WHEREAS, Section 25 of the Vital Records Act allows the County Clerk to collect a fee for copies of records equal to the fees collected by the Illinois Department of Public Health; and

WHEREAS, certain records of genealogical interest are available to the general public, i.e., marriage records older than 50 years, birth records older than 75 years and death records older than 20 years; and

WHEREAS, the Vital Records Department of the Cook County Clerk has been engaged in a project to improve the public’s access to genealogical records by digitizing these records; and

WHEREAS, the digitization of genealogical records will provide quicker access to them and reduce the burden of research on those requesting the documents.

BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners that Chapter 2 Administration, Division 2 County Clerk, Subdivision II Fees, Section 2-174 and Chapter 32 Fees, Section 32-1 Vital Records Fees of the Cook County Code are hereby amended as follows:

Sec. 2-174. Vital records fees for County Clerk.

(a)     Birth records.  The Cook County Clerk shall continue to charge and collect a fee for the first copy, and a fee for each additional copy of a birth record as set out in Section 32-1. 

(b)     Marriage records.  The Cook County Clerk shall continue to charge and collect a fee for the first copy, and a fee for each additional copy of a marriage record as set out in Section 32-1. 

(c)     Death records.  The Cook County Clerk shall charge and collect a fee for the first copy, and a fee for each additional copy of a death record as set out in Section 32-1. 

(d)     Genealogical records. 

         (1)   The County Clerk shall charge and collect a fee as set out in Section 32-1 for the first copy and a fee as set out in Section 32-1 for subsequent copies of any genealogical birth, death or marriage certificate.

         (2)   When a request for a copy or copies of any genealogical birth, death or marriage certificate is accompanied by the correct registration number for the certificate requested, the County Clerk shall charge and collect a fee as set out in Section 32-1 for the first copy and a fee as set out in Section 32-1 for subsequent copies of any genealogical birth, death or marriage certificate.

(e)     Emergency fee.  The County Clerk shall charge and collect an emergency fee as set out in Section 32-1 for providing a copy of a vital record on an overnight basis. The emergency fee authorized in this subsection shall be in addition to any other fees authorized to be collected by the County Clerk for providing the requested document. 

(Ord. No. 01-O-19, §§ 1--3, 8-9-2001; Ord. No. 03-O-27, §§ 1, 2, 10-7-2003; Ord. No. 03-O-28, § 1, 10-7-2003; Ord. No. 03-O-29, §§ 1, 2, 10-7-2003.)

Sec. 32-1. Fee schedule.

The fees or charges provided for or required by the below listed sections shall be as shown below:

TABLE INSET:

Approved and adopted this 10th day of July 2007.