by With a copy of a birth certificate, you can prove citizenship, age, passport application, government benefits and a whole lot more. This guide is aimed at helping you on how to find birth records in Illinois as proof that you can find birth records online.
Located in the Midwest region of the United States, Illinois has a population of about 12.8 million. You can lookup birth records on all births that happened in Illinois since the time birth records started being registered in Illinois in 1916 until now. This article will show you how.
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Birth Records History in Illinois
Even though birth records started being registered in 1916 in Illinois, complying with the activity started in 1922. However, there are births that were recorded in Illinois by a number of counties before 1916. The state of Illinois requested that all births within the state be reported to the county clerk in 1877. But a lot of them were not since this resolution was not enforced.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) through its Vital Records office keeps copies of birth records from 1916 to the present day. If you are looking for birth records that date before 1916, then you will need to consult with the county clerk’s office from the county where the birth took place.
Eligibility to Birth Records in Illinois
Birth records that are less than 75 years in Illinois are regarded as confidential information. However, there are conditions on how to access them. These records can be obtained from the Department of Public Health from the Vital Records office. It takes less time however, to get them from the county clerk where the birth took place. Individuals who fit the following criteria can access birth records in Illinois.
- The person named on the birth record if 18 years or older.
- The parent(s) shown on the birth record.
- A legal guardian or legal representative of the child on the birth record. Legal documents of guardianship or legal representation is required.
County Access to Birth Certificates
Birth certificates can be attained from the Illinois County of Birth Records clerk faster than from the Department of Public Health Vital Records Office. Each County clerk’s office will need particular details and documents in order to offer you a birth record.
State Access to Birth Certificates
You can get birth records online, by mail, fax, and in person from the Illinois Department of Public Health – Vital Records, 605 West Jefferson St. Springfield, Illinois 62702-5097 217-782-6553. You can visit IDPH’s website to get more information on how to obtain a birth certificate.
In Person
In-person orders through the application for search of birth record files can be delivered for mail out within two business days at the Illinois Department of Public Health using the Division of Vital Records office, 605 W. Jefferson St., Springfield. This can be done on Monday to Friday from 8:30a.m. to 4:00p.m., excluding holidays
The requestor of the record will have to show a valid photo identification document to access the records.
What You Will Need to Obtain Birth Records in Illinois
If you qualify to obtain birth records in Illinois through the above listed options, you will need the following details in hand to access the birth records.
- Name of the individual on the birth record.
- Date of the birth.
- Location of the birth.
- Father’s name.
- Mother’s maiden name.
- Your relationship to the person on the record.
- Valid reason for requesting the record.
There are two types of birth certificate that are given by the Illinois Department of Health, Vital Records office which can both be used for legal purposes.
Urgent Birth Records Applications in Illinois
There are moments whereby there is a pressing need for a certain documents and here are the steps to follow for an urgent birth record application circumstance in Illinois. You will need to provide the following proof.
- A copy of a travel schedule or plane tickets, indicating time of the departure date within 30 days of the date on the application.
- A written report from an insurance agency on its letterhead showing coverage will be cancelled or someone won’t be added without a birth certificate.
- A report from a school on its letterhead specifying that a child will not be permitted to attend school without a copy of the birth certificate.
- Notification from immigration authority/agency that a birth certificate is mandatory.
- A report on letterhead from your employer or potential employer, stating you will not be given employment or will have to leave your job lest a copy of the birth certificate is produced.
- A report on letterhead from a driver’s license company specifying that a birth certificate is obligatory to attain a driver’s license.
This is information that can prove essential on how to find birth records in Illinois. With it, you can easily and quickly land a birth certificate on birth records dating back to 1916.
