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Freedom of Information Request (FOIA)

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The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is designed to increase the transparency and accountability of public bodies. The Act ensures that residents are able to obtain information about their local government. This can include, but is not limited to, a short summary of its purpose, a block diagram giving its functional subdivisions, the total amount of its operating budget, the number and location of all of its separate offices, the approximate number of full and part-time employees, and the identification and membership of any board, commission, committee, or council which operates in an advisory capacity relative to the operation of the public body, or which exercises control over its policies or procedures, or to which the public body is required to report and be answerable for its operations. 

At the City of Des Plaines, FOIA requests are processed by the City Clerk's Office with the support of the City departments. The City responds to FOIA requests within five (5) working days. Please see the Illinois Attorney General's website for more details concerning the Freedom of Information Act and your rights as a requester.

Important FAQs

Complete a Freedom of Information Request Form by any of the following methods:

City of Des Plaines
Freedom of Information Office
1420 Miner Street, Room 602
Des Plaines, IL 60016

Crash Reports

The Des Plaines Police Department utilizes Lexis Nexis® BuyCrash, a digital online crash reporting system, to handle its SR10-50 crash reports. Individuals who are involved in a crash within the City of Des Plaines may obtain a copy of their crash report by either:

  1. Visiting buycrash.com, selecting "Illinois," selecting "Des Plaines Police Department," and entering in the report number. View full instructions here. 
  2. Contacting the Des Plaines Police Records Department, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 847-391-5504.

FOIA Services and Fees

Service Types Fees
First 50 Pages of Black & White Copies of Letter or Legal Size No Charge
Each Page of Black & White Copies Thereafter $0.15 per page
Utility Construction Drawings $2.00 per sheet
Sewer/Water/Zoning Maps $5.00 each map
City/Ward Map $5.00 each map
Microfilm - Full Page $0.75 per frame
Microfilm - Half Page $0.30 per frame
Police Accident Reports $5.00 per copy
Police Photographs $6.00 per copy
Scaled Drawings of Accident/Crime Scenes $20.00 each
DVD $1.00 each
Flood Maps $2.00 per map
Engineering Detail Sheets $2.00 per map
Copy of Water or Sewer Page $0.25 per page

Fee Guidelines

  • If the requester is a public body or a person acting in an official capacity as an officer of that public body, no charges shall be imposed. (5 ILCS 140/6)

  • Materials that require duplication to be outsourced, shall be charged based on the cost of such copying or reproduction.

  • Records in book or pamphlet form shall be assessed based upon the cost of such materials incurred by the City.