How to File a Public Records Request in Aurora, Illinois

What Is the Illinois Freedom of Information Act?

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.) grants any person — regardless of state residency or citizenship — the right to inspect and copy public records held by government bodies in Illinois. The law applies to all executive, legislative, and administrative bodies, including the City of Aurora and its departments.

Under the Act, a "public record" is defined broadly to include any record, report, form, writing, letter, memorandum, map, photograph, electronic data processing record, electronic communication, or other documentary material pertaining to the transaction of public business — regardless of physical form. For Aurora, this encompasses meeting minutes, ordinances, city contracts, building permits, emails between city officials, police incident reports, budget documents, and more.

Key exemptions under 5 ILCS 140/7 include personal private information (Social Security numbers, financial account data), preliminary drafts and pre-decisional materials, law enforcement records that could compromise ongoing investigations, attorney-client communications, trade secrets, and personnel performance evaluations. Critically, the burden of proof is on the City of Aurora to justify any withholding — not on you to demonstrate why you are entitled to the records.

Read the full text of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 Illinois Compiled Statutes 140/1 et seq. (5 ILCS 140/1–140/11))

How to File a Public Records Request with the City of Aurora

How to Submit Your Request

The City of Aurora encourages requesters to use its online GovQA portal, accessible through the city's website at aurora.il.us, as the primary submission method. Once submitted, your request is automatically routed to the FOIA Specialist within the City Clerk's Office and you receive a confirmation with a tracking number. Alternatively, you may email your request directly to [email protected] — note that under a 2026 amendment to Illinois FOIA (Public Act 104-0438), email requests must appear in their entirety in the body of the email; attachments and hyperlinks are not required to be opened by the City. You may also mail or deliver a written request in person to City Hall at 44 E. Downer Place during regular business hours. No specific form is required — any written statement identifying the records you seek is sufficient.

What to Include in Your Request

• Your full name and return address or email address
• A clear and specific description of the records you are requesting
• The approximate date range or time period covered by the records
• Your preferred format for receiving records (electronic PDF, paper copies, etc.)
• A fee threshold — state the maximum fee you are willing to pay, or request a fee waiver if the purpose is public interest
• A statement that the request is made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140
• If applicable, a statement that the request is NOT for a commercial purpose (preserves the 5-business-day deadline)

Response Deadlines and What to Expect

Under 5 ILCS 140/3(d), the City of Aurora must respond to a non-commercial public records request within five business days of receipt. Day one is the first business day after the request is received. The response period does not count the day of receipt itself.

"Response" means the City must either provide the records, issue a written denial with specific legal grounds, or notify you that additional time is needed. It does not necessarily mean the records will be fully produced within five days — the City may acknowledge receipt and indicate a date on which records will be available.

The City may extend the deadline by up to five additional business days for specific reasons enumerated in the Act, including when the requested records require retrieval from remote locations, require the review of an unusually large number of records, or where consultation among multiple City departments is needed. The FOIA Officer must notify you in writing of the extension, explain the reason, and state the date by which a complete response will be forthcoming under 5 ILCS 140/3(e).

For commercial-purpose requests, the deadline is 21 business days under 5 ILCS 140/3.1. If the City fails to respond by any applicable deadline, the request is deemed denied by operation of law — and the City may not charge copying fees for records subsequently produced after missing the deadline.

The first 50 pages of black-and-white, letter- or legal-size copies are provided at no charge. Additional pages may be billed at the City's actual cost of reproduction under 5 ILCS 140/6.

What to Do If Your Request Is Denied or Delayed

Receiving a denial or non-response from the City of Aurora is not the end of the road. Illinois FOIA gives you meaningful tools to push back — and the burden always remains on the City to justify withholding records, not on you to prove you deserve them.

The most common reasons for denial include: the records fall under a statutory exemption (such as personal privacy, law enforcement investigative records, or attorney-client privilege); the request is deemed unduly burdensome; the City claims the records do not exist; or the request is treated as a commercial-purpose request triggering a longer timeline.

If your request is denied in whole or in part, the City is required to provide you with a written Notice of Denial that identifies the specific exemption(s) under 5 ILCS 140/7 and a detailed factual basis for each. If the City fails to respond entirely within the statutory deadline, that silence is treated as a deemed denial under 5 ILCS 140/3(d).

Your first and often most efficient option is to appeal to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor (PAC). Under 5 ILCS 140/9.5, you have 60 days from the date of the denial to submit a request for review. The PAC can issue binding opinions, mediate disputes, or advise that no violation occurred. Separately, you may also file suit in circuit court at any time, without first going through the PAC. If you substantially prevail in court, you are entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs under 5 ILCS 140/11. Public bodies found to have willfully and intentionally violated the Act may also be subject to civil penalties of $2,500 to $5,000 per violation.

Practically, start with a follow-up call or email to the FOIA Specialist before escalating — sometimes delays are administrative, and a direct inquiry resolves the issue quickly.

Steps to Appeal

1. Contact the Aurora FOIA Specialist directly by phone at (630) 256-4636 or by email at [email protected] to inquire about the status of your request or the basis for any denial.
2. Review the written Notice of Denial carefully — the City is required to cite the specific exemption(s) under 5 ILCS 140/7 and provide a detailed factual basis. If the denial is vague or lacks required detail, note this in your appeal.
3. Within 60 days of the denial, file a Request for Review with the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor (PAC) at [email protected] or by mail to: Public Access Counselor, Office of the Attorney General, 500 S. 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62706. Include a copy of your original request and the City's denial.
4. The PAC will review your complaint and may issue a binding opinion ordering disclosure, resolve the matter informally, or decline further action. If the PAC declines or issues a non-binding opinion, you retain the right to pursue circuit court litigation.
5. File suit in the appropriate Illinois circuit court under 5 ILCS 140/11 seeking injunctive or declaratory relief. FOIA cases take precedence on court dockets, and the court will review the withheld records in camera.
6. If you substantially prevail in court, you are entitled to recover attorney's fees and costs under 5 ILCS 140/11(i). The City bears the burden to prove by clear and convincing evidence that withholding was lawful.
7. If the court finds the City willfully and intentionally violated FOIA, it may impose a civil penalty of $2,500 to $5,000 per violation under 5 ILCS 140/11(j).

Types of Records You Can Request from Aurora, Illinois

The City of Aurora maintains a broad range of public records across its departments. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, any document relating to the transaction of public business — regardless of format — is presumed to be a public record open for inspection.

• City Council meeting minutes, agendas, and official resolutions
• Mayoral correspondence, directives, and executive communications
• City budgets, annual financial reports, and audits
• Building permits, zoning variance applications, and inspection reports
• City contracts, vendor agreements, and procurement records
• Aurora Police Department incident reports and use-of-force logs
• Fire department incident and ambulance response reports
• Development agreements, annexation records, and TIF district documents
• Employee salary schedules and benefit cost data (non-exempt personnel information)
• Environmental monitoring reports and stormwater management records
• City-owned property records and real estate transactions
• Lobbyist registrations and ethics disclosure filings
• City fleet maintenance records and capital equipment purchases
• Grant applications, federal funding agreements, and expenditure reports
• Ordinances, municipal code amendments, and legal settlement agreements

If you're unsure whether a specific document is a public record, file the request anyway. The burden is on the City of Aurora to justify withholding — not on you to pre-determine what's available.

Tips for Effective Public Records Requests in Aurora