The Map Department draws the official tax maps for Cook County. This includes using the legal description of the properties throughout the county to establish the Property Index Number (PIN) for each parcel for taxation purposes. The County Clerk provides certified legal descriptions for individual tax parcels for $10 each. For legal descriptions pertaining to ownership, please refer to your deed.
The Map Department maintains records of taxing district boundaries to provide the basis for property tax calculations done for tax extensions, and for voting district boundaries used by the Clerk for election purposes.
The county tax maps, once commonly referred to as the "Sidwell Maps," are updated each year, reflecting the divisions, subdivisions and consolidations of property processed annually by the Clerk's office in conjunction with the Cook County Assessor's office. The tax maps show the boundaries of each parcel and identify the unit numbers within each condominium development in conformity with the condominium declaration recorded with the county.
Know your PIN
To make any inquiries about your property taxes, it is important to know your property index number. The PIN is a 14-digit code that is unique for each property.
Click Here to learn how to use your PIN.
Tax Maps Online NEW
https://maps.cookcountyil.gov/taxmapviewer/
Maps forms online
- Order Form for Certified Legal Descriptions ($10)
- Order Form for Tax Maps ($5)
- Order Form for Certified Tax Maps ($7)
- Order Form for Full County Maps ($10)
- How to Read a Legal Description guide
Other services provided by the Maps Unit
- Affixes tax certifications to plats of subdivision or dedication.
These required certifications must be affixed to plats prior to being recorded to attest that there are no tax delinquencies on the parcel(s) affected.- Plats of Subdivision (including plats of Resubdivision or Consolidation) and plats of street Dedication, and plats of Disconnection from a taxing district must be left with the Map Department for 24 hours in order to perform a 20-year tax search prior to certification. The fee is $50 per plat.
- Plats of Vacation of streets or alleys do not require a tax search and can be stamped immediately. The Vacation ordinance should be provided with the plat for review prior to certification. The fee is $10 per plat.
- Plats of Annexation and plats of Easement (including Grants of Easement, plats of Vacation of Easement, and plats of Abrogation of Easement) do not require a tax search and can be stamped immediately. The Annexation ordinance should be provided with the plat for review prior to certification. There is no fee.
- Reviews proposed plats affecting land in unincorporated Cook County.
Please note that plats involving unincorporated land require approval by the Cook County Board of Commissioners before the Clerk’s Map Department will affix a tax certification. Unincorporated plats must be reviewed by the Cook County Department of Building and Zoning. Please contact the Building and Zoning Department at (312) 603-0500 or [email protected] if you have questions involving unincorporated property.
- Provides digitized version of tax maps for purchase.
Pursuant to Cook County ordinance, the Clerk's office is able to provide digitized versions of the official county tax map for sale to interested parties for a base fee of $30,000. Developed as part of a larger county-wide Geographic Information System (GIS), the maps are copyrighted and are subject to restrictions on transfers to third-parties, though transfer can be authorized by license and payment of a royalty fee. Please contact the Clerk's Map Department at (312) 603-5640 or [email protected] for further information.