Get a Certified Illinois Death Certificate

A certified copy of an Illinois death certificate costs $19 from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $4. Expedited processing is available for an additional fee.

Yes, you can order an Illinois death certificate online through an approved service provider. You may also apply by mail or in person at the IDPH office in Springfield or through your local county clerk.

In Illinois, eligible requesters include the surviving spouse, a parent, an adult child, a sibling, the executor of the estate, or a legal representative. If you need to request a death certificate on behalf of an eligible person, you may submit a notarized Power of Attorney (PoA) or a signed affidavit from the authorized applicant.

Illinois death certificates are considered public records after 20 years from the date of death. For records less than 20 years old, access is restricted to eligible individuals with a direct and tangible interest. The cause-of-death information may have additional restrictions.

An officially certified death certificate from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Social Services (HDPH) will have unique security features to ensure its authenticity. The appearance of an official death certificate may vary depending on the year of issue. Still, it will contain essential details confirming the individual's identity at death. Official death certificates from Illinois typically feature the state seal, the individual's name, the date and place of death, and the state registrar's signature. They are printed on secure, tamper-resistant paper with watermarks and other security elements. The HDPH issues these certificates to state guidelines, and all counties follow these secure issuance procedures.

• Legal Name of the Decedent
• Sex
• Date of Death
• City and County of Death
• Age at Last Birthday
• Date of Birth
• Hospital or Other Institution Name
• Place of Death
• Birthplace
• Social Security Number
• Marital Status
• Surviving Spouse/Partner Information
• Armed Forces Information
• Last Known Residence
• Parents Information
• Informant Name Relationship and Mailing Address
• Method, Place, Location, and Date of Disposition of Decedent Body
• Funeral Home and Funeral Director Details
• Female Pregnancy Status
• Workplace Injury Information
• Date Last Seen Alive
• Date Pronounced and Time of Death
• Certifier Information

The procedure for correcting or amending an Illinois death certificate is outlined below. The original certificate remains unchanged when an amendment is made; a new certificate is issued with the corrected information.

Obtain and Fill Out the Necessary Form, Original Affidavit, and Certificate of Correction form signed by the person requesting the correction.

Pay the Amendment Fee

A check or money order should be made payable to IDPH. The amendment fee is $15.00, and each additional certified copy requested simultaneously costs $2.00.

Gather Supporting Documentation

A valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID of the requester is required for the correction. To find out more about the documents necessary for the requested correction, please visit IDPH's website.

Submit the Application

Return all documents to the ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH Division of Vital Records, 925 E. Ridgely Ave. Springfield, IL 62702-2737

Processing Time

Amendment processing times vary: Simple amendments are usually completed within 12 weeks. More complex amendments, which may involve medical or legal documentation, could take longer depending on the complexity of the correction and whether further review is necessary.

You can order an apostille directly through the Secretary of State or online through VRO’s Express Apostille Service. The Secretary of State issues Apostilles, which are often required when filing an Illinois death certificate with a foreign government that is part of the 1961 Hague Convention.

If you are manually submitting a request for an apostille to the Illinois Secretary of State, you will need to provide the following items:

1. The certified copy of the death certificate, with the original signature and seal of the current Illinois State Registrar;
2. A completed Application for Authentication Form (specify which country you will submit the document to); and
3. A payment of $2.00 per document – checks and money orders should be made payable to the "Secretary of State," or you can provide your credit card information.

Submit your request to the Illinois Secretary of State Index Department at the following addresses:

In-person/by mail (standard or express courier):