Peoria County Death Index Records

Peoria County death index records are managed by the county clerk at the courthouse in Peoria, Illinois. With a population of about 180,000, Peoria County sits along the Illinois River in the central part of the state. The clerk's office maintains death certificates for every death that occurred within county boundaries. If you are looking for a death record in Peoria County, you can request it in person, through the mail, or by using an authorized online service. The death index covers Peoria, Peoria Heights, Bartonville, Chillicothe, and all other communities throughout the county.

Peoria County Clerk Death Records

The Peoria County Clerk's office is the place to go for death index records. The office is at 324 Main Street, Room 101, Peoria, IL 61602. You can reach them by phone at 309-672-6059. During regular business hours, staff can search the death index for a specific name and date of death and issue copies if you qualify to receive them.

Illinois law requires that every death be registered with the local registrar. Under 410 ILCS 535, Section 18, the funeral home or certifying physician must file the death certificate within seven days. The local registrar sends the record to the Peoria County Clerk and then to the state. If the death was under investigation by the county coroner, the coroner completes the certificate instead. The Peoria County death index holds data from these filings, including the person's name, date and place of death, cause of death, and certificate number.

Who Can Get Peoria County Death Records

Not everyone can get a copy of a death certificate. Illinois law restricts access. Only family members and certain other people can request death records from the Peoria County Clerk.

Under 410 ILCS 535, Section 25, a spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased can request a Peoria County death certificate. Legal representatives with proper documents qualify too. If you have a property or financial interest tied to the death, you may be able to get a copy, but you need proof. Anyone who is not a family member must provide a letter from the office or agency that needs the certificate explaining why it is needed.

Bring a valid photo ID to the clerk's office. An Illinois driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, or military ID all work. Expired IDs are not accepted. If your ID cannot be read, the request will be sent back to you.

Note: The Peoria County Clerk will not release death record information over the phone.

State Death Index Resources for Peoria County

The IDPH page on obtaining death certificates walks through each step of requesting a death record from the state, which also covers Peoria County deaths.

This page explains the methods available for requesting a death certificate. You can use mail, fax, online ordering through VitalChek, or visit the state office in Springfield. The guide includes forms, fee details, and ID requirements. Everything that applies statewide also applies when you are requesting a Peoria County death record through the state.

Peoria County Death Certificate Fees

A certified death certificate from Peoria County costs $19 for the first copy. Each additional certified copy is $4. The county must charge a $2 surcharge on each certified copy. That fee goes to the Death Certificate Surcharge Fund under state law. The total for one certified copy is $19, and the surcharge is built into that amount.

Genealogical copies cost $10 each. Extra genealogical copies are $2 each. These uncertified copies are only available for deaths that happened 20 or more years ago. They carry a stamp marking them for genealogical purposes only. You cannot use a genealogical copy from Peoria County to settle an estate, claim insurance, or handle any legal matter. For those situations, get a certified copy.

How to Get Peoria County Death Index Copies

In person is the fastest route. Head to the Peoria County Clerk at 324 Main Street, Room 101, in downtown Peoria. Bring your photo ID and know the name and date of death of the person whose record you need. The clerk will search the Peoria County death index and hand you a copy if the record exists and you are eligible. Same-day service is the norm for walk-in requests.

To order by mail, send your request to the Peoria County Clerk, 324 Main Street, Room 101, Peoria, IL 61602. Include the name of the deceased, the date of death, your name and relationship, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to the Peoria County Clerk. Give it a few weeks for the office to process mail requests and return your copy.

Online, you can use VitalChek to order a death certificate. VitalChek is the authorized online portal for Illinois vital records. You need a credit card. The $15 handling fee is on top of the certificate cost. UPS shipping is $22 extra. VitalChek works for death records from the past 20 years processed through the state. For older Peoria County records, contact the clerk directly or visit the state archives.

Peoria County Death Index for Genealogy

Older death records from Peoria County are available for genealogical research. The county clerk offers uncertified genealogy copies for deaths that occurred 20 or more years ago at a reduced cost. These are useful for building family trees and verifying historical records.

The Illinois State Archives holds the pre-1916 statewide death index and death certificates from 1916 to 1972. Researchers looking for Peoria County deaths from those periods should check the archives. The building is at the Capitol Complex in Springfield, and staff can be reached at 217-782-4866. The Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders also connects researchers with county-level vital records offices across the state. For Peoria County genealogy, these two sources together cover a wide range of years and records.

The full text of 410 ILCS 535 covers the rules that apply to all death records in Illinois, including the Peoria County death index. Reviewing the statute can help you understand your rights before making a request.

Peoria County Death Records Through the State

If you cannot get your record from the Peoria County Clerk, the Illinois Department of Public Health is the backup option. They keep death records for every county in the state going back to 1916. Their office at 925 E. Ridgely Avenue in Springfield accepts mail, fax, and in-person requests. Mail takes about 12 weeks. For urgent requests, send everything via overnight delivery with proof of immediate need and a prepaid return envelope. The state processes urgent cases in 5 to 7 business days.

Cities in Peoria County

Death index records for all cities in Peoria County are filed with the county clerk. Whether a death happened in Peoria, Peoria Heights, Bartonville, or anywhere else in the county, the record goes through the same office.

Other communities in Peoria County include Peoria Heights, Bartonville, Chillicothe, and West Peoria. All death records for these areas are on file with the Peoria County Clerk.

Nearby Counties

Peoria County shares borders with several other counties. Death records are always filed where the death occurred, so check the address carefully before requesting a record.