Columbia IL

Building, Permit & Property Records

Complete this form to submit a request and receive status updates.

Required field

Request building permits, approved plans, inspections, certificates of occupancy, or property records. *** NOTE: Many of these records are available for search online: https://columbiail-energovweb.tylerhost.net/apps/SelfService#/search

Property address *

Assessor parcel number (APN)

If known.

Permit number

If known.

Type of record requested *

Date or date range

Details of your request *

Contact information

Provide contact details if you want status updates or released records sent to you. Name and email are required unless you submit anonymously.

You chose to submit anonymously, so contact details are not needed. Anything entered below is discarded when the request is saved.

Full name *

Email address *

Phone

Organization

Mailing address (optional)

Street address

Apt, suite, or unit

City

State

ZIP code

Will you or anyone else use these records for a commercial purpose? *

A commercial purpose means use for sale, resale, or to solicit or advertise sales or services. Illinois law requires us to ask, and requires a truthful answer. Requests from news media and from nonprofit, scientific, or academic organizations for news or research purposes are not commercial. Commercial requests run on a different clock (21 working days) and can include search and review charges.

How would you like to receive the records?

Electronic delivery by email is free. Paper copies are free for the first 50 black-and-white pages, then 15 cents per page.

Request a fee waiver (optional)

If your request is mainly about the health, safety, welfare, or legal rights of the general public, describe that here and the office will consider waiving or reducing fees.

Cost approval (optional)

If producing your records will cost more than this amount, the office will contact you before doing the work.

Submit anonymously

If you submit anonymously, we can't email you updates. You'll only get status through the tracking-number link, so save it now.

What happens next

Submit your request. You get a tracking number right away.
Watch your email. If you provide an email address, a confirmation with a private status link is sent to you.
The records office responds. Follow progress, messages, and released files from your status link.

What to expect

The office must respond within 5 business days after it receives your request, and may extend that once by 5 business days with written notice. Commercial requests allow 21 working days. If your request is denied, the denial letter will explain why; you may ask the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor to review the denial within 60 days, or seek court review.

5 ILCS 140/3(d)-(e); 140/9.5

Describing your records

Describe the records in the request box itself - Illinois law lets the office respond based on what is written in the body of the request, so put the full description in the form rather than only in an attachment.

5 ILCS 140/3(c)

Fees

The first 50 black-and-white pages are free, then 15 cents per page. Electronic records cost only the price of the disk or drive they are copied to - email delivery is free. Certified copies cost up to $1.

5 ILCS 140/6

Questions first?

Ask the records office before you file.

[email protected]

Agency information

For additional information please see our FOIA page at columbiail.gov/FOIA.

Building, Permit & Property Records

A released record may already have what you need

Contact information