Here's the archives notice posted on their website concerning the decision to discontinue sending free death certificates out (I was really hoping I was mistaken): Please note . . . Since May 15, 2002, the Illinois State Archives' Web site has contained a searchable index to death records registered in the state, 1916-1950. THAT SERVICE WILL BE CONTINUED. >From the same date the State Archives has also offered free uncertified copies of those death certificates to all patrons who requested them by email, telephone, or postal mail. That service will have to be discontinued as of November 15, 2002. The reason for this change is that the demand for those records has been so very great that it has overwhelmed our staff resources and forced great delays in responding to our patrons. Despite all of the other capabilities we have devoted to that demand it showed every sign of only growing larger, to the point that our reference services would become so delayed that they would lose realistic usefulness. We very much regret this change, and hope for your understanding. <A HREF="http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/idphdeathindex.html#after1915">Click here</A> for instructions as to where you can secure the death records that you identify through use of the Death Index. NOTE: The Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) system, a program of the Illinois State Archives, does not have a similar backlog of reference requests. You can expect a response from IRAD within a few weeks. IRAD does not have copies of death records (1916–1950) maintained by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records. Please do not send requests for copies of death records found in the Illinois Statewide Death Index (1916–1950) to our regional depositories. <A HREF="http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/idphdeathindex.html#after1915">Click here</A>ffff" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"> for information about how to obtain copies of original death records.