Find Rock Island County Genealogy Records

Rock Island County genealogy records include a free online search tool that covers birth, marriage, and death indexes spanning more than a century. The county clerk at 1504 Third Avenue in Rock Island holds the original records and offers some of the lowest genealogy copy fees in Illinois. If you are looking for an ancestor who lived in the Quad Cities area on the Illinois side, Rock Island County is the place to search. The clerk office, the IRAD depository at Western Illinois University, and the Illinois State Archives all hold records tied to this county. Between the free online search and low fees, Rock Island County is one of the most accessible places to do genealogy research in the state.

Rock Island County Clerk Records

The Rock Island County Clerk is the main source for genealogy records in the county. Their office sits at 1504 Third Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201. Call (309) 558-3569 for the vital records line. The clerk holds birth records from 1882, marriage records from 1923, and death records from 1910. These date ranges cover a wide stretch of local history, and the indexes for all three are available in a free online search tool.

The Rock Island County genealogy search page is one of the best free county genealogy tools in Illinois. It lets you search the birth index from 1882 to 1950, the marriage index from 1923 to 1975, and the death index from 1910 to 2005. No account is needed. Type in a name and the system shows you matching entries. This free tool saves you a trip to the clerk office just to find out if a record exists. Once you spot a match, you can order a copy by mail or in person.

The Rock Island County free genealogy search page is shown below.

The search covers a wide date range and is simple to use. It is one of the stronger free genealogy tools offered by any Illinois county clerk.

Rock Island County Record Fees

Rock Island County has some of the lowest genealogy record fees in Illinois. A genealogical copy of a birth, death, or marriage record costs just $5. That is far less than what most other counties charge. If you need a certified copy instead of a genealogy copy, the fee is $15. The clerk accepts payment by check or money order made out to the Rock Island County Clerk.

Under the Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535), genealogical copies are available when the birth date is 75 or more years in the past, the death date is 20 or more years ago, or the marriage date is 50 or more years ago. Rock Island County follows these state rules. The genealogy copy you get is stamped as uncertified and marked for genealogical use only, so it cannot be used for legal purposes like proving identity. But for family research, it gives you the information you need at a low cost.

Note: Fees may change, so check with the Rock Island County Clerk before sending payment by mail.

Rock Island County Court Records

Beyond vital records, the Rock Island County Circuit Court holds case files that can be valuable for genealogy research. Probate records list heirs, property, and sometimes the names of family members who lived far away. Divorce files name both spouses and may list children. Civil and criminal case records can fill in gaps that vital records alone do not cover. These records are generally public under the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), though sealed portions exist in some files.

Land records for Rock Island County are another useful source for genealogy work. Deeds show when someone bought or sold property. They list the names of both parties, the date, and the legal description of the land. If your ancestor owned property in the Quad Cities area, the deed records can tell you when they lived there and where they were based. The county recorder office holds these documents.

Rock Island County at IRAD

The IRAD depository for Rock Island County is at Western Illinois University in Macomb. Call (309) 298-2716 to check hours and ask what Rock Island County records they hold. IRAD keeps older government records that the county no longer stores at the courthouse. That includes early vital records, naturalization papers, probate files, court case files, and voter registers. Research there is free. Mail and phone requests are accepted with a limit of two names per request.

The Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205) is the law that protects county records from being thrown out. It requires that records go through the IRAD system for preservation before they can be discarded. For Rock Island County, that means older records that left the courthouse are safe at Western Illinois University. The IRAD holdings database on the Illinois State Archives website lets you search what is available before you make the trip to Macomb.

State Resources for Rock Island

The Illinois State Archives runs free databases that cover Rock Island County. The statewide marriage index goes from 1763 to 1900 and may include Rock Island County marriages that predate the clerk's own online index. The death indexes cover 1916 to 1950 and 1951 to 1972. Public domain land sale records go back to the earliest transactions in the state. All of these are free online.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has statewide birth and death records from 1916 forward. If the Rock Island County Clerk does not have what you need, IDPH may hold a copy. Genealogical requests to IDPH must be sent by mail and take about 12 weeks. The state fee for a genealogy copy is $10. You cannot order genealogy copies from IDPH online or through VitalChek. For records before 1916, the county clerk or IRAD are your best options.

In-person research at the Illinois State Archives in Springfield is free for Illinois residents. Out-of-state researchers pay a $10 prepaid fee. The Archives holds census records, military records, and county-specific indexes that can help with Rock Island County genealogy research.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Rock Island County. If your ancestor lived near a county line or moved around the western Illinois region, their records may be filed in one of these counties.