How to get a certified copy of a marriage certificate in Illinois
The CDC entry also dates the civil-union index to January 2012. Its $5 state service verifies selected items. The directory explicitly directs certified-copy applicants to the county office. CDC source for Illinois.
CDC lists the Illinois marriage-record contact as Division of Vital Records Illinois Department of Public Health 925 E Ridgely Avenue Springfield, IL 62702. The service charge in that entry is $5.00. Selected items may be verified (fee $5.00)..
| Field | CDC Where to Write | Current official evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Office | Division of Vital Records Illinois Department of Public Health 925 E Ridgely Avenue Springfield, IL 62702 | County clerk where the marriage occurred Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Service charge | $5.00. Selected items may be verified (fee $5.00). | $5 state verification. County certified-copy fee was not collected Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Years held or service coverage | Marriage Index since January 1962. Civil Union Index since January 2012. Selected items may be verified (fee $5.00). Certified copies are NOT available from State office. | State verification index from 1962 to the current index date Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
| Ordering route | CDC entry | Request the actual certified copy from the county clerk Official source (checked 2026-11-11) |
Getting a marriage license in Illinois
Contact the Illinois official office for current marriage license requirements, which remain unverified here.
Searching Illinois marriage records
Ask the Illinois official records office about marriage-record search options, which remain unverified here as of 2026-11-11.
Common-law marriage and community property
| Source scope | State entry |
|---|---|
| SSA common-law digest | Not recognized. In 2005, Illinois abolished common-law marriages contracted after June 30, 1905. For the possibility that a putative marriage may have been created, see GN 00305.085E. Illinois does not recognize the common-law marriages of its domiciliaries that arise out of brief sojourns in common-law marriage States. SSA GN 00305.075. Digest effective 2023-05-30, checked 2026-11-11 |
| IRS community-property list | Outside the listed community-property states IRS 555, checked 2026-11-11 |
For Illinois, the Social Security state-law digest says Not recognized. In 2005, Illinois abolished common-law marriages contracted after June 30, 1905. For the possibility that a putative marriage may have been created, see GN 00305.085E. Illinois does not recognize the common-law marriages of its domiciliaries that arise out of brief sojourns in common-law marriage States. This is SSA benefit-program guidance, effective 2023-05-30. The IRS community-property entry applies to married taxpayers domiciled in Illinois. Its federal-tax scope is set out in Publication 555.
The numbers
| Measure | State | US or reporting-area benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage rate | 5.2 | 6.3 |
| Divorce rate | 1.3 | 2.3 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, men | 31.3 | 30.8 |
| ACS median first-marriage age, women | 29.9 | 28.8 |
In 2024, Illinois had 5.2 marriages per 1,000 residents, below the US 6.3. CDC counts marriages performed in Illinois, including visiting couples.
Illinois's divorce rate was 1.3 per 1,000 residents in 2024, below the reporting-area 2.3.
The 2024 ACS first-marriage medians for Illinois are 31.3 years for men and 29.9 for women, with respective margins of error of 0.4 and 0.3 years. The male and female Illinois medians are 1.4 years apart.
From oldest to youngest across states and DC, Illinois ranks 12th for the male first-marriage median and ninth for the female median. Its male estimate is above the US 30.8, and the Illinois female estimate is above the US 28.8.
Illinois and Las Vegas
Couples with a Illinois mailing address took out 1,108 Las Vegas marriage licenses in 2025, ranking eighth among states and DC. Illinois Las Vegas data links to the available history. The method gives address and issue-date definitions.
Over 2021 to 2025, Illinois mailing addresses appeared on 7,179 Las Vegas licenses, 1.91% of the countywide statistical-file total. The highest annual Illinois count in the acquired history was 2,655 in 2007. The Illinois 2025 figure of 1,108 compares with 1,380 in 2024 and 1,338 in 2019.
The latest Illinois Las Vegas total fell 19.71% from 2024. It is 17.19% below the 2019 level and 58.27% below the series maximum for Illinois.
Illinois mailing addresses appeared on 2,655 licenses in 2007, 2,266 licenses in 2008, 2,146 licenses in 2009, 2,052 licenses in 2010, 1,945 licenses in 2011, 1,785 licenses in 2012, 1,556 licenses in 2013, 1,460 licenses in 2014. County sources and coverage.
Illinois mailing addresses appeared on 1,569 licenses in 2015, 1,619 licenses in 2016, 1,523 licenses in 2017, 1,457 licenses in 2018, 1,338 licenses in 2019, 1,174 licenses in 2020, 1,885 licenses in 2021, 1,363 licenses in 2022 (through 22 December). County sources and coverage.
Illinois mailing addresses appeared on 1,443 licenses in 2023, 1,380 licenses in 2024, 1,108 licenses in 2025. County sources and coverage.
For a Illinois couple with a Clark County license, the Nevada certificate guide links the Clerk's online, mailed and in-person ordering routes. Its officiant filing deadline is 10 calendar days after the ceremony, and a filed certified certificate costs $20.