Obtain Free Access to McHenry County Divorce Records

Locate free McHenry County divorce records seamlessly once you know where to look.

Divorce records have different custodians that keep and maintain these written documents. Some custodians’ offices also provide divorce case information online for free.

Generally, divorce records can be viewed or obtained via a county or state agency. This helpful resource empowers you to gain access to divorce records in McHenry County, Illinois, today.

How To Look Up Free McHenry County Divorce Records (Illinois)

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, certified copies of divorce records are available for inspection and copying from the circuit court clerk in the county where the divorce took place.¹ If you are interested in divorce certificates in McHenry County, Illinois, you must do so through the McHenry County Circuit Court Clerk.²

Also known as the McHenry County Circuit Court Clerk, this office allows members of the public to request court records by email, mail, or in person. Emailed requests must include the requester’s:

• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Case Number
• Document Title
• Party Names
• Filing Date

The request must also include the specification that the requester wants an emailed copy of the divorce record returned and whether they want a certified copy. There is a $6 search fee if all of the above information is not provided to the circuit court clerk’s office in the request. Requests must be emailed to [email protected].

After the request is submitted, requesters must wait for a reply from the clerk’s office before making payment. The fee for the first page is $2, the next 19 pages cost $0.50, and each additional page afterward is $0.25. There is a $6 fee for document certification.

The process for obtaining a certified record is the same as non-certified. The only difference is the fee payment.

Mailed requests must include the same information as emailed requests, but should specify that the requester wants a copy of the record mailed instead of emailed. The circuit court clerk’s office is open to the public 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

McHenry County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office
2200 North Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, Illinois 60098

Phone: 815.334.4190

There is also an option to view McHenry County public divorce records for free. The Public Case Access Portal allows members of the public to look up divorce case information online.³

The Case Information Search can be used by case number, ticket number, or party name to generate results. If a researcher does not know the case or ticket number, the party name search is the best option. When searching by a party name, the search format is the last name, followed by a comma, and then the first name.

When results are generated, researchers will see a list of cases from criminal to civil and family. Divorces in Illinois are called dissolutions.

Researchers can determine if a case is a divorce under the ‘Type’ column. It will state ‘Dissolution With Children’ or ‘Dissolution Without Children’.

The initial results will also provide the case number, the title of the case, the filing date, and the case status. Clicking on the case number will reveal additional case information like the court events, documents filed, judgments, financials, the parties to the divorce and their attorneys, the judge, and the summons’.

Conduct a Divorce & Dissolution Record Lookup via Towns in McHenry County

The county-level search method for divorce records allows for the broadest results. There are instances where an individual may not be able to contact a county government or clerk’s office to request divorce records. In these cases, they may be able to contact their local municipal government for assistance.

The best way for someone located in a town in McHenry County to obtain divorce records is through the Circuit Court Clerk. The McHenry County Circuit Court Clerk does not operate on the municipal level. Municipalities in Illinois do not maintain divorce records, either current or historical.

The State of Illinois also provides divorce records request services through the Department of Health. Find out how you can obtain divorce records through the Illinois Department of Health, detailed below.

How To Find Divorce Records Statewide Through the Illinois Department of Public Health

There are times when a researcher may find that a divorce occurred in a neighboring county or somewhere else in Illinois. It may become difficult to obtain a divorce record if you cannot reach the circuit court clerk where the divorce was granted.

In the event this happens, the Illinois Department of Public Health is the next best resource to obtain a divorce record. Although this department cannot furnish certified copies of divorce records, a search of its divorce index can provide facts of a dissolution of marriage from 1962 to the present.

Interested parties must complete an Application for Verification of Dissolution of Marriage.⁴

The ‘Dissolution of Marriage’ box under ‘Furnish All Possible Information’ should be checked.

There is a $5 fee that must be made payable to the Illinois Department of Public Health, and a copy of a government-issued photo ID must be attached to the application.⁶

Submissions can be mailed, delivered in person, or faxed. Requests sent by fax will require payment by credit card and require an additional $12.95 handling charge and $19.50 UPS charge. The office is open to the public from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records Office
925 East Ridgely Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702

Fax: 217.523.2648
Phone: 217.782.6554

Does McHenry County Provide Details of Divorces & Dissolutions of Marriage to the Public?

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act prescribes the requirements and standards for divorces in the state.⁷ Ultimately, a dissolution of marriage requires a circuit court judge to enter a judgment. There is no common law divorce in Illinois.

Under the Illinois Vital Records Act, dissolutions of marriage are included.⁸ Section 410 ILCS 535(24)(3) of the same Act provides that the Vital Records Office may permit the disclosure of information contained in vital records as long as it is not for private gain. This means that certified and non-certified divorce information is public in McHenry.

Interested parties can obtain a divorce decree, or judgment, by the McHenry County Circuit Court. Other divorce papers or records can be ordered by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Divorce papers generally refer to initial filings.

In the event you cannot locate a particular divorce record, there are some third-party providers that could help. McHenry County divorce records are convenient to find if you follow the guidance provided throughout this article.