There is no single lost and found at O'Hare or Midway. Items left on an aircraft go to the airline. Items left at a security checkpoint go to TSA. Items left in a public area of the terminal go to the Chicago Police Department. The airport transit train, parking facilities, and restaurants each handle their own. Figuring out where you lost it is the actual first step — not calling a general number.
Start by Narrowing Down Where
Retrace your steps mentally before making any calls. The single most useful piece of information is location, because it determines which of several separate organizations has your item.
If you genuinely don't know where it went missing, you may need to contact more than one — they don't share a database.
Left on the Plane or at the Gate
Contact your airline directly. Items left onboard an aircraft, at a gate area, or at a ticket counter are handled by the carrier, not the airport.
Have ready: your flight number, seat number, date, and a detailed description. Airlines have their own lost item portals; most are faster online than by phone.
Left at a TSA Checkpoint
TSA handles items left at security screening separately from everything else.
- At O'Hare: TSA Lost and Found can be reached at (773) 377-1210, or file a claim through TSA's lost and found page at tsa.gov.
- At Midway: TSA can be reached at (773) 498-1308, or by email through TSA's Midway lost and found address.
Worth knowing: confiscated items are not the same as lost items. Something surrendered at the checkpoint because it wasn't allowed through isn't sent to lost and found — it's disposed of. Lost and found is for things genuinely left behind, like a laptop in a bin or a jacket on a bench.
TSA typically doesn't charge retrieval fees, and items left at checkpoints are generally logged the following business day.
Left in the Terminal, a Public Area, or Parking
Items found in public areas of O'Hare are handled by the Chicago Police Department, reachable at (773) 686-2385. The main lost and found office serves the public areas of the airport.
At Midway, the Midway Communication Center and Chicago Police handle public-area items, with parking facilities managed separately by the parking operator.
Airport restaurants and shops typically hold items themselves first — if you know which restaurant, call it directly before going through the broader system.
Left on the O'Hare ATS Train
The Airport Transit System — the train connecting O'Hare's terminals and the rental car facility — has its own lost and found, separate from everything else. It can be reached at (773) 462-0400 or by email through the ATS lost item address.
Easy to overlook, and a genuinely common place to leave a bag while moving between terminals.
Left in a Taxi or Car Service
- Contact the company that dispatched your ride as soon as you realize, with the date, approximate time, pickup and drop-off locations, and a description of the item. With a pre-booked ride, dispatch knows exactly which driver had you, which makes this dramatically easier than with a street-hailed cab.
- Check your booking confirmation for the trip details, which speeds up identifying the right vehicle.
- The sooner the better. A driver may not notice an item until the next passenger does, so a quick call increases the chance of it being found before it's moved.
This is one practical advantage of a pre-arranged ride over a hailed cab — there's a record of exactly who drove you and when.
How Long You Have
- O'Hare typically holds items for roughly 30 to 90 days, after which unclaimed property may be donated or disposed of.
- Midway's holding period is generally around 30 days.
- TSA holds checkpoint items for approximately 30 days.
- Airlines vary — check your carrier's specific policy.
New items are logged daily, so if yours isn't matched immediately, checking back every few days is worth doing rather than assuming it's gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one lost and found for all of O'Hare?
No — items are handled by different organizations depending on where they were lost: the airline, TSA, the Chicago Police Department, the ATS train, parking, or individual businesses.
What if I don't know where I lost it?
You may need to contact more than one organization, since they don't share a common database. Start with the most likely location and work outward.
Will TSA return something they confiscated at the checkpoint?
No — confiscated items aren't sent to lost and found. That system covers items genuinely left behind, not items surrendered because they weren't permitted.
How quickly should I report a lost item?
As soon as you realize. Items are logged daily, holding periods are limited, and the odds drop the longer you wait.
What if I left something in my ride?
Contact dispatch with your trip date, time, and locations. With a pre-booked ride there's a clear record of which driver you had, which makes recovery considerably more likely than with a street-hailed cab.
Figure Out Where You Lost It First
The reason lost items at O'Hare and Midway feel so hard to recover is structural: several separate organizations each handle their own, and none of them can see the others' records. Work out where you lost it first, contact that specific organization, and do it fast — holding periods are shorter than most people expect.
Contact details, holding periods, and procedures referenced in this guide reflect publicly available information as of 2026 and are subject to change. Verify current contacts at flychicago.com and tsa.gov before relying on them.
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