Find Free Cook County Marriage Records: License Search

Search free Cook County marriage records on anyone through different agencies and resources.

Anyone concerned or interested in someone’s marital status should never hesitate to use those tools to uncover information that’s relevant to them.

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act determines that marital information is public record and should be readily available to citizens. This clear, streamlined resource will help searchers find valuable information quickly and conveniently.

How To Access Cook County Marriage Records for Free

Illinois marriage records are available to anyone who might be interested in them in the state. Therefore, they’re also available to people in Cook County.

Cook County mostly comprises Chicago and its suburban area. As long as the marriage happened in Cook County, detailed information can be easily found – and that’s because, in Illinois, each county is responsible for keeping records about marriages that happened under their jurisdiction.

In Cook County, citizens can count on the Clerk’s Office to search and find marriage records.¹ There are three different types of records available that can be ordered in many convenient ways. Those are the certificates available:

• Standard certificates (the traditional paper copy);
• Wallet certificates (compact enough to be carried around);
• Commemorative certificates (a special version of the standard certificate).

Standard and wallet certificates can be ordered in person or by mail and cost the same: $15 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy requested at the same time. The wallet-size order includes two copies of the same record.

Mail-in requests require that a completed marriage or civil union application be sent to the Clerk’s Office. The envelope must also include a copy of a valid ID, payment in the form of a check or money order, and a pre-paid self-addressed envelope. This package should be sent to the following address:

Cook County Clerk’s Office
Bureau of Vital Records
P.O. Box 641070
Chicago, IL 60664-1070

For those who prefer to place an order in person, there are four different addresses in Cook County.² People can choose the most convenient location from the following list:

Bureau of Vital Records – Downtown Chicago
118 N. Clark Street (Room 120)
Chicago, IL 60602

Phone: 312.603.7790

Clerk’s Office North Suburbs
Skokie Office
5600 W Old Orchard Rd. (Room 149)
Skokie, IL 60077

Phone: 847.470.7233

Clerk’s Office South Suburbs
Markham Office
16501 S. Kedzie (Room 238)
Markham, IL 60428

Phone: 708.232.4170

Clerk’s Office West Suburbs
Maywood Office
1311 Maybrook Square (Room 104)
Maywood, IL 60153

Phone: 708.865.6060

Commemorative certificates, on the other hand, can be ordered online or in person at the Clerk’s Office.³ They’re printed on a special paper and ready to be framed.

Citizens can choose among ten designs created by local artists, and each commemorative certificate costs $65. All the four locations mentioned above accept this type of order.

It’s interesting to mention that although Illinois doesn’t recognize common law marriages (and it hasn’t since 1905), it recognizes civil unions. Therefore, all the certificates available for marriages are also available for civil unions – the main difference is that the record will state what type of relationship has been contracted by the couple.

This is relevant because whenever a search for Cook County records of marriage fails, an attempt to find a civil union may be productive.

Last, but not least, Cook County citizens can work with a company called Currency Exchange to obtain local standard marriage certificates. Likewise, they can work with VitalChek (although this platform will provide certificates for all Illinois and isn’t limited to Cook County).

There are more tools and resources available for searchers in Cook County when the goal of the search is to uncover historical facts for genealogical purposes. Let’s take a look at those options.

How To Look Up Archived Marriage Records in Cook County Illinois

When someone wishes to know more about their ancestors, relevant information can be found in the Illinois State Archives, which is responsible for keeping and organizing historical records of all kinds, including marriage records.

Searchers can look up the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, for example, which contains valuable information about nuptials recorded between 1763 and 1900. This index can be searched for free by name, for example, and it’s possible to focus on specific counties (which is particularly helpful when searching for Cook County marital records).⁴

Another good resource offered by the State Archives is the Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD), which contains an extensive list of organizations and entities that keep historical information.⁵ It includes courts, schools, and other sources that can be contacted if it’s believed they have interesting information. This tool isn’t limited to marriage records.

Interested citizens who believe they could benefit from the Illinois State Archives Support can contact them using the following information:⁶

Illinois State Archives
Margaret Cross Norton Building, 3E Capitol Complex
Springfield, IL 62756

Phone: 217.782.3645

How To Track Down Marital Records That Originated Elsewhere in Illinois

Just like the Cook County Clerk’s Office can provide citizens with marriage certificates, each local county in Illinois can do the same for its residents. This isn’t necessarily practical, though, especially when it isn’t known where a certain wedding happened.

For instances when a broader search is needed because the searcher can’t figure out the exact location of a marriage, the Illinois Department of Public Health can help. They are able to provide people with verification is marriages.

Although verifications aren’t the same as a certificate, they’d still include all the details and relevant information about the marriage being searched. Mainly, it helps clarify an individual’s marital status, which has value.

Marriage verifications are available for nuptials starting in 1962. Recent marriages may take a while to become available, as they first need to be recorded with the respective County Clerk’s Office. A marriage verification will show the full names of the bride and groom, their dates of birth, the date the nuptials happened and the location of the event.

Verifications are available both for marriages and civil unions (just like the certificates are), and anyone can request a marriage verification by mail, fax, or in person.⁷ Each copy costs $5. All individuals placing an order must bring (or present) a valid form of ID and complete an Application for Verification of Marriage/Civil Union Record Files.⁸

Requests by mail must include the application and a copy of the ID, along with payment by money order. Requests by fax must also include credit or debit card information so the payment can be properly processed. When payment is processed or sent, a $12.95 handling fee and a $19.50 delivery fee should be included.

Mail requests and walk-ins should use the following address:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 E. Ridgely Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702-2737

Phone: 217.782.4977
Fax: 217.523.2648

One thing to keep in mind is that verifications (of marriage or civil unions) can’t be used for official purposes. In those situations, a properly certified copy of the record is required, and those can only be obtained at the county Clerk’s Office, as shown when discussing marital records in Cook County.

How To Request a Cook County Illinois Marriage License

Marriages and divorces in Illinois are governed by the Marriage & Dissolution of Marriage Act, which establishes the rules for anyone who wishes to obtain a license to marry in every county of the state:

• Be at least 18 years old;
• Not be blood-related with their future spouse;
• Not be already married to someone else.

Divorced individuals may be ready to show proof of that at the time of the application; individuals with ages 16 or 17 can apply, if they have a signed authorization from their parents.

It’s mandatory that both parties appear in person at the Cook County Clerk’s Office with a valid ID. It’s possible to expedite the process by starting the application online.^{9, 10} Marriage licenses cost $60, and a civil union license application follows the same process.

According to Illinois law, couples must wait 24 hours before being able to use the license to marry, and the license is valid for 60 days. Also, couples must return the license to the Clerk’s Office no later than ten days after their wedding.

In Cook County (and, therefore, the Chicago area), citizens can apply at any of the four local offices. Those are the addresses:

Cook County Clerk’s Office
Downtown Chicago Office
118 N. Clark Street, Rm. 120
Chicago, IL 60602

Clerk’s Office North Suburbs
Markham Office
16501 S. Kedzie, Rm. 238
Markham, IL 60428

Clerk’s Office West Suburbs
Maywood Office
1311 Maybrook Square, Rm. 104
Maywood, IL 60153

Cook County marriage records are public so that everyone can readily access valuable information about people around them, and people should feel comfortable using those resources whenever needed.