Cook County (IL) Birth Certificate Online

How to Get an Official Cook County Birth Certificate

To order an official copy of a Cook County (IL) birth certificate:

1. Fill out the birth certificate application (available by clicking the button on this page) with the required information —be sure to include your phone number
2. Print and sign it
3. Mail il to the Illinois vital records office with the required documents, fees, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for your certificate to be mailed to you

Copies of Cook County Birth and Death Certificates may be ordered by posting your application package to the following address:

Illinois Department of Public Health

• Division of Vital Records
• 925 E. Ridgely Avenue
• Springfield, IL 62702-2737

Alternatively, those who wish to have their order filled at the county level, rather than the state level, may send their package to the following address:

Cook County Clerk's Office

• Bureau of Vital Records
• P.O. Box 641070
• Chicago, IL 60664-1070

Ordering a Cook County, Illinois birth certificate online is quick and easy. The Cook County birth certificate application form takes no more than 10 minutes to complete, and we provide personalized instructions to help you complete it without a hassle.

Once your Chicago, Cook County birth certificate replacement application has been processed, you will receive an official copy of your vital record at home.

You may order a certified copy of a Cook County birth certificate on behalf of another person, as long as you are eligible.

Citizens of Chicago, or the rest of Cook County, who prefer to submit their birth certificate application in person, may do so. Walk-in service is available at the following addresses during office hours and usually entails waiting in line:

Cook County Clerk's Office

• Daley Center Birth Certificates
• 50 W. Washington, Suite CL-25
• Chicago, IL 60602

The Cook County Clerk's office keeps official birth records of births that took place in Chicago and suburban Cook County.

Please note that fees may differ depending on whether you are sending your birth certificate application to the state vital records office or the county recorder’s office. Remember to verify and submit the appropriate fees.

Please note that As of May 7, 2025, U.S. citizens and residents must have a REAL ID-compliant driving license or ID card to enter federal facilities and board commercial aircrafts. Requirements to obtain a REAL ID may include proof of identity, such as a certified copy of the birth certificate.

Cook County birth certificate copy required information

To get a certified copy of a Cook County, Illinois birth certificate, you will need to complete the online birth certificate application with the following personal data:

• The full name as stated on the birth certificate
• The mother's full maiden name
• The date and place of birth

Required documents for a certified copy of a Cook County birth certificate

Citizens applying for a certified copy of a Cook County birth certificate need to prove their identity.

Applicants submitting their birth certificate application by mail are asked to sign the application form and provide proof of identity.

This can be done providing a photocopy of any of the following documents:

• Illinois Drivers License
• Illinois State Identification Card
• U.S. Military Identification Card
• Selective Service Card
• Out-of-State Drivers License
• U.S. Naturalization Certificate
• U.S. Immigration Card
• U.S. Passport

Some applicants may be required to comply with additional conditions or asked to provide other documentation alongside the Cook County birth certificate application, depending on their relationship with the certificate holder.

Who is eligible to apply

Under state law, citizens 18 years of age or older may legally obtain a certified copy of their own Cook County, Illinois birth certificate.

A parent can obtain the Cook County (IL) birth certificate of their child as long as they are listed as a parent on the child's birth certificate.

Court-appointed legal guardians must submit a certified copy of the appointment to request a birth certificate copy of the certificate bearer. Third parties or legal representatives ordering a Cook County birth certificate are required to provide a court order.

How to Request an Apostille for a Cook County Birth Certificate

Citizens born in Chicago or the rest of Cook County, IL, who need to use their birth certificate outside the United States, need to authenticate their document to provide it with legal validity abroad.

Authenticating a Cook County birth certificate is done by obtaining an apostille. This can be done by following 2 simple steps:

1. Order a certified copy of the Cook County, Illinois birth certificate
2. Upon receiving the certified copy of the Cook County, IL birth certificate, mail the above to the Illinois Secretary of State's office with the required apostille fee for authentication and a self-addressed postage-paid envelope.

Illinois Authentications Unit street address:

• Illinois Secretary of State's Office
• Index Department,111 E Monroe St,
• Springfield, IL 62756

Cook County Birth Certificate Cost

When ordering a copy of a Chicago, or Cook County, Illinois (IL) birth certificate, it is necessary to pay the appropriate search fee.

The filing fee of each copy of a Cook County, Illinois birth certificate is $15. An additional $3 postage fee will be charged to mail certificates back to the applicant’s address.

It is advisable to order several copies using the same birth certificate application form. Additional copies can be kept on file ready for future use. Extra copies of the same Cook County birth certificate ordered within a single form carry a cost of $2 per document.

Please note checks are not accepted to cover Cook County birth certificate fees.

Free Cook County Birth Certificate Copy

Cook County birth certificate fees are waived for citizens in any of the following situations:

• Homeless
• Living in a domestic violence shelter
• Formerly incarcerated & released in last 90 days

To obtain a fee waiver for Cook County birth certificates, the application form must be submitted with verification from a parole release form or a status certification form completed by an approved human services provider.

Cook County Birth Certificate Processing Times

On average, Cook County birth certificate applications are filled within 20 working days.

Once you have mailed the complete Cook County birth certificate application package, along with the requirements detailed above and the necessary fees, the vital records office will process your request.

You will then receive your certified copy of the Cook County, Illinois IL birth certificate delivered by mail.

Cook County citizens in urgent need of a certified copy of a birth certificate may submit their application in person.

To get a Cook birth certificate copy in person:

1. Print out the completed application form after filling it out online and sign it
2. Take it with the required documents and fee to submit it in person at the Cook County Clerk’s office during opening hours

Although this usually requires waiting in line for hours, it may result in same-day delivery if the birth record is found on file.