Records Maintained by Lake County Offices and Departments

Each Lake County department maintains a list of the types or categories of records under its control pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA").

Please refer to the below list to find the department that may have the records you are seeking.

Frequent Requests

These examples are only general references. Please refer to the below detailed list for specific records.

  • Arrest, Law Enforcement & Jail Records: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
  • Bids and Proposals: Finance Department
  • Building Permits and Zoning Files: Planning, Building Development
  • County Board Files: County Board
  • Employment History: Human Resources
  • Election Records: Lake County Clerk   
  • Health Records: Health Department
  • Property Assessments: Chief County Assessment Office  
  • Property Tax Payment Info: Treasurer
  • Well and Septic Records: Health Department

Assessor

Categories of Records

Any Property Information:

  • Assessed values
  • Characteristics of the Home 
  • Exemptions 
  • Sales
  • Tax Bill Amounts, etc.

Property information can be found online at tax.lakecountyil.gov and is also available for download county-wide and by township at: www.lakecountyil.gov/3942 

Board of Review Appeal Documents: 

  • Appeal Files, etc.
  • Appeal Results

Maps and GIS Data Products 

Data layers and PDF maps are available at data-lakecountyil.opendata.arcgis.com

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Affordable Housing Tax Credit Applications
  • Application for Authority to Dispose of Local Records and Records Disposal Certificates
  • Board of Review Docket Report, Files, Finding Notices, Hearing Notices and Schedules
  • Certificates of Error
  • Certificates of Status of Exempt Property
  • Disabled Persons or Disabled Veterans or Disabled Veterans Standard Homestead Exemption Applications
  • Disaster Area Assessment Applications, Assessment Roles
  • Demonstration Home and 
     Non-Homestead Exemption Applications
  • Property Record Cards
  • Property Tax Appeal Board Files
  • Requests for Assessment Change at the Board of Review Level
  • Returning Veterans Homestead Exemption Applications
  • Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption Applications
  • State Sales Ratio Studies
  • Valuation for Property Used for Open Space Purposes Applications
  • Veterans/Fraternal Organization Assessment Freeze Applications
Maps:
  • 1861 Lake County Map
  • Countywide District Maps
  • Election Precinct Maps
  • Environmental Maps
  • Individual Tax Districts
  • Political District Maps
  • Tax Assessment Parcel Maps
  • Topographic Maps
  • Township and Range Map
  • Township Tax District Maps
Digital GIS Products:
  • 2004 Soil Survey
  • Aerial Photography
  • Contour Data, District Boundaries
  • Railroads and Street Centerlines
  • Water Resources (Hydrology, LCWI, and ADID)

Coroner

Categories of Records

  • Autopsy reports
  • Body Chart
  • Case Narrative
  • Case Verdict
  • NMS Tox Report
  • Photos*, Videos, Misc. Reports, X-Rays, Slides

*Photos are digital and provided on CD.

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Any Deaths Caused by a Certain Disease for a Specific Time Period
  • i.e., Cancer, Mesothelioma, Heart Disease, etc. 
  • Drug Deaths by Type of Drug, Race, Age
  • Homicides by Race, Age
  • Number of Autopsies Performed for a Specific Time Period
  • Number of Homicide, Suicide, Accidental or Undetermined Deaths for a Specific Time Period

County Administrator’s Office

Categories of Records

  • Brownfield Programs
  • Budget Documents
  • Directories of Public Officers and Employees
  • Legislative Program
  • Policy Documents
  • Press Releases
  • Strategic Plan

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Directory of Elected Officials
  • Press Releases

County Board Office

Categories of Records

  • Board Committee and Board Meeting Member Attendance Records
  • Board Member Expense Reports
  • Constituent Services Expenditures
  • Liquor License Information Requests
  • Minutes of the Open Meetings of the Governing Body
  • Ordinances or Resolutions that are Maintained in Printed Form

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • County Board Resolutions and Legislative Agenda Items
  • Minutes of the Open Meetings of the Governing Body

County Clerk

Categories of Records

  • *Vital Records1 (Birth, Death and Marriage)
  • Bonds for all Taxing Districts
  • Budget and Appropriations Ordinances
  • Businesses Under Assumed Name
  • Candidate Petitions
  • Certificates of Error
  • County Board Records
  • Delinquent Tax Records
  • Economic Interest Statements
  • List of Election Judges
  • Loyalty Oaths
  • Notary Public Applications and Commissions
  • Oaths for all Election and Appointed Public Officials
  • Precinct Committee Persons
  • Prevailing Wage Rates
  • Statements of Candidacy
  • Take Notices
  • Tax Levies
  • Voter Lists2
  • Voter Registration Forms

1 Access Restricted per Vital Records Act

2 Exempt from FOIA and governed by Illinois State Statute

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Annual Financial Reports (County)
  • County Board Agendas, Meeting Minutes, Resolutions, Roll Call Sheets
  • Daily Receipts and Distribution Reports for the Clerk’s Office (Current Fiscal Year)
  • Levy Ordinances (County)
  • Oaths of Office for Elected and Appointed Officials
  • Open Meetings Act Public Notices and Compliance
  • Operating Budget and Appropriation Ordinance
  • Ordinances
  • Prevailing Wage Rates
  • Property Tax Redemption Information (Delinquent Taxes)
  • Special Service Areas
  • Tax Extension Information
  • Zoning Objections1

1 Only those heard by the Lake County Board

County Clerk Recording Division

Categories of Records

Please note: FOIA Requests are not required for any recorded documents. All recorded land records are available for public viewing in the Recording Division office. Copies are available at $1 per page. Examples would include deeds, mortgages, liens, releases plats, etc. Per state statute, Military Discharge recordings are only available to the veteran, his/her dependents, Veterans' Assistance & Veterans' Affairs. Fee schedules, Transfer Tax information, Newsletters, & Recorder of Deeds monthly County Board Reports are also available.

  • Financial Records such as: Budgets, collections, fees
  • General Office, Personnel & Administrative Records

Emergency Management Agency

Categories of Records

  • Emergency Management Plans and Materials
  • Spill Reports*

*Hazardous spill reports that are received by the Lake County Emergency Management Agency come from two sources, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Response Center, both of which have public access to their records online. Access to those records can be found at public.iema.state.il.us/FOIAHazmatSearch and nrc.uscg.mil.

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Building Violations
  • Records of Spills
  • Underground Storage Tanks

Facilities and Construction

Categories of Records

  • Asbestos Files
  • Life Safety: Fire Alarms, Fire Sprinklers, Fire Pump, Generators, Inspections
  • Quotes
On File with the State: Public Building Commission Records


Finance Department

Categories of Records

Purchasing:
  • Bids
  • Contracts
  • Files on Surplus Property
  • Purchase Orders
  • Request for Statement of Qualifications
  • Requests for Interest
  • Requests for Proposal
Accounts Receivable:

  • A/R Customers
  • Copies all Receipts Back Up – FAS dept.
  • Back Up – Real Estate Taxes Receipts
  • Back Up – Shared Revenue Receipts
  • Credit Memos
  • Debit Memos
  • Invoice Reports
  • Invoices
  • Monthly ACH Report
  • Monthly Interfund Report
  • Receipts
  • Receivable Reports
Accounts Payable:

  • 1099s
  • Checks Issued
  • Employee Reimbursements including Trips and Training
  • Invoices
  • Outstanding Checks
  • P Card Reconciliations with Invoices
  • Petty Cash Expenses
  • Unclaimed Property Transmitted to State
  • Vendor Listings
  • W-9s

GL:

  • All Bond Activity including Payments for Debt Service
  • Detail of Balance Sheet Accounts (For Example: Deferred Revenue Account or Deposit Accounts)
  • Detailed General Ledger Activity including Financial Reports that may be prepared
  • Internal Audit Reports
  • Lists of County Assets

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • CAFR
  • Current and previous Budget Book
  • Purchasing Ordinance
  • Single Audit

Health Department

Categories of Records

Administration:

  • Board of Health Agendas, Minutes, Bylaws
  • Finance
  • Governing Council Agendas, Minutes, Bylaws
  • Human Resources
  • Purchasing- RFP’s, Bids, PO’s, Contracts
Environmental Health:

  • Animal Care & Control- bite reports, nuisance, complaints, cruelty/neglect complaints
  • Inspections- long-term care, day care, body art facilities; restaurant/food facilities; swimming facilities (pools, beaches)
  • Nuisance Control
  • Private Water Wells
  • Septic Systems (OWTS)
  • Solid Waste Facilities – Landfills
Prevention:

  • Communicable Disease
  • Tuberculosis Board Agenda, Minutes, Bylaws
Communications:

  • Annual Report
  • Press Releases
  • Program Brochures

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Annual Reports
  • Board of Health Agendas & Minutes
  • Food Facility Inspections
  • Governing Council Agendas & Minutes
  • Press Releases
  • Program Brochures

Human Resources

Categories of Records

  • Employment History: Dates of Employment, Position, Salary*
  • Employee Position & Salary Information
  • Pay and Benefit Plan Documentation
  • Union Contracts

*In Order to Release Salary Information, a Release is Requested from the Employee


Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Union Contracts

Information Technology

Categories of Records

  • Directory of Department
  • Redacted Budget Documents
  • Select Policy Documents (reviewed by IT)

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Directory of Department Employees

Planning, Building and Development

Categories of Records

  • Building and Zoning Violation Files
  • Building Permits and Registrations
  • Case Files related to Zoning and Subdivision Activities
  • Conditional Use Permits
  • Correspondence relating to Zoning, Building, Uses
  • Floodplain Determinations
  • Mobile Home Park Licenses
  • Recreational Vehicle Park Licenses
  • Site Development Permits
  • Site Development Violation Files

*Requestor must have: Permit Index Number (PIN) or the name of owner at the time the permit was issued

*Development in process that is not approved/issued is exempt

*Architectural plans and engineering plans (as stamped) are exempt

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Current Building or Site Development Permits
  • Current Zoning
  • Property Identification Numbers
  • RPC Meeting Minutes and Agendas

Community Development Division

Categories of Records

  • US Housing and Urban Developments Grant Documents
  • Video Gaming Grant Documents
  • Affordable Housing Grant Documents
  • Continuum of Care Grant Documents


Public Works

Categories of Records

  • Active Capital Projects Information
  • Annual Audit Reports and Annual Regional Financial Statements
  • Approved Public Works Budgets
  • Water/Sewer Contractual Agreements, Maps, Permits
  • Water/Wastewater Bill Lien Information

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Active Capital Projects Information
  • Annual Audit Reports and Annual Regional Financial Statements
  • Approved Public Works Budgets
  • Water/Sewer Contractual Agreements, Maps, Permits
  • Water/Wastewater Bill Lien Information

Regional Office of Education

Categories of Records

  • Administrator Salary Report
  • Annual Building Inspection Reports
  • Annual Financial Reports (AFR) for School Districts
  • Audit Reports
  • Enrollment Statistics
  • ESD - Staff Development Workshop Files
  • ESD - System of Support consulting Files
  • General Correspondence
  • Grant Management Documents
  • Homeless Program Documents
  • Intergovernmental Agreements
  • Lake County Financial Data Report
  • Local Financial Documents
  • PASS - Truancy Case Files Personnel Files
  • Regional Board of School Trustees Hearing Documents
  • Regional Board of School Trustees Meeting Minutes
  • Regional Office of Education Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
  • ROE Annual Report
  • School Construction Documents
  • School Directory
  • School Evaluation Reports (Compliance visits every 4 years)
  • School Report Cards
  • Teacher Certification Documents
  • Teacher Salary Statistics
  • Ten Year Safety Surveys

Sheriff’s Office

Categories of Records

Sheriff’s Office:
  • Incident Reports
  • Accident Reports
  • Press Releases (Available Online at www.lakecountyil.gov)
  • Judicial Sales Documents
  • Annual Reports
  • General Orders
  • Grants
  • Vendor Contracts

Adult Correctional Facility:

  • Booking Records
  • Jail Vendor Contracts
  •  Menus
  • Population Logs

Many documents handled by the Sheriff’s Office must be requested through the Freedom of Information Act. These requests will be reviewed and responded to in accordance to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. 


Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO)

Categories of Records

SWALCO Administration

  • SWALCO Board Agendas, Packets and Minutes
  • SWALCO Executive Committee Agendas and Minutes
  • Finance

SWALCO Communications

  • Press Releases
  • Program and Event Flyers and Information
  • Publications
  • Newsletters

Environmental and Other SWALCO Records

  • Contracts & Agreements
  • Solid Waste Facilities including Landfills
  • Legislative Policy
  • Recycling Guidelines and other Recycling Publications
  • RFQs
  • Solid Waste Management Plan


State's Attorney's Office

Categories of Records

  • Child Support Files
  • Civil Case Files
  • Criminal Case Files
  • Juvenile Case Files
  • Office Administration Files

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

Due to the sensitive nature of the information handled by this office, all requests under the Freedom of Information Act must be reviewed by the designated Freedom of Information Officers. No documents will be made available until that review is completed within the time period allotted under the Freedom of Information Act.

Stormwater Management Commission

Categories of Records

  • Communications and Publications
  • Contracts and Agreements
  • Final Budget Information
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Project and Plan Reports and Analyses
  • Regulatory Files: Analyses, Approvals, Correspondence, Inspection Reports, Permits, Plans and Specifications
  • Wetland Restoration and Preservation Plan

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

Documents on the SMC Website:

  • Lake County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan Update
  • Adopted and Draft/In-Progress Watershed Plans produced by SMC
  • Lake County All-Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan
  • Lake County Wetland Restoration and Preservation Plan
  • Watershed Planning Committee Meeting Minutes, Agendas, Presentations (Posted during entire Planning Process until Plan Adoption)
Board of Commissioners:

  • Annual Reports
  • Board Packets 2010-present
  • FOIA Procedures
  • Meeting Schedule
  • Newsletters
  • Who to Call for Drainage/Flooding Issues
Lake County Watershed Development Ordinance:
        
  • Certified Communities
  • Checklists/Design Guidance
  • EO, CWS, DECI Contact Lists
  • Fee Schedule
  • WDO Permit Application
IWLC forms:

  • General Permit
  • IWLC Exclusion Worksheet
  • LONI Form
  • PJD/IWLC BV Request
  • WRF Guidance Document and Fee Schedule
NPDES Phase II:  

  • Annual Report Template
  • MOU, MAC, TAC Agendas, Minutes, & Meeting Schedules 
  • SMPP
  • Statement of Responsibilities for Municipalities and Townships

Division of Transportation

Categories of Records

  • Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable
  • Annual Highway Program: 5- & 20-Year Highway Program & Public Works and Transportation Committee Minutes
  • Budget records
  • Bridge and Highway: Engineering, Drawings, Bridge Inspections, Benchmark Data, Guardrail Inventory, Highway Design and Right-of-Way Records, Survey Data
  • Construction and Project Financial Records
  • General Highway Maintenance Files
  • Highway Equipment Files and Maps
  • Road Inspection Records
  • Snow and Ice Control Plan and Reports
  • Vehicle Maintenance Reports
  • Highway Access Permit Files
  • Subdivision Records
  • Township Highway Records and Road Vacations
  • Utility Permits
  • Traffic Crash Records: Drawings, Traffic Signal Construction, Traffic Speed Zones and Traffic Volume Records

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Active highway construction projects information
  • Adopt-A-Highway program information
  • County Highway Map
  • NPDES documentation

Treasurer’s Office

Categories of Records

  • Property Tax Payment Information: Current years, Tax Sale Information, Refunds
  • Distribution of Tax dollars (by District and Time)
  • Investment Information and Bank
  • Court Orders (Condemnations)
  • Checks (Cashed and Outstanding)

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Property Tax Payment Information: Current Years and Tax Sale Information
  • Checks (Cashed and Outstanding)
  • Court Orders (Condemnations)
  • Distribution of Tax Dollars (by District and Time)
  • Investment Information and Bank
*Refund information are all moving targets and will be furnished at the time of request.

Veteran’s Assistance Commission

Categories of Records

  • Finances: Breakdown of monies spent for shelter, food, burials, transportation, dental, vision, audio
  • Minutes of Meeting: Minutes from our monthly meeting with the commission
  • Superintendents Report: Overview of what has been done for the month
  • Workload Measurements: Performance measurements to show what is being done out of the office on a monthly basis

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Finances
  • Governors Report
  • Individuals may request their own records only from the office for any claim/assistance we may have provided them
  • Minutes of Meeting
  • Superintendents Report
  • Workload Measurements

Workforce Development

Categories of Records

  • Lake County Grant Award Amount for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) for Program Year (July 1 to June 30)
  • Awardee Information for Incumbent Worker Grant for Program Year (July 1 to June 30)
  • Awardee Information for Youth Service Contractor
  • Performance Outcomes for WIOA and TAA for Program Year (July 1 to June 30)

Records Furnished Immediately 
Upon Request

  • Document/Information for WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, Trade and Incumbent worker programs and performance measures for LWIA – 1.