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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. See also Illinois Statewide Indexes and Collections at the Family History Library.

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


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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, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths. Check Illinois Vital Records Online for more information about the resources listed below. 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 Links from fhlfavorites.info - Free
 * Illinois Databases listed on Rootsweb.com - Free
 * USGenWeb.org Illinois Site - Free
 * Search for Illinois Collections on FamilySearch Record Search under Canada, USA, and Mexico - Free
 * The Vital Records Search and Information Directory for Illinois - Free/$
 * Wee Monster Links for Illinois Birth &amp; Marriage and Death Records - Free/$
 * Linkpendium Links for Illinois Genealogy and History, including individual Counties - Free/$
 * Progenealogists Links for the United States. Press Ctrl + F on the keyboard to search for Illinois or IL - Free/$
 * Search the Illinois Birth, Marriage &amp; Death Records at Ancestry.com - $
 * Order Illinois Certificates online - $
 * Online Illinois Death Records &amp; Indexes
 * Death Indexes for Cook County
 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900
 * Cook County Vital Records www.cookcountygenealogy.com - $

Birth Records
Early - 1916

1916 - Present

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. A year-by-year search of birth records may reveal other children born to a couple.

County Records of Births and Deaths

A few county clerks kept vital records as early as 1838. Illinois law required the filing of vital records in 1877, but not all counties complied. The Family History Library has film copies of these documents for many counties. Existing originals may be found in the county clerk’s office or in the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) serving that county. See the Archives and Libraries page for locations of those depositories.

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.

State Records of Births and Deaths

In Illinois the statewide registration of vital statistics began in 1916 and was generally complied with by 1922. The Family History Library has copies of some statewide birth and death records of Illinois in:


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


 * Death Certificates for the State of Illinois, 1916–1945, Excluding Chicago, with the Exception of Stillbirths. The Illinois State Archives also has microfilm copies of the index and certificates.


 * Illinois Death Certificates and Stillbirths, Including Chicago, 1946–1947.

The Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, can issue certified copies of birth and death records or uncertified photocopies for genealogical research. To obtain application forms, copies of certificates, and more information on fees and restrictions, call or write to:

Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Vital Records 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Internet: Illinois Department of Public Health

Illinois has placed online a death index pre- 1916 and 1916-1950. The links are as follows:


 * Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre–1916
 * Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1950

Adoption Records
open / closed / state statues

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 6334564 [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.

Death Records
Early - 1916

1916 - Present

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.

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.

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 subjects(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 govenments, search for church records of christening, marriage, death or burial. A family Bible may have been used to record births, marriages and deaths.
 * 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.
 * Search for Vital Records in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search and then choosing Vital Records. Search for Illinois to locate records filed by the state and then search the name of the county to locate records kept by that county.

Lost, Missing or Burned Records
Chicago Fires

Guide to Vital Records
You can learn more about state and county vital records as well as the laws of Illinois affecting them in:

Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Illinois.

See the United states vital records for more detailed information on the value and content of vital records. For divorce records, see the "Divorce Records" page.

Vital records can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search under:


 * ILLINOIS- VITAL RECORDS
 * ILLINOIS, [COUNTY]- VITAL RECORDS
 * ILLINOIS, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- VITAL RECORDS

For related record types, see the "Newspapers," "Obituaries," "Cemeteries," "Church Records," "Genealogy," "Biography," and "Funeral Homes" pages.

Coroner’s inquests, hospital, and midwife records may also contain birth and death information. These records may only be available through existing hospitals and coroner’s offices. IRAD depositories have coroners inquest records for many counties and a few county hospital records. A few of these records may be found in the Family History Library Catalog using a Place Search under:


 * ILLINOIS, [COUNTY]- MEDICAL RECORDS

Chicago and Cook County Move to County Page 

The records for Chicago and Cook County are available for as early as 1871. Earlier records were destroyed by Chicago fire of October 8, 1871.

The library has copies of many of the vital records for Chicago including birth registers, 1871-1915, birth certificates, 1878-1922, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital Records, 1896-1933.; marriage licenses, 1871-1920; and death certificates, 1878-1947. For birth and marriage records after these years, check with the Cook County Clerk's Office. For death records after these years, check with the Cook County Clerk's Officeor the Illinois Department of Public Health.
 * Cook County, Illinois Civil Birth Certificates, 1878-1922 Free indexes and images at FamilySearch-Record Search. Records include such information as name of child, birthdate and place, gender, race, maiden name of mother, name and occupation of father and record number.
 * Cook County, Illinois Birth Registers, 1871-1915 Free indexes and images at FamilySearch-Record Search  Records include such information as name of child, birthdate and place, gender, race, maiden name of mother, name and occupation of father and record number.
 * Cook County, Illinois Marriages 1871-1920 Name indexes and images of marriage licenses and returns recorded at Cook Co., including Chicago are available at FamilySearch-Record Search. Includes such information as names of the bride and groom and date and place of marriage.

How to Find Chicago and Cook County Birth Records, 1871-1915

move to county page Step 1 Check the Cook County Birth Index, 1871-1916. It's available at research facilities such as the Illinois State Archives, IRAD at NEIU, the Family History Library in Salt Lake, and the Wilmette Family History Center.

When you search the index there are a few important things to remember:


 * A child who wasn't named when the report was made will appear in the index under the father's initial and the mother's given name with "&amp;" in the initial column. A child born to James and Helen Bielby might appear as "J Helen &amp;."
 * Juniors appear at the end of the surnames. Look for Adam Smith, Jr. after Zachariah Smith.
 * Children sometimes appear under unexpected given names. A child known as "Mae Townsend," might actually have been registered as "Louisa Mae Townsend." If you have a birth date, check the index for matching dates of any given name.
 * Surnames may not be spelled in the way that you expect. Lena Hanson might be in the index under "Hansen" or even "Hauson."
 * Many Chicago births weren't reported; there may be no civil birth record to find.
 * Just because one sibling's birth was reported doesn't mean they all were.

If you find a matching entry, proceed to Step 2a. If you don't find a matching entry, proceed to Step 3a. Step 2a  Note the birth date, the certificate number, and whether the birth was in "Chicago" or "Cook County" (meaning outside the city). If it was a Chicago birth, proceed to Step 2b. If it was a Cook County birth (outside the city), proceed to Step 2c. Step 2b  Check the certificate number. If it is preceded by "DS" or "ODS" it means that the record is a delayed series birth certificate. In other words, the birth was reported much later than it took place, probably in the 1940s. Check with the Cook County Clerk's Office to see if they can provide a copy of the certificate. If the birth is before 1879 and the certificate number is preceded by "A," "B," "C," "D," or "E," those letters refer to early birth register books. You can access the Chicago birth registers, 1871-1915 through your local Family History Center or request the record from the Cook County Clerk's Office. If the certificate number is not preceded by letters, then you can access the Chicago birth certificates, 1878-1922 through your local Family History Center or request the record from the Cook County Clerk's Office.  Step 2c If the certificate is a "Cook County" record before 1894, you can request a copy of the record from IRAD at NEIU or access the Cook County birth certificates (outside Chicago), 1878-1894 through your local Family History Center. If it's a Cook County birth after 1894, the certificate may appear on the films for the Chicago birth certificates. Step 3a There are a number of reasons why a name might not appear in the birth index:  The birth might not have been reported when the child was born. A January 1912 article in the Chicago Tribune, for example, suggests that as few as 50% of infants born might have actually been registered at that time. If the individual lived into the 1940s, consider checking the Chicago Delayed Birth Index available on film through your local Family History Center. The surname might be spelled in an unexpected way in the index. If you have a birth month and year (from the 1900 census, for example) and you think the surname might be spelled incorrectly in the index, try searching entries in the Chicago birth registers, 1871-1915. These pages can serve as an alternate index.