An Illinois background check from the state comes from the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification, and under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA) the public, including most employers, can get conviction information only, by name or by fingerprints. On top of that, the Illinois Human Rights Act limits how employers may use a conviction once they have it.
Nothing here comes from the Illinois State Police, and we cannot search records for you. The Bureau of Identification has its own criminal history services page. This page shows which request fits you, how to see your full record, and what an Illinois employer has to do before turning you down.
Quick answers
Official source
Illinois State Police, Bureau of IdentificationCheck type
Both: UCIA name based conviction checks and fingerprint checks through Live Scan vendorsWhat the public gets
Conviction information only, under the Uniform Conviction Information ActOnline requests
CHIRP, the Criminal History Information Response Process, for name based searchesYour full record
Access and Review, done with fingerprints at a Live Scan vendorEmployer rule
Illinois Human Rights Act: a conviction can count only if it is substantially related to the job or poses an unreasonable risk
Name or fingerprints: picking an Illinois background check
The Illinois State Police offer two ways to search under the UCIA. The name based request uses alphanumeric identifiers such as name, date of birth and sex. The fingerprint request uses prints taken at a Live Scan vendor. Both return conviction information to the public, but they differ in how sure the match is.
| Name based (form ISP6-405B or CHIRP) | Fingerprint based (form ISP6-404B) | |
|---|---|---|
| Matches on | The identifiers typed in | Your prints |
| Risk | Can miss you if details differ, or match a different person | Positive identification |
| Where to do it | Paper form or online through CHIRP | A licensed Live Scan vendor |
| What comes back | Illinois convictions only | Illinois convictions, plus more where a law grants access |
For a name request, list every name you have used, including a maiden name, because the search only checks names on the form. Each request carries a Transaction Control Number (TCN); you need it to pull up a CHIRP response later.
When Illinois jobs require fingerprints
Some employers are allowed or required by law to see more than conviction information, and they must use fingerprints. Typical examples are schools, child care programs, health care employers, nursing and other licensed professions, and security work. The employer or board tells you which reason code to give the vendor, and the results go to them. You can find licensed vendors through the state's fingerprint vendor list.
If the job also needs a national check, the request goes to the FBI as well. Read our fingerprint check page for what to bring to the appointment.
Ask the employer for its exact reason code before you go. Vendors cannot guess it, and a wrong code can mean a second set of prints.
Seeing and challenging your own record
The public UCIA check shows convictions only. To see everything the State Police hold about you, use Access and Review. You can ask any Illinois law enforcement agency, correctional facility or licensed fingerprint vendor to take your prints for this purpose, and your transcript is mailed to you. The details are on the State Police What's on My Record page.
The last page of the Access and Review packet is the Record Challenge form. If an arrest is listed without its outcome, or a case belongs to someone else, mark it on the form, attach court papers, and mail or drop it at the Bureau of Identification in Joliet. Records held by the FBI are challenged with the FBI.
Expungement and sealing are separate from a challenge. They remove or hide true records and go through the courts. The State Police site links to the state's expungement information, and our page on sealed and expunged cases explains what employers may still see.
What Illinois law lets employers do with a conviction
The Illinois Human Rights Act treats a conviction record as a protected area. According to the Illinois Department of Human Rights, an employer may refuse to hire or may fire someone because of a conviction only if the conviction is substantially related to the job, or if employing the person would pose an unreasonable risk to property or to the safety or welfare of others. A conviction record under the Act includes being convicted, placed on probation, fined, imprisoned or paroled.
The employer also has to follow a process called an interactive assessment:
- It must look at the conviction and the job and decide, in a preliminary way, that the record disqualifies you.
- It must tell you in writing, explain its reasoning and give you the chance to answer.
- You then have at least five business days to dispute the accuracy of the record and show evidence such as rehabilitation.
- Only after that may it make a final decision, again in writing.
An employer that skips these steps may be liable for a civil rights violation, and you can file a charge with IDHR.
Using your five business days well
If you receive a preliminary notice, answer in writing and keep a copy. Focus on facts the employer can check.
Dear [Name],
I received the letter you sent on [Date] regarding my record and am replying within the five business days it allows.
The record shows [Offense] from [Number] years back. The [Job title] work does not involve [Duty], so the two are not connected. Since that time I have [completed a program, held a job, earned a certificate]. Copies of [Court papers, certificate, reference letter] are enclosed.
I remain keen on this role and can meet whenever suits you.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Do include: dates, completed sentences, training, steady work since, and letters from supervisors.
Do not include: an argument about the original case, or details the employer did not ask about.
Federal steps that still apply
Hiring a screening firm brings the Fair Credit Reporting Act into play on top of the Illinois rules. Expect a separate disclosure form to sign first. If the employer is inclined to act on the findings, they should reach you in advance together with a federal rights sheet, and after the final decision you get a letter naming the firm. The FTC has a plain language version. The EEOC guidance on arrests and convictions applies too. For the general timeline, see time each check usually needs.
Everything here comes from State Police and IDHR material we read, not from a lawyer. IDHR, Illinois legal aid or an employment attorney can advise on your case.
Questions people ask
What does an Illinois state police background check show?
For most requesters, it shows Illinois conviction information only, as the UCIA allows. Arrests without convictions are released only to agencies a law authorizes, usually through fingerprint checks.
Can I do an Illinois background check online?
Yes. Name based UCIA requests can be filed online through CHIRP. You keep the Transaction Control Number and use it to get the response.
How do I check my Illinois state police background check status?
The Bureau of Identification asks you to email its customer support address with your request details. Have your TCN ready.
Does Illinois limit background checks to 7 years?
The federal 7 year limit for screening companies covers arrests without convictions and some civil items, not convictions. Illinois instead limits how employers use convictions through the Human Rights Act.
Is there an Illinois fingerprint background check for my own record?
Yes, that is the Access and Review. A licensed Live Scan vendor or a police agency takes your prints and the transcript is mailed to you.
What if an Illinois employer rejects me without notice about my conviction?
IDHR says an employer that acts on a conviction without the interactive assessment and written notices may have committed a civil rights violation. You can file a charge with IDHR.