Arlington Heights Birth Records

Arlington Heights birth records are kept by the Cook County Clerk in downtown Chicago. The village does not have its own vital records office. If you were born in Arlington Heights, your birth certificate is on file with Cook County and has been since the county started keeping these records in 1871. With a population of about 76,000, Arlington Heights is one of the larger suburbs in the northwest part of Cook County. You can get a certified copy of a birth certificate in person, by mail, by phone, or through a local currency exchange. The Rolling Meadows satellite office is the closest Cook County location for most Arlington Heights residents.

Cook County Birth Records for Arlington Heights

The Cook County Clerk is the only place to get an Arlington Heights birth certificate. Karen A. Yarbrough is the current Cook County Clerk. Her office keeps birth records from 1871 to the present for all of Cook County, and that includes every birth that happened in Arlington Heights. The main office is at 118 N. Clark St, Room 120, Chicago, IL 60602. There is also a walk-in location at 50 W. Washington St on the Pedway Level in downtown Chicago.

For Arlington Heights residents, the drive into the city can take 45 minutes or more depending on traffic. That is why the satellite offices are a better option for many people. Cook County runs locations in Bridgeview, Markham, Maywood, Rolling Meadows, and Skokie. The Rolling Meadows office is the closest one to Arlington Heights. You can walk in and get a certified birth certificate the same day at any of these locations. Bring a valid photo ID. The staff will look up the record by name and date of birth, then print it while you wait.

Note: The Rolling Meadows satellite office has shorter wait times than the downtown Chicago location for Arlington Heights residents.

Arlington Heights Birth Certificate Fees

The Cook County Clerk charges $15 for the first certified copy of an Arlington Heights birth certificate. Each extra copy is $4 when you order them at the same time. These are the standard fees for all Cook County birth records. You can pay with cash, check, money order, or credit card at the in-person offices.

Mail orders go to P.O. Box 641070, Chicago, IL 60664-1070. Include the full name on the birth record, date of birth, place of birth, mother's maiden name, your relationship to the person, and a copy of your photo ID. Send a check or money order for $15 payable to the Cook County Clerk. Mail requests from Arlington Heights usually take about 20 working days to process. Plan ahead if you need the certificate by a certain date. The county does not accept cash by mail.

Phone orders go through VitalChek at (866) 252-8974. VitalChek adds a $12.45 processing fee on top of the $15 county fee. You pay by credit or debit card. Arlington Heights residents can also use any participating currency exchange in Cook County. Call (847) 759-8905 to find one near you. The currency exchange adds a $5 surcharge to the county fee.

The Cook County Clerk offers free birth certificates to homeless individuals, survivors of domestic abuse, and people who were recently incarcerated. You may need to show proof of your situation. Call (312) 603-7790 for details on this program.

Arlington Heights Village Services

The Village of Arlington Heights does not issue birth certificates. All birth records for Arlington Heights go through Cook County. The village government handles local services like water bills, permits, and zoning. If you contact the village clerk about a birth certificate, they will direct you to the Cook County Clerk office.

The Village of Arlington Heights website has details about local government services and community programs for residents.

From the village site you can find contact numbers for other local offices. While they do not handle birth records, the village can help with things like address verification or other documents that you might need along with a birth certificate.

Illinois Birth Records for Arlington Heights

The Illinois Department of Public Health is the state-level source for Arlington Heights birth records. IDPH keeps records for births from 1916 to the present. If you were born in Arlington Heights after 1916, you can order from either Cook County or the state. The state office is at 925 E. Ridgely Ave, Springfield, IL 62702. You can call them at (217) 782-6554.

The state charges $10 for a certified copy. Extra copies cost $2 each. That is less than the Cook County fee. But IDPH takes about 12 weeks to process mail orders. That is a long wait. For most Arlington Heights residents, the Cook County Clerk is the faster choice by far. Under 410 ILCS 535, the Illinois Vital Records Act sets the rules for how birth records are filed and who can get copies. Both the county and state offices follow the same law.

The IDPH birth certificate page walks you through each step of ordering from the state for an Arlington Heights birth record.

The state page lists all the forms and documents you need to send in with your request. It also explains who qualifies to get a certified copy of a birth certificate under Illinois law.

Who Can Get Arlington Heights Birth Records

Illinois law limits who can order a certified copy of a birth certificate. Under 410 ILCS 535/25, the person named on the record, a parent, legal guardian, or legal representative can request a certified copy. You must show a valid photo ID at the counter. The Cook County Clerk will not release an Arlington Heights birth certificate to someone who does not qualify.

If you need an Arlington Heights birth record for someone else, you may need a court order or a notarized letter from the person named on the certificate. Genealogy requests follow different rules. Under 410 ILCS 535/27, older records may be available for family research. The state charges $10 for a genealogy search through IDPH. The Cook County Clerk can also help with older Arlington Heights birth records that fall under the genealogy guidelines.

Fixing an Arlington Heights Birth Certificate

Errors on a birth certificate happen. A misspelled name, a wrong date, or missing information can all cause problems down the road. For an Arlington Heights birth record, minor corrections may be handled at the Cook County Clerk level. Larger changes, like adding a father's name or updating a legal name after adoption, go through the Illinois Department of Public Health or the courts.

Under 410 ILCS 535/12, the state sets rules for how birth records can be changed. You will need supporting documents such as a court order, marriage certificate, or other legal papers. Call the Cook County Clerk at (312) 603-7790 and explain the issue. They will tell you which office handles your type of correction for an Arlington Heights birth record. For corrections that require IDPH involvement, contact the state directly rather than going through the county.

Birth Records Near Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights sits in the northwest suburbs of Cook County. Several nearby cities are also in Cook County and use the same clerk office for birth records. The process and fees are the same across the entire county, so it does not matter which city the birth took place in. The Cook County Clerk handles all of them from one system.

Palatine is right next to Arlington Heights to the west. Schaumburg is just to the south. Mount Prospect borders Arlington Heights to the east, and Des Plaines is a short drive east as well. Hoffman Estates is to the southwest. All of these cities are in Cook County. If you were born in any of them, you contact the same Cook County Clerk office. The Rolling Meadows satellite is a good choice for people from any of these northwest suburbs.

Cook County Birth Records

Arlington Heights is part of Cook County. Every birth record filed in Arlington Heights belongs to the Cook County vital records system. The county page has the full breakdown of fees, office hours, satellite locations, and all the details for ordering a birth certificate from Cook County.

View Cook County Birth Records →