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How to get Illinois divorce records

In Illinois, get a certified copy of the divorce decree from the circuit court clerk of the county where the dissolution was granted.1 IDPH does not issue certified copies; it verifies facts from 1962.1 For a certified copy, Cook County, for example, charges $22 for the first page and $0.502 or $0.252 for each further page plus $62 a document to certify. You can order by mail or at a local office.

Last checked against official sources.

On this page
  1. Ways to order
  2. What Illinois divorce records cost
  3. How long it takes
  4. ID you need
  5. What the application asks for
  6. Decree or certificate
  7. Forms
  8. Years held and older records
  9. Special situations
  10. Warnings from the office
  11. Questions people ask
  12. Sources

Ways to order

HowCost per copyProcessing timePayment
By mail$51–Check and money order1
At a local office$22 for the first page and $0.502 or $0.252 for each further page plus $62 a document to certify (Cook County)
+ one extra charge		2 to 10 days2Check and money order3

By mail

Run by
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records1
Fees
  • Per copy $51
Payment
Check and money order1
Make payable to
Illinois Department of Public Health1
Mail to
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 110 W Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62704-2610
4

Open the application or mail instructions1

At a local office

Run by
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Archives Department (example county)2
Fees
  • Each extra year searched $62
  • Certification, per document $62
  • First page copied $22
  • Next 19 pages @ $0.502
  • Remaining pages @ $0.252
Processing time
2 to 10 days2
Payment
Check and money order3
Make payable to
Clerk of Circuit Court3
Hours
Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (Domestic Relations Division)5

Find a local office2

What Illinois divorce records cost

Each extra year searched
$62

Types of copies

CopyAccepted forFee
Certified copy of decree (Cook County)2–$62
Dissolution of Marriage Verification (IDPH)1Not a decree6$51

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

How you orderProcessing time
At a local office2 to 10 days2

ID you need

Accepted ID
  • Driver's license
  • State issued photo ID
  • Passport7
Without that ID
Two documents with name, one showing current address7
ID copy with a mail order
Include a copy of your ID1

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.2

  • Specific information such as dates, names and type of case
  • Case number, or enough detail for staff to search indices

Decree or certificate

The decree, the court's judgment with the terms of the divorce, comes from the clerk of the court that granted it. Divorce certificate vs decree explains which one an agency usually wants.

Asking the court clerk

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics lists what a request for a divorce record should include:8

  • Full names of husband and wife
  • Date of divorce or annulment
  • Place of divorce or annulment
  • Type of final decree
  • Purpose for which copy is needed
  • Relationship to persons whose record is requested
  • Day time telephone number with area code

Clerks charge their own copy and certification fees, and some offer an exemplified copy, a more formal certification used for out-of-state and foreign purposes.

Forms

Years held and older records

Years held
1962 to current index (IDPH verification only; court files from each county. Cook County Archives holdings date back to the 1871 Chicago Fire.)6
Older records
Circuit court clerk of the county that granted the dissolution1

Special situations

Use abroad
Certified decree from the circuit clerk with seal, signature, printed name and title; do not notarize; then apostille at $2.9 Details

Warnings from the office

  • A verification is not a decree6

Questions people ask

How long does it take to get Illinois divorce records?

At a local office: 2 to 10 days.2

Who do I make the check or money order payable to?

Write it exactly as the office prints it: Illinois Department of Public Health.1

What ID do I need?

The state accepts: driver's license; state issued photo ID; passport.7

Where are older Illinois divorce records kept?

Circuit court clerk of the county that granted the dissolution.1

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 5, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

  1. Dissolution marriage recordsIllinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
  2. Archives departmentClerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
  3. Frequently Asked QuestionsClerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
  4. Obtain birth certificateIllinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
  5. Domestic relations divisionClerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
  6. Verification dissolution of marriage record files (PDF)Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Recordsdated August 1, 2026
  7. Valid government issued photo idIllinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
  8. Where to Write for Vital Records: Application GuidelinesCDC National Center for Health Statisticsdated November 6, 2015
  9. ApostillesIllinois Secretary of Statedated October 23, 2026read from the Internet Archive copy of this official page