Records that survive
These are the record series from Shelby 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 Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Record1827–1922
- Birth Certificates1848–1915
- Birth Record Index1848–1906
- Marriage License Applications1871–1876
- Death Record1878–1917
- Death Record Index1878–1902
- Marriage Record Index1878–1906
- Death Certificates, Coroner's1952–1955
Deeds and land
- Deed Record1827–1926
- Deed Index1828–1892
- Taxable Lands Lists1828–1891
- Mortgage Record1857–1891
- Probate Sale Record, Real Estate1874–1881
- Liens, Chattel Mortgages1921–1969
- School Trustees' and Treasurer's Annual Reports1921–1961
- Chattel Mortgage Index1953–1962
Wills and estates
- Probate Record1839–1869
- Probate Minutes1854–1890
- Probate Administrator's Record1859–1894
- Probate Executor's Record1859–1905
- Probate Inventory, Appraisement and Sale Record1869–1873
- Probate Will Record1870–1918
- Probate Guardian's Record1872–1895
- Probate Inventory Record1872–1894
- Probate Miscellaneous Record1872–1922
- Probate Administrator's and Executor's Final Reports1884–1889
Naturalization
- Naturalization Record, Circuit Court1858–1895
- Naturalization Record of Minors, Circuit Court1870–1888
- Naturalization Dockets, Circuit Court1874–1888
- Naturalization Record, Final, County Court1876–1888
- Naturalization Record of Minors, County Court1904–1907
Tax records
- Assessor's Books1935–1970
Court records
- Circuit Court Dockets1827–1847
- Circuit Court Case Files1828–1871
- Coroner's Inquest Files1919–1984
- Coroner's Inquest Record1926–1975
Schools
- School Teachers' Daily Registers1891–1971
- School Superintendent's Annual Reports1913–1976
- School Schedules1922–1957
- School District Annual Audit Reports1932–1961
- School Election Papers1936–1979
- School Classification Reports, Preliminary1959–1961
- School District Annual Reports1961–1972
- School District Annual Audit and Financial Reports1962–1972
- School Pupil Enrollment and Housing Reports1962
Elections and voters
- Election Papers1956–1976
- Election Nomination Petitions1972
Town and city records
- Estray Record (Windsor)1854–1870
- City Council Minutes (Windsor)1860–1982
- City Council Minutes Index (Windsor)1860–1889
- City Council Minutes (Shelbyville)1869–1983
- Township Record (Windsor Twp.)1910–1939
- Township Treasurer's Account Record1949–1951
County government
- Highway Commissioners' Record (Windsor Twp.)1880–1937
- County Annual Audit Reports1967–1972
Other records
- County Clerk's Miscellaneous Files1827–1834
- Almshouse Registers1870–1942
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
- Shelby 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, Shelby" 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: Fayette County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Fayette County
Later formed partly from Shelby County: Moultrie County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1827, 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.