Clark County Obituary Lookup

Clark County obituary records are maintained by the County Clerk in Marshall and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Looking up a death certificate or an older obituary record in Clark County takes you through one of these offices. The county sits on the Indiana border in eastern Illinois and has about 15,400 residents. Marshall is the county seat, and the clerk office handles death record requests for all communities across Clark County, from Marshall to Martinsville and the surrounding rural areas.

Clark County Clerk Death Records

Laura "Laurie" Lee is the Clark County Clerk. You can reach the office at (217) 826-8311 for questions about death records. The office is at the courthouse in Marshall. This is the first place to check when you need a death certificate for someone who died in Clark County.

Bring your photo ID and the full name of the deceased person. The clerk needs the date of death or at least a rough time frame to search the files. Certified copies cost $19 for the first and $4 for each extra copy. These carry the county seal and work for all legal purposes. Clark County obituary records going back several decades are kept at this office. If the death is very old, the clerk may refer you to the state or suggest checking the Illinois State Archives.

Illinois Death Records for Clark County

The IDPH Division of Vital Records has Clark County death records from 1916 forward. You can mail in the application form with your ID and a check for $19. Processing runs about 12 weeks. For a faster option, VitalChek offers online ordering with a $15 handling fee on top of the state cost.

The state can search across all 102 counties, which is helpful if you are not sure where in Illinois the death happened. The Clark County Clerk can only search local files. If you know the death was in Clark County, the local office is often faster. If you are not sure, the state is the safer bet because they hold records from everywhere in Illinois.

Note: IDPH offers urgent processing in 5 to 7 business days if you include proof of immediate need and a prepaid overnight return envelope.

How to Search Clark County Obituary Files

The Illinois State Archives death index covers 1916 through 1972 and is free to search online. This is a good starting point for older Clark County obituary records. You type in a name and the index shows matching death records with certificate numbers.

For deaths after 1972, call the Clark County Clerk at (217) 826-8311. The staff can tell you if the record is on file and what to bring. In-person visits to the Marshall courthouse are the fastest way to get a copy. You fill out a form, pay the fee, and wait while the clerk searches. Same-day copies are common for Clark County deaths when the record is in the system.

Under 410 ILCS 535/25, the state registrar must search their files when a written request comes in with the proper fee. The IDPH request page has the application form and mailing instructions for Clark County death record requests at the state level.

The screenshot below shows the VitalChek ordering page where Clark County residents can order death certificates online.

VitalChek is the only online vendor approved by Illinois for ordering vital records, including Clark County death certificates.

Who Can Access Clark County Death Records

Illinois law restricts access to death records. Under 410 ILCS 535/24, only people with a personal or property right interest can get certified copies. This includes family members of the deceased, legal representatives, estate executors, and anyone named in a court order. You must prove your connection and show valid ID.

Genealogical copies of Clark County death records are available for deaths that occurred 20 or more years ago. These copies cost less ($10 first, $2 additional) and have broader eligibility. They are printed on plain paper without the official seal and cannot be used for legal purposes. But for family history research, they provide all the key details from the original Clark County obituary record.

Vital records are also exempt from the Freedom of Information Act under 5 ILCS 140/7. A FOIA request will not get you a Clark County death certificate.

Clark County Death Registration

Each death in Clark County triggers the same registration process used statewide under 410 ILCS 535/18. The funeral director files the certificate with the local registrar within seven days. The attending physician certifies the cause of death within 48 hours. When the coroner is involved, they complete the medical section instead.

The completed Clark County death certificate goes to both the county and the state. This is why the same record can be requested from the clerk in Marshall or from IDPH in Springfield. The system has been in place since 1916, building a continuous record of deaths across Clark County and the rest of Illinois.

Cities in Clark County

Clark County includes Marshall, Martinsville, Casey, Westfield, and other small communities. All death records for these areas are handled by the Clark County Clerk office in Marshall. No city in Clark County has a separate vital records office.

Nearby Counties

Clark County borders these Illinois counties. If you need to check a neighboring area for death records, contact their clerk offices.