Homes – The History of Where we Live

Building Permit Instructions
Real Estate Records Instructions
Instrument – Transactions Codes List
Subdivision/Lot Maps

Permit Instructions

NEW ONLINE !! – Building permit cards and ledgers have now been digitized and are available online: UIC University Library. The quality can be very poor if not completely unreadable. The Chicago History Museum still maintains building permits on microfilm.

Click on the link above for the UIC University Library
Click on the green Browse Building Permits button
Click on Chicago Building Permit Street Index
Locate the reel for the street name. Example: for Lawler, select Reel # 61
Either scroll one by one through the cards, or enter a page number via the drop down at the top center of the page. Example: enter page # 1210 to get to the Lawler section. Cards are in address order.
Scroll using the large arrows until you find the desired address. Hopefully, the card will be readable. You will need to identify the year of the permit in order to proceed.
If desired, use the Download button at the upper right to download the page.
Done with this reel.
Go back twice in your browser and click on Chicago Building Permit Ledgers
Locate the year of the permit and the region of the city. For example, for a permit date of 9/29/1911, select Chicago Building Permits, Southwest & Northwest: Jan 5, 1911 – Dec 31, 1912 – which is Reel # 17.
The ledgers are in chronological order. Use the + button to enlarge.
Locate the date at the top left of the ledger page. Scroll through the ledger pages until you find the permit date or advance more quickly by entering a page number in the drop box at the top.
Once the page with the date is located, search for the desired address or lot number on the right hand page. Look for AW Dickinson or names associated with the property in the real estate records.

For the latest information and instructions, please visit: Chicago Building Permits Digital Collection 1872-1954

UPDATE: Microfilms are no longer available at UIC.
Original building permit information obtained from:
University of Illinois at Chicago – Daley Library – Microfilm Department

Real Estate Transactions

Research regarding deeds and previous owners of a property (prior to 1985 and after 1871) is conducted via a Tract Search in the basement of the Cook County Clerk’s office (formerly Cook County Recorder of Deeds), Room 120 in the County Building, 118 N. Clark Street (M – F, 9 – 5).

Obtain PIN or address of property
If PIN is known, perform a 20/20 Search on web site: https:// cookcountyclerkil.gov via the Recordings links. Online searches only go back to 1985
If PIN is not known, first select Onyx Search on the same page as above to search for an address
1. Obtain the PIN in the search results
2. Go back to the 20/20 Search and search by PIN.
Identify and document the Lot #, Legal Description, and Subdivision from one of the transactions (example: Warranty Deed):
Go to the basement of the Recordings Office and search in “Index Book” to identify the Tract Book # which contains the ledger for the property (request assistance at desk)
1. Provide the Range: 16-40-13 for our entire neighborhood
2. Provide the Legal Description/Subdivision Description – this is the most important. It may be necessary to do a PIN search on one of the computers on site to get a complete legal description.
Locate the Tract Book # in the tables/shelves
In the front of the book, find the Subdivision
Go to the page # specified
Locate transactions for the Lot # in the ledger
Photographing the books is not permitted
Photocopies of pages can be requested by filling out a form at the Customer Service desk. Copies are $0.25 each (as of 2021). County employee will make the copies. Copies will be on 11 x 17 paper. (Bring Post-Its to mark pages in the books to avoid copy errors.)