For the purpose of preserving historical public Marriage Records Search of Illinois residents, the Illinois State Archives tied up with the Illinois State Genealogical Society in joint effort to compile records of marriages that took place in Illinois from 1763 to 1900. More than a million records have been filed and it is the aim of these two organizations to make them readily accessible by people who want to trace them.

This public service is meant to be easily available to users in general and that has been greatly boosted with the advent of the Internet. People can now obtain free marriage records information online without having to leave home or office, saving a great deal of time and costs in travelling and waiting in line. They only have to get onto a computer and log on to the Internet.

The main source of information is the offices of the respective County Clerks. It is derived from the original public marriage records which comprise of marriage registers, licenses, certificates and other documents and information. Information is also contributed by the county Genealogical societies and private citizens and can be uploaded directly by volunteers through the internet.

Typically, the information consists of the personal particulars of the marrying couple, their parents', names of witnesses and officiant of the marriage and the date and place of the occasion. Although a ceremony or wedding is not mandatory, it must be in the county for which the marriage license is granted if one is conducted but neither of the couple need to be a local resident of the county. Therefore, if a search fails in the known county of residence, it's worth a shot to extend it to a statewide one instead.

All public Free Illinois Marriage Records in Illinois are listed on the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index. Original marital records or microfilm copies for several of them are kept under the holding of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD). Uncertified copies of marriages of more than 70 of the 102 counties in Illinois are available at IRAD. Those which are not can be requested directly from the County Clerks. They are also the only officers authorized to provide certified copies of marriage records of their county.

Illinois Free Marriage Records are public records. As such, they are freely available from commercial information providers. The top tier of such private data-houses is highly professional. On top of public sources, they also have access to proprietary databases and networks. Competition is intense so only bona-fide can hold their own. This makes for good value for money. It's no wonder why this form of information search is gaining popularity.