Some counties in Illinois use a property index number (PIN) to label properties to help their record keeping. The PIN is a 14-digit number that is usually recorded by the county assessor or auditor and can be found in your own property records or online. To illustrate how to find this information, an example in Cook County, Illinois will be used.
Step 1
Check your property deed, tax bill, or other documents relating to the purchase of your home. These documents will contain your property index number. In Cook County for example, a property index number has a 10-digit base, and four-digit extensions added on for condominiums and apartment complexes. If you do not have these documents you can use your county government's website to find the number.
Step 2
Go to the property search portion of your county website. Depending on the county, this can be found under the assessor or auditor portion of the website. Properties can usually be searched for with the property index number, address, or other property characteristics. In Cook County for example, you can search for a property by its PIN, address, neighborhood, or religious properties.
Step 3
Type in the search criteria you want to use. Use search criteria that will better help you locate the property you are looking for. If you are not sure of the exact address, search by a range of addresses or with imprecise address terms. For example, if you know the property is on Main Street but you are unsure of the house number, just type "Main" into the "street" field but leave the house number blank to get results for every house on main street in the county.
Step 4
Choose the property you are searching for. In some cases the PIN will be displayed in the search results or on the main page for the property. In Cook county for example, the PIN is displayed at the top of the main page for each property.