Illinois birth, death, marriage and divorce records: where to look
Illinois birth and death records are not public: certified copies go only to eligible people. The state does not keep marriage or divorce records (counties do), but it can verify marriages and dissolutions from 1962. Older deaths and genealogical copies have their own rules.
At a glance
| Record | Years at the state | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | Not confirmed on the official pages we read. | $10 for the short form and $15 for the long form (first copy), $2 for each additional copy at the same time; a genealogical copy is $10. [3][8] |
| Death | The state can supply uncertified genealogical copies for deaths more than 20 years ago but not before 1916. Earlier deaths come from the county clerk or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository. [7] | $19 for the first certified copy and $4 each additional; $10 for the first uncertified genealogical copy and $2 each additional. [8] |
| Marriage | The state can verify marriages from 1962 through the current index date. IDPH's page also points to the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763 to 1900, at the State Archives. [5] | $5 per marriage verification. [5] |
| Divorce | The state can verify dissolutions from 1962 through the current index date. [6] | $5 per dissolution verification. [6] |
Superscript numbers point to the official page each fact came from, listed at the bottom of this page.
Birth records
- Where it is kept
- The state Division of Vital Records (Springfield) or the county clerk where the birth occurred. [3]
- Years covered
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not public. Certified copies go to the person named (18 or older), parents shown on the record, or a legal guardian or representative with written evidence. [2]
- Fee
- $10 for the short form and $15 for the long form (first copy), $2 for each additional copy at the same time; a genealogical copy is $10. [3][8]
- Processing time
- Mail requests are about 12 weeks from receipt, according to the state. [3]
For family history, an uncertified genealogical copy is available if the birth was 75 or more years ago, after the state reviews your documentation .
Death records
- Where it is kept
- The state Division of Vital Records, or the county clerk where the death occurred. [4][7]
- Years covered
- The state can supply uncertified genealogical copies for deaths more than 20 years ago but not before 1916. Earlier deaths come from the county clerk or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository. [7]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not public. Certified copies go to people with a personal or property-right interest; non-relatives need a letter from the agency that needs it. [4]
- Fee
- $19 for the first certified copy and $4 each additional; $10 for the first uncertified genealogical copy and $2 each additional. [8]
- Processing time
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
IDPH's page links the "Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916 to 1972" on the Illinois Secretary of State's archives site (ilsos.gov). We could not open ilsos.gov from our build computer, so we have not confirmed what it contains or costs.
Marriage records
- Where it is kept
- Certified copies are only available from the county clerk in the county where the marriage occurred. The state does not keep marriage records but can verify them. [5]
- Years covered
- The state can verify marriages from 1962 through the current index date. IDPH's page also points to the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763 to 1900, at the State Archives. [5]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- $5 per marriage verification. [5]
- Processing time
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
Divorce records
- Where it is kept
- Certified copies come from the circuit court clerk in the county where the dissolution was granted. The state does not issue certified copies. [6]
- Years covered
- The state can verify dissolutions from 1962 through the current index date. [6]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- $5 per dissolution verification. [6]
- Processing time
- Regular mail verification requests average 4 to 6 weeks. [6]
Archives and other places to look
- The state genealogy page points to the Illinois Regional Archives Depository and "Genealogy in the Illinois State Archives" (ilsos.gov). We could not open those pages, so we cannot say what they hold or cost. [7] IDPH genealogy page
The National Archives describes FamilySearch.org as free with account creation (see our census page), but we could not open FamilySearch's own pages, so we do not describe what it holds for Illinois.
Historical newspapers
The Library of Congress's Chronicling America lists 107 digitized newspaper titles published in Illinois, with issues dated from May 29, 1819 to September 20, 1963. Coverage is uneven inside that span: it is a list of titles, not a promise that every town or year is there. Chronicling America includes select digitized newspapers through 1963.
Browse Illinois titles at the Library of Congress
New to newspaper research? See our guide to finding old newspapers (obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements).
Counts come from the Library of Congress's "All Digitized Titles" list, read October 27, 2026. The Library of Congress says it believes these newspapers are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions.
How we verified this page
Last verified October 27, 2026. Offices change fees and rules without notice. If something here no longer matches the official page, trust the official page.
Confirmed on official pages
- Birth and death records are not public; certified copies go to eligible people.
- Fees: birth $10 short form or $15 long form, death $19 certified or $10 uncertified genealogical, verifications $5.
- Marriage and dissolution verification covers 1962 onward; certified copies come from county or circuit court clerks.
- Mail processing is about 12 weeks.
Could not verify
- The years the state holds birth records. The IDPH pages we read do not state them.
- Death record processing time.
- The contents and cost of the Illinois State Archives databases, which IDPH links. ilsos.gov did not respond from our build computer.
- County clerk fees and times. The statewide county clerk list is on a site (iaccr.net) we did not read.
- A free FamilySearch collection for Illinois. We could not open FamilySearch's pages.
Sources
- IDPH: Birth, death and other records Official state page read 2026-10-27
- IDPH: Birth records Official state page read 2026-10-27
- IDPH: Obtain a birth certificate Official state page read 2026-10-27
- IDPH: Death records Official state page read 2026-10-27
- IDPH: Marriage records Official state page read 2026-10-27
- IDPH: Dissolution of marriage records Official state page read 2026-10-27
- IDPH: Genealogy Official state page read 2026-10-27
- IDPH: Vital records fee schedule (PDF) Official state page read 2026-10-27