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How to get an Illinois marriage certificate

In Illinois, order a certified marriage certificate from the county clerk of the county where the marriage occurred.1 IDPH does not keep marriage records and can only verify facts from 1962.1 For a certified copy, Cook County, for example, charges $152 first, $42 each extra copy. You can order online, by mail, at a local office or by phone. A verification letter from the state costs $51 and can be ordered by fax; it confirms the event but is not a certified copy. The fastest published option is online: 10 to 15 business days on average2.

Last checked against official sources.

On this page
  1. Ways to order
  2. Verification letters from the state
  3. What an Illinois marriage certificate costs
  4. How long it takes
  5. ID you need
  6. What the application asks for
  7. Which office holds a marriage record
  8. Forms
  9. Years held and older records
  10. Special situations
  11. Warnings from the office
  12. The state office
  13. Questions people ask
  14. Sources

Ways to order

HowCost per copyProcessing timePayment
Online through VitalChek$152
+ one extra charge		10 to 15 business days on average2Card and check2
By mail$51Up to 12 weeks3Check and money order1
At a local office$152 first, $42 each extra copy (Cook County)
+ one extra charge		20 business days on average2–
By phone–––

Online through VitalChek

Vendor
VitalChek (for Cook County Clerk)2
Fees
  • First copy $152
  • Shipping to vitalChek online orders charge $13.452
Processing time
10 to 15 business days on average2
Payment
Card and check2

Go to the ordering site2

By mail

Run by
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records1
Fees
  • Per copy $51
Processing time
Up to 12 weeks3
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
Cook County Clerk, Bureau of Vital Records (example county)2
Fees
  • First copy $152
  • Each additional copy in the same order $42
  • Processing or service fee $52
Processing time
20 business days on average2
Make payable to
Cook County Clerk2
Hours
Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (downtown Chicago office)5

Find a local office2

By phone

Verification letters from the state

IDPH does not keep marriage records and can only verify facts from 1962.1 A verification letter confirms that the event is on file. Agencies that ask for a certified copy usually will not accept it, so check what the office receiving it wants.

HowCostProcessing timePayment
By fax$51 per verification letter––

By fax: verification letter

Fees
  • Verification letter $51

Open the official page1

What an Illinois marriage certificate costs

If no record is found
The fee is kept as a search fee6

Types of copies

CopyAccepted forFee
Standard Certificates (Cook County)2Certified legal copies of marriage records2$152
Wallet Certificates (Cook County)2Certified legal copies, wallet-sized2$152
Commemorative Certificates (Cook County)2Keepsake; includes a free certified legal record2$652
Marriage Verification (IDPH)1Not a certificate6$56

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 timeCounted
Online through VitalChek10 to 15 business days on average2–
By mailUp to 12 weeks3From receipt
At a local office20 business days on average2From receipt

ID you need

Photo ID
Required2
Accepted ID
  • Current driver's license or state identification card (issued within the United States)
  • U.S. Passport / U.S. Passport Card
  • U.S. Naturalization Certificate
  • U.S. Military Identification Card
  • U.S. Selective Service Card
  • U.S. Immigration Card (Resident Alien)
  • Foreign Passport (with current U.S.-Issued Visa)
  • Consulate Identification Card (Matricula/Tarjeta Consular)
  • Firearm Owners Identification (FOID)
  • Global Entry Card7
Without that ID
Any combination of two from Cook County's secondary list7
ID copy with a mail order
Include a copy of your ID2

What the application asks for

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

  • Place of marriage or civil union (city, town or village in Cook County)
  • Partners' names (maiden name if applicable)
  • Date of marriage or civil union

Which office holds a marriage record

Certified copies come from the office that recorded the signed license; the years each office holds are listed below. Marriage license vs certificate explains the difference and which copy agencies ask for.

Forms

Years held and older records

Years held
1962 to current index (IDPH verification only; certified copies from county clerks for each county's holdings)6
Older records
County clerk of the county of marriage1

Special situations

Use abroad
Certified copy from the county clerk, then Secretary of State apostille at $2.8 Details

Warnings from the office

  • A verification is not a certificate6

The state office

Office
Division of Vital Records4
Mailing address
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 110 W Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62704-2610
4
Walk-in address
110 W Lawrence Avenue, Springfield, IL
3

Questions people ask

How long does it take to get an Illinois marriage certificate?

Online through VitalChek: 10 to 15 business days on average. By mail: up to 12 weeks. At a local office: 20 business days on average.23

Can I order an Illinois marriage certificate online?

Yes. Online through VitalChek.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: Current driver's license or state identification card (issued within the United States); U.S. Passport / U.S. Passport Card; U.S. Naturalization Certificate; U.S. Military Identification Card; U.S. Selective Service Card; U.S. Immigration Card (Resident Alien); and the other documents listed above.7

Where are older Illinois marriage certificates kept?

County clerk of the county of marriage.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. Marriage recordsIllinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
  2. Marriage certificatesCook County Clerk
  3. Birth death other recordsIllinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
  4. Obtain birth certificateIllinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
  5. Downtown ChicagoCook County Clerk
  6. Verification marriage record files (PDF)Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Recordsdated August 1, 2026
  7. What id do i needCook County Clerk
  8. ApostillesIllinois Secretary of Statedated October 23, 2026read from the Internet Archive copy of this official page
  9. Illinois Department of Public Health: Contact usIllinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
  10. Death record application (PDF)Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Recordsdated August 1, 2026