Can a single man legally use a surrogate in Illinois?
Yes. Illinois law does not require intended parents to be married or partnered. The Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act (2005) makes compensated gestational surrogacy agreements enforceable, and a pre-birth parentage order can name a single father as the sole legal parent. Statute details are reviewed by counsel.
The Equality for Every Family Act, signed in December 2025, also removed the earlier requirement that an intended parent contribute an egg or sperm, and requires independent counsel for both the surrogate and the intended parent. For most single fathers this changes little, because your sperm creates the embryos. It matters if you plan to use a donated embryo.
You do not have to live in Illinois to match with an Illinois surrogate. Private Label Surrogacy matches single fathers by choice from across the US and abroad, and treats a single father exactly as it treats a couple: the same screening, the same escrow, the same agreement standards and the same timeline.
This page is written by Nancy Block, RN, founder of PLS. It is not legal advice. Your own reproductive-law attorney advises you, and the surrogate has her own.
What are the steps for a single intended father?
The process is the same as for a couple, with you making every decision yourself. It typically takes 18 to 24 months.
- Consultation and signing. You meet with Nancy, who personally runs matching at PLS, and sign. Your money goes to an independent licensed escrow agent, never to PLS: $10,000 at match and the balance before the surrogate starts medications. You may choose your own escrow company.
- Egg donor match. You choose an anonymous or known donor. PLS runs egg donor matching alongside surrogacy, so the two searches move together.
- IVF and embryo testing. Your clinic fertilizes the donor's eggs with your sperm. Most clinics test each embryo with PGT-A before freezing.
- Surrogate match. About 9 months from signing to surrogate introduction today, with a target of 6 months or fewer.
- Legal agreements, 1 to 2 months. You and the surrogate each retain your own attorney; you pay for both. Nothing medical starts until the agreement is signed and escrow is funded.
- Transfer. The surrogate's medical cycle takes 2 to 3 months, ending in a frozen embryo transfer. The pregnancy test is 9 to 11 days later.
- Birth. Your attorney secures the parentage order, and PLS writes a birth plan with the hospital naming you as the father.
Most clinics also require every intended parent, single or partnered, to meet with a licensed mental health professional. PLS refers you to an independent professional.
How do single men choose an egg donor?
The same way couples do, with one difference: there is no partner whose family resemblance or heritage you are balancing against your own.
Single fathers usually weigh:
- Health history. Your clinic reviews the donor's medical and family history and completes FDA-required screening.
- Proven or first-time donor. A donor who has donated before has a cycle history your clinic can read.
- Openness to contact. Some donors are open to future contact with the child; some are not. Decide what you want your child to be able to know.
- Known donor. A friend or relative can donate, with FDA screening, a psychological consult and her own attorney.
Nancy has worked in egg donation since 2000, when she founded The Center for Egg Options Illinois, which she ran for 15 years. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Parents Via Egg Donation. See egg donation at PLS.
Will surrogates match with a single man?
Many do. PLS asks each surrogate at intake whether she is open to single intended parents and same-sex couples. You are introduced only to surrogates who have already said yes, so you do not spend months on introductions that were never going to work.
Every surrogate you meet has been screened the same way: application, interview, background check, insurance review, a psychological evaluation by an independent licensed professional, and medical screening at your clinic. Mark Silverberg, DDS, MD, PLS's Executive Director, reads every candidate's prenatal and delivery records and writes a physician medical summary for your clinic.
Be ready to talk about practical things in the match conversation: how you plan to be there during the pregnancy, who will be with you at the birth, and how much contact you hope to have.
What does it cost a single father?
About the same as for a gay couple, because the parts are the same: an egg donor, IVF, a surrogate and the legal work. Expect roughly $150,000 to $200,000 all-in.
| Item | Typical range | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Egg donor match fee | $11,000; $8,500 when bundled with surrogacy | PLS |
| Egg donor compensation and donor costs | [range to confirm with Nancy] | Donor, through escrow |
| IVF, PGT-A and embryo storage | Set by your clinic | Your fertility clinic |
| PLS program fee | Program fee: confirm current schedule. Currently $35,000; proposed $42,000 on new agreements | PLS |
| Surrogate compensation package | Typically $68,000 to $78,000, on a $60,000 first-time base (proposed) | Surrogate, through escrow |
| Third-party costs | $15,300 to $29,000 | Attorneys, escrow agent, psychologist, background check, insurance review, travel, monitoring |
| Surrogate health insurance, if needed | $5,000 to $40,000 | Insurer |
| Total | About $150,000 to $200,000 |
PLS charges a single father the same program fee as a couple. Help with cost exists: PLS points intended parents to grant and support programs from Gift of Parenthood, the Coalition for Family Building, EMD Serono, FertilityIQ and RESOLVE. For more detail on each line, see surrogacy cost for gay couples, which uses the same budget.
What support network does PLS expect a single parent to have?
PLS's specific expectations for a single parent's support plan: confirm with Nancy.
What every single father benefits from planning before the birth:
- Someone at the birth with you. A friend or family member who can help in the hospital and in the first nights.
- Help in the first weeks. Newborns feed around the clock. Line up who covers a night or an afternoon.
- A backup decision-maker. Name a guardian in your will and tell your attorney. If something happened to you, your child should not be in legal limbo.
- Time off work. Check your employer's parental leave policy early.
The mental health consultation your clinic requires is a good place to talk this through. It is not a test you pass or fail. It helps you think through what single parenthood will look like day to day.
PLS supports you through the pregnancy as well. Your surrogate's case manager, Natalie Gaudio-Fricano or Jenni Symons, both former surrogates, keeps you informed through delivery.
What is different for single men living abroad?
Three things:
- Home-country recognition. Your home country decides how it recognizes you as the father. Some register a US birth certificate directly; some do not recognize surrogacy at all. PLS refers you to counsel in your home country before you match.
- Citizenship and passport. A child born in the US has historically received US citizenship at birth and a US passport within weeks. A federal executive order dated August 6, 2026, concerning citizenship for children born through compensated surrogacy to two non-citizen parents, is under litigation. Whether and how it applies to a single non-citizen father is a question for immigration counsel. Status as of [date], reviewed by counsel.
- Travel. Most steps are remote. You typically travel to your clinic for embryo creation and for the birth, and stay in the US for a few weeks afterward while documents are issued.
Jan Telman Berman, PLS's Global Surrogacy Coordinator, manages every international cycle. She has more than 18 years of experience. See international surrogacy. For the full LGBTQ+ picture, see gay surrogacy.
Sources
- Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act (2005), Illinois General Assembly. Pending review by counsel.
- Equality for Every Family Act, signed December 2025, Illinois General Assembly. Pending review by counsel.
- US Food and Drug Administration, donor eligibility and infectious disease screening requirements.