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United States   Illinois    Vital Records

Introduction to Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Illinois Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

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Vital Records Reference Dates
Illinois' vital records start the following years:

* A few Illinois counties kept birth and death records before this date.


 * }

Illinois Birth, Marriage and Death Records Online
The following is a list of online resources useful for locating Illinois Vital Records which consist of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths. Most online resources for Illinois Vital Records are indexes. After locating a person in an index always consult the original record to confirm the information in the index.

Marriages:


 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900 - Free, Index Only; Incomplete
 * Illinois Marriages to 1850 - $; Incomplete
 * Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 - $; Incomplete
 * Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900 - $; Incomplete

Deaths:


 * - Free; Index
 * Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 - Free, Index Only; Incomplete
 * Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 - Free, Index Only; Complete

Order a copy of the certificate:


 * Order Illinois Certificates online - $

Chicago and Cook County: For Chicago and Cook County online vital record databases, see Cook County, Illinois Vital Records

Birth Records
Because of legislation passed in 1843, a parent could report a birth to the county. However, very few births were recorded and only a few scattered counties have incomplete records. In 1877, the State Board of Health required all births be reported to the county clerk, although many were not reported because compliance was not enforced. In Illinois, the statewide registration of vital statistics began in 1916 and was generally complied with by 1922.

After 1916, birth records usually give the name and sex of the child; the names, birthplaces, and ages of the parents (with the mother’s maiden name); the occupation of the father; and the number of children born to the mother. Birth records of adopted children may give the birth parents but have frequently been amended to show only the adoptive parents.

There is a 75 year restriction on obtaining birth records for those not entitled to obtaining a birth certificate. For births after 1916, a copy of the birth certificate can be obtained if the individual is deceased. You must request a special form from Illinois Department of Public Health.

Copies of birth certificates for genealogical purposes can be obtained from the county clerk in the county where the birth occurred or the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records online, by mail, by fax, and in person,

Birth Records on Microfilm Some statewide birth records for Illinois have been collected in the source, Illinois Births, Prior to Act, Excluding Chicago: 1842, 1849–1872. This source is located at:


 * Family History Library
 * Family History Centers

Delayed Birth Records
Delayed registrations of births are available from the county where the birth occurred.

The Family History Library has records dating from 1941 for some counties.

Marriage Records
Early - 1962

1962 - Present

Several types of marriage records were kept, such as marriage registers, marriage returns, and marriage applications. Sometimes only one type of marriage record was preserved or filmed.

The marriage registers before 1877 provide little more than the date of marriage, names of the bride and groom, and the person who performed the marriage. Starting in 1877, pre-printed marriage register books in Illinois provided columns for ages, residences, birth places, and sometimes the names of the parents or guardians of the bride and groom.

Marriage returns were reported by the minister or Justice of the Peace who performed the marriage. County histories can be checked to learn which religion and congregation a minister served. Ministers’ returns may reveal that the marriage took place in a private residence, often the home of a parent or relative.

The county clerk usually kept marriage records from the time the county was organized. A few records date from the 1790s, but couples were not required to obtain a marriage license until 1877. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of the records to approximately 1920 for many counties. IRAD depositories have originals and film copies of marriage records and licenses for many counties.

The counties continue to record marriages to the present day and only county clerks can issue certified copies of the marriage certificate. A statewide register of marriages was started on 1 January 1962 as county clerks forwarded marriage information to the Illinois Department of Health. If you do not know the county where a couple married after 1962, the Division of Vital Records (see address above) can search their statewide register and provide the marriage date and county.

The Illinois State Archives has a statewide marriage index 1763 to 1900 available on their website. Go to Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900.

This is an ongoing project. For details on what county records have been added to the index, visit the Illinois State Archives website.

The Illinois State Archives and the Illinois State Genealogical Society are creating a microfiche index to marriages in many counties of Illinois from the earliest settlement to 1900. This index is not yet completed, though it contains nearly one million marriages. It is an excellent source for locating a county of residence when only the state is known. A list of counties and dates covered is found on the first microfiche of this set:


 * Illinois Marriage Record Index, 1763–1916. &lt;ref? Illinois. State Archives Division. Illinois Marriage Record Index, 1763–1916. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Archives and Illinois State Genealogical Society, 1994. (Family History Library microfiche [set of 94]) (Not available at Family History Centers.) &lt;/ref&gt; This index includes the names of the bride and groom, date, county of marriage, and license number or volume and page. The years indexed vary from county to county with most being indexed through 1900. A few counties have been indexed up to 1916. Eighty-four counties are included as of 1998 in this ongoing project. Cook County (Chicago area) records are indexed for the years 1833 to 1891.

More than 6,600 names from 3,300 marriages are listed in:


 * Illinois Marriages: Early to 1825 - A Research Tool The names of spouses, the date, and the county are listed. This index was compiled by Liahona Research Inc. from some of the county marriage records on microfilm or in books at the Family History Library. A list of the counties indexed can be found at the beginning of the book.

The Family History Library has a number of compact discs with vital records information from many states which can be used in the Automated Resource Center (ARC) of the library. For Illinois the following may be helpful:


 * Automated Archives, 1994. This file was acquired from the "Hunting for Bears" collection which was compiled from published books, microfilm copies, or original county records of several states. The introduction to this file gives information regarding which counties and years are included and the extraction methods used. Marriages which took place in an unknown county are listed at the beginning of the index. It is not a complete index to Illinois marriage records.


 * Marriage Records, Early to 1850. This is an index to Illinois and Indiana marriage records compiled from county records and published by Liahona, Inc. The index uses the Soundex code for quick access to surnames. It lists marriages by county and gives the marriage date. The introduction lists the counties, the time periods covered, and the Family History Library film numbers. Again, this is not a complete index to Illinois marriage records.


 * Gretna Greens. When an Illinois eloping couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places like Crown Point IN, or South Bend IN, or Evansville IN, or Lee County, Iowa.

Death Records
Because of legislation passed in 1843, members of a family could report a death to the county. However, very few deaths were recorded and only a few scattered counties have incomplete records. A new law was passed in 1877 had the State Board of Health require all deaths be reported to the county clerk, although many were not reported because compliance was not enforced. In 1916, death records were mandated by the state with copies sent to the state capital. Compliance to this law reached 95% by 1919.

After 1916, death records usually give information about the deceased, such as name, age, birth date, state or country of birth (sometimes the city or town), names of the parents (frequently including the maiden name of the mother), and the informant (who may be a close relative). The date and place of death are given. Sometimes burial information, the cause of death, and the names of the physician and mortician are provided. The length of residence in the state or county may also be given.

1877 - 1916
Copies of death records from 1877 to 1916 can be obtained from the following locations:


 * Illinois State Archives Reference Room (ISA). The following is required: decedent's name, date of death, name of county (and if provided, Township of death), and death certificate number, The have death records for deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago.  Earlier deaths are not available at the ISA.


 * County Clerk. Contact the county clerk in the county the death occurred.  Addresses of Illinois county clerks. Try the county clerk first - they are often more affordable and faster than the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Death Records on Microfilm: Microfilm copies of many counties of Illinois can be found at the following locations:


 * Family History Library
 * Family History Centers
 * Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD): IRAD run by the illinois State Archives to archive records from local governments in Illinois. There are 7 depositories covering the state of Illinois. Click here for a map to determine what depository to contact.

1916 - Present
Copies of death records from 1916 to the present can be obtained from:


 * Illinois State Archives Reference Room (ISA). In person. The following is required: decedent's name, date of death, name of county (and if provided, Township of death), and death certificate number, The have death records for deaths that occurred more than 50 years ago.  Earlier deaths are not available at the ISA.


 * County Clerk. Contact the county clerk in the county the death occurred.  Addresses of Illinois county clerks. Try the county clerk first - they are often more affordable and faster than the Illinois Department of Public Health.


 * Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Orders can be made online, by mail, by fax, or in person. Requirements for ordering from the IDPH include: decedent's full name, date of death, city and county where death occurred (if known), Your relationship to the decedent, reaons for requesting record and a legible/readable copy of your valid photo identification card. You can obtain an uncertified, genealogical copy which is cheaper than a certified copy.


 * Illinois State Genealogical Society. Only 1916 to 1947 is currently available.  Order online.

Death Records on Microfilm: Microfilm copies of death records from 1916 to 1947 can be found at the following locations :


 * Family History Library
 * Family History Centers

Death Indexes
Online databases:


 * - Free; Index
 * Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 - Free, Index Only; Incomplete
 * Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 - Free, Index Only; Complete

Indexes on Microfilm: Death indexes from 1916 to 1938 are available on microfilm and at the following locations :


 * Family History Library
 * Family History Centers

Adoption Records
open / closed / state statues

Tips

 * Information listed on vital records is given by an informant. Learn the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) of the record.  The closer the relationship of the informant to the subject(s) and whether or not the informant was present at the time of the event can help determine the accuracy of the information found on the record.
 * If you are unable to locate vital records recorded by governments, search for church records of christening, marriage, death or burial. A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages and deaths. Other substitute records.
 * Privacy laws may restrict your access to some vital records. Copies of some vital records recorded in the last 100 years may be unavailable to anyone except a direct relative.

[[Image:Fire.png|thumb|right|110px]]Burned, Lost, or Missing Records
Chicago Fires

Substitute Records
These links will take you to wiki pages describing alternate sources for birth, marriage and death records.


 * Church Records: Depending on the denomination, church records may contain information about birth, marriage and death.


 * Cemetery Records: Cemetery records are a rich source of birth and death information. These records may also reveal family relationships.


 * Census Records: Census records are a valuable source for birth and marriage information. You may also determine approximate time of death when the individual disappear from the census. This is a good place to begin a search.


 * Newspapers: Besides obituaries, local newspapers may contain birth and marriage announcements and death notices. Also check newspaper social columns for additional information.


 * Periodicals: Local genealogical and historical societies often publish periodicals which may contain abstracted early birth, marriage and death information.


 * Military Records: Military pension records can give birth, marriage and death information,  In addtion, soldiers' homes records can included this same information.


 * Probate Records: If no death record exists, probate records may be helpful in estimating when an individual has died. Probate records in the 20th Century often contain the exact death date.


 * History: Local histories, family histories and biographies can all be sources of birth, marriage and death information. Often this information is found in county-level records or in surname searches of the Family History Library catalog.

More Online Illinois Vital Records Links

 * USGenWeb.org Illinois Site - Free
 * Illinois Databases listed on Rootsweb.com - Free
 * German Roots Links for Illinois Birth &amp; Marriage and Death Records - Free/$ This site includes all vital records, not just those of German descent.
 * Progenealogists Links for the United States. Press Ctrl + F on the keyboard to search for Illinois or IL - Free/$
 * Illinois Links from fhlfavorites.info - Free