Illinois Death Certificate

Qualifications

Illinois death certificates are only available to those who have a personal or property right interest with the deceased. If you are not a relative of the deceased, a letter or document from the office or agency that needs the death certificate must accompany the request. An uncertified copy of a death record is available to genealogical researchers if the death occurred at least 20 years prior to the date of the request.

Cost

The fee to search for a death certificate is $17.00, which includes one certified copy of the death certificate or a "Certificate of No Record." For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $2.00. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the "Illinois Department of Public Health." If you are ordering a death certificate by fax, you must pay by credit card. There is a a $10 credit card handling charge and a $19.50 UPS delivery charge for fax orders. Cash is not accepted. Fees are not refundable.

Required Information

• The decedent's full name
• The date of death
• The city and county where the death occurred, if known
• The parent(s) name(s)
• Your relationship to the decedent
• The reason for requesting the record
• Photocopy of current, government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or state-issued photo ID

If you do not have a current, government-issued photo ID you may submit two pieces of documentation with your name, one of which must show your current address. One piece of documentation can be a bill or other piece of mail. The other piece of documentation must be one of the following items:

• Medical/car insurance card
• Credit card statement
• Paycheck stub with imprinted information
• Voter’s registration card
• Car registration paperwork
• Bank statement
• Public assistance card
• Active duty military ID with issued and expiration dates

Submitting Your Request

By Mail:
Send the completed application and the appropriate fee to:
Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 East Ridgely Avenue
Springfield, IL 62702-2737

You can also order a certified death certificate from the county clerk in the county where the death occurred. Click here for a list of county vital records websites and county clerk addresses.

By Fax:
Orders can be faxed to 217-523-2648. You will need to include the completed application and a transmittal/cover sheet that includes the following information:

• Your credit card number and expiration date
• A daytime phone number, including area code
• Your return address
• Your written signature
• A photocopy of current, government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or state-issued photo ID

In Person:
In-person orders can be dropped off (to be mailed out within three business days) at the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records office, located at:
925 East Ridgely Avenue
Springfield, IL 62702-5097

The office is open from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Note that the person requesting the record will be asked to show valid photo identification.

Download the Application

Click here to download the application for a certified Illinois death certificate.

See our complete list of resources for Illinois.