How to File an Illinois FOIA Request That Cannot Be Brushed Off

The Steps

1. 1
   Identify the right public body

   Each agency responds separately. A county sheriff, a state’s attorney, a circuit clerk, and a village police department are four different public bodies with four different FOIA officers.

2. 2
   Name the system, not just the subject

   Instead of "all records about my case," ask for the specific system: the CAD event records, the warrant Event Log and Service Attempts tables, the case management audit log, the email of a named custodian for a stated date range.

3. 3
   Give a date range and identifiers

   Include exact dates, case numbers, event numbers, incident numbers, and names. A searchable request is a request the agency cannot call unduly burdensome.

4. 4
   Ask for the exemption log up front

   State that if any material is withheld or redacted, you request an itemized index identifying each redaction, the specific exemption claimed, and the segregability analysis.

5. 5
   Request the format

   Ask for native or machine-readable format where records are electronic. A printed PDF of a database export strips exactly the metadata that makes the record useful.

6. 6
   Send it in writing and preserve proof

   Email creates a timestamped record. Keep the sent message, any auto-acknowledgment, and the ticket number. Note the five-business-day deadline on your calendar.

7. 7
   If the response is inadequate, escalate

   File a request for review with the Public Access Counselor within 60 days, attaching your request and their response and identifying precisely what was not answered.