Oak Park Public Records
Oak Park public records are managed by the Village Clerk and other departments at Village Hall on Madison Street. The village has about 53,300 residents and sits in Cook County, right on the western border of Chicago. Village Clerk Christina Waters serves as the primary FOIA officer and monitors compliance with both the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act. In 2025, Oak Park switched to a new JustFOIA platform for processing records requests. Police records go through the police department on the lower level of Village Hall. Court records, vital records, and land filings come from Cook County offices.
Oak Park Quick Facts
Cook County Records for Oak Park
Oak Park is in Cook County, so court records, vital records, and land documents come from county offices in Chicago. The Cook County Circuit Court handles all civil and criminal cases for Oak Park residents. Free online case search is available on the circuit court clerk's website. The main courthouse is at 50 W. Washington St.
Birth and death certificates come from the Cook County Clerk at 118 N. Clark St. Marriage records are public. Birth records are restricted to the person named, their parents, or a legal guardian. Land records go through the Cook County Clerk as well. Property assessments and tax bills come from the Cook County Assessor.
Oak Park Village Clerk and FOIA
Village Clerk Christina Waters runs the records office for Oak Park. The clerk records proceedings of all Village Board meetings and special meetings, maintains official legislative records, certifications, and the village seal, and monitors compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act and FOIA. She also serves as the local election authority and voter registrar. Her phone number is 708-358-5672 and her email is Clerk@oak-park.us.
Oak Park switched to JustFOIA in January 2025. This is a secure platform for submitting and tracking public records requests. All requests must be in writing. You can use the online form or submit a hard copy. Regular business hours for FOIA are Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Requests sent outside those hours get processed the next business day.
Personal requests take up to five business days. Commercial requests can take up to 21 business days. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) governs the entire process. The Oak Park Village Code dates back to 1981 and is available online through American Legal Publishing.
The Village Board relies on more than 200 residents who volunteer on advisory boards, commissions, and committees. Records from those groups are also available through the clerk's office. Many routine services that do not require a visit to Village Hall are available online through the village website.
| Office | Village Clerk / Primary FOIA Officer |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Christina Waters |
| Address | 123 Madison Street Oak Park, IL 60302 |
| Phone | 708-358-5672 (Clerk) / 708-358-5700 (Main) |
| Clerk@oak-park.us | |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Website | oak-park.us |
Note: Check your spam folder if you do not see a response from the JustFOIA portal in your primary inbox.
Oak Park Police Records
The Oak Park Police Department occupies the lower level of Village Hall at 123 Madison St. The phone number is 708-386-3800 and the email is police@oak-park.us. Police Records Supervisor A. Williams handles police FOIA requests. The direct number for police records is 708-358-5523.
Police reports, incident records, and law enforcement files go through the police department, not the Village Clerk. Submit police FOIA requests in writing to the department. The same state-mandated response timeline applies. For emergencies, always call 911.
Building Records in Oak Park
The Development Services Department handles building permits, inspections, business licensing, and zoning records for Oak Park. Construction permits, business licenses, and parking permits are available through the village's online services portal. For copies of historical permits or inspection reports, file a FOIA request.
The Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205) sets rules for how Oak Park must maintain and retain building and zoning records. Special events are managed by the Village Clerk under the Special Events Ordinance, and those records are also available through FOIA.
Oak Park Government Online
The Oak Park village website is the main hub for government information, services, and public records access.
From here you can reach the clerk's office, police department, development services, and other departments that manage Oak Park public records.
The JustFOIA portal is the new platform for submitting and tracking records requests in Oak Park.
This portal replaced the old system in January 2025 and offers a more efficient way to manage FOIA requests.
The Office of the Village Clerk page has information about records, FOIA, elections, and advisory commissions.
Use this page for contact details, FOIA forms, and links to meeting minutes and other legislative records.
Oak Park Public Records Resources
The Park District of Oak Park has its own FOIA process for park-related records. That is a separate government body. The village website also offers comprehensive procedures, instructions, and forms for FOIA on the FOIA information page.
If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Public Access Counselor at the Illinois Attorney General's office at 877-299-3642.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Oak Park and have their own public records resources.