Application Process

Requests in Person

Office Location:
115 E Washington Street Directions
Room 102 (Main Floor)
Bloomington, IL 61701

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm except County holiday

Free parking for up to 2 hours is available in the Government Center Parking Lot across East Street from our building. (There is a fee to park in Parking Garage across Front Street.)

Phone: (309) 888-5190              Fax (309) 888-5932

The applicant must present his or her original unexpired driver’s license, State ID, or passport. Please realize by law, we cannot make corrections to birth or death records.  Do not request a record if you expect us to make a correction for you.  You will need to contact the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Vital Records.

Requests By Mail

1)  Fill out the application form (linked below). You may print a blank form and fill it in by hand, or type into the form and print your completed version. If you are not able to print the form, mail us a request on regular paper that includes the information required on the form for your requested document.*
2)  Sign the form or request.
3)  Include a check made out to "McLean County Clerk" for payment.
4)  Include your return address. Please include your phone and/or e-mail, in case we have questions.
5)  Include a copy of one of our accepted forms of ID: A copy of the requester’s unexpired driver’s license, State ID or passport must accompany the request. (A copy of both sides of the ID is required when an expired ID has an extension date on the back.) If you do not have any of these forms of identification, contact our office by calling (309) 888-5190 for more options.

*For a birth certificate, we need to know the following information: birth name, birthdate, father’s name, and mother’s complete maiden name. For a death certificate, we need to know: the name of the deceased, date of death, requester’s relationship to the deceased, and the intended use of the document. For a marriage certificate, we need to know: the date of the marriage, the full name of the groom/partner 1, the full name of the bride/partner 2 (at the time of marriage) and requester’s relationship to the couple (self or other).

Vital Records Application Form (PDF)

(If you don’t have the latest version of Adobe Reader installed, download it for free.) This form is fillable in Internet Explorer or Chrome. If using another browser, you will need to print and fill out by hand. A special application form is needed to search files for the Birth Record of a Deceased Person (PDF).

Mailing Address: 
McLean County Clerk
PO Box 2400
Bloomington, IL 61702-2400

Phone: (309) 888-5190          Fax: (309) 888-5932

Search Not Found - Please note: If your document is not found on file in our office (for example, if the event did not occur in McLean County), we will send you a "Search Not Found" certificate. The charge for the search will be the same as for the document ($20 for a birth certificate; $18 for a marriage certificate; $25 for a death certificate). Search fees are non-refundable.

Online Requests 


When you request your document online, you may pay by credit or Visa debit card. Your document will be returned by regular mail at no additional cost; however, Priority Mail through the US Postal Service is available for an extra fee. When ordering multiple documents going to the same address, you need pay only once for expedited mail service. Documents will be sent together in a single envelope.

For any applications/ID’s received after 2:30 p.m. CST/CDT, your request will be processed and mailed the following business day.

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. except County holidays

Search Not Found - Please note: If your document is not found on file in our office (for example, if the event did not occur in McLean County), we will send you a "Search Not Found" certificate. The charge for the search will be the same as for the document ($20 for a birth certificate; $18 for a marriage certificate; $25 for a death certificate). Search fees are non-refundable.

Request & Pay Online


5 Steps to Request a Copy of a Vital Record online:

  1. Click on the type of vital record you are requesting from the list below. You will be directed to an outside webpage.
  2. Complete the required information relating to the certificate you are requesting on the screens that follow.
  3. You will receive a confirmation number once the credit/debit transaction is successful.* Print the confirmation page or write the confirmation number on a piece of paper. Sign the confirmation page.  We must be able to compare your signature to the one on your driver’s license or other signature ID. Click here for example.
  4. Copy your photo ID (driver’s license, State ID, or passport) onto the page that has the confirmation number and your signature. You may also scan or take a digital picture of the ID on the signed confirmation page.
  5. E-mail your ID copy to vitals@mcleancountyil.gov OR fax to (309) 888-5932.

*No documents will be mailed unless an ID has been received. If your faxed or e-mailed ID copy is illegible, you will be asked to resubmit your photo identification. A copy of both sides of the ID is required when an expired ID has an extension date on the back.

Important Notes about Mailing & Payments:

  • The credit card billing address will be used as the mailing address for your records unless you indicate otherwise on your request (text box) or ID copy page.
  • We will contact you by e-mail or phone if we do not receive adequate information or proper ID. Please check your e-mail or phone messages to avoid a delay.
  • You will need to determine the correct payment amount. One birth record is $20, but if you want additional copies they are $10 each (two of the same person's birth record = $20 + $10 or $30).  One marriage record is $18, with additional copies $10 (two of the same marriage record = $18 + $10 or $28).  Two different birth records, i.e. birth certificates for different children would be $20 + $20 or $40 for one each.  Marriage certificates for two different marriages would be $18 + $18 = $36.  Death records are $25, with the additional copies of the same person's death record $10 each.  Death records for two different individuals would be $25 + $25 or $50.  
  • Add $8.05 to your amount for Priority mailing.* For help with calculation, click here: Calculate the cost of my order. *Please note:  While the USPS says that Priority Mail is usually delivered in 1, 2, or 3 business days, Priority Mail is not guaranteed.  Currently, customers are telling us that Priority Mail is delayed.  If you still decide to add Priority Mail to your order, be aware that this is the case.
  • A convenience fee for each transaction will be added to your total. This fee is not charged by the McLean County Clerk.

We can only fulfill vital records requests for events that occurred in McLean County.
For assistance, please call us at (309) 888-5190 or e-mail us at vitals@mcleancountyil.gov.

I want to order 

Birth Certificates online
Marriage/Civil Union Certificates online
Death Certificates online

If you have an urgent need for a vital record, please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health.