Death Records in Union County

Union County death records are filed with the Union County Clerk's Office in Jonesboro, Illinois. If you need a death certificate for a person who died in Union County, or if you are searching these records for family history purposes, the county clerk is your primary contact. This page explains how to request records, who is eligible to receive a copy, and what resources are available through the Illinois Department of Public Health if the county office cannot help.

Union County Clerk's Office

The Union County Clerk maintains vital records for the county, including death certificates for events that took place within Union County. The office is at 309 W. Market St., Room 100, Jonesboro, IL 62952. The main phone number is 618-833-5711. For general county information, visit the Union County official website.

Staff at the clerk's office can assist with requests for certified copies of death certificates. They can also tell you what identification you need to bring, how to pay, and what the current fee schedule is. Hours of operation can change, so call before making a trip to Jonesboro to make sure the office is open and ready to process your request.

Union County is a smaller county in southern Illinois, and some older records may be limited. If you cannot find what you need at the county level, the Illinois Department of Public Health holds statewide records and may have information the local office does not.

How to Get Union County Death Records

In-person requests are the most direct option. Go to 309 W. Market St., Room 100, in Jonesboro. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. You will need to provide the deceased's full name, the date and place of death, and your relationship to the person. Have payment ready. Calling ahead to 618-833-5711 is helpful since it lets you confirm hours, fees, and what forms may be required before you make the drive.

Mail requests are also accepted. Write your request, include a copy of your photo ID, and provide all the required identifying details for the deceased. Send a check or money order for the applicable fee made out to the Union County Clerk. Do not send cash. Add a clear return address. Mail everything to 309 W. Market St., Room 100, Jonesboro, IL 62952.

For online ordering, use VitalChek, which handles electronic vital records requests for Illinois. A service fee is added on top of the county fee. VitalChek accepts major credit cards and delivers most orders to any U.S. address.

The Illinois vital records reference guide at vitalrec.com lists Union County clerk contact details and describes the process for requesting death certificates from southern Illinois counties.

This reference guide covers counties across southern Illinois and can help you identify the right office to contact for a specific death record.

Who Can Request Union County Death Records

Illinois law restricts access to death records under 410 ILCS 535/24. Death certificates are not open public records. They are exempt from disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

People who may request a certified copy include the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the person who died. Others who may qualify are individuals with a personal or property interest in the record, an authorized legal representative, a licensed funeral director handling the case, and genealogical researchers requesting records that are at least 20 years old. Genealogical copies are uncertified and marked for research use only. Everyone must present a valid photo ID when making any type of request, whether in person or by mail.

Note: Contact the Union County Clerk at 618-833-5711 before sending a mail request if you are unsure whether your relationship to the deceased qualifies you to receive a copy.

State Records Through IDPH

The Illinois Department of Public Health is the statewide authority for vital records. IDPH holds death records for deaths throughout Illinois and is a useful backup when county records are unavailable or incomplete. The IDPH Vital Records office is located at 925 E. Ridgely Avenue, Springfield, IL 62702-2737. The phone number is (217) 782-6554. Full instructions are available on the IDPH death records page.

IDPH charges $19 for the first certified copy of a death certificate. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $4. Genealogical copies are $10. Standard mail requests take around 12 weeks. Expedited processing takes 5 to 7 business days. State law requires the payment of a search fee upfront, which is why fees are collected before any certificate is issued. For very old records or deaths that crossed county lines, IDPH may be the more reliable source.

The Illinois Department of Public Health death records page explains how to request certified copies statewide and covers eligibility rules for Union County residents and others across Illinois.

IDPH is the right contact when a Union County clerk cannot locate a record or when you need a death certificate for a death that may have occurred in a different part of Illinois.

Genealogy and Historical Research

Union County has a long history in southern Illinois, and researchers looking into family records here have a few options beyond the county clerk. Uncertified genealogical copies of death records that are at least 20 years old can be requested from the clerk's office at the lower genealogical copy rate. For older records, the Illinois State Archives and IDPH are both worth checking.

Local libraries in the Jonesboro area may hold obituary collections, funeral home records, and cemetery registers that supplement official death records. These informal sources can help fill in gaps when a formal death certificate is missing or was never filed. The Illinois State Genealogical Society also maintains databases and indexes that cover Union County and neighboring counties in the region.

Towns in Union County

Deaths that occur in Anna, Jonesboro, Cobden, Alto Pass, and other Union County communities are all recorded with the county clerk. Contact the clerk's office in Jonesboro for any death record tied to an event that happened within the county.

Nearby Counties

Union County sits in the southern tip of Illinois and shares borders with several counties. If the death you are searching for occurred near a county line, check with the adjacent county clerk as well.