Sangamon County, Illinois Genealogy Records

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

Formed
1821
County seat
Springfield
Brown CountyCalhoun CountyCass CountyChristian CountyDeWitt CountyEffingham CountyFayette CountyFulton CountyGreene CountyJersey CountyLogan CountyMacon CountyMacoupin CountyMason CountyMcDonough CountyMcLean CountyMenard CountyMontgomery CountyMorgan CountyMoultrie CountyPiatt CountyPike CountySchuyler CountyScott CountyShelby CountyTazewell CountySangamon CountyBrownCalhounCassGreeneLoganMaconMacoupinMasonMontgomeryMorganMoultriePiattSchuylerScottShelbySangamon
Sangamon CountyToday's boundaries · U.S. Census Bureau

Records that survive

These are the record series from Sangamon 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 the University of Illinois Springfield.

Marriages, births and deaths

  • Marriage Licenses1821–1901
  • Marriage Record Index1821–1955
  • Divorce Index1825–1957
  • Birth Certificates1860–1917
  • Death Certificates1877–1927
  • Marriage License Applications1879–1975
  • Death Record (Springfield)1886–1918
  • Burial Permit Record (Springfield)1908–1916
  • Birth Record (Springfield)1912–1917
  • Death Certificates, Stillbirths1917–1958
  • Birth Certificates, Delayed (Springfield)1923–1979
  • Burial Record, Oak Ridge Cemetery (Springfield)1929–1986
  • Burial Certificates, Veterans Only1932–1949

Deeds and land

  • Deed Record1822–1902
  • Deed Index1823–1910
  • School Land Sale Record1831–1854
  • School Trustees' Minutes1852–1954
  • School Notes and Mortgages Record1853–1878
  • School Trustees' Minutes (Curran Twp.)1855–1950
  • Lien Dockets1887–1899
  • Probate Bonds for Sale of Real Estate1890–1946
  • Plat Record1914
  • Probate Sale Reports, Real Estate1917–1948

Wills and estates

  • Probate Case Files1821–1906
  • Probate Case Files Index1821–1910
  • Probate Record1821–1901
  • Probate Case Files, Insolvent Estates1823–1859
  • Probate Case Files Index, Guardians1825–1893
  • Probate Case Files, Guardians1825–1922
  • Probate Record Index1843–1884
  • Probate Fee Books1849–1959
  • Probate Minutes1849–1965
  • Probate Judgment Dockets1850–1869
  • Probate Will Record1850–1946
  • Probate Inventory Record1856–1946
  • Probate Administrator's and Executor's Letters1859–1882
  • Probate Executor's Bond Record1872–1902
  • and 21 more series in the full listing

Naturalization

  • Naturalization Record, Final, Circuit Court1858–1903
  • Naturalization Declarations of Intent, County Court1859–1906
  • Naturalization Papers, County Court1860–1906
  • Naturalization Record, Final, County Court1860–1906
  • Naturalization Declarations of Intent, Circuit Court1868–1903
  • Naturalization Dockets, Circuit Court1869–1903
  • Naturalization Record of Minors, County Court1892–1906
  • Naturalization Dockets, County Court1896–1906

Military and pensions

  • Mother's Pension Applications1924

Tax records

  • Assessor's Books (Illiopolis Twp.)1876–1885
  • Road Tax Lists1888
  • Assessor's Books1910–1931

Court records

  • Board of Supervisors' Minutes1821–1979
  • Board of Supervisors' Minutes Index1821–1872
  • Board of Supervisors' Minutes, Wpa Transcription1821–1876
  • Circuit Court Case Files1821–1909
  • Circuit Court Record1821–1901
  • Circuit Court Judgment Dockets1827–1922
  • Circuit Court Fee Books1833–1900
  • Circuit Court Record, Chancery1835–1895
  • Recorder's Unclaimed Instruments1835–1839
  • Circuit Court Dockets1836–1917
  • Circuit Court Execution Dockets1836–1897
  • Circuit Court Execution Files1836–1869
  • Circuit Court Index1836–1890
  • Justice's Transcript Record1847–1916
  • and 37 more series in the full listing

Schools

  • School Fund Loan Record1832–1850
  • School Superintendent's Account Record1832–1850
  • School Treasurer's Cash Books1838–1843
  • School District Record1847–1923
  • School Notes and Bonds Record (Springfield)1849–1913
  • School Treasurer's Account Books1853–1879
  • School Teachers' Institute Record (Springfield)1858–1919
  • School Teachers' Daily Registers1879–1947
  • School District Record (Springfield)1902–1956
  • School Pupil Examination Record (Auburn)1916–1920
  • School District Annual Audit Reports1917–1970
  • School District Annual Reports1956–1957
  • School Election Papers1965–1978
  • School District Annual Audit and Financial Reports1966–1976

Elections and voters

  • Election Papers1821–1893

Town and city records

  • City Council Minutes (Springfield)1838–1946
  • City Council Minutes Index (Springfield)1855–1880
  • City Ordinance Record (Springfield)1865–1961
  • Atlases, Sanborn (Springfield)1896–1951
  • City Ordinance and Resolution Index (Springfield)1910–1975
  • Road and Bridge Fund Record (Curran Twp.)1920–1958
  • City Council Minutes (Auburn)1953–1986

County government

  • Board of Supervisors' Proceedings Files1820–1899
  • Highway Commissioners' Record (Curran Twp.)1884–1961

Other records

  • Corporation Stock Registers1891–1892
  • Architect Registers1898–1916
  • Blind Relief Application Record1915–1943
  • Poor Relief Examiner's Registers1915–1931
  • County Claims1944–1945

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

  • Sangamon 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, Sangamon" 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: Bond County, Madison County

Check the parent counties for earlier records: Bond County, Madison County

Later formed partly from Sangamon County: Christian County, Logan County, Menard County, Morgan County

MonroeRandolphWashingtonST. ClairJeffersonWayneWhiteClarkGreeneNon-County Area 2LawrenceEdwardsCrawfordBondMadisonSangamonSangamonBondMadisonClarkCrawford
Sangamon as created in 1821Where 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 1821, 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.