Archives in Illinois: Who Keeps What

Archives in Illinois fall into three broad groups. Government records offices keep the paper trail of public life: deeds, vital records, court files and police reports. Universities, churches and community groups hold manuscripts, photographs and film. Above both sits the state's own archives system in Springfield. Our directory lists 39 archives across the state, and the mix shows how the system really works. Most are tied to a county clerk, a sheriff or a police department. A smaller number are specialist collections in Chicago and a few college or historic towns. Knowing which type you need saves a wasted trip.

Illinois has 102 counties, and each one runs its own records offices. No single catalogue covers every local archive. So the first job is to match your question to the right kind of office, then call before you drive.

The Illinois State Archives and the Laws That Protect Public Records

The Illinois State Archives is part of the Secretary of State's office. It is based in Springfield, in the Margaret Cross Norton Building on the Capitol Complex. It preserves the permanent records of state agencies, the General Assembly and the courts. It also oversees the Illinois Regional Archives Depository system, a network of branches hosted by public universities, including Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and the University of Illinois Springfield. These branches hold county and municipal records that local governments have transferred for safekeeping.

Two laws set the ground rules. The State Records Act covers state agencies. The Local Records Act covers counties, cities, townships, school districts and other local bodies. Under it, a local office cannot destroy public records unless the Local Records Commission has approved the disposal. That is why a small-town clerk may still hold ledgers more than a century old.

Access is governed by the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. A public body must answer a written request within five business days, and it can take five more business days in certain cases. The first 50 black-and-white pages are free, and the per-page charge after that is capped by law. If an office refuses, you can ask the Public Access Counselor in the Attorney General's office to review the denial. You generally have 60 days from the denial to do so.

The State Archives does not hold your local police report or your county property deed. Those stay with the local office unless they were formally transferred.

Springfield and Sangamon County: The Capital Cluster

Springfield is the single biggest cluster in our database, with nine listings in Sangamon County. The Springfield Records Archive at 325 West Adams Street (217-782-5897) is a good starting point for state-level questions. Researchers interested in Lincoln-era material, Illinois politics or early settlement should also look at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, a state institution in the same city.

Vital records are split between two levels. The Illinois Department of Public Health keeps the statewide birth and death registry in Springfield. State registration began in 1916, so earlier births and deaths are usually found with the county clerk where the event occurred. Certified marriage certificates come from the county clerk who issued the license.

Government buildings in the capital often have security screening and weekday-only hours. Bring a photo ID and expect to sign in.

Chicago and Cook County: Specialist Collections and Suburban Records

Chicago holds eight of our listings, and Cook County holds eleven in total. The city's archives lean toward specialist collections rather than routine government files. The Chicago Oriental Institute Research Archive, at 1155 East 58th Street on the University of Chicago campus (773-702-9514), documents archaeological work in the ancient Near East. The Chicago Film Archive, at 329 West 18th Street (312-243-1808), preserves film. The Chicago Independent Video Archive, at 935 West Chestnut Street (312-964-5020), focuses on independent video work. The Gerber Hart Library and Archive, at 6500 North Clark Street (773-381-8030), collects LGBTQ history. The Chicago Pastoral Center Archive, at 711 West Monroe Street (312-831-0711), holds church-related materials.

Cook County's other entries are municipal. The Skokie Fire Prevention Records Archive (7424 Niles Center Road, 847-982-5340) and the Elk Grove Police Records Archive (901 Wellington Avenue, 847-357-4130) hold files from local departments. Those are public-body records, so the FOIA process applies. For birth, death and marriage certificates in Cook County, the Cook County Clerk's office is the issuing body. In 2020 it also absorbed the old Recorder of Deeds.

Specialist collections often run on appointments. Staff are few, and materials may be fragile or stored off-site. Phone or email with a specific question and the dates or names involved.

Downstate Illinois: County Clerks, Sheriffs and Small-Town Collections

Outside the Chicago area, archives are mostly tied to the county courthouse or the sheriff's office. Jackson County in southern Illinois lists three. Murphysboro has two entries in our database, including the Jackson County Clerk Records Archive at 1001 Walnut Street (618-687-7360). Carbondale adds the Carbondale Police Records Archive at 501 South Washington Street (618-457-3205).

Sheriff's records archives appear in several counties. They include the Peoria County Sheriffs Records Archive (301 North Maxwell Road, Peoria, 309-697-7830), the Macon County Sheriffs Records Archive in Decatur (333 South Franklin Street, 217-424-1323) and the Kankakee Sheriffs Records Archive (470 East Merchant Street, 815-937-8472). These typically hold arrest, jail and incident records. Requests go through the sheriff's FOIA officer, and some material, such as juvenile files or open investigations, is exempt.

Vital-record archives follow the same county pattern. DeKalb County keeps birth and death records at 2550 North Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb (815-758-6673). Rock Island County has a vital records archive at 1504 3rd Avenue (309-558-3569). The Freeport Records Archive, at 320 West Exchange Street (815-235-8222), serves Stephenson County.

Historical collections also turn up in small places. Bishop Hill in Henry County is known for the Swedish religious colony founded there in 1846. The Bishop Hill Order of America Archive is listed at 109 South Bishop Hill Street (309-927-3898). In Elgin, the Elgin Brethren Historical Library and Archive at 1451 Dundee Avenue documents the Church of the Brethren.

Rural offices keep shorter hours and rarely have online catalogues. One clerk may handle recording, elections and records requests in the same day. A short call or letter will get a better result than a surprise visit. One listing, the Perry County Records Archive, appears under a Marissa address in St. Clair County in our data, so confirm the location by phone (618-357-5116) before you travel.

Practical Steps Before You Visit an Illinois Archive

A few habits make any Illinois records request go faster.

The questions below cover certificates, FOIA and research in more detail.

Government archives in Illinois are administered by the state archives and records management division, which is typically housed within the Secretary of State's office or a dedicated cultural affairs agency. The state archives preserves official government records while also maintaining collections of historical significance to Illinois residents.

Archives locations are available in 21 cities across Illinois. They are spread across 16 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Springfield, Chicago, Peoria, which tend to have more archives facilities due to their roles as county seats, state capitals, or historic centers of government activity.

Residents of Illinois conducting genealogical or historical research should check whether their county or city maintains a separate archives in addition to the state repository, as many local records are held at the municipal or county level.

Archives by Counties

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Researchers in Illinois can often access digitized state archives records through the state library's online portal without visiting in person. For records not yet digitized, contact the archives office in advance to schedule a research appointment and confirm that the specific collection is available for public review.

Browse Archives by county across Illinois to find the nearest location.

Reading the Illinois Archives Map: A Short Local Guide

Illinois records follow geography. In the Chicago metro area, suburban police, fire and sheriff departments run their own records archives. Our listings include the Naperville Police Records Archive at 1350 Aurora Avenue (630-420-6197) and the Du Page County Sheriff Records Archive at 501 North County Farm Road in Wheaton (630-682-7659), both in DuPage County. North of Chicago, Lake County lists the Lake Zurich Police Records Archive at 200 Mohawk Trail (847-540-3251) and a birth, death and marriage records archive at 18 North County Street in Waukegan (847-377-2411).

Central Illinois mixes county offices with state institutions. Champaign County's historical archive is at 210 West Green Street in Urbana (217-367-4025), and the Pekin Police Records Archive is at 111 South Capitol Street (309-477-2360). In the south, Murphysboro and Carbondale serve a large rural area. In the northwest, Rock Island County covers the Illinois side of the Quad Cities.

Distances matter in a state this long. A trip from Chicago to Carbondale is a full day's drive. Phone first, ask what the office holds and find out whether staff can mail or email copies. Many offices will do so for a small fee, which can save you the drive.

You can order from the Illinois Department of Public Health's Division of Vital Records in Springfield or from the county clerk in the county of birth. County clerks often give faster in-person service. In our directory, DeKalb County lists a birth and death records archive at 2550 North Annie Glidden Road (815-758-6673), and Lake County lists one in Waukegan at 18 North County Street (847-377-2411). Bring a government photo ID plus the full name, date and place of birth and parents' names. Fees vary by office, so confirm before you go. Older records are generally available as genealogical copies, which are not valid as proof of identity.

The Illinois State Archives, in the Margaret Cross Norton Building in Springfield, holds the permanent records of state government, including legislative and executive files. Researchers can use its reading room, and several genealogy indexes, such as marriage and death indexes, are searchable through the Secretary of State's website. Staff can tell you whether a record belongs at the state level or in a regional depository at a university such as Southern Illinois University Carbondale or Northern Illinois University. For deeds or local court files, start with the county office. The Springfield Records Archive in our database lists 217-782-5897 as a contact number.

Send a written request under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act to the agency's FOIA officer. Describe the record, give dates and names, and say whether you want paper or electronic copies. The agency must respond within five business days, with a possible five-day extension. Our database includes the Naperville Police Records Archive (630-420-6197), the Peoria County Sheriffs Records Archive (309-697-7830) and the Kankakee Sheriffs Records Archive (815-937-8472). Expect redactions of personal data, and some records, such as open investigations and juvenile files, may be withheld. The first 50 black-and-white pages are free.

Not always. The Chicago Film Archive (312-243-1808), the Gerber Hart Library and Archive (773-381-8030) and the Oriental Institute Research Archive (773-702-9514) are small, specialist or campus-based, and access rules differ. Some welcome walk-ins during posted hours. Others want a request in advance, especially for fragile film, photographs or manuscripts. Call or email first with the topic, names and date ranges you need. Ask whether you may photograph items, whether copies are available and whether there is a fee. Parking and building entry can be tricky in Chicago, so ask for directions.

In most Illinois counties the county clerk handles vital records, such as birth, death and marriage certificates, and keeps election records. The recorder of deeds files property documents, such as deeds and mortgages. Some counties combine the two offices, and Cook County folded its recorder into the clerk's office in 2020. So the Jackson County Clerk Records Archive at 1001 Walnut Street in Murphysboro (618-687-7360) may answer a vital records question, while a property question could go to a different counter. If you are unsure, call the county clerk and ask which office holds your record.

Under FOIA, a denial must be in writing and must cite the exemption the office relies on. If you receive no response by the deadline, the request can be treated as denied. You can file a Request for Review with the Public Access Counselor in the Illinois Attorney General's office, generally within 60 days of the denial. The counselor can ask the public body to explain its decision. You can also file a lawsuit in circuit court. Keep copies of your request, the dates and any replies. A polite follow-up call to the FOIA officer often resolves simple delays.