DuPage County Death Index Search

DuPage County death index records are held by the DuPage County Clerk's office in Wheaton, Illinois. With a population close to 930,000, DuPage County is the second largest county in the state and sits just west of Cook County. If you need to search for a death record in DuPage County, you have more than one place to go. The county clerk handles certified copies, while the DuPage County Health Department also issues death certificates from four locations spread across the county. You can request records in person, by mail, or online through VitalChek.

DuPage County Clerk Death Index Office

The DuPage County Clerk's office provides certified copies of death records for deaths that took place in DuPage County. County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek heads this office. It is on County Farm Road in Wheaton. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Call 630-407-5500 if you have questions. You can also fax your request to 630-407-5501.

The DuPage County Clerk can only give you death records for deaths that took place in the county. If a death happened somewhere else in Illinois, you need to go through the Illinois Department of Public Health in Springfield instead. Under 410 ILCS 535, each death in Illinois must be filed with the local registrar in the district where the death took place. That means the DuPage County death index only covers deaths within county lines. This is the same for every county in the state. The mailing address for the clerk is P.O. Box 1028, Wheaton, IL 60187.

To get a DuPage County death certificate in person, come to 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187. Fill out a request form before you arrive if you can. Bring a valid photo ID. Staff will search the files and give you a copy on the spot if they find the record.

DuPage County Health Department Death Records

The DuPage County Health Department is a second source for death index records in DuPage County. This agency has death records from 1953 to the present. They run four public health centers. Each one can issue death certificates. This gives DuPage County residents more options than most counties in Illinois when it comes to picking up records close to home.

The four DuPage County Health Department locations are the Central Public Health Center at 111 N County Farm Road in Wheaton, the North Public Health Center at 1111 W Lake Street in Addison, the East Public Health Center at 1111 E Jackson Street in Lombard, and the Southeast Public Health Center at 422 N Cass Avenue in Westmont. All four are open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays. You can also mail your request to the Health Department, Attn: Vital Records, at 111 N County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187. Call 630-682-7400 or email vitalrecords@dupagehealth.org for help. Keep in mind that certificates sent by mail may be folded.

DuPage County Death Certificate Fees

A certified copy of a DuPage County death certificate costs $18 for the first copy. Each extra copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time is $6. Under 410 ILCS 535, Section 25, the county clerk must add a $2 surcharge to each certified death certificate. That money goes to the Death Certificate Surcharge Fund.

DuPage County also has a lower rate for older records. Death records that are 75 years old or more fall under the genealogy category. These cost just $5 per record. They come stamped "For Genealogical Purposes Only" and are not certified. If you need the record for legal use, you still need to pay the full $18 for a certified copy.

Note: Online orders through VitalChek add a $10 service fee on top of the base cost.

Who Can Get DuPage County Death Records

Death records are not public in Illinois. The law limits who can get copies. For DuPage County death index records, you must be one of the following:

• An immediate relative such as a spouse, parent, child, or sibling
• The informant who is named on the death certificate
• The executor or administrator of the estate, with court papers to prove it
• Someone with a personal or property right interest who can show proof

If you are not a relative, you need a letter from the office or agency that needs the death certificate. This rule comes from the Vital Records Act. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. DuPage County accepts an Illinois driver's license, state ID card, U.S. passport, military ID, Selective Service card, U.S. naturalization certificate, immigration card, or out-of-state driver's license. An expired or unreadable ID means your request gets sent back.

How to Get DuPage County Death Index Copies

You have three ways to order. In person is the fastest. Walk into the DuPage County Clerk's office or any of the four Health Department locations. Bring your ID and know the name of the person and the approximate date of death. The clerk will search the DuPage County death index and issue your copy right away.

Mail requests go to the DuPage County Clerk at P.O. Box 1028, Wheaton, IL 60187. Download the Death Record Request Form from the county website. Print it, fill it out, and mail it with a copy of your photo ID. Pay with a check or money order made out to DuPage County Clerk. Put a self-addressed stamped envelope in with your request.

Online orders go through VitalChek. You need a major credit card. VitalChek charges a $10 handling fee on top of the county's base rate. This is a good option if you cannot get to the office in person or do not want to wait for mail. Processing times vary but online tends to be faster than mail for DuPage County records.

DuPage County Death Index Genealogy

Family history researchers can access older DuPage County death records at a reduced cost. Records that are 75 or more years old qualify as genealogy records. The fee drops to $5 per copy. These records are uncertified and stamped for genealogical use only. They still show the same information as a standard death certificate.

The DuPage County Clerk's office also points researchers to additional resources. The Illinois Department of Public Health has a genealogy section for statewide records. The Illinois State Archives holds the statewide death index for records before 1916 and death certificates from 1916 to 1972. The Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders can help you find the right county office. For DuPage County, the Health Department's collection goes back to 1953. Older DuPage County death index records are at the clerk's office or through the state.

Note: The state archives has seven regional depositories across Illinois if you cannot make it to Springfield.

State Resources for DuPage County Death Records

If the DuPage County Clerk does not have the record you need, try the state. The Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records holds death index records for all of Illinois from 1916 to the present. Their office is at 925 E. Ridgely Avenue in Springfield. Call (217) 782-6554 weekdays from 10 AM to 3 PM. Be warned that mail requests to the state take about 12 weeks to process. You will not get an update during that time.

The Illinois Administrative Code, Title 77, Part 500 sets out the full regulations on how death records are handled across every county, including DuPage County.

Cities in DuPage County

DuPage County has several large cities. Death index records for all of these cities are filed through the DuPage County Clerk in Wheaton. Whether the death took place in Naperville, Wheaton, or Downers Grove, the same clerk's office holds the record.

Bolingbrook sits partly in DuPage County and partly in Will County. If a death took place in the Will County portion, you would need to contact the Will County Clerk instead.

Nearby Counties

These counties border DuPage County. Death certificates are filed in the county where the death took place. If you are not sure which county, check the address first.