Ordering Certified Copies

Birth records are not public records and only the following are entitled to receive certified copies:

• The person named on the record if 18 years or older.
• The parent(s) shown on the record.
• A legal guardian or legal representative of the child. Written evidence of guardianship or legal representation is required.

Birth records for births occurring in McHenry County after January 1, 2010 can be obtained from the Health Department.

Births records for births occurring in McHenry County prior to January 1, 2010 must be obtained from the McHenry County Clerk’s Office or can be ordered from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Division of Vital Records.

When ordering a birth record, you will need to provide the following information:

• the child's full name at birth;
• date of birth;
• the city and county where the birth occurred (including hospital, if known);
• the name of the parent(s) shown on the record, including the mother's maiden name; and
• a legible/readable copy of your valid photo identification card. If not provided, unreadable or expired, the request will be returned unprocessed.

Birth records can be ordered by mail or in person.

Uncertified copies may be available for genealogical researchers and others on a restricted basis; please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Genealogical Research section for more information.

The fee for this record is $12 and $2 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time.

Making a Correction

Illinois law allows for corrections to birth records. In most cases, additional documentation and a state of Illinois affidavit and certificate of correction are required. Illinois law also directs that corrections to birth records be made with interlineation. This means a line is drawn through the information being corrected and the new information is placed above or beside. An amended date is also placed on the record.

Establishing Paternity

If the biological parents of a child are not married, are both available to sign forms and no other man is listed on the birth record, a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity form is completed. This form is available from any county clerk, county health department, public aid office or it may be found at childsupportillinois.com. If the biological parents are not married and either parent is not available to sign forms, a court order of paternity is required.

Travel Requirements

A certified birth record is essential for foreign travel purposes. It can be used to provide proof of citizenship when applying for a passport or used instead of a passport for short-term travel to some countries. Information on requirements for specific countries can be found by going to the U.S. State Department's online Foreign Entry Requirements Publication.

Ordering a Certified Copy

Death records are not public records and are only available to those who have a personal or property right interest with the decedent. If you are not a relative of the deceased person, a letter or document from the office or agency that needs the death certificate must accompany the request.

Death records for deaths occurring in McHenry County after January 1, 2009 can be obtained from the Health Department.

Deaths records for deaths occurring in McHenry County prior to January 1, 2009 can be obtained from the McHenry County Clerk's office in the county where the death occurred or can be ordered from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Division of Vital Records.

Records filed prior to 1916 must be obtained from the county clerk's office in the county where the death occurred.

Death records can be ordered by mail or in person.

When ordering the death record, you will need to provide the following information:

• the decedent's full name;
• the date of death;
• the city and county where the death occurred, if known;
• the parent(s) name(s);
• any additional identifying information you may have;
• your relationship to the decedent;
• the reason for requesting the record; and
• a legible/readable copy of your valid photo identification card. If not provided, unreadable or expired, the request will be returned unprocessed.

The fee for this record is $16 and $6 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time.

Effective July 1, 2012, the Illinois Department of Public Health is requiring that an additional fee of $2.00 be collected by all Local Registrars and County Clerks for the issuance of certified copies of death and fetal death certificates.

The new costs for certified death certificates will be $16.00 for the first copy and $6.00 for each additional copy of the same record.

Who is Entitled to a Death Record?

Death records are not public records. They are only available to those who have a personal or property right interest with the decedent. If you are not a relative of the deceased person, a letter or document from the office or agency that needs the death certificate must accompany the request. An uncertified copy of a death record is available to genealogical researchers if the death occurred at least 20 years prior to the date of the request.