Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1969

What is in This Collection?

This collection consists of a named index to marriages for Cook County, Illinois (including Chicago).

Before 1877, couples were not required to obtain marriage licenses. Beginning in 1877, the marriage records were kept in register books. By the early 1900s, most events were recorded on pre-printed forms. In 1962, an Illinois register of marriage began. Marriage records were submitted to the county clerk by the ministers or justices of the peace who performed the marriages.

Most of the marriage records prior to 1871 were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire. If the marriage occurred before the fire and appeared in a newspaper, it’s possible that the marriage could be listed in the Sam Fink Index (see “Related Websites” on this page). Information within the Sam Fink Index can include the newspaper’s name in which the marriage appeared.

When searching this collection, a record may show a spade icon. This indicates that the record has a numbering discrepancy. A second search may return an unmarked marriage record without the icon.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

• Names of bride and groom
• Ages of bride and groom
• Town of residence of bride and groom
• Date license was issued
• Date marriage was solemnized
• Name of person officiating at marriage

After 1916, the following information was added:

• Birth date of bride and groom
• Full names of parents
• Employer