How to Search Cook County Records (Start Here)
Cook County covers Chicago and most of its suburbs — 5.2 million people, the second-largest county in the U.S. The court, assessor, and clerk are all separate operations with separate search systems.
- Court cases: Clerk of the Circuit Court at cookcountyclerkofcourt.org — "Online Case Information" provides electronic docket summaries for criminal and civil cases. The CCC Portal also offers case lookups.
- E-filing: Illinois uses eFileIL (efileil.tylertech.cloud) statewide. I2File (efileil.i2file.net) is one of the approved e-filing service providers for Cook County courts.
- Property assessments: Cook County Assessor at cookcountyassessor.com. Search by 14-digit PIN or address. Detailed property info at assessorpropertydetails.cookcountyil.gov.
- Recorded deeds, mortgages, liens: The Recorder of Deeds was absorbed by the Cook County Clerk's Office. Search recordings at cookcountyclerkil.gov — documents from 1985 forward are online.
- Property tax portal: cookcountypropertyinfo.com combines data from the Assessor, Clerk, and Treasurer into one search.
Browse the databases below. Each links directly to an official government portal.
Criminal & Court Records
Jail & Inmate Records
Property & Tax Records
Vital Records
Business, Voter & Other
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Cook County court cases? ▼
Go to cookcountyclerkofcourt.org and use "Online Case Information." It provides electronic docket summaries — brief descriptions of filings and events in a case. Search by case number or party name. This covers the Circuit Court of Cook County, which is the largest unified court system in the world.
Where is the Cook County Recorder of Deeds? ▼
The Recorder of Deeds office no longer exists as a separate agency. The Cook County Clerk's Office absorbed all recording operations. Search recorded documents — deeds, mortgages, liens — at cookcountyclerkil.gov under "Search Recordings."
What is a PIN and why do I need it? ▼
PIN stands for Property Index Number — a 14-digit code assigned to every parcel in Cook County. You need it to search the Assessor, Treasurer, and property tax records. If you don't know your PIN, search by address at cookcountyassessor.com.
What does cookcountypropertyinfo.com do? ▼
It's a combined portal that pulls data from the Assessor (values), Clerk (recordings), and Treasurer (tax payments) into one search. Enter a PIN or address and get a consolidated view of the property.
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