Illinois Public Divorce Records

By Ben Kingsley


Vital documents such as divorce certificates are generally open to the public. Anyone with the appropriate credentials and the proper requirements can submit their requests and eventually get access to the documents they need, whether it's a death report or a divorce decree. In the Prairie State, these kinds of documents are the responsibility of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Its Division of Vital Records maintains a huge collection of vital reports, including Illinois divorce records that dates back to January of 1962. Sadly, certified copies of divorce certificates are not available at this office.

The state of Illinois' Department of Public Health may only verify the legitimacy of marriage and divorce reports. Applicants requesting to obtain a copy of a divorce certificate will only get a verification letter stating the existence of such record. Certified copies of birth and death records, on the other hand, can be availed through this office. Verifications for marriage and divorce certificates will cost you five dollars each. All payments must be made payable to the state office, by personal check, certified check, or money order.

If you are interested in obtaining a certified copy of a particular divorce certificate, you may contact the Clerk of Circuit Court in the county where the divorce was settled. You should ask the person on the other line for some guidance on how to proceed with acquiring a certified copy of the divorce report you want, what the costs are, and what the requirements may be. Keep in mind that each county office may have different processing charges, procedures, and requirements.

The Illinois State Archives may also be a good alternative source of public information, especially for those who are conducting genealogy research. The Illinois Regional Archives Depository or IRAD maintains an impressive divorce index much earlier than those maintained by the Division of Vital Records. It's no surprise that many researchers, especially those involved with genealogy, frequent this particular office for fact checking and data gathering.

If you are conducting a background research, there is a way to obtain vital documents online. You can try using an online record retrieval service. Many online record providers these days are well equipped to provide people with uninterrupted and unrestricted access to a wide array of public information, from birth records to divorce documents. Reputable record search websites maintain an extensive collection of vital reports, which can be accessed by anyone with a computer and an Internet connection.

Choosing to go with a record search website will only cost you a small one-time membership fee. You will need to complete a short registration process. But once the registration is completed, you can start running searches on any vital report you want. If you wish to access the divorce records of the person you are currently dating, for instance, all you need to do is type in his name and the state where he previously resided. With this kind of service, you can expect quick and comprehensive results and no additional fees or waiting periods.




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