The Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Program — 740 ILCS 45 — pays up to $45,000 for crime scene cleanup and other out-of-pocket expenses from violent crimes occurring after August 7, 2022. Administered by the Illinois Attorney General. Crime must be reported within 72 hours. Application deadline: 2 years. Phone: 800-228-3368.
Questions about documentation for your Illinois CVCA claim:
$45,000 Maximum | 740 ILCS 45 | 72-Hour Reporting Window | 2-Year Application Deadline | Crime Scene Cleanup Explicitly Covered
The Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Act explicitly lists crime scene cleanup as a covered expense — not just medical bills and lost wages. This matters because most families who have dealt with a violent crime in their Chicago home or apartment are unaware that the cost of professional biohazard remediation qualifies for reimbursement under this program.
Important: The $45,000 maximum is the total for all covered expenses — not just cleanup. Medical bills, counseling, and cleanup costs all count toward the same cap. Maximizing the cleanup reimbursement requires proper documentation from the start.
Eligibility under 740 ILCS 45 is broader than most families realize. The direct victim of a crime is the primary eligible party — but survivors, family members, and in some situations building co-residents can also qualify.
Note on homicide victims specifically: 740 ILCS 45(d-3) states that a denial or reduction of compensation on other grounds shall not automatically bar the survivors of homicide victims from receiving compensation for crime scene cleanup, relocation, counseling, funeral costs, and loss of support. This provision protects families in complicated circumstances.
Under 740 ILCS 45, the crime must be reported to law enforcement within 72 hours of occurrence for the victim to be eligible for compensation. For Chicago residents, this means reporting to the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois State Police, or any other appropriate law enforcement agency within three days of the crime.
In the vast majority of violent crime situations in Chicago, law enforcement was already at the scene — which means the 72-hour reporting window is automatically satisfied.
Application deadline: The 72-hour window is for reporting the crime to police. The application for compensation must be filed within 2 years of the crime date. Do not wait — start the documentation process immediately after cleanup.
The application process for 740 ILCS 45 compensation is managed by the Illinois Attorney General’s Crime Victims Services Bureau. Here is the process, in order:
The AG’s office will obtain the police report directly — you do not need to provide it. An interview with a program representative will be scheduled. If approved, you receive a determination letter and payment through the Comptroller’s Office.
Most families who qualify for Illinois Crime Victims Compensation never receive the maximum they are entitled to because they cannot produce documentation of the cleanup costs that reviewers require. CSCleanup Chicago builds this documentation into every eligible Chicago cleanup job from the start.
This documentation package is formatted to meet what the Illinois Attorney General’s Crime Victims Compensation program reviewers require. We have built and submitted it many times. The goal is that every eligible Chicago family receives the maximum compensation they are entitled to.
740 ILCS 45 is a statewide program — it applies equally to violent crime victims in every Illinois county. Families in Naperville, Joliet, Waukegan, Aurora, and every other suburb served by CSCleanup Chicago have the same access to Illinois Crime Victims Compensation as families in the city of Chicago. The Cook County Medical Examiner and collar county coroners all operate within the same Illinois legal framework.
The Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Program pays up to $45,000 for out-of-pocket expenses including crime scene cleanup for crimes after August 7, 2022. Crime scene cleanup is explicitly listed as a covered expense under 740 ILCS 45. Administered by the Illinois Attorney General — phone 800-228-3368, email crimevictims.services@ilag.gov.
The crime must be reported to law enforcement within 72 hours of occurrence under 740 ILCS 45. Sexual assault cases have a 7-day window. In most violent crime situations in Chicago — homicide, home invasion, aggravated assault — police were already called at the scene, satisfying this requirement automatically. The compensation application must be filed within 2 years of the crime.
740 ILCS 45 covers crime scene cleanup at the victim’s dwelling — defined as a person’s primary home. The program covers the victim’s primary residence. Landlords whose investment property required cleanup but who did not live there are not covered by this program; the victim’s family may be eligible separately as victims.
Illinois Crime Victims Compensation is a payer of last resort — other insurance must be exhausted first. If homeowners insurance covered part of the cleanup cost and unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses remain up to the $45,000 limit, those remaining expenses may qualify for compensation. CSCleanup Chicago tracks all payment sources and provides documentation distinguishing covered from uncovered costs.
CSCleanup Chicago provides a written remediation summary, itemized invoice, Illinois EPA chain-of-custody records, ATP test results, and a formal clearance record — the documentation Illinois AG reviewers require. We build this from the first hour of work on every eligible job. Call (888) 629-1222 and tell us on the first call that you want to document for CVCA.
35 minutes or less — or schedule an exact arrival. Real employees. IICRC certified. Documentation from hour one.
Available 24/7 | Chicago IL | All 6 Collar Counties | (888) 629-1222