How to Look Up Chicago Building Violations by Address

A Chicago building violation search takes about five minutes and costs nothing. The Department of Buildings (DOB) runs a records search where you type an address and see permits, inspections and violations, and the City also publishes every DOB violation since 2006 as open data. Both are real City sources. Neither is the last word, and that matters if money is changing hands.

Where can you search Chicago building violations?

There are two official places to look, and they answer slightly different questions.

1. DOB's Search Building Department Records. The City's records page lets you search permit, inspection and violation records by address. Start here. It is built for the person holding a notice or checking a property they own or plan to buy.

2. The Chicago Data Portal "Building Violations" dataset. This is the same kind of information published as open data. The dataset covers violations issued by DOB from 2006 to the present, and the portal shows when it was last refreshed. It is useful when you want to sort, filter or look at many addresses at once. We cover how to read it in what the violations dataset shows.

If you only have one address, use the records search. If you manage several buildings or want to compare a block, use the dataset.

How do you run the search by address?

Keep it simple and exact.

1. Write the address the way the City writes it: number, direction (N, S, E, W), street name, then the street type. Chicago addresses carry a direction. "1500 Grand Ave" will miss what "1500 W Grand Ave" finds.
2. Search the records page first. Look at the violation entries, then the permit and inspection entries for the same address.
3. If nothing shows, try the street with a different direction or spelling, and try the neighboring number if you have a corner lot or a coach house.
4. Save what you find. Take a screenshot with the date visible, or print the page. Records change, and you want proof of what the City showed on the day you looked.

If you only know the owner's name, the address search is not the right tool. Work out the address first, or see who owns a Chicago building.

What do the results mean?

Each violation entry points to something DOB inspected and cited. A few things to read for:

• Status. An entry is a record of a citation. It is not a verdict that the building is bad, and it does not always mean the problem still exists.
• Dates. Look at when the violation was issued and whether later entries show a reinspection or a closure.
• The inspection history. A pattern of repeated citations for the same item on one building tells you something a single entry won't.
• Liable and not liable findings. The dataset notice says its data includes both liable and not liable findings. A "not liable" outcome sits in the same data as a "liable" one, so read the outcome, not just the existence of the entry.

The kind of enforcement matters too. DOB sets an enforcement level when it cites a building. Maintenance items get a warning notice, life safety items that are not dangerous go to the Department of Administrative Hearings (DOAH), and dangerous or hazardous conditions go to the Circuit Court of Cook County (City of Chicago, City of Chicago). If you can tell which track an entry is on, you know how serious the City treated it.

Is the City search enough if you are buying a building?

No. This is where people get hurt, so it gets its own section.

The City's dataset notice tells lenders and title companies to consult the title commitment for outstanding enforcement actions in the Circuit Court of Cook County or DOAH (Chicago Data Portal). The DOB records page covers violations cited by DOB. Court cases, liens and enforcement that sits outside DOB's records do not show up the same way. A building can look quiet in the search and still carry a court case, and City repair or demolition costs can become a lien on the property (City of Chicago).

What to do on a purchase:

• Run the DOB search yourself and keep the screenshots.
• Ask the title company for the commitment and read the enforcement section.
• Have an attorney check DOAH and Circuit Court dockets before you close.
• Walk the outside with someone who builds. Porches, masonry and roofs are where the violations that don't exist yet are waiting.

We go deeper on this in buying a two-flat with open violations.

What if you find a violation on your own building?

First, read it. Then act on it.

• Find the case. The notice itself gives you the details and the next date. The DOAH hearing is where a case gets decided, and questions about why you were cited go to the department that issued it, which for building cases is DOB (City of Chicago).
• Do not ignore the date. Missing a hearing can lead to a default judgment.
• Fix the underlying problem. The repair is what closes the case in the long run. Our guide to fixing a Chicago building code violation walks through the steps, and the pillar guide covers the whole process.
• Bring proof. Follow-up inspections tied to a hearing or a court case are scheduled through the case, and at DOAH you bring proof of compliance such as the permit and before and after photos (City of Chicago).

Violations also don't sit on a property forever by default. How long a record stays visible is its own question: see how long a violation stays on a property.

Who can help if you don't want to deal with it?

Reading the records is easy. Fixing the work and clearing the case is where owners get stuck. Akats repairs the underlying problem, handles the permit paperwork, and documents the work so you have proof for the hearing. See our building code violations service or call 312-497-5751 for a free estimate.

If you spotted a problem on a neighboring building rather than your own, the City takes reports through 311, including construction without a permit and porch safety (City of Chicago).

Common questions

This article explains general rules and common situations in Chicago. It is not legal advice, and City rules change. For a specific property, check with the Chicago Department of Buildings or a licensed professional.