Cook County
In Chicago, the Chicago Police Department writes the crash report for city streets in Cook County. Get checked out first. Ask the officer for the driver information exchange sheet with the report number. Trade names, insurance and plate numbers, and take photos before the cars move. A free case check organizes what happened and a licensed attorney reviews it.
Free. Not legal advice. Starting a case check does not mean we represent you.
Where this comes from
We checked these original sources on September 5, 2026. Each link opens the source so you can read it for yourself.
Original links
Crash Reports
Obtain a Copy of a Crash Report Online, E-Pay
Obtain a Copy of a Traffic Crash Report
ISP Patrol Troop 3
File a Police Records Request
Contact Sheriff's Police
Freedom of Information Act Requests and Subpoenas
Chicago Police Department, Records Division
Crashes on Chicago city streets go to the Chicago Police Department. Crashes on the expressways and tollways that cross Cook County are usually worked by the Illinois State Police, so first check which agency is named on your paperwork.
01
Look at the Investigated By box in the upper left corner of the paperwork the officer handed you. If it does not say Illinois State Police, the agency named there is the one holding your report, and that is where the request goes.
State of Illinois02
Chicago police records come through a public records request. The city says to write the Freedom of Information Officer at the Records Division on South Michigan Avenue, or email that office, and to include your name, mailing address, contact information and a description of the records.
City of Chicago, Chicago Police Department03
State police Troop 3 serves Cook County and patrols interstates the page lists, including I-290, I-55, I-57, I-80 and I-355, plus the Tri-State, Reagan Memorial, Jane Addams and Veterans Memorial tollways. For those, ask the Illinois State Police, not the city.
Illinois State Police04
If the crash was in unincorporated Cook County, the Cook County Sheriff's Police handle it. Their contact page lists a non emergency number for reports in unincorporated Cook County and a twenty four hour patrol desk, plus headquarters in Maywood.
Cook County Sheriff's Office05
Sheriff's Office records come through a public records request, online or by mail to their records officer at the Daley Center downtown. That page also notes the Sheriff's Office is an independent entity from the Chicago Police Department, which takes its own requests.
Cook County Sheriff's OfficeAgencies change their forms, portals and fees. Open the linked page before you pay for anything, and keep a copy of every request you send.
Federal fatal-crash counts, 2022 to 2024
That is 31.3% of every fatal crash the federal file records in the state over the same three years.
These are crashes in which at least one person died within 30 days, as counted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are not a count of all crashes, injuries, insurance claims or lawsuits, and most crashes are not in this file at all.
The counts are not adjusted for population, road miles or how much people drive, so they cannot say one place is more dangerous than another. A crash appearing here does not show who was at fault, whether anyone was insured or whether anyone has a claim.
Questions
First check the Investigated By box on your paperwork. If Chicago police worked it, the city says to send a public records request to the Freedom of Information Officer at the Records Division on South Michigan Avenue, with your name, mailing address, contact information and a description of the records you want.
State police Troop 3 serves Cook County and lists the roads it patrols, including I-290, I-55, I-57, I-80 and I-355, plus the area tollways. A crash on one of those usually means an Illinois State Police report. City streets stay with Chicago police.
The Illinois State Police take desk reports in person for Chicagoland freeway crashes. Their page lists the stations where a trooper meets you, including several Chicago police districts and the Des Plaines headquarters, plus the hours. Bring your license, registration, insurance card and a callback number for the other driver.
Yes. A free case check can start from anywhere in Cook County in English or Spanish. Call or text, or fill out the short form. You tell us what happened and send any paperwork. Gregory S. Hach reads it as the initial attorney reviewer and nothing is decided for you.
Keep reading
A quick reality check
This page cannot decide fault, medical cause, insurance coverage, legal deadlines, case value or whether you have a claim. Those questions depend on the complete facts, records, state law and a licensed attorney's review.
Last updated
We opened every Chicago agency page linked here on this date and rewrote anything that had changed.
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