County Clerk & Recorder

Heather Bowman

County Clerk & Recorder 100 S. Jackson Street, Room 2 McLeansboro, IL 62859

Phone: 618-643-2721 Email: coclerk@hamiltoncountyil.gov

About

The Hamilton County Clerk and Recorder’s Office is here to be of service. By providing Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Marriage License, Marriage Certificates, Voter Registration, Recording of Deeds, Mortgages, Releases, Military Discharges and other Miscellaneous Instruments. Delinquent taxes are handled in the County Clerk’s office. All elections whether consolidated, primary or general are handled in our office. Information regarding Military voting, Early voting, Grace Period voting, Vote by Mail, formally known as Absentee Voting can be obtained from the County Clerk’s Office. Local townships stay in close contact with our office for information they may need from time to time. The Hamilton County Clerk and Recorder’s office welcomes you.

Links

Check Registration Status Electronic Vote By Mail Request Illinois State Board of Elections Federal Voting Application for Military and Overseas Illinois Department of Public Health - Division of Vital Records Illinois State Archives Illinois County Clerk and Recorder Portal Notary Public Search Illinois Department of Revenue

Documents

Application - Death Certificate Application - Birth Certificate Application - Marriage Certificate Application - Genealogy Search Application - DD214 Application - Assumed Business Name Certificate Intention Voter Registration Voter Data Request Hamilton County - IL Plat Act - Affidavit of Compliance Hamilton County Guide to Property Taxes

Office Hours

Monday-Friday: 8 AM – 4:30 PM
Occasionally this office is closed from 12-1 for lunch, please call ahead to ensure availability.

APPLICANTS FOR A MARRIAGE OR CIVIL UNION LICENSE NEED TO BE HERE BY 4:00 PM., AS IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS.

ALL RECORDING RECEIVED AFTER 4:00 p.m. will be recorded on the next business day.

Voter Registration

Use the following link to check your voter registration status:

VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS

VOTE BY MAIL INFORMATION

Recording Fees

***ALL RECORDINGS RECEIVED AFTER 4:00PM WILL BE RECORDED THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY***

Deeds, Leases, Mortgages, Easements:  $100.00

  • Documents Pertaining to Real Property

Irregular Recordings:  $131.00

  • See Provisions listed below to determine Non-Standard Process

Blanket Recordings:  $115.00 Base

  • Add $7.35 for each additional 5 Parcels
  • For any document that makes specific reference to more than 5 tax parcels of property identification numbers, or makes reference to 5 or more document numbers.

Miscellaneous:  $81.00

  • Non-Land Documents, Vitals, RHS Exempt, Finance, Terminations, Miscellaneous

Plat/Survey

  • Any Plat/Survey:  $162.00

Other:  $78.00

  • UCC Recordings
  • State or Federal Lien – As allowed by statute

The fee charged under this section shall be inclusive of all county and state fees that the county may elect or is required to impose or adjust, including but not limited to, GIS fees, automation fees, document storage fees and the rental housing support program state surcharge.

Irregular Documents Recordings:  $131.00

Any document presented that does not conform to the following standards, even if it may qualify for another document class, may be recorded under this document class if the irregularity allows a legible reproduction of the document presented:

  • The document shall consist of one or more individual sheets measuring 8.5 inches by 11 inches, not permanently bound, and not a continuous form. Graphic displays accompanying a document to be recorded that measure up to 11 inches by 17 inches shall be recorded without charging an additional fee.
  • The document shall be legibly printed in black ink by hand, type, or computer. Signatures and dates may be in contrasting colors if they will reproduce clearly.
  • The document shall be on white paper of not less than 20-pound weight and shall have a clean margin of at least one-half inch at the top, the bottom, and each side. Margins may be used only for non-essential notations that will not affect the validity of the document, including, but not limited to, form numbers, page numbers, and customer notations.
  • The first page of the document shall contain a blank space, measuring at least 3 inches by 5 inches, from the upper right corner.
  • The document shall not have any attachment stapled or otherwise affixed to any page.

Other Fees

  • Assumed Name / Assumed Name Change:  $32.00
  • Copy Fee – Abstractor or Regular:  $2.00/Page

Searching and Accessing Vital Records

Search and access to vital records is strictly regulated by the Illinois Vital Records Act, 410 ILCS 535/23-25

The Hamilton County Clerk’s office is bound by state law to adhere to the policies and guidelines of the state of Illinois, with exception of charging a search fee for vital records.

Who Can Handle the Indexes?

Birth, death and marriage indexes in the custody of the County Clerk can be handled and viewed only by the County Clerk and employees of the County Clerk’s office, except for indexes prior to 1916 for genealogical purposes only.  Old indexes can be viewed and handled by the general public.

Who Can Handle the Records?

  • County Clerk and staff of the County Clerk’s office for administrative purposes
  • State registrar or their agent
  • Any municipal, county, multi-county public health district recognized by the Illinois Department of Public Health for the purpose of carrying out public health programs

Birth Certificates

Birth Certificate Fees and Requirements:

  • $20.00 for first copy and $10.00 for each additional copy
  • Photo ID
  • Complete application in office
  • If requesting by mail, send a request with name of child, date of birth and parent’s names.  Also include copy of photo ID, payment, phone number and mailing address

Copies of Birth Certificates can be issued to:

  • The person named, if 18 years of age or older
  • The parents of the person where the names of the parent requesting is listed
  • A legal guardian (must provide guardianship paperwork)
  • The person’s legal representative
  • An agent with written notarized authorization from the named person
  • A department of the State or Federal government
  • Any individual upon order of the court
  • Persons having genealogical interest, if on file for at least 75 years

Death Certificates

Death Certificate Fees and Requirements:

  • $26.00 for first copy and $14.00 for each additional copy
  • Photo ID
  • Complete application in office
  • If requesting by mail, send a request with name of deceased, dad of death and parent’s names.  Also include a copy of photo ID, payment, phone number and mailing address

Copies of Death Certificates can be issued to:

  • A person, or his duly authorized agent, having genealogical, personal or property right interest in the record.  For genealogical purposes, the death must be on file for at least 20 years.
  • A department of the State or Federal government
  • Any person upon order of a court
  • Administrator or executor of the decedent’s estate
  • Veteran’s Administration or accredited veteran’s organization (without charges)

Marriage Certificates

Marriage Certificate Fees and Requirements:

  • $20.00 for first copy and $10.00 for each additional copy
  • Photo ID
  • If requesting by mail, send a request with names of both parties and date of marriage.  Also include a copy of photo ID, payment, phone number and mailing address

Copies of Marriage License can be given to:

  • Any individual providing pertinent information.  For genealogical purposes, the marriage must be on file for at least 50 years.

Marriage License

Marriage License / Civil Union License Fees and Requirements:

  • $75.00 Cash or Check
  • A one day waiting period (unless waived by the judge).  The licenses are good for 60 days
  • Signatures of both applicants are required
  • Copy of birth certificates and photo ID is required for issuance of license.  Must get married in the county that issues the license

Where to apply:  Heather Bowman, Hamilton County Clerk and Recorder’s Office

100 South Jackson Street – Room 2, McLeansboro, IL  62859

When to apply:  Both parties must appear at the office of the County Clerk together.  The license must be obtained at least 1 day prior to being used.  The license is void 60 days after effective date.  The license must be used in Hamilton County.

Qualifications:  In order to be married in Illinois without parental consent, you must be at least 18 years of age.  If you are under 18 years of age, both parents must sign a parental consent form in the County Clerk’s office and they must have a valid driver’s license or state ID for identification at the time you apply for your license.  If it is not possible for your parents to sign in this office, signature can be witnessed by the County Clerk in the county your parents are in.  If a parent is deceased, a death certificate, proof of guardianship or court order waiving consent must be presented.

It is necessary for anyone applying for a marriage license to show proof of age when you apply for a marriage license.  A valid driver’s license or state ID is required AS WELL AS a copy of your birth record.

Return of License:  The license must be returned to the County Clerk’s office within 10 days after the date of marriage.

Use of Marriage License:  Your marriage license must be obtained in the county where the marriage will take place.

Requesting a Certified Copy:  You may obtain a certified copy of your marriage license if it was issued in Hamilton County, IL from the County Clerk’s office.  Include the maiden name of the bride, the groom’s name, the date of marriage and fee of $20.00.  Additional copies of the same license may be obtained for $10.00 each if made at the same time.

Vital Record Search for Genealogy

Uncertified Genealogical Copy of Any Certificate: 

  • $8.00 ($6.00 Search Fee – Up to 5 Searches + $2.00 Copy Fee for Each Copy)

Certified copies of birth, death and marriage records of persons who were born, deceased or married in Hamilton County may be obtained for genealogical purposes from our office.

Birth & death records begin in 1878 and marriage records go back to 1821 (1869 – 1872 are very limited)

Birth, death and marriage records are not public records.  Records for genealogy purposes can only be issued if on file the required number of years:

  • Births – 75 years and older (Proof of death if under 100 years)
  • Deaths – 20 years and older
  • Marriages – 50 years and older

Vital records are confidential records, and copies can be issued only to persons entitled to receive them.  Our office is bound by policies and guidelines of the State of Illinois Vital Records Act.  For more information on the Act you can visit:

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives.html

To submit a Genealogy Application download and fill out the form below.

Online Record Search

The Hamilton County Clerk & Recorder is making searching easier.  By making their records available online, you can now search wherever you have internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – even during major holidays.  Search from your office, from your home or even from another state.  Search at your convenience.

Illinois County Clerk and Recorder Portal

Hamilton County Records Portal

Hamilton County Tax Portal

Office Documents

All documents can be submitted via mail or in person during normal business hours.