How to Fill Out and Submit an Online Vital Records Form

A Cook County vital records request form is the short application you complete to get a certified copy of a birth, death, marriage, civil union, or domestic partnership certificate from the Cook County Clerk’s Office. You download it from the Clerk’s website, pick one up at a branch, or fill out the digital version through VitalChek. Whichever route you take, the form asks for enough detail to locate the record in files that go back to 1872, plus proof that you are legally entitled to receive it.

Pick the Right Form First

The Clerk keeps separate request forms for different record types. Birth and death share one group; marriage, civil union, and domestic partnership each have their own. Each form asks for the information specific to that event, so grabbing the wrong one wastes a trip.

One record the Clerk does not issue is a divorce decree. Dissolution of marriage, legal separation, and invalidity judgments are kept by the Domestic Relations Division of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, so those requests go through the Circuit Court’s website instead.¹

Filling Out a Birth Certificate Request

The birth form is the one most people deal with. It asks for information about the person named on the certificate:

Full name at birth — first, middle, and last name as originally recorded, not a married or legally changed name.
Date of birth: month, day, year.
Place of birth: the specific city, town, or village in Cook County.
Mother’s first name and maiden last name at the time of the birth.
Father’s first and last name. This field is optional.
Number of certified copies you want.

Below those fields you fill in your own information as the submitter: name, relationship to the person on the certificate, phone number, mailing address, signature, and date.² The relationship line matters. Illinois law restricts who can receive these records, and staff check your answer against the eligibility rules before releasing anything.

Place of birth trips people up. The Clerk covers the City of Chicago and suburban Cook County, so a birth in DuPage or Lake County belongs to a different office entirely. And writing “Cook County” in the place field is not specific enough; use the actual city or village name that appears on the original record.³

Death and Marriage Forms

The death form covers the same basics — deceased’s full legal name, date of death, place of death — and also asks for the deceased’s Social Security number if you have it, plus your relationship to the deceased. Under Illinois law, death records are only released to relatives or people who can show a personal or property interest, so the form expects you to spell out that connection.⁴

Marriage forms ask for both spouses’ full names at the time of the marriage, the date of the ceremony, and where in Cook County it took place. If you are not sure of the exact date, giving an approximate year helps staff narrow the search. Civil union and domestic partnership forms follow the same pattern, with both partners’ names and the date the union was registered.

Who Can Submit a Request

Illinois does not treat vital records as public information. The Vital Records Act sets out who qualifies, and the categories differ by record type.⁵

Birth certificates go to the person named on the record if 18 or older, a parent listed on the certificate, a court-appointed legal guardian with a certified copy of the appointment, or a duly authorized legal representative.³
Death certificates go to a relative or to anyone with a personal, property, or financial interest, such as a beneficiary, estate executor, or attorney handling the estate.⁴
Marriage certificates go to either spouse, a parent, a legal representative, or someone with a genealogical interest.

Court-appointed guardians must submit in person or by mail, not online, and must include a certified copy of the appointment.³ Government agencies, including state and federal offices, can also request certified copies for official purposes, as can a State’s Attorney for a criminal prosecution.⁴

Identification to Include

Every request has to include proof of identity. For mail-in orders, the Clerk requires a photocopy of a photo ID such as a state driver’s license or government-issued passport.³ For in-person visits, bring the original so staff can verify it on the spot.

The Clerk’s website lists acceptable IDs and distinguishes between primary photo identification and secondary documents like utility bills or bank statements showing your name and address. If you do not have a current photo ID, check that list before you visit to confirm which combination of secondary documents will satisfy the requirement. Showing up without proper identification means walking away empty-handed.

Submitting the Form

You have three ways to get the completed form to the Clerk: mail, online, or in person.

By Mail

Send the completed form, a photocopy of your photo ID, payment by check or money order made out to “Cook County Clerk,” and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Cook County Clerk’s Office
Bureau of Vital Records
P.O. Box A3390
Chicago, IL 60690³

The self-addressed stamped envelope is not optional; without it, the Clerk has no way to return your certificate. Confirm the check amount matches the number of copies, because a short payment stalls the whole order.

Online Through VitalChek

The Clerk uses VitalChek, an authorized third-party portal, for electronic orders.⁶ You complete a digital version of the request form on the VitalChek site and pay by credit or debit card. VitalChek adds a non-refundable processing fee of $13.45 on top of the standard record fees, and optional UPS shipping costs extra with delivery estimated at five to ten business days after approval.⁷ It is the fastest option when you cannot visit an office, though the extra fees add up if you are ordering several copies.

In Person

The downtown Chicago Vital Records office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at (312) 603-7790.³ Walking in lets staff verify your ID on the spot, which cuts out the back-and-forth that can slow mail orders. Certificates are also available at participating currency exchange locations across Cook County if you would rather not go downtown.⁸

Fees

Birth and marriage certificates cost $15 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.³ Death certificates cost $17 for the first copy and $6 for each additional.⁹ These fees are non-refundable even when no matching record turns up, because the charge covers the search itself.

Mail orders take check or money order only. In person, confirm accepted payment methods with the specific office. Online orders through VitalChek take credit and debit cards, plus the $13.45 processing fee. If you expect to need extra copies later for a passport, court filing, or school enrollment, order them during the initial request at the reduced per-copy rate rather than placing a second order.

If You Are Experiencing Homelessness

Cook County issues a birth certificate at no charge to a person experiencing homelessness. Complete a Birth Record Request Form (Form A3) and have your status verified.¹⁰

If the Record Has an Error

Corrections do not go to the Cook County Clerk. Errors on a birth certificate — a misspelled name, a wrong date, incorrect parent information — are handled by the Illinois Department of Public Health. You complete a State of Illinois Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request, signed in front of a notary. Use a black pen or type the entries; any white-out or cross-outs void the form and you start over.¹¹

Include a $15 check or money order payable to IDPH, a copy of a non-expired government-issued photo ID, and the supporting documentation the specific correction requires. The IDPH page lists what each type of change needs. Mail the package to:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 E. Ridgely Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702-2737¹¹

Gender marker changes on an Illinois birth certificate follow the same route: a notarized Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request submitted to IDPH, with a choice of M, F, or X. No surgery or physician declaration is required. To change both the gender marker and the name, include a certified copy of the court order for the legal name change. Once the correction is processed, the original certificate is sealed and can only be released at your request or by court order.

1
Cook County Government. Divorce Records
2
JUST of DuPage. Cook County Birth Record Request Form
3
Cook County Clerk. Request a Birth Certificate
4
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 410 ILCS 535/25 – Vital Records Act
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Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 410 ILCS 535/24 – Vital Records Act
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VitalChek. Order Vital Records Online
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Facebook. Cook County Clerk – Need a Vital Record in a Hurry?
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Currency Exchange. Cook County Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates
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VitalChek. Cook County Clerk’s Office – Order Death Certificates
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Illinois Legal Aid Online. Getting a Copy of Your Birth Certificate
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Illinois Department of Public Health. Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request