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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 Department of Public Health, Division of Public Records or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

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.

Illinois State Archives Global Search:


 * The Global Database Search created by the Illinois State Archives allows all index databases on their website to be searched by name (free). You must click on a database from the list of results and enter the name again to search for the record in that database. The search field is at the bottom of the webpage.

Marriages:


 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900, Illinois State Archives - Free
 * Illinois County Marriages, 1810–1934, FamilySearch Historical Records - Free Learn more about this collection.
 * Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871–1920, FamilySearch Historical Records - Free Learn more about this collection.
 * Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry - ($)
 * Illinois Marriages, 1790–1860 at Ancestry - ($)
 * Illinois Marriages, 1851–1900 at Ancestry - ($)

Deaths:


 * Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947, FamilySearch.org - Free Learn more about this collection.
 * Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives Illinois State Archives - Free
 * Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1950 at Illinois State Archives Illinois State Archives - Free

Researching Illinois Vital Records
It is usually best to start a vital records search using one of the online links listed above. Original records were officially recorded in the county (except for those recorded in Chicago). Links to county pages appear in the box at the end of this article. Statewide vital records are available at the following locations:


 * The Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records (birth and death records)
 * Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD): IRAD is run by the Illinois State Archives to archive records from local governments in Illinois. There are seven depositories covering the state. Click here to see what records are available for the county you are searching. Click here for a map to determine what depository to contact.
 * The Family History Library (FHL): See the Illinois-Vital Records topic page of the Family History Library catalog (FHLC). Explore how to search the FHLC. Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers.
 * Learn where to write for Illinois Certificates.

Birth Records
Because of legislation passed in 1843, a parent could report a birth to the county. However, very few births were recorded in only a few scattered counties. 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, Division of Vital Records.


 * Illinois Births, Prior to Act, Excluding Chicago: 1842, 1849–1872. 

Delayed Birth Records
Delayed registrations of births can be located in the county where the birth occurred or the county of residence in the state when the individual applied for the delayed birth record. Some delayed birth records can also be found at Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD) depositories and the Family History Library (FHL).

Marriage Records
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 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 or city directories 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 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 Public Health. For a fee, the Division of Vital Records can search their statewide register and provide the marriage date and county for couples married after 1962.

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.

Online Illinois Marriage Indexes and Records

 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900, Illinois State Archives - Free. Provides groom, bride, date and county as well as information for contacting the county for a copy of the record.
 * Illinois County Marriages, 1810–1934, FamilySearch Historical Records - Free Learn more about this collection.
 * Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871–1920, FamilySearch Historical Records - Free Learn more about this collection.
 * Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry - ($)
 * Illinois Marriages, 1790–1860 at Ancestry - ($)
 * Illinois Marriages, 1851–1900 at Ancestry - ($)

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 requiring all deaths to 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.

Death records can be found from the following:


 * Contact the county clerk in the county the death occurred. Addresses of Illinois county clerks.
 * 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, reasons for requesting record and a legible/readable copy of your valid photo identification card. An uncertified, genealogical copy is less expensive than a certified copy.


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


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


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

Online Illinois Death Indexes and Records

 * Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives Illinois State Archives - Free
 * Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1950 at Illinois State Archives Illinois State Archives - Free
 * Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916–1947, FamilySearch.org - Free Learn more about this collection.

Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce) Records
In the early 1800s, the legislature, the circuit courts, and city courts granted divorces. Illinois divorce records may indicate the date and place the marriage was dissolved. Circuit or city courts have handled most divorce proceedings. The Superior Court of Cook County in Chicago also has jurisdiction over divorces.

The Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records has a register of divorces statewide and can verify the date and county of a divorce or annulment recorded after 1 January 1962. Requests can be made by mail, fax, or in person.

The actual records before and after 1962 are available in the county where the divorce occurred, and certified copies may be obtained from the Clerk of the Circuit Court for that county.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD) has divorce records for many counties. IRAD is run by the Illinois State Archives to archive records from local governments in Illinois. There are seven depositories covering the state of Illinois. You must know the county the divorce took place. Click here for a map to determine what depository to contact. Click here to see what records are available for the county you are searching.

The Family History Library has microfilm copies of divorce records for some counties. They can be loaned to your local Family History Center. You must know the county where the divorce took place. Use the Family History Library Catalog to locate the correct microfilm searching the county in the topics of court records, divorce records and/or vital records. How to locate a microfilm number in the Family History Library Catalog. How to locate a Family History Center.

Adoption Records
The Illinois Department of Public Health has a program called, the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange (IARMIE) program. As taken from the IDPH website:


 * This program provides a means by which registrants may authorize or prohibit the release of identifying information, including a copy of the adopted person's original birth certificate, to others involved in their surrender or adoption. Confidential facts may be released to registrants only after at least two specified parties to the adoption have filed explicit mutual consent for the exchange of this information.


 * Vital medical information may be exchanged anonymously by an adopted or surrendered person (a person given up for adoption, but not adopted) or family members if the adopted person is deceased or birth parents and members if the birth parent is deceased through the new Medical Information Exchange. The availability of medical information is dependent on parties to an adoption voluntarily filing and agreeing to exchange these facts.

Visit the IARMIE website.

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
For a list of record loss in Illinois counties see the following:


 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

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
 * Ancestry databases for Illinois Vital Records and related records ($)
 * Illinois Databases listed on Rootsweb.com - Free
 * German Roots Links for Illinois Birth &amp; Marriage and Death Records - Free/($) 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
 * Northwestern Illinois Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com.From Various Funeral Homes in the northwestern counties of Illinois, including Carroll, Whiteside, Jo Daviess, Rock Island and Henry Counties.
 * Northeastern Illinois Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. From Various Funeral Homes in the suburbs of Chicago and Joliet areas.
 * Southern Illinois Obituary and Death Notices Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com.From various funeral homes in the southern counties of the state of Illinois.

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections
Online collections containing these records ares located in FamilySearch.org.

Wiki articles describing these collections is found at:

Illinois County Marriage Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Illinois, Cook County Marriage Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Illinois Death and Still Births (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Suggested Text for County Probate Pages
Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death that relate to a court’s decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of any dependents. These documents are important to family history researchers because they usually exist for time periods before civil birth and death records were kept.

The [court] has responsibility for the probate records of [name] County.

The following [name] County probate records have been indexed or abstracted:

Suggested State Census Records "Overview" Text
[The State] often took censuses in the years between the federal censuses, the dates are listed below. State census records may have columns that were different or more unusual than those found on federal censuses, [make this specific for the state, such as the 1892 gives religion or 1925 gives a married woman’s maiden name]. The responses and years of coverage may give additional information on the family.

State Censuses
For a list of state and territorial censuses:


 * Lainhart, Ann S. State Census Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publ., 1992. (FHL book X2Lai.) State-by-state list of censuses, and selected census substitutes. Describes dates, coverage, content, indexes and availability.

In addition, the staff of the Family History Library has compiled the following register which lists all state census records available at the library:


 * Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family History Library, US/Canada Reference Staff, State Census Register, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Family History Library, 2005). FHL Ref. book 973 X23us. Available free online through Brigham Young University's Family History Archive: Vol. 1, Alabama - Kansas; Vol. 2, Kentucky - New York; Vol. 3, North Carolina - Wyoming.

Articles

 * Orphan Trains
 * Link "legal ages" page to land, military, court, immigration, and vital records pages.
 * Mining
 * Northern Liberties, Pennsylvania