Illinois ranks 42nd out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#25of 51
Speed#46of 51
Ease of ordering#29 (tie)of 51
Birth certificates #29 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy (long form), $2 each extra copy; $10 short form
Processing time
Mail: about 12 weeks; in person: at county clerks’ offices; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
About 13 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from January 1916; earlier records from the county clerk
Marriage records #36 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the County Clerk where the license was issued (the state issues a $5 verification only)
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Records available
State index (verification only) from 1962
Divorce records #27 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the divorce was granted (the state issues a $5 verification only)
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Records available
State index (verification only) from 1962
Death certificates #34 of 51
Cost
$19 first copy, $4 each extra copy
Processing time
Mail: about 12 weeks; in person: at county clerks’ offices; wait time not published
Time until the copy is in hand
About 13 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from January 1916
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order Illinois birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get an Illinois birth certificate?
A certified Illinois birth certificate costs $15 for the long form, which is accepted for all legal uses including passports, or $10 for the short form, plus $2 for each extra copy. Order from the county clerk where the birth occurred, by mail from the Illinois Department of Public Health (about 12 weeks), or online through VitalChek.
Illinois birth records: ordering details
Who can order
Illinois birth records are confidential. Copies go only to the person named (18 or older), a parent, or another legal representative: an attorney, an agent with power of attorney, a court-appointed representative, or an agent with written, notarized authorization from the person named. Copies are also issued by court order or to government agencies. Uncertified genealogical copies are available for births at least 75 years ago.
Fee
Long form (certified, the most complete information; accepted for all legal uses, passports and government agencies): $15 for the first copy. Short form (certified abstract of basic birth information; may not be accepted by all government agencies): $10 for the first copy. Extra copies of the same certificate ordered at the same time: $2 each. Genealogical copy (uncertified): $10, $2 each extra. Commemorative birth certificate: $40. A certified no-record statement is $10. Through VitalChek, add a $15 handling fee and $22 for optional UPS (U.S. only). County clerk fees vary.
How to order
County: contact the county clerk in the county where the birth occurred (IDPH links a list of county clerks on its birth page). By mail: the Application for Illinois Birth Record, signed, with a copy of your ID and a check or money order payable to “Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)” (no cash), to Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 110 W. Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62704-2610 (the Springfield office moved here from 925 E. Ridgley Ave. in September 2026). Online or by phone:VitalChek, by major credit card.
ID needed
A readable photocopy of a non-expired government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, active-duty military ID, VA photo medical card or federally issued tribal ID; copy both sides if there’s information on both. Requests with no ID, or an unreadable or expired one, are returned unprocessed. If your ID expired less than 6 months ago, add a document from the last 6 months showing your name and current address. With no valid ID, send two recent documents as listed on the application. Social Security cards aren’t accepted.
Processing time
IDPH mail requests take about 12 weeks from when your paperwork arrives, and IDPH won’t send updates during that time. County clerks: contact the clerk. Estimate: about 13 weeks by mail, including mail time both ways.
Older and local records
IDPH has births from 1916. For births before 1916, contact the county clerk in the county where the birth took place.
Tip: Getting a passport? Order the $15 long form. The $10 short form may not be accepted by all government agencies.
A full certified Illinois death certificate costs $19 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Order by mail (about 12 weeks), by fax, online through VitalChek, or from the county clerk where the death occurred. Copies go only to people with a personal or property-right interest.
Illinois death records: ordering details
Who can order
Illinois death records aren’t public. Copies go only to a person, or an authorized agent, with a personal or property-right interest in the record, or a genealogical interest if the record is more than 20 years old. The application asks your relationship to the person who died and how you’ll use the copy.
Fee
Long form (full certified copy with the most information; accepted for all legal uses): $19 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Short form (basic information without the cause of death): $10, $2 each extra. Genealogical copy (uncertified, records 20 or more years old): $10, $2 each extra. Research copy: $10. Through VitalChek, the certified copy is $19 and $4 each extra, plus a $15 handling fee and $22 for optional UPS (U.S. only). Fees may be non-refundable. County clerk fees vary.
How to order
County: contact the county clerk in the county where the death occurred. By mail: the Application for Illinois Death Record, with a copy of your ID and a check or money order payable to “IDPH” (no cash), to Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 110 W. Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62704-2610 (the Springfield office moved here from 925 E. Ridgley Ave. in September 2026). By fax: 217-523-2648 (genealogy requests must be in writing). Online:VitalChek, with a major credit card. Urgent: send the request by overnight delivery with proof of immediate need (for example, travel within 30 days, an insurer’s letter, or an immigration notice) and a prepaid overnight return envelope. IDPH processes these within 5–7 business days.
ID needed
A readable photocopy of a non-expired government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, active-duty military ID, VA photo medical card or federally issued tribal ID; copy both sides if there’s information on both. Requests with no ID, or an unreadable or expired one, are returned unprocessed. If your ID expired less than 6 months ago, add a document from the last 6 months showing your name and current address. With no valid ID, send two recent documents as listed on the application. Social Security cards aren’t accepted.
Processing time
IDPH mail requests take about 12 weeks from when your paperwork arrives, and IDPH won’t send updates during that time. County clerks: contact the clerk. Estimate: about 13 weeks by mail, including mail time both ways. Urgent requests with proof of need: 5–7 business days.
Older and local records
IDPH has deaths from 1916. For deaths before 1916, contact the county clerk in the county where the death took place. The Illinois State Archives has a searchable index of Illinois death certificates, 1916–1972.
Tip: Need the certificate soon for travel, insurance or immigration? Use the urgent overnight process with proof of need, which IDPH handles in 5–7 business days instead of about 12 weeks.
Certified Illinois marriage certificates are available only from the county clerk in the county where the marriage took place. Contact that clerk; fees and times vary by county. The state can verify the facts of a marriage since 1962 for $5, but a verification isn’t a marriage certificate.
Illinois marriage records: ordering details
Where records are kept
The Illinois Department of Public Health doesn’t keep marriage records. The county clerk in the county where the marriage occurred issues certified copies. IDPH can verify the facts of a marriage from 1962 (and civil unions from 2012) to its current index date: names, dates of birth, date of the event, and city or county.
Who can order
Varies by county. Contact the county clerk.
Fee
Certified copies: set by the county clerk. State verification: $5 each, non-refundable.
How to order
County: contact the county clerk in the county where the marriage took place. State verification: Verifications cost $5 each (non-refundable) and can be requested by mail, fax or in person. Mail the Application for Verification of Marriage/Civil Union Record Files, or a letter with both parties’ names, dates of birth and the date and place of the marriage, with a copy of your valid photo ID and a check or money order payable to the “Illinois Department of Public Health” (no cash), to Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 110 W. Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62704-2610.
ID needed
County: contact the clerk. State verification: a valid, non-expired government-issued photo ID; requests without one are returned unprocessed.
Processing time
Varies by county. IDPH doesn’t publish a time for marriage verifications.
Older records
The state began recording marriages on January 1, 1962. For earlier marriages, contact the county clerk. The Illinois State Archives has a searchable Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900.
Tip: Not sure which county you married in? A $5 state verification gives the city or county of a marriage since 1962. Then order the certificate from that county clerk.
Certified copies of Illinois divorce (dissolution of marriage) decrees come from the circuit court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. Contact that clerk; fees and times vary by county. The state can verify the facts of a divorce since 1962 for $5.
Illinois divorce records: ordering details
Where records are kept
The Illinois Department of Public Health doesn’t issue certified copies of dissolution of marriage records. The circuit court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted does. IDPH can verify the facts of a dissolution from 1962 to its current index date: names, dates of birth, date of the event, and city or county. A verification isn’t a dissolution decree.
Who can order
Varies by county. Contact the circuit court clerk.
Fee
Certified decree copies: set by the circuit court clerk. State verification: $5 each, non-refundable.
How to order
Decree: contact the circuit court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. State verification: Verifications cost $5 each (non-refundable) and can be requested by mail, fax or in person. Mail the Application for Verification of Dissolution of Marriage/Civil Union Record Files, or a letter with both parties’ names, dates of birth and the date and place of the dissolution, with a copy of your valid photo ID and a check or money order payable to the “Illinois Department of Public Health” (no cash), to Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 110 W. Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62704-2610.
ID needed
Court: contact the clerk. State verification: a valid, non-expired government-issued photo ID; requests without one are returned unprocessed.
Processing time
Court: varies by county. State verification by mail: on average 4–6 weeks, not counting mail time to and from the office.
Older records
State verifications cover divorces from 1962. For earlier divorces, contact the circuit court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted.
Tip: A $5 state verification only confirms the divorce. For the decree itself, order a certified copy from the circuit court clerk.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other Illinois records people search for
Official Illinois sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Official Illinois sites for other records
Court case lookup
re:SearchIL Statewide case search; full access needs an account and Cook County is separate.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About Illinois public records
Freedom of information is one of the pillars of modern US society. It means any member of the public has the right of access to any information produced by a government body and deemed not subject to confidentiality legislation. There is a host of reasons why one would need public records, from professional purposes, to academic research or journalistic investigations, or for something as mundane as getting a driver’s license.
While the main provisions of the Freedom of Information Act are universally applicable across states, each state has in addition its own law governing the access to public records. In Illinois, a lot of this information is freely available online, since the state has no restrictions on what one can do with public records once they get access to them. The agencies that act as custodians of public records commonly provide easy to use online search resources, which considerably shorten the time you need to spend on such an inquiry. However, not all public records are available online, in which case you would need to contact the custodian agency directly.
Commonly Requested Non-Public Records
While documents such as Illinois birth certificates and marriage certificates are among the most commonly requested, they are not, in fact, public records and only a limited number of people are allowed access to them, in light of the private information they contain. However, with proof of eligibility you can easily receive a certified copy of the record you need.
The central hub for vital records, including birth and death certificates, but not marriage, civil union, and divorce and civil union dissolution records, is the Illinois Department of Health. The people eligible for access to a birth certificate are the person named on the certificate if they are 18 years of age or older, the person's parents, and the legal guardian/representative of the person whose name is on the certificate. Copies can be ordered by mail or in person at the Department, at the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 925 East Ridgely Avenue, Springfield, Illinois 62702-2737, with a check or money order for the fees such a request is subject to. Alternately, you can request a birth certificate copy by fax or online, using the services of the third party VitalChek and paying with a credit card.
Copies of death certificates can be requested by family members of the deceased person or by people with a property right interest, where property right refers to co-ownership of a tangible property, such as a vehicle or real estate, as proven by a car title or a deed. The Department of Health issues two types of death certificate copies, certified and uncertified. The former can be used for legal purposes, while the latter is issued for research and genealogical purposes.
Marriage and civil union records, as well as divorce and civil union dissolution records, are available from the respective county authorities. These include the county clerk for marriages and civil unions, and the circuit court clerk for divorces and dissolutions. However, the Department of Public Health can issue verification for each of these events. Verifications for marriages and divorces can be issued for the period back to 1962, while verifications for civil unions and civil union dissolutions concern the period from 2012 to date.
Commonly Requested Public Records
One set of public records that are freely available online are records of business entities. The database at the Secretary of State is maintained by the Department of Business Services and includes information about any type of business entity registered in the state of Illinois, including limited liability companies and partnerships, corporations and non-profit organizations. Although the information in this database cannot be copied or downloaded, the Department offers such services in exchange for a fee for certain records depending on statute.
If you need a tax registration reference, you have to go to the Illinois Department of Revenue, which offers online search capabilities based on account number or business tax number, federal employment identification number, or Illinois tax license number.
In the spirit of open government, the Illinois General Assembly website offers ample search resources for records about the legislative process, including bills and resolutions, as well as public acts, and legislative and special reports. Also among the available public records here are transcripts of Senate and House of Representatives proceedings, schedules and journals.
If you need to check your or someone else's voter registration status, you should go to the State Board of Elections, where you can search the records by first and last name and ZIP code. To check the registration status of a vehicle, use the search resources at the Secretary of State.
County Records
A lot of public information is available at the county level, including court case records and property-related documents such as deeds, mortgage records, easements, power of attorney, and liens. To access this information you will need to find the local county authorities in charge of producing and keeping property records. It should be noted, though, that not all of them provide online access to the records and when they do, references are sometimes paid. In any case, the agency to start a public record search in a county is the County Clerk or the County Clerk of Court, as well as the County Recorder, which is the office that commonly keeps property and even some local vital records. For yet another shot at retrieving the vital records you need you can also approach the local county unit of the Department of Public Health.
