Cook County Clerk Records

About County Clerk Monica Gordon

Monica Gordon was sworn in as Cook County Clerk on December 2, 2024. She leads the office that holds vital records dating to 1872, runs suburban Cook County elections, processes Statements of Economic Interests for thousands of public officials, and maintains Board of Commissioners records. The Clerk's office is at 69 W. Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602, phone (312) 603-5656.

The County Clerk government profile is shown below.

The Clerk Monica Gordon profile page is below.

Cook County Clerk Duties

The County Clerk is the chief election officer for Cook County and maintains the central vital records office. The office also handles statements of economic interests, lobbyist registration, and tax-extension functions tied to the property tax system.

• Chief election officer for Cook County, including suburban polling places.
• Maintains birth, marriage, civil-union, and death certificates dating to 1872.
• Vital Records division administers business registrations, assumed names, notary commissions, and a genealogy website.
• Issues property tax rates, permanent real-estate numbers, and new tax codes.
• Maintains real-estate maps and processes redemptions of delinquent property taxes.
• Receives and publishes more than 22,000 Statements of Economic Interests annually.
• Maintains lobbyist registrations and semiannual reports.
• Prepares Board of Commissioners agendas and maintains legislative records and the code of ordinances.
• Administers voter registration and judge recruitment for suburban Cook County's 1.4 million registered voters.

County Clerk vs Clerk of the Circuit Court

Cook County uses a split clerk structure. The two offices have similar names but very different jobs. Use the table below to pick the right office before you call or visit.

The statutory authority for the Clerk of the Circuit Court page is below for reference.

Vital Records and Genealogy

The County Clerk's Bureau of Vital Records issues certified marriage and civil-union certificates, certified birth records, and certified death records. Genealogy records are available for older entries: marriage older than 50 years, birth older than 75 years, and death older than 20 years. A free certified birth record is available for verified people born in Cook County who are homeless, residents of domestic-abuse shelters, released within the last 90 days from IDOC or CCDOC custody, or current inmates who will be released within the next 90 days.

For full marriage and divorce coverage including license fees and the Marriage / Civil Union Record Request Form 2024, see Cook County marriage and divorce records.

Cook County Clerk Vital Record Fees

The County Clerk publishes fees on the official Marriage / Civil Union Record Request Form 2024 and the Genealogy Record Request Form 2024.

Cook County Elections

The County Clerk runs elections for suburban Cook County. The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners runs Chicago elections. Suburban Cook County has about 1.4 million registered voters. The County Clerk also recruits and trains judges of election, manages polling places, and maintains voter registration records.

Note: Voter records are partly public under the Illinois Election Code but are not freely indexed online. The Clerk publishes some aggregate election data and rosters under FOIA.

Board of Commissioners and Ethics Records

The County Clerk prepares Board of Commissioners agendas, communicates post-board-meeting actions, and maintains the Board's legislative records and code of ordinances. The office also receives and publishes Statements of Economic Interests filed by elected and appointed officials (more than 22,000 annually) and lobbyist registrations and semiannual reports.

Note: Statements of Economic Interests are public records and can be reviewed at the Clerk's office or through the Clerk's online services.

Business, Assumed Name, and Notary Records

The County Clerk's Vital Records division also administers business registrations, assumed-name filings, and notary commissions. A sole proprietor or partnership doing business under a name other than the owner's legal name files an assumed-name registration with the County Clerk. The office also processes notary public commissions for Cook County.

These filings are public records. They are kept separate from court case files held by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. A business dispute that goes to court would appear in the Circuit Court docket, but the underlying assumed-name registration stays with the County Clerk.

• Assumed-name (DBA) registration for sole proprietors and partnerships.
• Notary public commissions for Cook County.
• Genealogy website access for older vital records.

Recorder of Deeds Functions

The Cook County Recorder of Deeds functions were folded into the County Clerk at the end of 2020. That consolidation made the County Clerk a single office for vital records, elections, board records, ethics and lobbying filings, tax-extension work, and land-records recording. Deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded land documents are now part of the County Clerk's portfolio.

Note: A recorded deed is different from a court judgment affecting property. Land records are held by the County Clerk; property-related lawsuits are filed in the Circuit Court.

Property Tax and Real Estate Records

The County Clerk issues property tax rates and Permanent Real Estate Numbers, maintains real estate maps, and processes redemptions of delinquent property taxes. The Recorder of Deeds functions were folded into the County Clerk at the end of 2020, making the County Clerk a consolidated office for vital, election, board, tax, ethics, and recording-related functions.

Cook County Clerk Contact

The Clerk's main office is in the George W. Dunne Cook County Administration Building.

Related Cook County Searches

See marriage and divorce records for the certified-copy workflow, public records for FOIA, the Clerk of the Circuit Court for court files, and probate records for estate and guardianship cases.