If you were born in Illinois and want to add your middle name to your birth certificate, you must apply to the Division of Vital Records at the Illinois Department of Public Health for a name correction. Parents and legal guardians can also request the birth certificate change on behalf of their minor children. The state charges a fee for this service and for copies of the new birth certificate.
Adult Request to Add a Middle Name
Download the “Application for Correction of a Birth Certificate” from the Illinois Department of Public Health website, or request it from the main office in Springfield.
Fill out the application for correction form. The form includes places for you to state your birth name, place and date of birth, the names of your parents and the state file number of your birth certificate.
Attach a copy of a current government-issued photo ID to the form along with proof of your middle name such as baptismal records, school records, marriage records or an insurance policy.
Sign the form. Attach a check with the required fee, which at the time of publication is $15. Send it to Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 925 East Ridgely Ave., Springfield, IL 62702-2737.
Request for Your Child
Download the “Affidavit and Certificate of Correction Request” from the Illinois Department of Public Health website, or request it from the main office in Springfield.
Fill out the affidavit form if you are making the request on behalf of your minor child. The form includes places for you to give the details of the name change, the names of parents and legal guardians, an affirmation that the information is correct and contact information. You must sign the form and attach a copy of your own current government-issued photo ID with it.
Attach to the affidavit proof that the child has a middle name. You can submit school records, a baptismal record, Social Security records, a court order of legal name changes, marriage records or hospital documents.
Hire the services of a notary public and sign the affidavit form in front of them. Send the affidavit along with the required fee, which at the time of publication is $15. Send it to Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 925 East Ridgely Ave., Springfield, IL 62702-2737.
Tips
In Illinois, adding a middle name to a birth certificate is treated like a correction to the document.
If you are a parent or legal guardian who wants to add the middle name of a child under one year of age, you can request that the birth hospital fill out the necessary forms and submit them to the state. You must show a photo ID when making this request at the hospital. There is no fee if the middle name request is made by the hospital.
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