Champaign County, Illinois, first began recording birth and death information on its county residents in 1878. By state law, all other counties began keeping birth and death records at the same time (except Cook County, which began in 1871). Certified photocopies of the birth and death records (1878-Current) are available at Champaign County Clerk's Office; Brookens Administrative Building; 1776 East Washington St.; Urbana, IL. 61801. These photocopies are made from the original paper documents and they are clear and easy-to-read. See the
Champaign County Clerk's website for current fees and regulations.
If a certified copy is not necessary in your research you can visit the Champaign County Historical Archives at the Urbana Free Library; 210 W. Green St., Urbana, IL. There you will find microfilm containing the original Birth Registers 1878 - 1900. Permission was given to the Champaign County Genealogical Society by the County Clerk to make Xerox copies of the back up Birth Registers and Record Books up to 1918. The record books are not the original birth certificates but were hand written back up volumes of those certificates. These Xerox copies were bound into books and are also at the Archives.
Microfilm of the Champaign County Death Registers, 1878-1900, and death certificates, 1900 -1947, are also available. The CCGS was also given permission by the County Clerk to make Xerox copies of the hand written backup volumes of the Death certificates up to 1916. These copies were bound into books for the Archives. Visitors to the Champaign County Historical Archives can make copies of these records in-house for 10 cents per copy.
The Birth and Death Records Index, created by CCGS volunteers from the Xerox copies of the Birth and Death records is found in the Members section of this website. The Champaign County Genealogical Society hopes that this index will assist everyone in their Champaign County, Illinois, search.
For additional information contact
Champaign County Historical Archives
The Urbana Free Library
210 West Green Street
Urbana, IL 61801-3283
e-mail archives@tufl.info
Phone: 217-367-4025
