How to Get a Death Certificate in Illinois

You can get a certified Illinois death certificate two ways: from the county clerk in the county where the death occurred, or from the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Vital Records in Springfield. For most families the county clerk is the better first stop, because it's usually faster and often cheaper. In practice, the simplest path of all is asking your funeral director to order copies for you while making arrangements, since the funeral home files the record in the first place.

Who can request a death certificate in Illinois?

Illinois death records are not public. Under the Vital Records Act, 410 ILCS 535, certified copies go only to people with a personal or property right interest in the record, which generally means the surviving spouse, parents, children, and other close family, along with the executor or administrator of the estate, an attorney representing the estate, and anyone who can document a legal or property interest, such as an insurance claim or a title transfer. You'll need to show a government-issued photo ID and, if you're not immediate family, paperwork showing your interest. Genealogical copies of older records are available more broadly, but they're marked as not for legal use.

What does an Illinois death certificate cost?

Through the state, IDPH charges $19 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Genealogical and research copies are cheaper but can't be used to settle an estate. If you order online through the state's authorized vendor, expect a handling fee plus a courier charge that together can cost more than the certificates themselves.

County clerks set their own fees under the Vital Records Act, and they're often lower than the state's, especially for extra copies. Call the clerk in the county where the death occurred and ask for the current price and what ID they want to see. Deaths are filed with the local registrar first, so the county typically has the record before Springfield does.

Is it faster to order from the county clerk or the state?

Yes, the county is usually much faster. County clerks can often issue certified copies the same day in person or within a few days by mail, while IDPH mail requests have run considerably longer. IDPH offers an expedited option with overnight delivery when you can show urgency, quoted at about five to seven business days for a certified copy.

One limit on the county route: the clerk holds records for deaths that occurred in that county, not deaths of county residents who died elsewhere. If your mother lived in Springfield but died in a hospital across the county line, order from the county where the death happened.

How many certified copies do you actually need?

Most families end up needing somewhere between five and ten. Plan on one certified copy for each life insurance policy, each pension or annuity, each bank or brokerage that holds an account in the decedent's name alone, the vehicle title transfer, and the probate court file if an estate is opened. Some institutions return the copy after viewing it and some keep it, so ask before you send your last one.

Ordering extras at the same time is cheaper than coming back later, since the additional-copy price is a fraction of the first. Credit card companies, utilities, and subscription services usually accept a photocopy or a scan, so don't burn certified copies on them.

How do you correct an error on an Illinois death certificate?

Errors happen often, usually in the spelling of a name, a birth date, or a parent's maiden name. For personal information, the correction is made through the local registrar or county clerk who filed the record, or through IDPH, using an affidavit and documentary proof such as a birth certificate, marriage record, or Social Security record. Corrections made within the first year after filing are generally the simplest.

Anything in the medical portion, including cause of death and the date and time, has to be corrected by the person who certified it: the attending physician, the coroner, or the medical examiner. Contact that office directly rather than vital records, and expect it to take longer than a name fix. Better still, check the name, birth date, Social Security number, and parents' names against real documents while the funeral director is taking down the information, before the record is ever filed.