Logan County Genealogy Record Search
Logan County genealogy records are maintained at the county clerk and recorder office in Lincoln, a community in central Illinois with a county population of about 28,000. The clerk keeps birth, death, and marriage records from the late 1800s, along with land and property files. Logan County also offers circuit clerk case searches at $5 per year, with records from 1990 onward available online and pre-1990 records accessible by mail. The IRAD depository for Logan County is at Illinois State University in Normal. Lincoln was the only city named for Abraham Lincoln before he became president, and this county has deep roots in early Illinois settlement.
Logan County Genealogy Quick Facts
Logan County Clerk Vital Records
The Logan County Clerk and Recorder is at 601 Broadway St, Lincoln, IL 62656. Call (217) 732-4148 for hours and information. This office handles all birth, death, and marriage records for the county. Birth and death records start around 1877. Marriage files may extend back to the 1840s or 1850s, depending on how well the early volumes were preserved.
Genealogy searches cost $10. Provide the full name, approximate dates, and what kind of record you need. The staff will search the indexes for you and report their findings. In-person visits to the Lincoln courthouse let you sit down and go through the record books yourself. This is the best approach if you have several names to search or want to browse the indexes. Mail requests work too. Send a letter with the details, a $10 check payable to the Logan County Clerk, and a copy of your photo ID.
The Logan County Clerk and Recorder website has additional information about available records and fees. Check their page for current hours and any form requirements before you visit or send a request.
The Logan County Clerk and Recorder website lists current fees, hours, and record availability for genealogy researchers.
The Logan County Clerk and Recorder page shown above provides details on how to request vital records and land documents from the Lincoln office. The Counties Code (55 ILCS 5) names the county clerk as the official custodian of local vital records.
| Office | Logan County Clerk & Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 601 Broadway St Lincoln, IL 62656 |
| Phone | (217) 732-4148 |
Logan County Circuit Clerk Records
The Logan County Circuit Clerk offers case searches at $5 per year searched. This is a useful genealogy tool because court records contain information you won't find in vital records. Probate cases show how estates were settled and who the heirs were. Divorce files list family members. Guardianship records name children and their caregivers. Civil and criminal cases place people at specific times and locations.
Records from 1990 onward are available online. Pre-1990 records require a mail request. The $5 per year fee is quite reasonable compared to what some counties charge for case searches. If you are looking for an ancestor who appeared in a Logan County court case, this is the office to contact. Court records are generally public under the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), though some case types are sealed or restricted.
For probate cases in particular, the circuit clerk files can name every family member involved in settling an estate. These records are sometimes the only place where all siblings are listed in a single document.
Logan County Genealogy at IRAD
The IRAD depository for Logan County is at Illinois State University in Normal. Call (309) 452-6027 to check hours and ask about Logan County holdings. IRAD stores older government records that the county has transferred from the Lincoln courthouse. These can include historical vital records, court files, probate records, naturalization papers, and other county documents. Research at IRAD is free, and you can photograph documents at no cost.
Use the IRAD holdings database on the Illinois State Archives website to search what Logan County records are stored in Normal. Check the inventory before making the trip. The Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205) created the IRAD system to protect county records from loss or damage. Logan County's oldest files are preserved at the ISU archive because of this law.
Searching Logan County Genealogy
Start with the Logan County Clerk in Lincoln for local vital records. The $10 search fee covers staff time in the indexes. Also check with the circuit clerk for court records at $5 per year. For statewide records from 1916 onward, the Illinois Department of Public Health holds birth and death files. IDPH requests go by mail and take about 12 weeks at $10 per copy.
The Illinois State Archives has free online databases that include Logan County entries. The statewide marriage index covers 1763 to 1900. Death indexes cover the pre-1916 era and the years 1916 to 1950. The Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535) sets the genealogy thresholds: birth records open after 75 years, death after 20 years, marriage after 50 years.
- Logan County Clerk: vital records from 1877, $10 search fee
- Circuit Clerk: case searches at $5/year, post-1990 online
- IRAD at Illinois State University, Normal: older county files
- Illinois State Archives: free marriage and death indexes online
- IDPH: statewide birth and death from 1916, $10 by mail
Logan County sits in the heart of central Illinois. Families here often had connections to neighboring Sangamon, McLean, and Tazewell counties.
Nearby Counties
These counties surround Logan County in central Illinois. Many families had ties across county lines, so check these neighbors if your Logan County search stalls.