Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists (as well as the largest of them all – FamilySearch), a great number of indexes to death collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific death information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual death certificates themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include death information that is not included in the lists below. For example, newspapers and obituaries have death info, but most times obituary indexes include the date of the obituary but not the date of death. To find out which types of other records may include death information, please see:
The lists below are specific death indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state of Illinois.
Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Note: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription, you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated October 2023)
Illinois Death Records
- Adams County Death Record Listing, 1878-1972
- Adams County Registers of Deaths, 1877-1915
- Adams County Adams County, Card Index to Deaths, 1877-1990
- Adams County, Card Index to Deaths, 1877-1990
- Adams County, Coroner’s Inquest Files, 1834-1922
- Adams County, Deaths
- Adams County, Memorials to those involved in the Legal profession, with Birth and Death Dates, ca. 1807-1961
- Alexander County Death Records, V. 1-3, 1879-1917
- Alexander County, Death Indexes
- Alexander County, Deaths
- Arlington Heights, Register of Certificates of Death
- Aurora, Record of Burials and Deaths 1859-1891
- Barrington Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Belleville Daily Advocate Vital Statistics 1927 – 1954
- Belleville, Catholic Parish Records, 1729-1956
- Bond County Deaths
- Bond County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1817-1927
- Bond County, Deaths
- Boone County Birth and Death Indexes
- Boone County Death Register, Certificates, 1876(1), 1877-1944; Index, ca. 1877-1976
- Boone County, Death Index
- Boone County, Deaths
- Brown County Register of Deaths, Book 1, Dec. 1877-Oct. 1915: Indexes, 1878-1945
- Calhoun County Death Indexes
- Calhoun County, Deaths
- Carroll County, Deaths
- Cass County Death Index 1878-1915
- Cass County Vital Records, 1837-1915
- Cass County, Deaths
- Central Illinois Death Notices, 1848-1870
- Central Illinois Obituaries, 1848-1870
- Champaign County Death Records, 1878-1915; Indexes, 1878-1949
- Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925
- Chicago, Polish Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Chicago, Sinai Congregation, Marriage and Death Records, 1861-1905
- Chicago, Index to the Obituaries and Death Notices Appearing in the Dziennik Chicagoski
- Christian County Coroners Death Certificates Record, V. 1, 1913-1915
- Christian County Death Records, 1878-1917; Index, 1878-1927
- Christian County, Deaths
- Clark County Deaths
- Clark County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1819-1913
- Clark County, Deaths
- Clay County Deaths
- Clay County Death Records, 1877-1918
- Clinton County Death Records
- Clinton County Death Records, 1877-1915; Still Birth Register, 1878-1911
- Clinton County, Deaths
- Coles County Coroner’s Records, 1949-1963
- Coles County, Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1831-1929; Indexes, 1878-1929
- Coles County, Deaths
- Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998
- Cook County, Chicago Deaths, 1995-1998
- Cook County, Chicago Heights, Church Records
- Cook County, Death Indexes
- Cook County, Deaths
- Crawford County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
- Crawford County, Vital Records, 1817-1981
- Cumberland County, Deaths
- DeKalb County – Births, Marriages and Deaths
- DeKalb County, Deaths
- DeWitt County Death Index
- DeWitt County Death Records, 1878-1917; Index, 1878-1979
- Douglas County Births, Deaths, and Marriages
- Douglas County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1857-1980
- Douglas County, Deaths
- Dupage County, Deaths
- Edgar County Death Records, 1877-1915
- Edgar County, Deaths
- Edwards County Deaths 1916-1950
- Edwards County Death Index, 1877-1933; Register of Deaths, 1877-1901
- Edwards County, Deaths
- Edwards County, Index to Death Books 1-4, Dec. 1877 – Apr. 1933
- Effingham County Death Records, 1878-1915
- Fayette County Death Index
- Ford County Births, Deaths, and Marriages
- Ford County Index to Deaths, 1878-1901; Register of Deaths, 1878-1901
- Franklin County Death Indexes
- Franklin County Coroner’s Certificate of Death Record, 1910-1915
- Franklin County Death Records, Vol. 1-2, 1877-1915
- Franklin County, Deaths
- Fulton County Pre-1916 Death Index
- Fulton County, Deaths
- Gallatin County Death Index
- Gallatin County Index to Births, 1878-1972; Index to Deaths, 1878-1916
- Gallatin County, Deaths
- Glenview Death Index
- Greene County Deaths
- Greene County Vital Records, 1821-1981
- Greene County, Vital Records Card File, ca. 1869-2007
- Grundy County Death Registers, Jan. 7, 1878 – Jan. 22, 1901; Index, ca. 1878-1905
- Hamilton County Death Indexes
- Hancock County Birth Certificates, Death Records, Marriage Records, Applications for Marriage Licenses, 1829-1947
- Hancock County Coroner’s Record, 1893-1912
- Hancock County Death Certificate Record, 1910-1915
- Hancock County, Nauvoo Community Project, 1839-1846
- Hardin County Death Register and Record, 1884-1919; Index, 1884-1946
- Henderson County Death Register, 1878-1902; Index to Deaths, 1878-1900
- Henderson County, Deaths
- Henderson County, Abstracts of Marriage, Death, and Estate Notices from the Oquawka Spectator, 1848-1852
- Henry County Register of Deaths, V. 1, 1877-1902, 1905
- Henry County, Death Index
- Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947
- Illinois Federal and State Census Mortality Schedules 1850-1880
- Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880
- Illinois Register, 1695-1799
- Illinois Statewide Death Certificates (1916–1950)
- Illinois Statewide Death Index (1951–1971)
- Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre–1916
- Illinois, Church Records, 1837-1995
- Illinois, Death Certificates and Stillbirths, 1916-1947
- Illinois, Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999
- Illinois, Firefighter Line of Duty Death Database
- Illinois, Pre-1916 Documented Death Dates from Courthouse Records
- Illinois, U.S., Select Deaths Index, 1877-1916
- Iroquois County Deaths
- Iroquois County Death Record, 1878-1901
- Jackson County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Jackson County Death & Stillbirth Certificates, 1916-1922
- Jackson County Birth and Death Records, 1902-1941
- Jackson County Death Register and Index, 1877-1901
- Jackson County, Deaths
- Jasper County, Deaths
- Jefferson County Death Indexes
- Jefferson County Death Records, 1877-1915
- Jefferson County, Deaths
- Jersey County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Jersey County Vital Records, 1839-1983
- Jersey County, Deaths
- Jo Daviess County Miscellaneous Records, 1828-1942
- Jo Daviess County Births, 1877-1905; Delayed Births, ca. 1918-1986 Marriages, 1830-1922; Deaths, 1877-1930: Indexes to Births, ca. 1877-1986; Marriage Index, ca. 1878-1988; Death Certificate Index, 1916-1964
- Jo Daviess County, Deaths
- Johnson County Births, Deaths, and Marriages
- Johnson County Death Record and Register, Vol. 1-2, 1878-1933; Index, 1878-1933
- Johnson County, Death Records, 1878-1900
- Johnson County, Deaths
- Kane County Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Kane County Death Certificates and Indexes, 1877-1919
- Kankakee County Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Kankakee County Death Certificates, 1915-1951, Index, 1916-1958
- Kankakee County Death Registers, 1877-1915
- Kankakee County, Deaths, 1887-1916
- Kendall County Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Kendall County Registers of Births, 1877-1918; Register of Deaths, 1877-1903, (1877-1918)
- Kendall County, Death Indexes
- Knox County Death Records, 1877-1900; Index, 1878-1935
- Knox County Index, Death Records, 1878 through 1910
- Lake County Births, Marriages, and Death Index
- Lake County Register and Star, Death Index, 1857-1938
- Lawrence County Vital Records, 1877-1934
- Lawrence County, Deaths
- Lee County, Death Index, 1877-1999
- Lee County, Deaths
- Livingston County Death Record, 1878-1900
- Macon County Poor Farm, Deaths and Burials
- Macon County Death Records, 1877-1918; Index, 1877-1922
- Macon County, Death Index, 1877-1922
- Macon County, Decatur Public Library Collections, 1879-2007
- Macoupin County Death Indexes
- Macoupin County, Death Indexes
- Macoupin County, Death Records Index, Volume I, (1877-1878)
- Macoupin County, Deaths
- Madison County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1813-1916
- Madison County, Deaths
- Marion County Death Indexes 1877-1950
- Marion County Death Records, 1877-1915
- Marion County Death Records, 1878-1915
- Marshall County Death Indexes
- Marshall County, Deaths
- Mason County Vital Records, 1841-1918; separate Indexes 1877-ca. 1982
- Mason County, Deaths
- Mason County, Deaths, 1878 through 1901
- Massac County Death Index
- Massac County Death Records
- Massac County Death Records
- Massac County, Deaths
- Mattoon Death Certificate Registers Index (1899–1918)
- McDonough County Inquest Records, 1860-1923
- McDonough County, Deaths
- McHenry County Marriages and Deaths
- McHenry County Death Records and Index, 1878-1909
- McHenry County, Deaths
- McLean County Death Index Cards, 1878-1899
- McLean County Register of Deaths, 1878-1900
- McLean County, Deaths
- Melrose Park Death Index
- Menard County Death Index
- Menard County Vital Records, 1839-1932
- Menard County, Deaths
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Monroe County Birth, Death, and Marriage Records
- Monroe County Vital Records
- Monroe County Death Records, 1878-1915
- Monroe County, Deaths
- Montgomery County Deaths
- Montgomery County Indexes
- Morgan County Death Records
- Morgan County Index to Deaths, 1858-1938; Death Register, 1878-1904; Stillbirths, 1878-1922
- Moultrie County Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1843-1927; Indexes, 1843-1981
- Moultrie County, Deaths
- Mount Prospect Death Index
- Nauvoo Deaths and Marriages, 1839-1845
- Odell Public Library, Miscellaneous Death Dates
- Ogle County Index to Deaths, 1878-1953; Register to Deaths, 1878-1901
- Ogle County, Deaths
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Peoria County, Death Record Index
- Perry County Death Index A, 1878-1915; Registers of Deaths, 1878-1915; Coroner’s Death Certificates, 1911-1915
- Perry County, Deaths
- Piatt County Death Records, 1877-1915
- Pike County Births, 1877-1915; Marriages, 1831-1923 (an Index goes from 1827-1923); Deaths, 1877-Jan. 1902, June 1904-1915
- Pope County Death Register and Index, 1877-1910; Death Record, 1909-1917
- Pulaski County Death Indexes
- Pulaski County Birth and Death Record, 1882-1919
- Pulaski County, Deaths
- Quincy, Death and Marriages from Early Quincy Papers, 1835-1850
- Randolph County Death Registers, 1877-1917
- Randolph County Marriage and Death Indexes
- Randolph County, Funeral home Records, 1915-1957, 1915-1958
- Richland County Index of Death Records 1878-1940, Death Records 1877-1950, and Stillbirths 1883-1904
- Rock Island County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Rock Island County Will Abstracts
- Rock Island County Index to Deaths, 1878-1921; Deaths, 1877-1901
- Saline County Death Records, 1878-1915; Index, 1878-1939
- Schuyler County, Deaths
- Schuyler County, Deaths
- Scott County Vital Records, 1839-1943
- Shelby County Death Indexes
- Shelby County Death Records, 1878-1917
- Shelby County Marriage Licenses, Vol. A, 1827-1831; Marriage Records, Vol. B, 1854-1871; Deaths, Vol. 1, 1877-1892
- St Clair County, Deaths
- St. Clair County Death Index
- St. Clair County Mascoutah Herald Death Index
- Stark County Register of Death, 1877-1901
- Stark County, Deaths
- Tazewell County Coroner’s Inquests, 1904-1964
- Tazewell County Vital Records, 1827-1922
- Tazewell County, Deaths
- Tazewell County, Obituary Card Index from the Pekin Times, 1914-2007
- Tuscola Journal Newspapers Vital Records 1914-1916
- Union County Death Records, 1877-1915
- Union County Register of Births and Deaths, 1877-1947
- Union County, Deaths
- United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
- United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
- United States Social Security Death Index
- United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
- Vermilion County Register of Deaths, 1877-1917
- Vermilion County, Death Indexes
- Vermilion County, Deaths
- Wabash County, Deaths
- Warren County Kirkwood Area Local Registrars’ Register of Death Certificates, Jan. 1902-Dec. 1915
- Warren County, Records
- Warren County, Index to Death Records, 1877-1983, Death Records, 1877-1901
- Washington County, Deaths
- Wayne County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Wayne County, Deaths
- White County Death Register, Vol. 1-3, 1878-1915; Index, 1878-1912
- White County, Deaths
- Whiteside County Coroner’s Record, 1892-1908
- Whiteside County Coroner’s Record, V. A-B, 1871-1891, 1908-1918
- Whiteside County, Deaths
- Will County, Death Indexes
- Williamson County Death Index
- Williamson County Death Record, Vol. 1-3, 1877-1915; Index, 1877-1914
- Williamson County, Death Indexes
- Williamson County, Death Records
- Wilmette Death Index
- Winnebago County Deaths
- Winnebago County Deaths, 1844-1981
- Winnebago County, Death Indexes
- Winnebago County, Deaths
- Winnebago County, Death Certificates, ca. 1876-1947
- Woodford County, Deaths
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For all Free Illinois Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
For all Free Illinois Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
One reply on “Free Online Illinois Death Records and Indexes”
Any suggestions on finding death records for Bureau County for an 1844 death? I have tried the state index and there are no Bureau records indexed yet.