County Clerk Wyckoff advises against expensive online services that offer to act as agents for expediting your vital certificate applications as you can obtain the same record from our office at a much lower cost.

Those entitled to obtain certified or genealogical copies should order Lake County birth, death, marriage, or civil union records safely and securely from our office. Some online vendors charge ten times more than our published fees and ultimately send your order to us to be fulfilled. Protect your wallet and identity by ordering directly from us.

The County Clerk’s office is the official recordkeeper of Lake County vital records. Certified birth, marriage or civil union record fee is $10 for first copy and $4 each additional copy. A death record fee is $14 for the first copy and $8 for each additional one. Uncertified records marked “For Genealogical Purposes Only” are available for $4. To protect the integrity of these records, access is restricted by state statute. To prove their eligibility, applicants are required to complete a written application and provide valid identification.

For those who cannot visit our office, downloadable application forms can be found under the Vital Records tab. Print and mail your completed form to us with copies of the required identification and payment. Normal processing is 2 working days once your request is received by our office, and your document is mailed to you via first class U.S. mail.

Those requiring expedited shipping, wishing to pay by credit card, or sending us a request by fax or email may use our only online service partner, VitalChek (www.vitalchek.com) who adds a $7 processing fee plus shipping charges if you choose overnight or two-day delivery.

Investigate any website vendor before using them and carefully read the supplier’s terms of service. Some applications require sensitive or personal information, including a Social Security Number. The service may keep a copy of your requested record for themselves or not issue a refund if the order cannot be processed because access to the record is restricted.

We are located at 18 N. County Street, Room 101, Waukegan, Illinois. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. On Fridays not before a holiday weekend, we offer extended evening hours until 7:00 pm.

For identification requirements, record access restrictions, or calendar of office hours, visiting the Vital Records web page at LakeCountyClerk.info, calling 847.377.2411, emailing [email protected], or faxing 847.360.3608.