jeudi 17 octobre 2013

Illinois Public Death Records

By Ben Kingsley


Death notices, like any other vital records, are useful in so many ways. Such document lets you know the reason of death of a certain relative. More so, knowing the cause of death is a big help in determining and tracing familial diseases in the family tree. Death records are also useful in genealogy research as it can provide a significant number of information about the person who passed away. Additionally, records of death are also beneficial to Statistics especially in determining mortality rates. The main repository for Illinois death notices is managed by the Office of the Vital Statistics, Department of Public Health.

In Illinois, death records are not public records. The State of Illinois restricts access to such records only to those who are related to the decedent. People outside the family tree requesting for such will have to submit a document from the agency that needs the death record. Thus, if you wish to conduct genealogy research, you may have to settle for an uncertified copy of a death record and this copy will only be available if the death occurred at least 20 years before the date of your request.

Certified and uncertified copies of death records can be obtained from the Division of Vital Records. Additionally, such copies of death notices can also be acquired through the Office of the County Clerk in the county where the death took place. For deaths recorded prior to 1916, these can only be obtained from the county clerk's office.

A copy of a death record is worth $19, whereas the informational copy costs $10. A fee of $4 is required for additional copies if requested at the same time. In case no record is found, a no record certificate will be provided. The processing fees are non-refundable regardless if a record is located or not. Payment should be made by check or money order payable to the Illinois Department of Public Health or with a credit card. Payment should not be in cash. Credit card transactions will charge an additional $10 for the handling and an extra $19.50 fee if you choose that the death record be delivered to you.

In appealing for a copy of a death record, the significant information you need to provide are the decedent's full name, date and county of the death, the parents' name, your relationship to the deceased, and the reason for your request. If you are a legal representative, a written and notarized document naming you as the authorized individual should be submitted. If your purpose is to claim legal, personal or property interest, a printed document proving that you have a personal or property interest at stake, such as a will naming you, should be provided.

In Illinois, death records can be ordered online, by mail, by fax, or in person. The usual turnaround time for such requests takes several days to weeks depending on the method used and the volume of requests received in the Vital Records division. If you want to obtain a copy of a death record fast, do it online. There are a lot of online record providers which can proffer you the same service but only for a minimal fee; and instead of the usual processing time of days to weeks, these providers can give you the records you need in just a matter of minutes.




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