How to submit a FOIA public records request to Naperville
An independent guide to requesting City and police records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act—not a City website. Start at the official City of Naperville website and lo...
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An independent guide to requesting City and police records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act—not a City website. Start at the official City of Naperville website and locate the FOIA Request section for the current online submission route. Identify the agency that holds your records before submitting; county and school records belong to separate agencies.
Start with the official City website.Visit the City of Naperville homepage and navigate through its government or services links to the “FOIA Request” or “File a FOIA Request” section. Use theelectronic FOIA portal buttonthere to reach the current online submission route.
Requests for City records fall under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Follow the City’s designated submission methods so your request is officially received.
Prepare your written request
Identify the records you want and whether they are police or non-police City records. County, school and other separate agencies maintain their own records.
Describe the documents clearly. Include a relevant date range, subject, location or reference number when you have one, rather than asking only a general question.
Provide contact information for replies and state your preferred delivery format.
Submit through the online route or an applicable written-request method below. Keep a copy of your request and any submission confirmation.
Email submission
Send your written request toNapervilleClerks@naperville.il.us. IncludeATTENTION-FOIA OFFICERin the message.
Mail or physical delivery
Police records:Naperville Police Department, 1350 Aurora Avenue, Naperville, IL 60540. Mark itATTENTION: FOIA OFFICER.
Non-police City records:Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street, Naperville, IL 60540. Mark itATTENTION: COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT/FOIA OFFICER.
Police-only fax option
Requests for Police Department records may also be faxed to630-305-4052. This fax route is restricted to police records.
This is an independent guide, not a City submission service. Use the official City website to access the online request system.
Choose the agency that holds your records
Records sought | Where to direct your request | Routing and access considerations |
|---|---|---|
Municipal contracts, council proceedings, building permits, zoning maps and code enforcement records | City of Naperville for its municipal records | Municipal records belong with the City, not county government. Illinois FOIA exemptions may limit disclosure. |
Police incident reports, traffic accident reports and initial blotters | The police agency responsible: municipal police department, County Sheriff's Office or Illinois State Police | Identify the agency involved rather than relying only on the incident location. Law enforcement exemptions and juvenile privacy protections may restrict access. |
Property deeds, mortgages, liens and plats | DuPage County Recorder’s Office or Will County Recorder, depending on the property's county | Choose the relevant county recorder rather than the City. Recorder search resources provide a separate route for researching property records. |
Court files, divorce decrees, criminal dockets and probate records | The Circuit Court Clerk for the relevant county: DuPage County or Will County | Illinois FOIA does not apply to the judiciary. Court records follow separate access rules; do not route these requests through municipal or county administrative FOIA portals. |
School board policies, district budgets and school district contracts | The respective school district administration office | School districts are separate public bodies, independent of municipal and county government. Disclosure remains subject to applicable exemptions. |
Park district board minutes, contracts and facility rental records | The respective park district administrative headquarters | Park districts maintain their own records as separate public bodies. Direct the request to the district rather than the City or county; exemptions may apply. |
Write and Send a Focused FOIA Request
Keep your request focused on existing records, not answers to questions or a new analysis. Identify the records, subject and date range as clearly as possible. You do not need to explain why you want records for an ordinary request.
Copyable request template
Replace the bracketed prompts with your details and remove optional wording that does not apply.
Subject: FOIA request — [Brief description of records]
Dear FOIA Officer:
Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, I request copies of the following existing records held by [Agency or records custodian]:
[Describe the documents or files requested and their subject matter.]
Please limit the search to [Start date] through [End date]. Relevant identifying details are [Address, case number or other reference, if applicable].
I prefer to receive the records electronically in [Preferred electronic format], through [Electronic delivery method supported by the agency].
Please notify me of any applicable fees and provide an estimate before incurring charges.
[If applicable: This request is for a commercial purpose.]
If clarification would help identify the records, please contact me at [Email address or phone number].
Thank you,
[Your name]
[Contact information for responses]
Before and after sending
Confirm the custodian.Identify whether the records belong to the City of Naperville, police, county, school or another separate agency.
Use the official route.Check the responsible agency’s current official FOIA instructions before submitting.
Protect personal information.Avoid unnecessary sensitive details or private identifiers in the request description.
Keep your submission.Save the request, confirmation, receipt or tracking reference, and any follow-up correspondence.
Respond to clarification requests.Clarify the records or narrow the scope where appropriate, keeping a copy of any revised wording.
Naperville, Illinois · FOIA guide
From Request
to Follow-Up
A practical path for requesting public records.
Identify the custodian
Determine which agency holds the records. Distinguish City of Naperville and police records from county, school and other separate agency records.
Describe existing records and dates
Specify the documents, subject and date range. Include an address or case number when relevant. Request records, not answers to questions or a new analysis.
Choose a verified official channel
Check the responsible agency’s current official FOIA instructions and submit through its designated route.
Save submission confirmation
Keep a copy of the request and any receipt, timestamp or tracking reference.
Track the response and clarify scope
Monitor correspondence, respond to requests for clarification and retain any revised request wording.
FOIA response timelines, fees and disclosure limits
For an ordinary noncommercial request, the public body must respond within5 business daysafter receipt. When received during regular business hours, counting begins on the next business day.
Under Section 3 of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, a public body may extend the deadline bynot more than 5 additional business dayswith written notice explaining a permitted reason. Reasons include records stored elsewhere, collecting a substantial number of records, or an extensive search for a broad request. Further extensions require mutual agreement.
A response is not a guarantee of complete delivery.The reply may provide records, deny the request, or invoke a permitted extension. Production can involve review and redaction; the response deadline should not be treated as a promise that every document will arrive within that window.
Requests for a commercial purpose have a different response deadline:21 business daysafter receipt. Commercial purposes include using records for sale, resale, solicitation, or advertising sales or services.
News media, nonprofit, scientific and academic organizations are generally not considered commercial requesters. Do not assume the ordinary noncommercial timeline applies to every request category.
Under Section 6 of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, thefirst 50 pagesof black-and-white, letter- or legal-sized paper copies are free. Additional pages cannot cost more than$0.15 per page, unless another statute fixes the fee. Color or nonstandard copies may be charged at actual reproduction cost.
Records maintained electronically must be supplied in the requested electronic format when feasible. Standard electronic requests do not carry search or review fees. If a recording medium is needed, the public body may charge its actual purchase cost; paper-copy rates do not apply to electronic records.
Section 6(c) provides for records without charge or at a reduced charge when the requester states a specific purpose and demonstrates that disclosure is in the public interest.
Explain how you intend to share information concerning public health, safety, welfare or legal rights. The principal purpose should benefit the general public rather than serve a personal or commercial interest; a waiver is not automatic merely because it is requested.
Sections 7 and 7.5 contain disclosure exemptions, including protections for private information, clearly unwarranted invasions of personal privacy, certain preliminary drafts or notes, and trade secrets or proprietary commercial information.
An exemption covering part of a record does not automatically justify withholding the whole record.When nonexempt material can be separated, the public body must redact the exempt portions and release the remainder.
No. Under Section 7(1)(d), law enforcement records may be withheld when disclosure would interfere with pending or reasonably contemplated proceedings, substantially threaten a fair trial or impartial hearing, reveal a confidential source, or endanger someone's life or physical safety.
Juvenile law enforcement records also have strict confidentiality protections. Requesting a police record does not guarantee full disclosure; release depends on the applicable law and the contents of the record.
Follow Up or Challenge a FOIA Denial
Check the paper trail
If records have not arrived, check your submission receipt and follow up with the public body that received your request. Cite the tracking number or confirmation details, identify the records still outstanding, and ask for the request’s status. Save copies of all requests, responses, extension notices and delivery confirmations.
Ask about withheld records
For a denial or partial disclosure, ask for a written explanation identifying the specific exemption and the factual basis for withholding each record or portion. Under Illinois FOIA, 5 ILCS 140/9, a denial must be in writing and identify the legal exemption relied upon. The public body bears the burden of proving that an exemption applies by clear and convincing evidence.
Please provide the written grounds for withholding the requested records or portions, including the specific statutory exemption and supporting factual explanation. Please also clarify whether any remaining portions can be released.
Request independent review
You may ask the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) to review a denial or failure to respond. Submit a Request for Reviewno later than 60 calendar days after the final denial, or the date the response was due if the public body did not respond. Do not let informal follow-up delay your review request.
Under 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a), prepare:
A written request for review signed by you.
A copy of your original FOIA request.
Copies of any responses, including extension notices and correspondence narrowing the request.
An explicit explanation of the non-response if the public body never replied.
Consult the Illinois Attorney General Public Access Counselor’s official guidance and request forms. The Public Access Bureau’s email ispublic.access@ilag.gov; its telephone number is(877) 299-3642. Review does not guarantee disclosure.
For City-specific submission guidance, consult the City of Naperville’s official FOIA information. This independent community guide does not accept or process FOIA requests.
This guide provides general information, not legal advice.
Use official City guidance
Consult the City of Naperville’s official FOIA guidance before submitting your request. Save a copy of your request, submission confirmation and every response for follow-up or review.
This independent community website does not accept or process FOIA requests. This guide provides general information, not legal advice.
