Illinois Death Records: Are They Public + How to Get One

Illinois is a closed-record state for death certificates. The Illinois Department of Public Health issues a certified copy only to a person with a personal, property right, or genealogical interest in the record. A death record becomes available for genealogical (public) purposes once the death occurred at least 20 years before the request.

Are Death Records Public in Illinois?

No. Illinois is a closed-record state, so death certificates are confidential and not available to just anyone. Under the Illinois Vital Records Act, a certified copy is released only to a person who has a personal interest, a property right interest, or a genealogical interest in the record.

This is different from an open-record state, where any member of the public can buy a certified copy. In Illinois, you must show why you are entitled to the record before the state will issue it.

There is one path to broader access. Once a death occurred at least 20 years before the request, the record becomes available for genealogical purposes, and the office stamps that copy "FOR GENEALOGICAL PURPOSES ONLY." For more on how this fits the national picture, see Are Cause of Death Records Public?.

Who Can Request an Illinois Death Record?

Only a person with a recognized interest in the record may request an Illinois death certificate. The Illinois Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535/25) limits certified copies to a person, or that person's duly authorized agent, who has a genealogical, personal, or property right interest in the record.

In practice, eligible requesters include:

• The surviving spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the deceased.
• A legal representative or attorney acting for the estate or an eligible family member.
• A person who can show a property right interest, such as something owned (a car title or property deed) tied to the deceased.
• A person with a genealogical interest, but only for deaths that occurred at least 20 years before the request.

You must provide a valid government-issued photo ID and complete the IDPH application. If you are not a relative, a letter or document from the office or agency that needs the record may be required to establish your interest.

How to Get an Illinois Death Certificate

You order an Illinois death certificate from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Division of Vital Records, located at 925 E. Ridgely Avenue, Springfield, Illinois 62702-2737. Many recent records can also be ordered through the county clerk in the county where the death occurred.

Fees

The IDPH fee is $19 for the first certified copy of a death record and $4 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. A genealogical copy (for deaths at least 20 years old) is $10, with each additional genealogical copy $2.

Methods and processing time

• By mail: Send the completed application, a copy of your photo ID, and payment to the Springfield office. Mail processing takes approximately 12 weeks from the time the paperwork is received.
• In person: The Springfield vital records counter issues birth and death records on weekdays during posted hours.
• County clerk: For deaths that occurred in a given county, the local county clerk often issues certified copies faster than the state office.

Always confirm the current fee and turnaround with the office before sending payment, because amounts and processing times change.

Is the Cause of Death Public in Illinois?

No, the cause of death is not public in Illinois. It appears on the full certified copy of the death certificate, and that full record is released only to eligible requesters under the Vital Records Act.

Because Illinois restricts the entire certificate rather than issuing a separate "informational" version to the public, there is no over-the-counter way for an unrelated person to pull the cause of death of a recent decedent. The medical cause-of-death information stays inside the confidential record.

A related document, the autopsy report, is held by the county coroner or medical examiner and follows its own access rules. See Are Autopsies Public Records? for how those reports are handled.

How Far Back Do Illinois Death Records Go?

Statewide death registration in Illinois began in 1916, when the state required deaths to be recorded centrally. Earlier records may exist at the county level, and the Illinois State Archives and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository hold historical death indexes.

Under the 20-year rule, older deaths move into genealogical (public) access, so researchers can request copies of deaths that occurred at least two decades before their request, stamped for genealogical use only.

At the national level, there is no single federal death-records database. The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) confirms that death certificates are issued and held by the states, not by the federal government. The Social Security Administration maintains a Death Master File, but the public version excludes deaths within the last three calendar years under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. For the certificate side of records, see Are Birth Certificates Public Records?.

Illinois Death Records at a Glance

Disclaimer: This page provides general legal information about public records access in Illinois, not legal advice. Eligibility rules, fees, and processing times change, so verify the current requirements with the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Vital Records before you apply.

Sources

This article relies on the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois Vital Records Act, and federal record agencies; full citations appear below.

Death Records by State