Get your certified Illinois Birth Certificate
Order your government-issued Illinois birth certificate from home.
Start your application now.
Order Illinois Birth Certificate
Trusted by +1.5 million customers
Order your government-issued Illinois birth certificate from home.
Start your application now.
Order Illinois Birth Certificate
Trusted by +1.5 million customers
Order with confidence
Learn how to order Illinois Birth Certificates from the IDPH’s Division of Vital Records. The current processing time is approximately 12 to 15 weeks. The state fee is $15.00; additional copies are available for $2.00 each. The person on record, their parents, and other authorized third-parties are eligible to request a certificate.
You can order a certified copy of your Illinois birth certificate online now with VRO. Alternatively, you can request it in person or by mail from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), following their instructions for ordering an Illinois birth certificate. Make sure to review and confirm the costs, eligibility, requirements, and current processing times before proceeding.
Ordering Illinois birth certificates online is quick and effortless and involves two simple steps:
Starting from
$29+ state fees
Benefits of Ordering Online with VRO
required documents
The IDPH Division of Vital Records defines specific criteria for birth certificate replacements. Review the eligibility conditions and requirements in the table below to confirm you are authorized before requesting your birth certificate. Keep in mind that if you are applying in person, the requirements may differ as your application will be processed by a county office rather than the state health department. Note, all applicants must provide proof of identity.
Primary ID Requirements Options | Secondary ID Requirements Options |
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Driver’s License | First Item – one or more of the following; |
The Illinois Department of Public Health’s Division of Vital Records IDPH-DVR requires all applicants to verify their identity with a valid, government-issued photo ID. This can be a driver’s license, a state-issued photo ID, or a passport. You may submit your ID with an additional secondary form if it is less than six months old. If your ID expired more than six months ago or you do not have it, you must submit two secondary forms of identification, one of which must show your current address.
Cost & fees
The costs and fees associated with replacing a birth certificate in Illinois vary based on the method of application submission (in person, by mail, or online). The IDPH – Division of Vital Records charges a $15.00 fee for a long-form certified copy, $10.00 fee for a short-form copy, and $2.00 for each additional copy in the same order. VRO's online application assistant starts at $29.00 plus state fees.
State Fee |
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$15.00 |
Rush Processing |
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Not offered |
Additional Copy |
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1 x $2.00 |
Processing time
Processing times for birth certificates can vary. The IDPH’s current estimated processing time is shown in the table below. You can opt for online notarization with VRO during checkout if a notary is required. Otherwise, account for additional time to visit a local notary.
Processing Time |
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12 to 15 weeks |
Rush Processing Time |
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Not offered |
Authorization
The individual on record can request a certified copy of their Illinois vital records. The record holder must provide proof of identity with the application.
To obtain an Illinois birth record for someone else, you must first review the eligibility criteria for birth certificates to confirm that you’re authorized to apply on their behalf. Certain eligible third parties, such as a parent or legal representative of the individual on record, can legally order a certified copy of a birth record. A notarized statement of permission from the individual on record may be required.
If you request an Illinois-certified birth record on behalf of someone else, you may be required to get a notarized statement of permission to prove you are authorized.
Tracking
When you place an order with VRO, you can track the status of your application online while it is being handled. VRO verifies your documents before forwarding them to the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Division of Vital Records IDPH-DVR for further processing. Additionally, you can request mail tracking through VRO to monitor your application's journey to the health department for extra verification.
If you are mailing your birth certificate application manually, it is recommended that you send it using first-class mail with tracking information to ensure it arrives at IDPH-DVR.
Note that IDPH-DVR does not provide mail tracking for the delivery of your vital records certificates to your address. Once the records leave the state office, the state is not responsible for lost or misdirected certificates.
frequently asked questions
Individuals born on an overseas military base are not considered to have been born in Illinois; therefore, there is no birth certificate on record with the state of Illinois. If you were born overseas on a US military base and your parents were US citizens, your birth should be recorded with the US Department of State. You must contact the US Department of State to request a copy of your Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA of form FS-240).
Note that this is not a birth certificate; it is evidence of US citizenship for individuals born abroad to US citizen parents who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act. This document is equivalent to having a US birth certificate. This document is recognized in the US as proof of birth and citizenship and can be used to obtain a passport and apply for social services. If you need additional copies of this document, you can contact the hospital where the birth occurred to request a copy of the birth certificate or order them from the Department of State. Learn more about CRBA for more information.
An Illinois birth certificate is a vital document in various aspects of our lives. It is an official record of an individual's birth, affirming their legal name, date of birth, place of birth, and parents' names. This document is widely acknowledged and endorsed by both government and private organizations. It is a foundation for proving identity and citizenship and is indispensable for life's most meaningful events, including legal matters, family affairs, academic enrollment, employment, and travel.
Birth certificates are often useful or required for:
Applying for a driver's license
Applying for a new passport
Issuing or obtaining a Social Security Card
Applying for Social Security benefits
Claiming pension or insurance benefits
Genealogy research
Claiming family inheritance
Applying for a new job
Enrolling in school
Enlisting in military
Obtaining a marriage license
An official Illinois birth certificate will have distinct features to indicate the IDPH issues it. The appearance of an official birth certificate may differ depending on the year it was issued. It often includes key information to verify a person's identity and the legitimacy of their citizenship at birth. A long-form (official) birth certificate is used legally, whereas a short-form (informational) copy is usually not. The IDPH defines specific guidelines for counties that may use unique colors and layouts. In all cases, official birth certificates will generally display features such as:
• Full Name of the Person: The full legal name of the person whose birth is being recorded.
• Date of Birth: The exact date of birth of the individual.
• Place of Birth: The city, county, and state where the birth took place.
• Parents’ Names: The full names of both parents, including the mother’s maiden name.
• State Seal: A raised, embossed, or printed multicolor or black and white seal of the issuing authority, which validates the document.
• Signature of State Registrar: The signature of the state registrar or authorized official responsible for issuing the certificate.
• Date of Issuance: The date when the state officially issued the birth certificate.
• Printed on Security Paper: Printed on specialized paper to prevent counterfeiting.
In some instances, a certified birth certificate may also include:
• Name of the Hospital where the birth was recorded.
• Name of the Physician who attended the labor.
If you lose your birth certificate:
The IDPH: Division of Vital Records’ process for correcting or amending an individual’s birth certificate is straightforward. The forms required depend on the information that needs to be amended. When a birth record is changed, an amendment is necessary. Supplemental changes become addendums to the original vital record; however, it is impossible to alter the original document. In accordance with Senate Bill 180, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment can no longer process gender identity amendments on birth certificates.
To correct or amend a birth record, you will need:
Learn more about correcting or amending birth certificates.
An apostille is typically needed when filing a birth certificate with a foreign government. Apostilles are issued for birth certificates initially filed with the Division of Vital Records. Apostilles for Illinois birth records can be obtained online through Vital Records Online or the Secretary of State Index Department.
If you are manually sending your certificates to the Secretary of State Index Department, you will need to submit the following documents:
For Express or standard courier:
Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department
17 N. State St., Ste 1010, Chicago, IL 60602
For in-person, walk-in service:
Secretary of State, Index Department
111 E. Monroe, Springfield, IL 62756