Location guide · Chicago, IL
Find a property owner in Chicago, Illinois
In Chicago, owner research starts with the Cook County Assessor's Office and the Cook County Clerk – recordings search. Those official sources cover parcel, ownership and recorded-deed details one property at a time. When you are working a farm, expired list or absentee-owner list, a single-screen tool resolves every address to the owner with phones (DNC flagged) and emails in one pass.
Where Chicago property records live
Chicago is in Cook County (a small sliver near O'Hare extends into DuPage County).
- Cook County Assessor's Office — Property characteristics and assessed values by address or Property Index Number (PIN).
- Cook County Clerk – recordings search — Recorded deeds, mortgages and liens. The Clerk took over the former Recorder of Deeds office in December 2020.
What to know about owner lookups in Chicago
Search by the 14-digit Property Index Number (PIN); the Assessor, Treasurer and Clerk all key their records to it.
Illinois land trusts are common in Chicago. When the deed names a bank or trust company 'as trustee under trust number …', the beneficial owner is not in the public record. Mailing-address and tax-bill records are often the practical lead.
Unmask an LLC that owns a Chicago property
If a deed in Chicago names an LLC, search that exact entity name in the Illinois business search; the registered agent and any listed managers or members are your lead.
Common questions
How do I find the owner of a property in Chicago?
Start with the Cook County Assessor's Office to identify the parcel by address, then check the Cook County Clerk – recordings search for the recorded deed that names the owner. Chicago is in Cook County (a small sliver near O'Hare extends into DuPage County). For more than a handful of addresses, an owner-data tool is faster.
Is it legal to look up property owners in Chicago?
Yes. Illinois deed and assessment records are public. Calling or texting the owner is a separate question: the federal TCPA and the Do Not Call registry apply, so screen numbers before you dial.
What does it mean when a Chicago deed names a bank as trustee?
The property is likely held in an Illinois land trust, which keeps the beneficiary's name out of the recorded deed. The trustee bank will not disclose the beneficiary, so look at the tax-bill mailing address or other contact data instead.