Searching Illinois Public Records

IARMIE

The IARMIE stands for the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange and is found through the Illinois public records office. It is a program that gives the birth parent the option to release or withhold her name from public record so that the child may or may not find her, depending on her wishes. There has to be mutual consent for adoption information to be released, even if it is going the opposite way, where the birth mother is looking for her child. The adoptive parents must agree to release this information to the mother, and if they do not agree, then the mother does not get the information.

IARMIE also supplies vital medical information about the birth parent or parents to the adoptive child and family in an anonymous way, so that the child can have a complete medical history even though he is adopted. However, the information is only available if the parties agree to release it, since medical information is private between the doctors and patients.

Other Records

The Illinois public records office also provides the means to order a birth certificate for the first time, which is usually done in the hospital soon after birth. There is also a means to order a copy of a birth certificate either online, in the mail, by fax or in person. If a birth certificate needs correction, there is also a means to do that. They even provide a Commemorative Birth Certificate for those parents who want one.

In addition, there is help in doing genealogical research in the Illinois public records office, so that children can trace their heritage as far back as the records go, which is usually only through the early 1900's when record keeping became more standardized. They provide birth certificates needed for travel, as well as information about establishing paternity and what to do about gender reassignment in regards to the birth certificate.

Although death records can be found in the Illinois public records office, they are not in actuality a 'public record' in its purest sense. Death records are only available to the people who have a direct interest in the deceased, either through property, debt, insurance, etc.