Illinois Birth Certificate: Fees, Short vs Long Form and Cook County

Illinois birth certificates are issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Division of Vital Records, in Springfield and by the county clerk in the county where the birth happened. IDPH charges $10 for a certified short form and $15 for a certified long form. IDPH takes requests by mail, while county clerks such as Cook County's also sell copies in person and online.

Information last verified on October 6, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This guide covers births that took place in Illinois: where to order, the two certificate types, who is eligible, fees, processing times and how to change a record. Born in another state? See our guide to birth certificates by state.

State office or county clerk: where to order

Illinois has two places to order, and the choice matters for speed.

• IDPH Division of Vital Records holds the statewide file and takes requests by mail (IDPH birth records). For births before 1916, IDPH's application directs you to the county clerk in the county where the birth took place.
• The county clerk in the county where the birth occurred also holds birth records and issues certified copies. IDPH itself says you may contact the county clerk where the event occurred (IDPH ordering page).

The Vital Records Act requires a local registrar or county clerk to search its files and furnish a certified copy on written request when the applicable fee is paid (410 ILCS 535). County fees, forms and turnaround are set locally, so check the clerk's own page.

The IDPH pages we reviewed describe mail ordering only and do not name an online vendor or a walk-in counter. If you need a certificate quickly, check what your county clerk offers.

Ordering from IDPH by mail

To order from IDPH, complete the Application for Illinois Birth Record (IDPH's ordering page also calls it the Application for Search of Birth Record Files) and mail it with a copy of your photo ID and a check or money order payable to IDPH. The address is:

Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 110 W Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62704-2610

That address is new. IDPH says its Springfield office at 925 East Ridgley Avenue closed permanently on September 9, 2026, and the new office opened at 110 W Lawrence Avenue on September 14, 2026. Questions go to DPH.VITALS@illinois.gov.

IDPH puts processing at approximately 12 weeks from the time your paperwork is received, and it says you will not receive an update during that time. Plan around that estimate if you have a passport appointment or a deadline.

Short form or long form: the two IDPH certificates

IDPH issues two types of certified birth certificate. Its birth records page says both are suitable for legal purposes, but its application form says the short form may not be accepted by all government agencies.

For a U.S. passport, federal rules say a birth certificate must show your full name, date and place of birth and your parents' full names, be signed by the official custodian, bear the issuing office's seal and show a filing date within one year of birth (22 CFR 51.42). IDPH's application form says the $15 long form is accepted for all legal use, including passports, while the $10 short form may not be accepted by all government agencies. If you need the certificate for a passport, order the long form.

IDPH also sells a commemorative birth certificate for $40 a copy, listed separately from its two certified types.

Ordering a Cook County or Chicago birth certificate

The Cook County Clerk's Office keeps official records of births in Chicago and suburban Cook County (Cook County Clerk birth certificates). It has its own fees, forms and processing, separate from IDPH.

Cook County fees

Cook County ordering routes

• In person: the downtown Chicago Vital Records office (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 312-603-7790) and three suburban courthouses. The Clerk says most records are printed on demand while you wait. Checks are not accepted in person.
• Online or by phone: through VitalChek, which the Clerk names on its page, or by phone at 866-252-8974.
• By mail: send the application, a copy of your photo ID, a check or money order payable to the Cook County Clerk and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Cook County Clerk's Office, Bureau of Vital Records, P.O. Box A3390, Chicago, IL 60690.
• Currency Exchange: participating Chicago and Cook County Currency Exchanges take orders for later pickup, with the $5 surcharge.

The Clerk averages 20 working days for mail orders, excluding weekends and holidays, from the date it receives the request. For VitalChek orders, the Clerk lists an additional 10 to 15 business days by regular mail, or 5 to 10 days by UPS.

The Clerk states its own eligibility rule: you may get your own certificate if you are of legal age, your child's certificate if your name appears on it, and court-appointed legal guardians may get the certificates of children in their care.

The Clerk also issues a free birth record to people born in Cook County who are verified as homeless, living in a shelter for victims of domestic abuse or violence, formerly incarcerated and released within the last 90 days, or soon to be released.

Who can get a certified Illinois birth certificate

Illinois birth records are not public records. IDPH says only these people are entitled to certified copies:

• The person named on the record, if 18 or older
• The parent or parents shown on the record
• A legal guardian or legal representative of the child, with written evidence of the guardianship or representation

The Vital Records Act, 410 ILCS 535/25(4), also allows issuance on a court order, to government agencies, and to a person with a genealogical interest in a birth record at least 75 years old. IDPH's published list does not name other relatives, so a spouse, sibling or grandchild should ask IDPH or the county clerk before ordering. IDPH's application form defines a legal representative as an attorney acting for the person named, an agent under power of attorney, a court-appointed representative, an agent with written, notarized authorization from the person named, or another agent the State Registrar approves. For a person who has died, IDPH uses a separate Application for Illinois Birth Record of Deceased Individual, which requires a copy of the death certificate. For the broader question, see are birth certificates public records.

ID requirements

IDPH requires a readable, unexpired government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, state photo ID or passport (IDPH ID page). If your license carries an extension sticker, copy both sides.

If your photo ID expired no more than 6 months ago, add one document showing your name and current address. If it expired more than 6 months ago, or you have no photo ID, IDPH's ID page asks for two documents with your name, one of which shows your current address (for example, a utility bill plus an insurance card, car registration or bank statement). The current application form is stricter: both documents must show your name and current legal address and be dated within the last 6 months. A Social Security card is not accepted. A request without acceptable ID is returned unprocessed.

IDPH fees at a glance

Sources: IDPH's ordering page and vital records fee schedule.

Correcting an Illinois birth certificate

Corrections run under the Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535) and 77 Ill. Adm. Code Part 500. Every person authorized to request a correction must complete an Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request and send it with a photo ID and supporting documents (IDPH corrections page).

The supporting documents generally must have been created before age 19 and show the date of birth and the name as you want it to read. IDPH lists records such as baptismal and school records, a marriage license, military ID, Social Security Numident and immunization records, and the accepted list varies by what you are changing (first, middle or last name, a parent's name, or the date of birth). If your documents do not clearly support the change, a court order may be needed.

The fee is $15, which includes one certified copy, and $2 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

Legal name change

A correction fixes what was recorded wrong at birth; a legal name change starts in court. The court process is covered in our guide to Illinois name change laws. IDPH lists a legal name change at the same $15 fee as a correction.

Sex designation

Effective July 1, 2023, an amendment to Illinois law lets a person born in Illinois change the sex designation on their own birth certificate to M, F or X by signing a notarized Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request affirming their gender designation or intersex condition (IDPH gender designation page). The applicant must be of legal age; otherwise a parent or guardian applies.

IDPH creates a new birth record, and the original record and supporting documents are sealed and impounded. A court order of name change is required if you are changing your name at the same time. The fee is $15, including one certified copy of the new certificate, with additional copies at $2 if ordered together.

Adding a father

IDPH creates a new birth certificate after legitimation or after paternity has been established, including by voluntary acknowledgment (410 ILCS 535/17). Its fee schedule lists adding a father's name after legitimation, or adding a father under a court order, at $15 for the first copy and $2 for each additional copy.

Registering a birth that was never filed

The Vital Records Act sets three tiers by how long ago the birth happened (410 ILCS 535/14):

IDPH charges $15 for the first certified copy of a delayed registration and $2 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

Adoption and your original birth certificate

When the State Registrar receives a certificate of adoption or a certified copy of the adoption order, it establishes a new birth certificate unless the court, the adoptive parents or the adoptee requests otherwise (410 ILCS 535/17). Through the IDPH Adoption Registry, an original birth record request costs $15 for one non-certified copy. Who can obtain it is covered in our guide to Illinois adoption records.

Genealogy and older records

Illinois makes uncertified genealogical copies available to people who are not otherwise entitled to a certified copy, if the date of birth is 75 or more years before the request (IDPH genealogy page). You apply to IDPH on the same Application for Illinois Birth Record, or go to the county clerk. For births before 1916, IDPH's application directs you to the county clerk in the county where the birth took place.

These copies are stamped "FOR GENEALOGICAL PURPOSES ONLY" and cost $10 from IDPH, plus $2 for each additional copy. They are uncertified copies.

Using an Illinois birth certificate abroad

For use in another country, IDPH directs you to the Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department (800-252-8980) for an apostille. Federal guidance confirms that a vital record issued by a state needs its apostille from that state's secretary of state (USA.gov).

This article provides general legal information about Illinois birth certificates, not legal advice. Fees, forms and procedures change, so confirm with the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records (DPH.VITALS@illinois.gov) or your county clerk before ordering. Information verified October 6, 2026.

Related

• Birth certificates by state
• Are birth certificates public records?
• Illinois adoption records
• Illinois name change laws

Last updated: October 6, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a birth certificate in Illinois?

From IDPH, a certified short form is $10 and a certified long form is $15, with $2 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. The Cook County Clerk charges $15 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy.

Can I get my Illinois birth certificate the same day?

IDPH takes requests by mail and estimates about 12 weeks. For births in Chicago or suburban Cook County, the Cook County Clerk prints most records on demand while you wait at its downtown office and three suburban courthouses.

How long does it take to get a birth certificate from IDPH?

IDPH estimates approximately 12 weeks from the time it receives your paperwork and does not send status updates. The Cook County Clerk averages 20 working days for mail orders.

What is the difference between the Illinois short form and long form birth certificate?

The $10 short form lists core details such as name, date and place of birth, sex, parents' information and the State File number. The $15 long form carries the information collected at the time of birth. IDPH's application form says the long form is accepted for all legal use, including passports, while the short form may not be accepted by all government agencies.

Who can order an Illinois birth certificate?

Under 410 ILCS 535/25, IDPH issues certified copies to the person named if 18 or older, a parent shown on the record, or a legal guardian or legal representative with written proof. Birth records in Illinois are not public.

How do I correct a birth certificate in Illinois?

File an Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request with a photo ID and supporting documents created before age 19. The fee is $15, including one certified copy; if the documents do not clearly support the change, a court order may be needed.

Can I change the sex on my Illinois birth certificate?

Since July 1, 2023, a person born in Illinois can change the sex designation to M, F or X with a signed, notarized Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request. IDPH creates a new record for $15 and seals the original.