How to Find Illinois Birth Records

United States US Vital Records  How to Find United States Births  Illinois  Vital Records  Illinois Births

Illinois gained statehood in 1816. Statewide registration of deaths began in 1916. General compliance followed in 1922.

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Next Step: When did the birth occur?

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 * Choose a time period to search for your ancestor's birth record:


 * before 1877
 * between 1877 and 1916
 * after 1916
 * year unknown


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Births before 1877
Before 1877, only a few counties in Illinois recorded birth records. To see if your ancestor's birth was recorded in them, search at FamilySearch. (Free)

In the chart below, find the approximate year of birth for a person, and search the records listed.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births between 1877 and 1916
In 1877, Illinois required all births be reported to the county clerk; however, many were not reported because compliance was not enforced. The statewide registration began in 1916 with full compliance by 1922.


 * Index only.
 * Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915.
 * Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1938.
 * Cook County Birth Index, 1916-1935 ($)

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
There are three options:

Return to top: Choose another birth year
 * FamilySearch.org - If the indexed information includes a GS microfilm number you can request the digital image using the Photoduplication request process, or order the microfilm from the Family History Library.
 * Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) - many Illinois vital records are available at low or no cost via IRAD. Check the IRAD Local Government Records Database to see if birth records are available for the county for that date range.  Select the county from the list and search for the word "Birth".  IRAD accepts requests by phone.
 * Individual County Clerks - If there is no GS microfilm number available and the records aren't available via IRAD, contact the county clerk where your ancestor was born and order a copy of the birth record. Some Illinois counties have digitized their records and made them available online for a fee.

Births after 1916
The Vital Records office of the Illinois Department of Public Health has copies of births from 1916 to present day. Anything before 1916 must be obtained from the county clerk's office in the county where the birth occurred.


 * Index only.
 * Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915.
 * Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1938.
 * Cook County Birth Index, 1916-1935 ($)

Obtain the Certificate
See restrictions below to find if you "qualify" to order a certificate. You must have full name, exact date and place of the birth to order from the Illinois State Department of Public Health. If you do not have the exact information, a search can be conducted for a fee. Contact the Vital Records Office for more information.

Restrictions to qualify for certificates of persons born within the last 75 years: To obtain a copy of the certificate, you must be:


 * The person on the certificate
 * The parents shown on the certificate
 * A legal guardian or legal representative of the child. Written evidence of guardianship or legal representation is required.

'''If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search. ''' Return to top: Choose another birth year

Related Wiki Articles

 * Learn more about U.S. Birth Records
 * United States Record Selection Table
 * U.S. Vital Records Overview
 * United States Vital Records
 * Locating United States Vital Records
 * United States Death Records
 * United States Marriage Records