Will County Genealogy Lookup
Will County genealogy records reach back to 1836 when the first marriage records were filed. The county seat in Joliet holds vital records, land documents, and court files across several offices. You can search birth records from December 1877, death records from the same date, and marriage records that go back more than 180 years. Will County offers online search tools for land records and court cases, plus a genealogy research page through the county clerk. The IRAD for Will County is at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where older government records are stored for free research. If your family lived in Will County at any point, the clerk office in Joliet is the best place to start looking for records that can fill in your family tree.
Will County Genealogy Quick Facts
Will County Clerk Genealogy Records
The Will County Clerk is the main office for genealogy records in Will County. They sit at 302 N. Chicago Street in Joliet. Call (815) 740-4615 or email vitalrecords@willcounty.gov. The clerk holds birth records from December 1, 1877, death records from the same date, and marriage records from 1836. That makes the marriage files some of the oldest local records in Will County.
Will County charges $14 for a birth, death, or marriage record. If you want a certified genealogy copy, add $1 per record. The fees are the same whether you visit in person or send a mail request. The Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535) sets the rules for when records open up for genealogy. Birth records become available 75 years after the date of birth. Death records open after 20 years. Marriage records can be accessed for genealogy after 50 years. Will County follows these state thresholds for all genealogy requests.
The Will County Clerk has a genealogy research page on their website. This is the Will County genealogy research page.
The clerk warns that VitalChek is not a good option for genealogy orders. VitalChek charges extra fees on top of the county rate, and for older records that may not exist in their system, you could end up paying for nothing. If you want Will County genealogy records, go through the clerk office in Joliet directly. It saves money and you get a straight answer on whether the record exists.
| Office | Will County Clerk, Vital Records |
|---|---|
| Address | 302 N. Chicago Street Joliet, IL 60432 |
| Phone | (815) 740-4615 |
| vitalrecords@willcounty.gov | |
| Fees | Birth/Death/Marriage: $14 | Certification: $1/record |
Note: VitalChek is not recommended for Will County genealogy research because of high fees and limited access to older records.
Will County Circuit Court Records
The Will County Circuit Court is part of the 12th Judicial Circuit. Court records are useful for Will County genealogy because they include probate files, divorce records, and civil cases. Probate records are especially good. A will names heirs. An estate case lists what the person owned. Guardianship files show who took care of the children. These records fill in details that vital records alone don't cover.
Will County has an online court search through the iPublic portal. This is the Will County iPublic court portal.
The iPublic system lets you search by name and case type. You can find probate, family, and civil cases. Results show case numbers, parties, and dates. For older Will County court files that are not in the online system, you may need to visit the courthouse in Joliet or contact the circuit clerk by phone. Some of the oldest court records from Will County have been sent to the IRAD at Northern Illinois University under the Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205). That law requires counties to preserve records with long-term research value rather than throw them out.
Will County Land Records
The Will County Recorder of Deeds keeps land records at 158 N. Scott Street in Joliet. Their online search uses the Fidlar/Avid system and covers all documents going back to 1836. That is nearly 190 years of land records for Will County genealogy. The Will County land records search lets you look up deeds, mortgages, plats, and other recorded documents from home.
Land records can tell you when your ancestor bought or sold property in Will County. A deed names the buyer and seller. A mortgage shows financial ties. Plat maps show lot lines and the name on each parcel. These are strong tools for pinning down where your family lived and when. If you can't find a vital record for your Will County ancestor, a land record from the 1800s may be the best proof that they were here.
For original federal land sales in Will County, check the Illinois State Archives public domain land sale database. That covers the first government sales of land across Illinois and can show you when the very first deed for a parcel was issued.
Searching Will County Genealogy Records
Will County gives you solid online tools for genealogy research. The clerk has a genealogy research page. The iPublic portal covers court cases. The Fidlar system covers land records. Between these three, you can do a lot of research from home before you visit Joliet. Most searches are free. You pay when you order a copy.
For in-person visits, the Will County offices in Joliet are close to each other. The clerk is on Chicago Street and the recorder is on Scott Street. Bring the names and date ranges you are working with. Staff at both offices can help you search the indexes and find the right files. Some of the oldest Will County records are only on paper or microfilm and don't show up in the online systems. A trip to Joliet may turn up records you can't find any other way.
The IRAD depository for Will County is at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. They hold older Will County government records including early vital records, court files, and other local documents. Research there is free. Call (815) 753-1807 to ask what Will County records they have before you drive out. Mail requests are accepted for up to two names. You can also check the IRAD holdings search online to see what is stored there. The Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) governs public access to government records in Illinois, but vital records follow their own rules under the Vital Records Act.
Will County Record Fees
Will County charges a flat $14 for any vital record, whether it is a birth, death, or marriage certificate. Certification costs an extra $1 per record. These fees are the same for in-person and mail requests. Below is what you can expect to pay for Will County genealogy records:
- Birth record: $14
- Death record: $14
- Marriage record: $14
- Certification per record: $1
- VitalChek: not recommended for genealogy
The $14 flat fee is straightforward and in line with what most Illinois counties charge. For mail requests, send a check or money order to the Joliet address. Include the full name of the person, the date of the event, and your return address. The state also has records through the Illinois Department of Public Health for birth and death files from 1916 forward. State copies cost $10 for genealogy but take about 12 weeks by mail. For Will County records before 1916, the clerk in Joliet is the only source since the state didn't collect those records at that time.
Cities in Will County
Will County has a number of growing cities and villages south of Chicago. All vital records for these cities are handled by the Will County Clerk in Joliet. Below are the qualifying cities with their own pages on this site.
Nearby Counties
Will County borders several other counties. If your ancestor lived near a county line, check the neighboring counties too. Records could be in a different county if the family lived close to a border or moved between areas.