Vital Records

The City of Evanston Clerk's Office offers eligible individuals Birth and Death certificate records upon request. The City of Evanston City Clerk is the Local Registrar for all registered City of Evanston Vital Records.

Vital records between November 2018 - October 2021 must be obtained through The Cook County Clerk's Vital Records Office.

The City of Evanston City Clerk's Office has begun digitizing Vital records between the 1800s - 1900s. The project is expected to be completed in 2023, so specific vital records will be unavailable during this time and may be obtained through The Cook County Clerk's Vital Records Office archives.

The City Clerk's Office does not Apostille Birth and Death certificates. For assistance with Apostilles, please visit The Office of the State of Illinois Secretary of State Office.

To obtain certain Vital records, you are required to submit one or more copies of your Identification. All forms must be current and valid. Click here for information on acceptable forms of ID.

The City Clerk's Office in Evanston can only make specific corrections to Birth and Death certificates within a limited time frame. Certain corrections may need to be made by either the birthing hospital or the state.
Northshore University Health System Hospital Medical Records Department Number: (847) 570-2619

Birth Certificates ($15) -Additional copies of the same record cost $4 each.

Under state law, you may legally obtain a certified copy of your Birth certificate if of legal age and your child's birth certificate (your name must appear on the child's birth certificate).
To request a copy of a Birth certificate, you must provide a valid government-issued photo identification (ID) that must be readable and is not expired/out of date (if an ID is not provided, unreadable, or expired, the request will not be processed).

Death Certificates ($17) -Additional copies of the same record cost $6 each.

Under state law, you may legally obtain a copy of a Death certificate if you are a relative or can prove a financial
interest in an individual's death.
To request a copy of a Death certificate, you must provide a valid government-issued photo identification (ID) that must be readable and is not expired/out of date (if an ID is not provided, unreadable, or expired, the request will not be processed).

NOTE:

It typically takes 1-3 weeks for a new Vital record to be certified and registered.
To obtain certain Vital records, you are required to submit one or more copies of your Identification. All forms must be current and valid. Click here for information on acceptable forms of ID.
There will be a $20.00 shipping fee added for all online or mailed-in Vital record request orders.

1) Online Mail Request

Online Birth Certificate Application

Online Death Certificate Application

NOTE: There will be a $20.00 shipping fee added for any online or mailed-in Birth and Death certificate requests.

2) Mail-In Request Forms

Application for Evanston Illinois Birth Certificate

Application for Evanston Illinois Death Certificate

NOTE: There will be a $20.00 shipping fee added for any online or mailed-in Birth and Death certificate requests.

Mail your application, a copy of valid identification, and a Check or Money Order payment to The City of Evanston:

The City of Evanston City Clerk's Office

909 Davis Street, 2nd Floor

Evanston, IL 60201

3) In-Person Request

Location:

The City of Evanston City Clerk's Office

909 Davis Street, 2nd Floor

Evanston, IL 60201

Office hours:

Monday - Friday

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

In-Person Acceptable Forms of Payment:

Cash, Credit, Debit, Money Order, or Cashier's Check

Marriage Solemnization

In the City of Evanston, the City Clerk and the Mayor can solemnize marriages pursuant to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act 750 ILCS 5/ et seq. Please contact our office to make an appointment at cityclerk@cityofevanston.org or 847-448-8189. If you wish for the Mayor to solemnize your marriage, please contact him directly at dbiss@cityofevanston.org.

NOTE: The City Clerk's office does not issue Marriage Licenses or have access to Cook County Marriage records. Before getting married in Chicago or suburban Cook County, couples must obtain a Marriage License from the Cook County Clerk's office. To obtain a Marriage License, please visit Marriage Licenses | Cook County Clerk.

Timelines and Restrictions

Marriage licenses are:

Issued while you wait.
Valid only for ceremonies performed in Chicago and suburban Cook County.
Effective one day after issuance.
Valid for 60 days from the date of issuance.

NOTE:

Must be returned to the Cook County Clerk's Office within 10 days after the ceremony, by mail or in person.
A marriage ceremony taking place after the expiration date is not valid
Click here to view a Marriage Certificate Timeline.