Kane County Obituary Lookup

Kane County obituary records date back to 1878 and are held at the County Clerk office with locations in both Geneva and Aurora. With more than 516,000 residents, Kane County is one of the larger counties in the Chicago metro area. The clerk keeps death certificates for anyone who died within county lines. You can order copies in person at either office, by mail, or online through VitalChek. Kane County also offers an online genealogical search tool for older records, which makes it a strong resource for family historians looking for obituary information.

Kane County Clerk Obituary Services

John A. Cunningham is the Kane County Clerk. His main office is at 719 S. Batavia Ave., Building B, in Geneva, IL 60134. There is also a satellite office in Aurora at 5 E. Downer Pl., Suite F, Aurora, IL 60505. Both offices handle death certificate requests. The phone number for both is (630) 232-5950, and fax goes to (630) 232-5866.

Office hours run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday hours extend to 8:00 p.m. That late close on Wednesdays is helpful for people who work during the day and need to pick up a Kane County obituary record after normal hours. The Aurora office keeps the same schedule. Check before you go, since holiday closures may apply.

The Kane County vital records page is the starting point for all orders. You can also visit the death certificates page for details that are specific to obituary and death record requests in Kane County.

Kane County Obituary Record Fees

Kane County death certificate fees are straightforward. The first certified copy costs $20. Each additional copy is $10. If the clerk searches and finds no record, you still pay $11 for the search. That no-record fee is something to keep in mind if you are not sure a death took place in Kane County.

VitalChek orders add a $10 convenience fee on top of the county price. If you pay in person with a credit or debit card, there is a $2.50 service fee. Cash, check, and money order avoid that extra charge at the Kane County office. These fees can change, so call ahead or check the website before you go.

Note: Kane County fees for death records are set by county ordinance and may be updated from time to time.

Kane County Death Record Portal

The Kane County Clerk runs an online portal for vital records that makes it easy to start your request. The main vital records page provides forms, fee details, and instructions for ordering in person or by mail.

From this portal you can get to the death certificate section, which has specific details about ordering a Kane County obituary record. The instructions are clear and cover all ordering methods.

Kane County also has a dedicated death certificates page that goes deeper into the specifics of what you need to bring and what forms to fill out.

This page is worth reading before you visit either the Geneva or Aurora office. It lists the ID requirements, explains who can order, and breaks down the fees for Kane County death records.

Kane County Genealogical Obituary Search

Kane County has a nice perk for family history researchers. They run an online genealogical search tool at genealogy.kanecountyclerk.org. This lets you look up old death records from home. You can search by name and find basic details like the date and location of death for Kane County residents. The tool covers death certificates that are 20 or more years old, in line with 410 ILCS 535/24.

Beyond the county tool, the Illinois State Archives death index covers 1916 to 1972. That is free to search and includes Kane County deaths from that era. FamilySearch has Illinois death and stillbirth records from 1916 to 1947. Kane County's own records start in 1878, which means there are nearly 150 years of obituary data available for research. Birth records go genealogical after 75 years, and marriage licenses after 50 years, if you need those for context around a Kane County death record.

The Illinois Department of Public Health at dph.illinois.gov is another option. IDPH has state death records from 1916 on. Mail requests to them take about 12 weeks, though. For Kane County obituary records, the local clerk is almost always faster than going through the state.

Access Rules for Kane County Death Records

Death records in Kane County are not open to the public. Illinois treats them as confidential under the Vital Records Act. Only specific people can get a certified copy. Family members qualify. That means the spouse, parents, children, and siblings of the deceased. Estate executors can order copies with court proof. Others with a personal or property right interest may request records if they can document their claim.

Genealogical copies are less restricted. Anyone can request one for a death that happened 20 or more years ago in Kane County. These plain copies have no seal and no legal standing. They work for research only. The fee is lower than a certified copy. Under 410 ILCS 535/25, the state sets search fees at $10 per name for a five-year search period. Kane County follows this rule. If no match is found, they still charge the $11 no-record fee.

Under 5 ILCS 140/, vital records are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. A FOIA request will not get you a death certificate from Kane County. Under 410 ILCS 535/18, the funeral director must file the death certificate with the local registrar within seven days. The doctor completes the medical portion within 48 hours.

Cities in Kane County

Kane County includes Aurora, Elgin, and many other communities. Death certificates for all Kane County cities go through the clerk offices in Geneva or Aurora. Some cities span county lines, so check the exact address of the death.

Other Kane County communities include Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, South Elgin, North Aurora, and Carpentersville. All obituary records for these areas are at the Kane County Clerk.

Nearby Counties

Kane County sits west of Chicago between Cook County and the Fox River Valley. These counties share a border with Kane County.