Cook County Obituary Records

Cook County obituary records help families trace the lives and passing of loved ones across the largest county in Illinois. With more than 5.2 million residents spread through Chicago and dozens of suburbs, Cook County sees a high volume of death records each year. The County Clerk office in downtown Chicago is the main source for death certificates and related obituary documents. You can search these records online, by mail, or in person at the Cook County Building. Finding an obituary record here often starts with a call to the clerk or a visit to the VitalChek ordering portal.

Cook County Clerk Obituary Services

The Cook County Clerk office handles all death certificates for deaths that took place in Cook County. That covers Chicago and every suburb in the county. Karen A. Yarbrough serves as the County Clerk. Her office is in the Cook County Building in the Loop area of Chicago. Staff at this office can help you get certified copies of death records, which are often needed when you search for obituary details or settle an estate. The clerk keeps records for events that took place in the last 20 years. For older records, genealogical copies may be available at a lower cost.

The Cook County death certificates page has full details on how to order. You can place orders through VitalChek online. Phone orders go through the VitalChek line at (866) 252-8974. Only relatives or those who can prove a financial interest may get a certified death record in Cook County. Genealogical researchers can get uncertified copies for deaths that are more than 20 years old, per 410 ILCS 535/24.

How to Get Cook County Death Records

There are a few ways to get obituary and death records in Cook County. Each method has its own cost and wait time. The one you pick depends on how fast you need the record and whether you want a certified copy or just a plain one for reference. Cook County offers in-person, mail, and online options for all death certificate requests.

Online ordering is the most common way people get Cook County obituary records now. You go to VitalChek at vitalchek.com and fill out the form. The cost for a certified copy is $19 from the county, but VitalChek adds a $10 service fee plus shipping. You need a credit card. This works well when you can not visit the office in person. Mail requests are also an option. Send a check or money order to the Cook County Clerk. Include the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and your relationship to them. Allow several weeks for mail processing on Cook County obituary record requests.

In-person visits are possible during office hours. Walk into the Cook County Building at 118 N. Clark Street in Chicago. Go to Room 120. Bring a valid photo ID. Staff will search their records and print copies while you wait. This is the fastest way to get a Cook County death record if you live nearby.

Note: Cook County death records are not public under Illinois law and are only available to those with a personal or property right interest.

Cook County Obituary Record Fees

Fees for death records in Cook County depend on what type of copy you need and how you order it. The base fee for a certified copy is set by the county. VitalChek orders carry extra charges. If you visit the office, you can pay by check or money order. Credit cards are accepted through the online system only.

The Cook County Clerk posts current fee details on their vital records portal. Here is what a certified death certificate order looks like when you start the process online.

Certified copies cost $19 for the first one. Each extra copy is $4. Genealogical copies are $10 for the first and $2 for each one after that. VitalChek adds a $10 convenience fee. Under 410 ILCS 535/25, the state sets a search fee of $10 per name for each five-year period searched. Cook County follows this same structure. If the clerk does not find a record, you may still owe the search fee. Plan your budget before you start the process for Cook County obituary records.

The Cook County vital records portal gives an overview of all services the clerk provides, from birth to death records.

This portal lets you see all the vital record options in one place. From here you can find the right forms and instructions for ordering Cook County death records by mail or online.

Who Can Get Cook County Obituary Records

Illinois law limits who can get a death certificate. This is not like a court record that anyone can pull. Under 410 ILCS 535/25, only certain people may request a certified copy of a death record in Cook County. The rules are strict to protect the privacy of the deceased and their family.

You can get a Cook County death record if you are a relative of the person who died. That means a spouse, parent, child, or sibling. You can also get one if you are listed as the informant on the death certificate. Legal reps who handle the estate have access too, but they need to show court documents that prove their role. Anyone with a personal or property right interest can make a request, though the clerk may ask for proof. For genealogical copies, the death must be at least 20 years old. These copies cannot be used for legal matters. They are for research only and come on plain paper without a raised seal.

You need a valid ID to place any order. The Cook County Clerk accepts an Illinois driver's license, state ID, US passport, or military ID. If you do not have a photo ID, you may use three forms of ID that show your current name and address. Voter registration cards, bank statements, and utility bills all count. Every request must include proof of your relationship to the person who passed.

Note: The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/) does not apply to vital records, so you cannot use a FOIA request to get death certificates in Cook County.

Historical Obituary Records in Cook County

Cook County has death records going back many decades. The clerk office holds records for events in the last 20 years. For older records, you may need to contact the Illinois Department of Public Health in Springfield. IDPH keeps death records from 1916 to the present for the whole state, and that includes Cook County. The Illinois State Archives death index covers records from 1916 to 1972 and is free to search online.

Genealogical researchers looking for Cook County obituary records from the early 1900s have a few options. The state archives in Springfield hold original death certificates for records that are 50 years old or more. FamilySearch has Illinois death and stillbirth records from 1916 to 1947. Local libraries in Chicago also keep obituary clipping files and newspaper archives that go back well over 100 years. The Newberry Library and the Chicago History Museum both have strong collections of Cook County death notices and obituary records.

Illinois State Resources for Cook County

When the Cook County Clerk does not have what you need, the state can help. The Illinois Department of Public Health in Springfield handles death records for the whole state. Their address is 925 E. Ridgely Avenue, Springfield, IL 62702. You can reach them at (217) 782-6554 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. Mail requests take about 12 weeks to process. That is a long wait. If you need a Cook County obituary record fast, the county office is a better bet.

IDPH also accepts orders through the online request form and by fax at 217-523-2648. Urgent requests need proof of immediate need, like a travel itinerary or insurance letter. Under 410 ILCS 535/18, every death in Illinois must be registered by filing a death certificate with the local registrar within seven days. The funeral director is responsible for that filing. The attending physician must complete the medical part within 48 hours. This applies to all deaths in Cook County.

Cities in Cook County

Cook County includes Chicago and many large suburbs. All death certificates for these cities are filed through the Cook County Clerk office. Several cities in Cook County have populations over 50,000 and maintain their own city pages with local obituary details.

Other cities in Cook County include Park Ridge, Elmwood Park, Calumet City, Harvey, Lansing, and many more. All file death records through the Cook County Clerk office in Chicago.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Cook County. If the death took place outside Cook County lines, you need to contact the right county clerk for that obituary record.