Everything specific to Illinois in one place: what a death certificate costs and how to get one, who has the legal right to arrange the funeral, and where to find official help. Each section links to a full guide with its sources.
Illinois at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $19 first copy, $4 each additional |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Spouse |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | 755 ILCS 65/5 (Disposition of Remains Act) |
Funeral cost calculator for Illinois
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Illinois funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Illinois
These are medians from 10 Illinois funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (9 cities, dated 2023-08 to 2026-08), collected in September 2026. Each figure counts only the price lists that show that item. Direct cremation and immediate burial are the lowest option each home lists; some include a basic container or the crematory fee and some do not. Your funeral home’s own price list is the only figure that counts for your bill.
| Item | Median | Price lists |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation (lowest listed option) | $2,662.50 | 10 |
| Basic services fee | $2,692.50 | 10 |
The 10 price lists behind these figures
- Richard-Midway Funeral Home, Chicago, 2025-07-01
- Vancil-Murphy Funeral Home, Springfield, 2026-08-18
- Cremation Enterprises, Chicago, 2025-10-01
- Smith-Corcoran Funeral Homes, Palatine (also Chicago, Glenview), 2025-03-01
- Owens Funeral Home, Champaign (also Mahomet, Monticello), 2024-03-31
- Gibbons Funeral Home, Elmhurst, 2026-01-01
- Illinois Cremation Centers (Illinois Cremation Direct, Inc.), Lombard, 2026-01-01
- Rux Funeral Homes, Galva, 2023-08-01
- Kennedy and Sons Funeral Directors PC, Pana, 2025-01-01
- Mississippi Valley Cremation & Direct Burial, Moline, 2026-04-01
Under the FTC Funeral Rule every funeral home must give you its prices over the phone, so calling two or three is the fastest way to a real number. How much a funeral costs, line by line.
Death certificates in Illinois
Certified copies come from Division of Vital Records, Illinois Department of Public Health. IDPH: mail requests take "approximately 12 weeks from the time your paperwork is received"; urgent requests with proof of immediate need are "processed within 5 to 7 business days for a certified copy.". Full guide: getting a death certificate in Illinois.
Who decides the funeral in Illinois
Illinois law sets the order. The first people in line are: Person designated in a written instrument; Executor acting on written instructions in the will; Spouse; Adult children (sole or majority). The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Illinois
Federal help is the same in every state: Social Security’s one-time $255 payment to an eligible spouse or child, VA burial benefits for eligible veterans, and FEMA help only after a declared disaster. What each pays and how to apply.
Some Illinois counties and cities also help low-income families with burial or cremation costs. Ask the social services office in the county where the person died.
More official links for every state: funeral resources · all states.