Kankakee County, Illinois Genealogy Records

Which records survive from Kankakee County, the years each set covers, and where to find them.

Formed
1853
County seat
Kankakee
Champaign CountyCook CountyDeKalb CountyDeWitt CountyDuPage CountyFord CountyGrundy CountyKane CountyKendall CountyLaSalle CountyLee CountyLivingston CountyMarshall CountyMcLean CountyOgle CountyPiatt CountyVermilion CountyWoodford CountyIroquois CountyWill CountyKankakee CountyCookDuPageFordGrundyKendallLaSalleLeeLivingstonMarshallMcLeanWoodfordIroquoisWillKankakee
Kankakee CountyParent counties (search here for earlier records)Today's boundaries · U.S. Census Bureau

Records that survive

These are the record series from Kankakee County held by the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) system, with the earliest and latest years. A span can include gaps. They include county, township and city records. This county's are held at Illinois State University in Normal.

Marriages, births and deaths

  • Marriage Record1853–1926
  • Birth Record Index1863–1905
  • Birth Certificates (Manteno)1864–1926
  • Birth Certificates, Delayed1864–1910
  • Birth Record1877–1918
  • Death Record1877–1915
  • Death Record Index1877–1916
  • Marriage Record Index1877–1967
  • Marriage Licenses1889–1925
  • Marriage License Applications1899–1905
  • Death Certificates1915–1951
  • Death Certificate Index1916–1958

Deeds and land

  • Village Trustees' Minutes (Grant Park)1898–1971

Wills and estates

  • County Court and Probate Case Files1853–1900
  • Probate and County Court Case Files1853–1900
  • Probate Dockets1866–1869

Tax records

  • Assessor's Books1851–1920
  • Collector's Books1853–1872
  • Tax Sale Record1858
  • Dog Tax Collection Record1918–1919

Court records

  • Circuit Court Case Files1853–1949
  • Circuit Court Dockets1871

Schools

  • School District Asset Allocation Report1949

Search the IRAD database for this county

Source: Illinois State Archives, Local Government Records Database (choose the county to see every series and its accession number). Contact the depository before you visit. Illinois began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1916.

Where to find the records

  • Kankakee County official website

    Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county clerk, the recorder of deeds and the clerk of the circuit court, and any online record search the county offers.

  • The county clerk

    Births, deaths and marriages registered in the county.

  • The recorder of deeds

    Deeds, mortgages and other land records (in some counties the county clerk is also the recorder).

  • The clerk of the circuit court

    Probate (wills and estates), divorces and civil and criminal cases.

  • The Illinois State Archives

    In Springfield, with older county records at its regional depositories (IRAD) on university campuses.

  • Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) systemfree

    The State Archives' regional depositories, which hold older county, township and city records; search its Local Government Records Database by county.

  • FamilySearch Catalogfree

    Search by place for "Illinois, Kankakee" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Iroquois County, Will County

Check the parent counties for earlier records: Iroquois County, Will County

VermilionChampaignDE KalbLivingstonNon-County Area 4LeeWoodfordMcLEANCookDU PageKaneKendallGrundyLA SalleIroquoisWillKankakeeKankakeeIroquoisWillLivingstonWoodfordMcLEANKendallGrundyLA Salle
Kankakee as created in 1853Where its land was the day beforeToday's boundaryBoundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1853, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.

Research tip

Illinois began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1916; counties kept registers earlier, often from 1877 or 1878. The Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, from the State Archives, covers many marriages from 1763 to 1900.