Someone died in Illinois. Start here.
The first 24 hours, in order, then the first week and the first month, with Illinois's actual rules for death certificates, cremation, and probate. This page is free. No account required.
Sources: official Illinois statutes and agencies, linked below. Last updated: October 2026.
Start with safety, the required local response, and the people who can help. The exact process depends on where and how the death occurred.
These figures come from the same data as our full Illinois guide, built from state statutes and official agencies.
Death certificate
Filed within 7 days
The window runs from the death. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs. Confirm the current fee with the issuing office; the guide's last-reviewed first-copy or search fee starts at $19. Additional-copy, vendor, and expedited fees may differ.
Source: 410 ILCS 535/18 (Vital Records Act, death registration) (opens in a new tab)Cremation
No fixed statutory wait
Illinois doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Source: 755 ILCS 65/ (Disposition of Remains Act); 410 ILCS 18/20 (Crematory Regu… (opens in a new tab)Probate
$150,000 listed amount
The amount alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Confirm which property counts, how it’s valued, the waiting period, ownership, any pending court case, and every other state condition.
Source: 755 ILCS 5/ (Illinois Probate Act of 1975), including 755 ILCS 5/25-1 (opens in a new tab)Estate tax
Yes, this state has one
Illinois's estate tax has state-specific exemptions, rates, filing rules, and responsible parties. Check the linked state tax authority.
Source 1: 35 ILCS 405/ (Illinois Estate and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Act) (opens in a new tab)Source 2: IRS: 2026 estate tax basic exclusion amount (opens in a new tab)Days 2 to 7 · 1 to 7 days
These tasks often begin during the first week, but local requirements and the family's circumstances may change the order.
Weeks 2 to 4 · 1 to 4 weeks
The immediate calls may slow down. Estate, account, benefit, property, and tax work often continues for months.
The Long Game · 1 month+
Estate administration may take months or longer. The timing depends on the assets, claims, disputes, tax work, court schedule, and state procedure.
Have the death officially pronounced. For an expected hospice death, call the hospice nurse and follow the hospice instructions. For an unexpected death, call 911 and don’t move the body until you’re told you can. Then notify the closest people and, after the body is released, contact the funeral, cremation, burial, or donation provider the person chose.
In Illinois, the death certificate must be filed within 7 days of the death. The funeral provider or another authorized filer usually handles it. Ask each institution whether it needs a certified copy, then order an initial quantity based on those actual needs.
Death records are not public. A certified copy goes to someone with a personal or property right interest with the person who died; anyone who is not a relative sends a letter from the office or agency that needs the certificate. Uncertified copies for genealogy are available on plain paper. Certified copies come from Illinois's Division of Vital Records, Illinois Department of Public Health, in Springfield (at 110 W Lawrence Avenue since September 14, 2026); the county clerk where the death occurred issues copies too.
$19 for a certified copy from the state office, per the fee page linked on this page. Additional copies are $4 each by mail. Ordering online adds a $15 handling fee. Mail processing was running about 12 weeks when we last checked.
From Illinois's Division of Vital Records, Illinois Department of Public Health, in Springfield (at 110 W Lawrence Avenue since September 14, 2026); the county clerk where the death occurred issues copies too, by mail or fax to the Division of Vital Records, online through VitalChek, or from the county clerk. The official order page is linked on this page. The funeral home usually orders the first copies for you.
Illinois doesn’t set a fixed minimum wait in the source reviewed. Release, authorization, permit, death-record, or investigation requirements may still delay cremation. The person legally authorized under state law completes any required authorization; the provider handles its filing process.
Illinois's stated small-estate threshold is $150,000. Value alone doesn’t establish eligibility. Ownership, asset type, timing, beneficiaries, debts, and other state requirements can affect whether a simplified procedure is available.
Yes. Illinois has a state estate tax. Exemptions, rates, filing rules, and responsible parties vary. Check the linked state tax authority. The federal basic exclusion amount is $15 million for deaths in 2026, and Form 706 may also be relevant for certain elections.
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