Section 1600.330  Evidence of Age, Parentage, and Marital Status

a)         Whenever evidence of age is required by the System, a birth certificate shall be required unless one cannot be acquired.  If no such record can be acquired, the following documents will be accepted:

1)         military records;

2)         marriage record showing date of birth;

3)         evidence of Social Security payments that require attainment of specific age;

4)         valid passport, permanent residency card, driver's license card, or other government-issued form of identification; or

5)         two or more documents showing birth dates, such as, but not limited to naturalization papers, insurance policies, school records, medical records, or religious records that certify the date of birth, such as baptismal and bris certificates.

b)         Whenever evidence of parentage other than a birth certificate is required by the System under Section 1-104.2 or 15-129 of the Code, submission of at least one of the following documents shall be proof of parentage, unless one of the child's biological parents has admitted in writing, before a notary public, that someone other than the member is the parent, or the child has been adopted by a person other than the member:

1)         certified copy of a court order finding the member was the natural parent of the child born out of wedlock;

2)         certified copy of a settlement agreement which has been approved by a court for the support of a child born out of wedlock;

3)         written acknowledgment of paternity (e.g., pleadings filed in any proceeding pending before a court, submittals to a public agency, a document signed by the putative parent) and evidence (e.g., cancelled checks or receipts from the other parent) that the member contributed to the support of the child;

4)         certified copy of a court order entered pursuant to a declaratory judgment action establishing either a support obligation or visitation rights;

5)         copy of the public record of marriage of the parents of child born out of wedlock who marry and the putative parent acknowledges parentage in writing (e.g., pleadings filed in any proceeding pending before a court, submittals to a public agency, a document signed by the putative parent).

c)         Whenever evidence of marriage is required by the System, a copy of the public record of marriage or a copy of the religious record of the marriage shall be submitted.  If no such record exists, then two or more of the following will be considered in the determination of marital status:

1)         a copy of the jointly filed federal income tax return for the year preceding the death;

2)         a notarized statement from the individual who performed the marriage;

3)         notarized statements from at least two individuals in attendance of the marriage;

4)         written certification from the Social Security Administration of acceptance of the marriage and its date; or

5)         other documentation found by the System that supports the legal existence of the marriage.

d)         Dissolution or invalidity of marriage shall be proven only upon the submission of a certified copy of the declaration or decree entered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(Source:  Added at 49 Ill. Reg. 3321, effective February 26, 2025)