly – 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.) allows the public to request copies or the inspection of public records. 

The records being sought may already be accessible on this website or on the individual department’s webpage. 

If the property or matter for which records are being sought is located within a municipality, please contact the municipality directly to obtain records. Visit the Lake County Municipality Directory

The Freedom of Information Act typically requires public bodies to respond or deny to FOIA requests within five business days. The time for a response can be extended an additional five business days, as allowed under the law: 5 ILCS 140/3(e)

For information regarding court-related public records, please visit the 19th Judicial Circuit’s website. 


How to Submit a Request 

Each department responds to its own FOIA requests. Please directly contact the department that maintains the records you are interested in. 

1. Review the FOIA Records List to determine the department that maintains the sought records.

2. Submit a FOIA Request using this online portal.  

3. Please be as specific as possible when describing the records being sought. If you choose to not use the online portal (see the department addresses below), include your contact information, whether the request is for commercial purposes, and whether the request is for electronic records, copies of the records, or for inspection of the records. See Copy Fees below. 

4. Please be advised that the Freedom of Information Act is designed to allow you to inspect or receive copies of records. It is not designed to require a public body to answer questions. To the extent that you wish to ask questions of Lake County, please contact the appropriate department directly. 


Copy Fees

  • First 50 pages are free (black & white)
  • $0.15 per page thereafter (black & white) unless a different fee is otherwise fixed by statute. 
  • Actual costs of copying for color copies 

Electronic records can be requested and will be provided, as allowed under the law.

You are permitted to request a waiver of copying fees. To do so you must attach a statement explaining why your request for information is in the public’s – and not simply the requester’s – interest and merits a fee waiver. FOIA requests are considered in the public interest “if the principal purpose of the request is to access and disseminate information regarding the health, safety and welfare or the legal rights of the general public and is not for the principal purpose of personal or commercial benefit.” 5 ILCS 140/6(c).

FOIA Officer Contact Information

Darcy McNeill, 847-377-7700
Fax number: 847-984-5747

Additional FOIA Resources