Search Tazewell County Birth Records

Tazewell County birth records are available through the County Clerk's office in Pekin. This central Illinois county sits just south of Peoria and has a population of about 131,000 people. The clerk keeps birth certificates on file from 1877 to the present day. You can order copies in person at the courthouse, by mail, or through the state. If you need a birth certificate from Tazewell County, the local clerk is typically the fastest route. The state office in Springfield also has records going back to 1916 for all Illinois counties, including Tazewell.

Tazewell County Clerk Birth Certificate Office

The Tazewell County Clerk's office in Pekin is the place to go for local birth records. As the county's local registrar, this office keeps birth certificates filed in Tazewell County and issues certified copies to people who qualify. Staff can look up records by name and date of birth, then print copies on the spot for walk-in visitors. If you live near Pekin, this is the most direct way to get a Tazewell County birth certificate.

The office also takes mail requests. Send a completed application along with a copy of your valid photo ID and payment by check or money order. Make the payment out to the Tazewell County Clerk. Include the full name shown on the birth record, the date of birth, and the place of birth if you know it. Staff will process your request and mail the certified copy back to you. Turnaround time varies, but county offices are generally much faster than the state, which takes about 12 weeks.

For detailed contact info, the Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders maintains a directory of all county clerks in the state. You can find the Tazewell County Clerk's phone number and address through their site if you need to call ahead with questions about birth records.

How to Order Tazewell County Birth Certificates

You have a few choices when ordering a birth certificate from Tazewell County. In person is the quickest option. Go to the County Clerk's office in Pekin, bring your photo ID, and ask for the record you need. Staff can usually print it the same day. This saves you the wait that comes with mailing in a request or going through the state.

Mail orders work too. Put together your application form, a photocopy of your ID, and payment. The ID must be valid and not expired. Under Illinois law, if the clerk can't read your ID or it has passed its expiration date, your request gets sent back without being processed. That rule applies statewide but the Tazewell County Clerk follows it strictly. Double-check your ID before you send anything.

You can also try VitalChek for online or phone orders. VitalChek charges a service fee on top of the county's own fee. It accepts credit and debit cards, which is useful if you don't want to write a check. The order still goes through the Tazewell County Clerk's office, so the timeline depends on how fast they process it locally.

Note: Always confirm current fees and accepted payment methods with the Tazewell County Clerk before sending a mail request.

Tazewell County Birth Records Online Resources

While Tazewell County may not have a dedicated online portal for birth records, the IDPH birth certificate application page provides forms and instructions that apply to all Illinois counties, including Tazewell.

The state page walks you through the application process step by step. It lists what fee to pay, what form of ID to include, and how to fill out the request form. Even if you plan to order from the Tazewell County Clerk directly, this page gives you a good sense of what to expect.

The Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders is another helpful resource. Their directory lists every county clerk office in Illinois and can point you to the right contact for Tazewell County birth records.

This directory is especially useful if you are not sure which county a birth was recorded in. The Peoria metro area spans several counties, and a birth at a hospital near the county line could be filed in Tazewell, Peoria, or Woodford County depending on the exact address.

Tazewell County Birth Record Fees

Tazewell County uses the standard Illinois fee schedule for birth certificates. The short-form certified copy is $10. It shows basic information: the child's name, date of birth, sex, place of birth, and parent details. The long-form copy is $15 and includes everything that was recorded at the time of birth. The content of the long form has changed over the years, so older records may have different fields than newer ones.

Additional copies of the same record cost $2 each when you order them at the same time as the first copy. Genealogical copies are available for $10 per record. These are uncertified and come stamped with a note that says they are for genealogy use only. To get a genealogical copy from Tazewell County, the birth record must be at least 75 years old. That opens up records from 1951 and earlier for anyone with a research interest, even if they are not related to the person on the certificate.

Who Can Get Tazewell County Birth Certificates

Illinois treats birth records as restricted documents. They are not public records, and they fall outside the reach of the Freedom of Information Act. The rules are set by the Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535), and the Tazewell County Clerk follows them for every request.

The list of people who can get a certified Tazewell County birth certificate is short. You must be the person on the record and at least 18 years old. Parents named on the certificate can request it too. Legal guardians need court papers proving their role. Legal representatives need written authorization from the person or a parent. Government agencies can get copies with a formal written request that states why they need the record. Courts can order copies released as well.

For genealogy, the rules ease up a bit. Anyone with a genealogical interest can request an uncertified copy of a Tazewell County birth record that is 75 or more years old. These copies cannot be used for legal purposes. Willful misuse of any birth certificate is a Class 4 felony under 410 ILCS 535/27, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

State Birth Records for Tazewell County

The Illinois Department of Public Health keeps a copy of every birth record filed in the state since January 1916. That includes all Tazewell County births from that date forward. You can request a copy from IDPH instead of the county clerk if you prefer. Their office is at 925 E. Ridgely Ave in Springfield, IL 62702.

State fees are the same: $10 short form, $15 long form, $2 for extras, $10 for genealogy copies. The main drawback is speed. IDPH takes about 12 weeks to process mail requests and does not provide status updates during that time. The walk-in office in Springfield is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for same-day service, but you have to go there in person. Call (217) 782-6554 for questions. If you live closer to Pekin than Springfield, the Tazewell County Clerk is the faster choice for a birth certificate.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Tazewell County in central Illinois. If you are unsure where a birth was registered, check the address of the hospital or residence at the time. Some areas near the county line could fall into a neighboring county's records.