DuPage County Genealogy Records

DuPage County genealogy records go back to 1879 when the county clerk first began to file birth certificates. The county seat is in Wheaton, where the clerk, circuit court, and recorder of deeds all keep records that help with family research. You can search for birth, death, marriage, land, and probate records at the DuPage County offices or use their online search tools from home. DuPage County sits just west of Cook County and has long been one of the most populated counties in Illinois. Older records that no longer sit in the clerk's vault are held at the IRAD site at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. If you are tracing roots in DuPage County, you have several good paths to find what you need.

DuPage County Clerk Vital Records

The DuPage County Clerk is the main office for genealogy records in DuPage County. They hold birth records from 1879 to the present. Marriage and death records are also filed here. The office is at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton. You can call (630) 407-5500 for vital records questions or (630) 407-5400 for general info. Most people start their DuPage County genealogy search at this office because it holds the broadest range of local vital records.

DuPage County offers reduced fees for genealogy copies of older records. If a birth or marriage record is more than 75 years old, you can get an uncertified copy for just $1 per record. Death records older than 75 years cost $5 each. These genealogy copies follow the rules set by the Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535), which lets you get birth records after 75 years and death records after 20 years. For more recent records, you will need to show that you have a legal right to them. Certified birth and marriage copies cost $14 for the first and $2 for each one after that. Death certificates are $18 for the first and $6 for extras.

Walk-in visits to the DuPage County Clerk work well if you plan to search more than one name. Staff can help you check the index and find the right file. Mail requests are also an option, though they take more time. Send your request to the Wheaton address with a check or money order. Include the full name, date of the event, and your return address.

Note: DuPage County birth records before 1879 do not exist at the county level because the clerk did not start filing them until that year.

DuPage County Circuit Court Records

The DuPage County Circuit Court is part of the 18th Judicial Circuit. The courthouse is at 505 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton, close to the clerk office. You can call (630) 407-8700 for general court info or (630) 407-8904 for probate. Court records are useful for DuPage County genealogy because they include probate files, divorce cases, and civil suits that name family members, list heirs, and show property transfers.

Probate records are some of the best genealogy sources in DuPage County. A will names heirs. An estate file lists property and debts. Guardianship records show who raised minor children. These files can fill in gaps that vital records alone cannot. The circuit clerk keeps older probate files in the courthouse, and the most historic ones may have been sent to the IRAD at Northern Illinois University. You can search DuPage County court cases online through the circuit clerk case search portal. The online tool covers civil, criminal, family, and probate cases. Results show case numbers and filing dates, which you can then use to request a full file in person or by mail.

DuPage County Land Records

The DuPage County Recorder of Deeds maintains the county's land records online database. You can search by name going back to 1961, by parcel number from 1985, by address from 1995, and view plat maps from the 1800s. Land records are strong genealogy tools. A deed shows who sold and who bought a piece of land. That helps you trace when your ancestors lived in DuPage County and where they were. Call (630) 407-5400 for the main line or (630) 407-5401 for research help.

The DuPage County Recorder online portal lets you search and view documents from your home. This is a screenshot of the DuPage County land records search page at dupagecounty.gov.

Plat maps from the 1800s can show your ancestor's land in DuPage County before modern subdivisions broke up the old parcels. These maps name the landowner for each section. Even if you don't know the exact address, a plat map and a deed together can pin down the homestead. The Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205) makes sure that county records like these deeds and plats are kept and not thrown out. That is why DuPage County still has records stretching back well over a hundred years.

Searching DuPage County Genealogy Records

You have several ways to search for genealogy records in DuPage County. The county clerk handles vital records. The circuit clerk handles court and probate. The recorder handles land. Each has a search tool or staff who can help. For in-person research, all three offices are on County Farm Road in Wheaton, so you can visit them in one trip.

The IRAD depository for DuPage County is at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. They hold older DuPage County government records that have been transferred for long-term storage. This includes early vital records, court files, and other local government documents. Research at IRAD is free. You can call (815) 753-1807 to ask about DuPage County holdings before you go. Mail and phone requests are accepted but limited to two names per request. The IRAD holdings database lets you check what DuPage County records are there before your visit.

The Illinois State Archives in Springfield also has DuPage County data in their statewide indexes. Their online databases include the statewide marriage index from 1763 to 1900, death indexes, and public land sale records. These searches are free. If your DuPage County ancestor bought land from the federal government, the public domain land sale database is the place to look.

Note: Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), you can request government records from DuPage County offices, but vital records follow the Vital Records Act rules instead.

DuPage County Record Fees

DuPage County genealogy record fees are set by the county clerk. Genealogy copies of older records cost less than certified copies. Here is what you can expect to pay:

• Birth or marriage (75+ years): $1 per uncertified genealogy copy
• Death (75+ years): $5 per uncertified genealogy copy
• Certified birth or marriage: $14 first copy, $2 each additional
• Certified death: $18 first copy, $6 each additional

The low genealogy fees in DuPage County make it one of the cheaper counties in the state for older record research. Some counties charge the same rate for all copies regardless of age, so the $1 genealogy rate here is a real deal. You can pay by check or money order for mail requests. In-person visits may accept other forms of payment. Call ahead to confirm what they take. The state also offers genealogy copies through the Illinois Department of Public Health for records from 1916 forward, but those cost $10 and take about 12 weeks by mail.

Cities in DuPage County

DuPage County has many cities and villages. All of them use the DuPage County Clerk for vital records. The county handles birth, death, and marriage records for every city within its borders. Below are the qualifying cities with their own pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border DuPage County. If your ancestor lived near a county line, their records could be in one of these counties instead. Check the neighboring offices if you can't find what you need in DuPage County.