Not a government site. We do not sell records or host personal data. About us

County Records Guide
Menu

How to order an Illinois death certificate

Who holds it: IDPH Division of Vital Records and the county clerk of the county of death1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Older records and indexes
  2. Related records in Illinois
  3. How Illinois handles it
  4. Death certificates in Illinois counties with a full guide
  5. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  6. Sources

State fee

IDPH: $19 certified, $4 each additional; $10 genealogical, $2 each additional; $10 research copy1

Who may order

Not public: persons with a personal or property right interest; non-relatives need a letter from the requiring agency2

Ordering online

VitalChek (linked by IDPH): $19 + $15.00 handling; UPS $22.00 optional1

Fee charged

Processing time

IDPH mail requests approximately 12 weeks3

Older records and indexes

Genealogy copies
Uncertified genealogical copies for deaths more than 20 years ago (1916 onward) from IDPH or county clerk; pre-1916 from county clerk or IRAD4
Historical index
Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1972 (Illinois State Archives): ilsos.gov/…1
Birth certificates: who holds it
IDPH Division of Vital Records (Springfield) and the county clerk of the county of birth5
Probate: who holds it
Clerk of the Circuit Court (probate division/cases) in the county6
Older records: vital records for genealogy
Births 75+ years old and deaths 20+ years old available as uncertified genealogical copies4
Older records: death cert copies
State Archives holds microfilm of death certificates for 1916-1947 only (copies in person at the Reference Room); IDPH or the county clerk for other years; pre-1916 deaths from the county clerk or IRAD7

How Illinois handles it

  • Cook County consolidated clerk. Cook County Clerk handles recordings (deeds), vital records, assumed names and suburban elections; Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County is a separate office for court, divorce and probate records.6

Death certificates in Illinois counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Champaign CountyChampaign County Clerk - Vital Records8—$21.00 first certified copy, $12.00 each additional in the same transaction8
Cook CountyCook County Clerk - Bureau of Vital Records9—$17 first copy, $6 each additional (effective July 1, 2012 per PA 97-0679)10
DeKalb CountyCounty Clerk & Recorder; also Illinois Department of Public Health11—First certified copy $21.00; each additional copy $17.00; first copy free for active-duty or retired military12
DuPage CountyDuPage County Clerk, Vital Records13—$18.00 first certified copy, $6.00 each additional copy ordered at the same time13
Kane CountyKane County Clerk14—$20 first copy, $10 each additional copy of the same record15
Kankakee CountyCounty Clerk (local); also IDPH statewide16—$14.00 first certified copy, $8.00 each additional16
Kendall CountyKendall County Clerk Vital Records (same Permitium application) or IDPH17——
Lake CountyLake County Clerk - Vital Records Department18—$14 first certified copy, $8 each additional; $4 genealogy copy (record 20+ years old); $1.50 no-record certificate19
LaSalle CountyLaSalle County Clerk20—$22 first copy; $9 additional copies of same document21
Macon CountyCounty Clerk22—$27 first copy; $14 each additional copy requested at the same time; money order only by mail22
Madison CountyMadison County Clerk23—$23.00 first copy; $8.00 additional copies24
McHenry CountyMcHenry County Clerk, Vital Records25——
McLean CountyMcLean County Clerk, Certified Copies of Vital Records26—$35 first certified copy; $10 each additional copy at the same time27
Peoria CountyPeoria County Clerk (deaths in Peoria County); also IDPH Division of Vital Records28——
Rock Island CountyRock Island County Clerk, Vital Records Division29—$20 first certified copy, $14 each additional same record30
Sangamon CountyCounty Clerk - Vital Records Department31—$29.00 first certified copy; $11.00 each additional copy of the same record at the same time32
St. Clair CountyCounty Clerk, deaths from 187833—Certified copy fee: $20.00 first; $12.00 each additional33
Tazewell CountyTazewell County Clerk34——
Will CountyWill County Clerk - Vital Records35—$16 first certified copy; $8 each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time35
Winnebago CountyCounty Clerk (deaths in Winnebago County) and Health Department (after 1916)36—$21 first certified copy; $9 each additional; Health Department non-certified (20+ years) $1036

For any other county, see the county list on the Illinois guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Illinois office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: death certificates in every state. Everything else in Illinois: Illinois public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Obtain a Death CertificateIllinois Department of Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  2. Death RecordsIllinois Department of Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  3. Birth, Death, Other RecordsIllinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  4. GenealogyIllinois Department of Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  5. Obtain a Birth CertificateIllinois Department of Public Healthchecked November 4, 2026
  6. Recording FAQsCook County Clerk's Officechecked November 4, 2026
  7. Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1972Illinois Secretary of State / State Archiveschecked November 4, 2026
  8. Certificate RequestsChampaign County Clerk & Recorder of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  9. County Clerk (agency page)Cook County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Death CertificatesCook County Clerk's Officechecked November 4, 2026
  11. Death RecordsDeKalb County Clerk & Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  12. Death Record Request form (PDF)DeKalb County Clerk & Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  13. Order Vital RecordsDuPage County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Kane Countychecked November 4, 2026
  15. Kane County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  16. Vital Records: Birth, Death, Marriage & GenealogyKankakee County Clerkchecked November 7, 2026
  17. Vital Records | Kendall County, ILKendall County, Illinoischecked November 4, 2026
  18. Lake County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  19. Lake County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  20. County Clerk | LaSalle County, ILLaSalle County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  21. Licenses / Fees | LaSalle County, ILLaSalle County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  22. Vital Records - Macon County, IllinoisMacon County, Illinoischecked November 8, 2026
  23. County ClerkMadison County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  24. Death CertificatesMadison County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  25. County ClerkMcHenry County, Illinoischecked November 4, 2026
  26. DepartmentsMcLean County, ILchecked November 4, 2026
  27. Death CertificatesMcLean County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  28. Vital RecordsPeoria County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  29. Vital RecordsRock Island Countychecked November 4, 2026
  30. Death RecordsRock Island Countychecked November 4, 2026
  31. Vital Recordssangamonil.govchecked November 4, 2026
  32. Sangamon County > Departments > A-C > County Clerk > Vital Records > Death Recordssangamonil.govchecked November 4, 2026
  33. Il-sc-vitalSt. Clair County, Illinoischecked November 4, 2026
  34. County Clerk: Vital RecordsTazewell County, Illinoischecked November 4, 2026
  35. Will County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
  36. County Clerk - Vitals/Licenses (birth, death, marriage, DBA)Winnebago County, Illinoischecked November 4, 2026