Illinois marriage records are very valuable documents containing wealth of information. These documents are useful in many ways. In some situations, people use these as a way of proving that someone was an heir or to learn about their family's genealogy.
 In other cases, you may need your own, or a parent's marriage records for property disputes or for personal needs. In the state of Illinois, this information is available in many cases. However, knowing where to look to gather the information is very important for anyone who is considering an investment of time into the process.
 

In Illinois, marriage records are available for some of the oldest records, but finding them can be difficult to do. The state did not require the gathering of vital records until the start of 1916. At that time, only birth and death records were kept by the state. However, the state is not always the best location for gathering this information. In fact, until 1962, the state did not keep a thorough list or index of marriage records on hand.
 

Rather, for the best access to birth, marriage, death and even divorce records, the best resource is the local counties. Each of the counties gather this information for those instances which occur in the county. The presiding officer, such as a religious official conducting the marriage or by a legal official, files the information, currently. County level records may be available by visiting the local facility or by calling the location. In some cases, you will need to obtain these records after a thorough search of older records, which can take some time to obtain.
 

For those that need any information on the birth and death records prior to 1916, it is best to contact the county clerk's office to request this information. However, records prior to 1871 are sparse in many cases. You will need to spend some time gathering information too, such as the names of those who were marriage, where it occurred and any other data to find these records. It can be helpful for individuals to spend some time working through local records from churches and other facilities to gather old records.
 

In the state of Illinois marriage records provide a great source of information. You will learn about the names of both individuals involved, including the maiden name of the bride. You may learn about the past they lived and parent's addresses as well. This information is also important for genealogy reports and history creation. You may learn about marriage records that indicate an affiliation with a religious organization or you may learn about a location that someone lived for a short period of time.
 

For those who are looking for Illinois marriage records, consider contacting the following address if the records are from after 1962.

Illinois State Vital Records

Office of Vital Records

605 West Jefferson Street

Springfield, Illinois, 62702-5097
 

For more information, you can always search local records at the county level. Many times, the marriage licenses are available.

• Illinois Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

• Illinois Marriage Certificates & Records

• Illinois Marriage License Laws

• Univ. of Illinois Marriage and Family Therapy Certification