Cook County Clerk's Office
118 N. Clark St., Room 120, Chicago, Illinois, 60602
Contact & location
- Address
- 118 N. Clark St., Room 120, Chicago, Illinois, 60602
- Mail-in address
- Cook County Clerk's Office Bureau of Vital RecordsP.O. Box 641070, Chicago, Illinois, 60664-1070
- Records for
- Cook County, Illinois
- Phone
- (312) 603-7790
- Official site
- Government website ↗
Last verified July 14, 2026
This office issues Illinois state records
Cook County follows Illinois’s fees, eligibility rules and processing times. Compare the statewide baseline below before choosing where to go.
- $15.00
- Illinois birth certificate fee
- 12–15 weeks
- Statewide processing
- 12,710,158
- Illinois population
Office hours
| Monday | 9:00am - 5:00pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 9:00am - 5:00pm |
| Wednesday | 9:00am - 5:00pm |
| Thursday | 9:00am - 5:00pm |
| Friday | 9:00am - 5:00pm |
| Saturday | closed |
| Sunday | closed |
Certificates, fees & processing
| Record | Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|
| Birth Certificate | $15.00 | 12–15 weeksIllinois estimate |
| Death Certificate | $17.00 | 4–6 weeksIllinois estimate |
| Marriage Certificate | $15.00 | 0 daysIllinois estimate |
Processing times are set at state level — county offices do not publish their own — and are estimates that vary with demand.
The Cook County Clerk's Office’s office or registry of vital records, offers a wide range of crucial services. These offices play a vital role in the protection and provision of essential documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates . In addition to maintaining these primary records, they are responsible for managing and issuing copies of birth, marriage, and death records that occurred within the Township of Chicago. Alongside record maintenance, this office provides valuable services like issuing certified copies of documents, overseeing the registration of domestic partnerships, and offering assistance to rectify any errors detected in vital records. Through these comprehensive services, the vital records office ensures the accuracy, accessibility, and integrity of vital records for the benefit of the community.
Reviews
★★★★★2.6 (76)- ★★★★★Yarid PizarroGoogle
Super nice and helpful! Since we walked in, everyone guided us where we needed to go for our marriage certificate and the cashier (8) was lovely!
- ★★★★★Strickland GangGoogle
Worst experience ever me and my fiancé are trying to get our birth certificate mailed out to us states away. I have received mine from a different state and his from Clark County seems to be delayed for over 30 days now they don’t even send out proper emails or anything to let people know of the delay they just sent me an email saying that the birth certificate was gonna be here weeks ago and never arrived. They never said anything about it until I contacted them. They’re not professional at all so whoever is working there honestly truly I’m thinking about taking this to the higher ups and getting somebody fired because they’re saying that the delay is ID verification but why is it no other state having this exact problem obviously someone there isn’t doing there job!!! And I am reporting them The fact that I have to call them and email them just to get any information and now they’re stating that oh they have delays for over only a week before my order was put in so why is it taking you guys a month or more to get out something because you guys got delayed a week before I put in my order it shouldn’t take you that long and now they’re sending me an email today which is still a full month after stating that they’re gonna be longer because they’re still delayed, which means it could be up to two entire months that they do not send out any birth certificates or anything for people to work. Have a job do any day-to-day businesses or be able to submit any documents of any kind this is actually preventing a lot of people in their area to get jobs
- ★★★★★Shelia ParnellGoogle
I've been waiting on my sons birth certificate and keep yelling me tomorrow and i don't get anything its been 3 months. My name is Shelia Marie Carley Parnell his name tony Lavon Dailey born 2/19/88 fathers name is Roy Dailey. He was born in Decatur il. Y'all keep lying saying tomorrow but I haven't received. He need to get his check ssi. Mail asap. Thanks Shelia Marie Carley parnell I was married to Roy when he was born. Shelia Dailey 7/25/64. Thanks
- ★★★★★Paul LuhrsenGoogle
Went in to get help with an issue getting a marriage certificate, Elvis and the others on staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. I had some minor issues when dealing with the office by phone or online but in person was a great experience. Im very grateful for all of their help!
- ★★★★★ImaniGoogle
I had the pleasure of working with Randy at the Cook County Clerk’s Office while applying for our marriage license, and I felt compelled to share how meaningful that experience was. What could have been a routine administrative task felt like something much more special because of him. Randy was incredibly kind, warm, and professional from start to finish. He carried himself with a level of care and attentiveness that made us feel genuinely seen during such an important moment in our lives. Getting a marriage license is a big deal, even in a simple office setting, and Randy understood that, whether it was technically part of his job or not. He went out of his way to create an atmosphere that felt welcoming and even celebratory, which made the experience feel as significant as it truly is. We left not just with paperwork, but with a memory that felt joyful and affirming. I am really grateful for the role he played in that. Thank you, Randy, for bringing such humanity and warmth to your work. It truly made a difference.