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Illinois Public Records
| How
To Search Public and Vital Records -
Vital records are records of life events important enough that
some level of government acquires, organizes, and preserves
them. While the term "vital records" is often applied
to a wide variety of life events... Read
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Illinois Vital Records
Birth and death records in Illinois were kept on a statewide basis
from January 1, 1916. Some records are found in the individual counties
as early as 1871, and occasionally earlier. Marriage records continue
to be kept on a county level for most areas, though the state has
kept an index to these records since 1962.
For births and deaths prior to 1916, and marriage records prior to
1962, write to the clerk in the county of question.
For birth and death records after 1916, and marriages after 1962,
write:
Illinois State Vital Records Office
Division of Vital Records
605 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
Illinois Land Records
Illinois is a federal-land state. Lands were generally bought from
the government or from other individuals. For government purchases
within the state, consult the Illinois State Archives Index to First
Purchasers in the Public Domain. This collection is available at
the Illinois State Archives and other major repositories on microfiche.
It is also available on the Internet. Early settlers in Illinois
also received land under the French government. Case files for most
private land claims (the settling of property ownership by the government
of the United States for lands previously acquired under a different
sovereign) are housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C..
War of 1812 bounty-land warrants also involved this state. See:
Volkel, Lowell M. War of 1812 Bounty Lands in Illinois. Thomson,
IL: Heritage House, 1977.
For transactions between individuals, consult the local County Recorder.
County grantee and grantor indexes for this state also often include
federal transactions that were recorded in the county for additional
proof of title. For further reference, consult:
Hone, E. Wade. Land and Property Research in the United States.
Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1997.
Illinois Court Records
Court records entail probate records, guardianship, naturalization,
and other sources. All contain information about individuals within
the area. It should be remembered that there are different levels
of jurisdiction for courts in the United States, all of which should
be considered for research under various circumstances. Court of
Common Pleas, Orphan's Court, Probate Court, District Court, Superior
Court, Supreme Court, and other titles are among those encountered.
To study more about court records in general, see: "Research
in Court Records" by Arlene H. Eakle, found in Loretto Dennis
Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, eds., The Source: A Guidebook
to American Genealogy, rev. ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997).
Illinois Military Records
For Revolutionary War involvement, consult the 898-reel set of microfilmed
Revolutionary War records available at the Illinois State Archives.
This collection dates between 1800 and 1900, and comes from files
in National Archives Record Group 15, "Selected Records from
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files."
This latter file is also available on microfilm at the National
Archives and the FHL.
The "Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers
who Served in Organizations from the State of Illinois" is
an index to the National Archives records, and is located at the
Newberry Library (NARA microfilm publication M539) and Allen County
Public Library (see Indiana). The Illinois State Archives also has
indexes to men serving in Illinois units during the Indian Wars,
Black Hawk War, Mexican War, Civil War, and Spanish-American War.
Also at that repository are the World War I Selective Service Draft
Registration Cards for Illinois, available on microfilm.
For further information, see:
Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and
State Sources. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1994.
Additional Sources
Howard, Robert P. Illinois: A History of the Prairie State. (Grand
Rapids, Michigan.: W.B. Eerdman Publishing, 1972).
Szucs, Loretto Dennis. Chicago and Cook County Sources: A Genealogical
and Historical Guide. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1986).
The Bicentennial Project sponsored by the Illinois Genealogical
Society endeavored to index at least one history for each of the
102 Illinois counties. It was completed in 1976 by the Genealogy
Projects Committee of the Winnetka Public Library. This index can
be used at the Winnetka Public Library or at the Illinois State
Archives
Archives, Libraries and Societies.
Newberry Library
60 West Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60610-3305
Illinois Vital Records:
Event: Birth or death
Cost of copy: certified copy: $15.00
certification: $10.00
Address:
Division of Vital Records
Illinois Department of Public Health
605 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
Remarks: State office has had records since January
1916. For earlier records and for copies of State records since
January 1916, write to County Clerk in county where event occurred
(county fees vary). The fee for a search of the State files is $10.00.
If the record is found, one certification is issued at no additional
charge. Additional certifications of the same record ordered at
the same time are $2.00 each. The fee for a full certified copy
is $15.00. Additional certified copies of the same record ordered
at the same time are $2.00 each.
Money orders, certified checks, or personal checks
should be made payable to Illinois Department of Public Health.
To verify current fees, the telephone number is (217) 782-6553.
This will be a recorded message. Information on how to obtain certified
copies is also available via the internet at Illinois Department
of Public Health.
Search All Illinois Records
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Event: Marriage
Cost of copy: $5.00
Address:
Division of Vital Records
Illinois Department of Public Health
605 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
Remarks: Marriage Index since January 1962. Selected
items may be verified (fee $5.00). Certified copies are NOT available
from State office.
For certified copies, write to the County Clerk in
county where license was issued.
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Event: Divorce
Cost of copy: $5.00
Address:
Division of Vital Records
Illinois Department of Public Health
605 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
Remarks: Divorce Index since January 1962. Selected
items may be verified (fee $5.00). Certified copies are NOT available
from State office.
For certified copies, write to the Clerk of Circuit
Court in county where divorce was granted.
Search All Illinois Records
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