When did Illinois start keeping marriage records?
A statewide register of marriages was started on 1 January 1962 as county clerks forwarded marriage information to the Illinois Department of Public Health. For a fee, the Division of Vital Records can search their statewide register and provide the marriage date and county for couples married after 1962.
Are Illinois marriage records public?
While documents such as Illinois birth certificates and marriage certificates are among the most commonly requested, they are not, in fact, public records and only a limited number of people are allowed access to them, in light of the private information they contain.
How do I look up public records in Illinois?
To obtain these public records, visit the state records website by typing in “Illinois State Records.” Next, type in the person’s name and city to conduct a free background check.
How do I obtain a copy of my marriage certificate?
Married in the U.S.: How to Get a Certified Copy of a Marriage Certificate. Contact the state vital records office. They may direct you to the clerk of the city or county where the license was issued or to another local office.
Where are the marriage records kept in Illinois?
Marriage records are kept by each individual county clerk’s office, so historical marriage certificates and licenses had to be located, and information was extracted into the Illinois Marriage Index by county.
When did marriage become legal in the state of Illinois?
This collection is an index to marriage records in the state of Illinois for the years 1860 through 1920.
How to view the Illinois statewide marriage index?
View a list of counties and date spans included in the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index. Remember to scroll to the right of the results screen to view all of the data for each marriage. To print the list of marriages from the results screen, set your printer’s page orientation to landscape.
When did Cook County start keeping marriage records?
Marriage records typically began being recorded at the time the county was formed, so this collection includes some records of marriages that took place before 1860, although the bulk of the records are from the time frame 1860–1920. The original Cook County marriage records prior to 1871 were destroyed in the Great Fire of Chicago.