Kankakee County Marriage Records Lookup

Kankakee County marriage records are on file at the County Clerk's office on East Court Street in the city of Kankakee. With a population of roughly 106,635, Kankakee County sits in the northeastern part of Illinois and includes communities like Kankakee, Bourbonnais, and Bradley. The clerk issues marriage licenses, stores all completed records, and provides copies to those who request them. Whether you need a fresh license or a copy of a past marriage record, the Kankakee County Clerk is the office to contact for anything related to marriage documents in this county.

Kankakee County Clerk Marriage Services

The Kankakee County Clerk runs all marriage license services for the county. Both people must come to the office together. Each person needs to bring a valid photo ID. A driver's license, state ID, or passport will work. The clerk takes down the necessary information, collects the fee, and issues the license. Illinois law under 750 ILCS 5 requires a one-day waiting period after the license is issued. Once that day passes, the license is good for 60 days. If you do not use it in that time, it expires and you have to start fresh.

After the ceremony, the officiant completes the license and sends it back to the Kankakee County Clerk. The clerk files it, and it becomes a permanent marriage record. You can get certified copies at any point after the record is on file. The Kankakee County Clerk's staff can search for records by name or date, pull the file, and make copies while you wait during regular office hours. Certified copies have the county seal and are valid for all legal uses in Illinois.

Check the Kankakee County website for current office hours, fee schedules, and general information about clerk services.

The county site has details about the clerk's office and other departments in Kankakee County.

How to Get Kankakee County Marriage Records

The best way to get a Kankakee County marriage record is to visit the clerk's office in person. Tell the staff the names on the record and the approximate date. They search the files and, if there is a match, you pay the fee and get your copy. A certified copy from the Kankakee County Clerk has the official seal on it. This is the type you need for legal matters. Name changes, court filings, government applications, and insurance claims all require a certified copy.

Under 410 ILCS 535, only certain people can request certified copies of vital records in Illinois. The couple named on the record, their children, direct family members, and authorized legal agents are on the list. If you are not directly connected to the record, you need notarized consent from one of the named parties. Kankakee County applies these rules to all certified copy requests. For uncertified copies, the process may be more open, but call the clerk at (815) 939-8836 to ask about your situation.

Note: You can also fax a request to the Kankakee County Clerk at (815) 939-8832 to ask about records availability before making the trip.

Marriage Verification for Kankakee County

If you need to confirm that a marriage took place in Kankakee County but do not need a full certified copy, the Illinois Department of Public Health offers a verification service. The cost is $5. You mail in a form, a copy of your photo ID, and a check to the IDPH Division of Vital Records in Springfield. The verification lists the names, dates of birth, date of the event, and the county. It confirms the marriage happened but does not include all the detail that a full Kankakee County marriage record would show.

The IDPH marriage records page has the form you need. Processing takes roughly 12 weeks from the time IDPH receives your request. This option covers marriages from 1962 to the present. For anything older, go through the Kankakee County Clerk directly or check the Illinois State Archives.

Kankakee County Marriage License Steps

The process for getting a marriage license in Kankakee County starts with a trip to the clerk's office. Both parties show up with valid photo ID. The clerk asks for your full names, dates of birth, addresses, and Social Security numbers. If either person was married before, you will need to say when and how that marriage ended. A divorce within the last six months means you should bring the certified decree with you to the Kankakee County Clerk.

After you fill out the forms and pay, the clerk issues the license. The one-day waiting period kicks in right away. You cannot hold the ceremony until the next day. Once the wait is over, the Kankakee County marriage license is valid for 60 days. The person performing the ceremony must be legally authorized under Illinois law. After the ceremony, they fill out the license and send it back to the Kankakee County Clerk within 10 days so it can be filed as a permanent record. A license that is not returned becomes a problem, so make sure your officiant knows their part.

Kankakee County Marriage Records for Family Research

Kankakee County marriage records can help with family history projects. The county clerk's office has older records on file that go back decades. For records that are more than 50 years old, 410 ILCS 535/25 allows genealogical access. Copies from this pool are labeled "For Genealogical Purposes Only" and are not certified. They still give you the facts of the marriage, which is often all you need for a family tree.

The Illinois State Archives has a free marriage index covering records from 1763 to 1900 across most Illinois counties. Search the State Archives marriage database by name to see if any Kankakee County entries come up. The index shows names, dates, and a citation to the original record. From there, you contact the Kankakee County Clerk for a copy of the full document. Between the state index and the local clerk's files, Kankakee County offers good coverage for people tracing their roots through this part of northeastern Illinois.

Communities in Kankakee County

Kankakee County includes the city of Kankakee, Bourbonnais, Bradley, and a number of smaller towns. All marriage licenses for residents of these areas are issued by the Kankakee County Clerk in the city of Kankakee. There are no separate municipal offices for marriage records. Everyone in the county goes to the same office on East Court Street for licenses and copies of marriage records.

Nearby Counties

Kankakee County shares borders with several other Illinois counties. Your marriage license is only valid in the county where it was issued, so check your ceremony location before you apply.