Introduction to Illinois Birth Certificates

This article is designed to help you get an Illinois birth certificate.  Counter to common belief, not everything is on the Internet.  Individual birth certificates are one of the items that are not readily available online, and that is probably a good thing.  You do not want your birth certificate in the public domain, where it can be seen by anyone.  However, this does not mean that you can’t easily get your birth certificate.    

Illinois birth certificates have been maintained by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Division of Vital Records for individuals born in the state of Illinois since 1916.

Online Databases that have Illinois Birth Information  

Database	Description
Cook County, Illinois Birth Index, 1916-1935	This database contains an index to over 1 million births from 1916-1935 for Cook County, Illinois.  In Illinois, births were not generally recorded on a county level until 1877, and the practice was not universal until 1916. Prior to 1916 births were only recorded at the county recorder’s office. After 1 January 1916, it became mandatory to record births at both the county recorder’s office and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Champaign, Illinois Newspaper Index, 1892	Located south of Chicago in central Illinois, Champaign is a sister town to the county seat of Urbana. This database is a collection of records originally published in the Champaign Daily Gazette and includes birth, marriage, and death notices. Each record reveals the individual's name, type of event, date of event, and location of event. In many cases, parents' names are provided, and siblings listed. Serving east-central Illinois for over 150 years, the "Gazette" was the source of news for the thousands of area residents. To researchers seeking Illinois ancestors, this can be a helpful source of information.
Chicago Irish Families, 1875-1925	Perhaps as important a destination as Boston or New York for Irish immigrants, Chicago was the destination for many immigrants from the Emerald Isle in the 19th and 20th Century. This database is a collection of records regarding many of the Irish families who made their home in this city between 1875 and 1925. Newly updated to add over 5,000 entries, information provided includes births, marriages, and deaths, often including names of relatives. Taken from a wide variety of sources, including local histories, parish records, local newspapers, and cemetery inscriptions, this can be an extremely helpful database for those researching Irish-American ancestors.
Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1695-1954	In the 1940s the Institut Généalogique Drouin began microfilming records pertaining to French Canadians throughout French Canada and America. Consequently, this filmed set of records has become known as the Drouin Collection.  The entire Drouin Collection contains vital, notarial, and other miscellaneous records from Quebec, as well as French Catholic parish records from Ontario, Acadia, and the U.S. This database only contains the French Catholic parish records from U.S.
East Lynn & Rankin Union Cemeteries: Vermillion County, IL	The East Lynn, Illinois Cemetery was organized in 1871, and contains records of births, some marriages, and deaths from 1871-1989. East Lynn Cemetery is located approximately five miles west of Hoopeston, Vermilion Co., Illinois on Route 9. At the East Lynn Road, turn south for a quarter of a mile. The cemetery is on the west side. Many families in this cemetery are among the early pioneers living around the town of East Lynn, Illinois and early settlers of Vermilion County, Illinois. There are approximately 735 burials.
Illinois Quaker Records	The Religious Society of Friends dates back to 1660 England where George Fox sought The Devine Presence in the "Inner Light" that spoke directly to each person. The Chicago Friends Meeting traces its origin to September 1863 Meeting for Worship. This database is a record of the Monthly Meetings for the Chicago area. The data includes several vital records for members of these meetings. For those with Quaker ancestors in the Chicago area, this will be a helpful database.
Miscellaneous French Records (Drouin Collection), 1651-1941	In the 1940s the Institut Généalogique Drouin began microfilming records pertaining to French Canadians throughout French Canada and America. Consequently, this filmed set of records has become known as the Drouin Collection.  The entire Drouin Collection contains vital, notarial, and other miscellaneous records from Quebec, as well as French Catholic parish records from Ontario, Acadia, and the U.S. This database only contains the miscellaneous records. Most of the records are from Quebec, but some are from other parts of French Canada and America.
Piatt County, Illinois Marriage and Cemetery Records, 1841-53 - Free Index	This database contains marriage and cemetery records for Piatt County, Illinois from 1841-1853. Each marriage record entry includes, when available, the names of the individuals married, the date, and the name of the officiator, making this database of particular interest to those with ancestors from Illinois.
U.S: Papers of Rabbi Samuel Langer, 1929-1969 - Free Index	This database contains a total of 5,650 entries, extracted from the published newspaper clippings in Rabbi Samuel Langer's personal scrapbook, as well as the names mentioned in the various papers, both printed and handwritten, in his files, compiled by his daughter, Judith Shulamith Langer. Information listed in this database includes: name, event or title, synagogue or organization, date, place, source, and comments.
American Vital Records from the Gentleman's Magazine	The Gentleman's Magazine was founded in London in 1731. The first publication of its type, it featured a broad mix of news, essays, poetry, parliamentary debates, book reviews, and antiquarian notes. For the genealogist it is an absolute treasure-house of useful data. From the day of its inception until 1868 it published columns listing births, marriages, and deaths, enabling people throughout the English-speaking world to keep abreast of friends and relatives at home and abroad. These columns contain thousands of entries relating to North American which have now been extracted to form a unique source of genealogical reference material for the period from 1731 to 1868.
Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875	This is the fourth book in David Dobson's Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875, a series designed to compensate for the lack of official Scottish passenger lists to North America during the nineteenth century. Containing about 1,300 sketches not found in the prior books, Part Four brings the total number of descriptions of the Scottish men and women and their families who were part of this great exodus to about 6,000. In addition to skilled craftsmen, a number of the immigrants found in Part Four were dispossessed Highland farmers who had suffered as a result of the Highland Clearances, a kind of enclosure movement, or by periods of famine at mid-century.
National Huguenot Society Bible Records	The National Huguenot Society is one of our most esteemed lineage organizations. Its members, of course, are the descendants of the French Protestants who fled their homeland during the religious wars of the 17th century and, especially, following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV in 1685. Many of those Huguenots who ultimately fled to the American colonies would settle in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia, later arrivals dispersing to Pennsylvania and other states.
U.S. County History Catalog	Thousands of county histories organized by state and county
Mayflower Births & Deaths, Vol. I	This work is a compilation of birth and death records from the Bowman files, the largest manuscript resource on Mayflower genealogy in existence.  With references to 50,000 Mayflower relations, this two-volume work contains, besides records of births, baptisms, deaths and burials, references to burial location, cause of death, and address at death gleaned from land and will records, court and church records, transcripts of personal letters, and more. Volume I
Mayflower Births & Deaths, Vol. II	This work is a compilation of birth and death records from the Bowman files, the largest manuscript resource on Mayflower genealogy in existence.  With references to 50,000 Mayflower relations, this two-volume work contains, besides records of births, baptisms, deaths and burials, references to burial location, cause of death, and address at death gleaned from land and will records, court and church records, transcripts of personal letters, and more. Volume II

Illinois Birth Certificate Authorized Persons

By Illinois state law, Illinois birth certificates are confidential records and can only be obtained by the following authorized individuals:

• Person Named on the Illinois Birth Certificate
• Mother/Father (or Legal Guardian) of Person Named on the Illinois Birth Certificate
• Legal Representative of an Authorized Person of Person Named on the Illinois Birth Certificate

Illinois Birth Certificate for Genealogy Purpose

Uncertified copies of Illinois birth certificates may be available for genealogy and other purposes on a restricted basis.

Illinois Birth Certificate Ordering

Options Option 1 – Order Illinois Birth Certificate Online

This option is the simplest and easiest way to get your Illinois Birth Certificate.  Order online and you will get your Illinois Birth Certificate usually in less than a week.  Many times you will have the option of receiving your vital record by next-day or second-day service.

Order Birth and Death Records Online!

Option 2 – Order Illinois Birth Certificate through the Mail

Follow the instructions below, if you are not ordering your Illinois birth certificate online.  It usually takes 3-4 weeks upon receipt of request to be sent to you:

Step 1: Download Mail-In Application

Step 2: Please provide as much of the following information as possible to locate the Illinois birth certificate:

• Full name of person at birth on the Illinois birth certificate
• Date of birth on the Illinois birth certificate
• Sex on the Illinois birth certificate
• County (or city) of birth on the Illinois birth certificate
• Hospital of birth - if not in a hospital state "home" 
• Full maiden name of mother on the Illinois birth certificate
• Full name of father on the Illinois birth certificate
• Your name 
• Your signature 
• Your relationship to the person whose Illinois birth certificate you are requesting 
• Address where the Illinois birth certificate is to be mailed 
• Self addressed stamped envelope
• Your daytime phone number
• By Mail: Send the above information and the appropriate fee to:

 

Illinois Department of Public Health

Division of Vital Records

605 W. Jefferson St.

Springfield, IL 62702-5097

Option 3 – In Person

In Person in Illinois: You may go to any county health department in the State of Illinois to obtain a certified copy of an Illinois birth certificate. Most Illinois birth certificates can be issued while you wait.

Illinois Birth Certificate Ordering Cost

The fee to search for an Illinois birth certificate is $15.00, which includes one certified copy of the Illinois birth certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the Illinois birth certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $2.00. Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "Illinois Department of Public Health." Please do not send cash. Fees are not refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service.