GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Illinois Births

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Illinois Guided Research page.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1916-1935: Cook County, Illinois Birth Index at Ancestry ($)
 * 1877-1913: Carroll County Birth Certificates Index at the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State
 * Cook County Genealogy Vital Records at the Cook County Clerk's Bureau of Vital Records

Additional Records with Birth Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Virtual Genealogy Consultations
Schedule a free online consultation with a research specialist:

Ask the Community
Select a community research group where you can ask questions and receive free genealogy help.

Tips for finding births
Successfully finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search parents. Search for the parents, if known, as the child's first name may not be on the birth record.
 * Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date of birth.
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
 * Search state. Search using the state name only instead of by county.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start
 * 1877 County clerks required to record births. However, compliance to the new law is not enforced and the registration is incomplete in most counties.
 * 1916 Statewide Registration.

Records Published by FamilySearch Collection coverage tables show the places and time periods of original records published by FamilySearch. For any FamilySearch collections you did not find your ancestor in, check the coverage table for gaps in the online collection. If the time period or location your ancestor lived in is missing from the collection, it may require searches in records found at original repository or finding substitute records for the event.
 * Illinois Births and Christenings, Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Records Destroyed The following counties had record loss. Click on the county for more information.