Search Indiana Death Records
Indiana death records are filed at county health departments across the state. There are 92 counties. Each one keeps its own death certificates at the local health office. The Indiana Department of Health also holds death records going back to January 1900. You can search for these records online, by phone, through the mail, or in person at a county office. Walk-up service gets you same-day copies. The state handles mail and phone orders too. Whether you need a certified copy for legal needs or want to look up a death record for family research, this guide covers how to find the right office and start your search in Indiana.
Indiana Death Records Quick Facts
Where to Find Indiana Death Records
The Indiana Department of Health Division of Vital Records is the main state agency for death certificates. They keep records of all deaths in Indiana since January 1900. You can call them at (317) 233-2700 during business hours. Their mailing address is P.O. Box 7125, Indianapolis, IN 46206-7125. Under IC 16-37-1-10, a death certificate on file at a local health department is a public record. That means anyone can ask for a non-certified copy. The Social Security number gets blacked out on those copies, but the rest of the death record is open for review.
The IDOH Vital Records website is the best place to start when you need a death certificate in Indiana.
County health departments handle death records at the local level in Indiana. There are 92 counties. Each one keeps files for deaths that took place in that county. Most have death records going back to 1882. Walk-up service at a county health office is the fastest way to get a copy. You show your ID, pay the fee, and walk out with your death certificate the same day. Some counties take mail requests too. A few also handle phone orders. Always contact the county where the death took place when you need records in Indiana.
Order Death Certificates in Indiana
Indiana gives you four ways to order death certificates. The first is walk-up service at your county health department. This is the quickest option. Just go to the county where the death took place, bring your ID, and pay the fee. The second option is mail. Print State Form 49606 from the IDOH website. Fill it out, include a check or money order, and mail it to the state office in Indianapolis. You need the name of the person who died, date of death, place of death, and date of birth. Mail orders take about 10 to 15 business days to come back.
The third method is by phone. Call (866) 601-0891 any time of day. This toll-free line runs around the clock for Indiana death certificate orders. The fourth option is VitalChek, the state's approved online vendor for death records.
VitalChek accepts credit cards and processes Indiana death certificate orders fast. They charge a service fee on top of the state's base price. Some counties in Indiana also have their own online systems. DeKalb, Elkhart, Hamilton, and a few others use Permitium for direct ordering. Check with your local county health department to see what works best for your situation.
Note: VitalChek adds a service fee on top of the state death certificate price for each order.
Indiana Death Certificate Eligibility
Not just anyone can get a certified copy of a death certificate in Indiana. Under IC 16-37-1-11, you must show what the state calls "direct interest." That means you need a clear tie to the person named on the record. Parents, grandparents, siblings over 18, children over 18, and the current spouse all qualify. Aunts, uncles, and stepparents can also request copies with the right proof. Attorneys need a letter on their firm's letterhead or court documents that show direct interest. State and federal agencies can request death records too, but they must show work ID and proof of their case.
The IDOH FAQ page lists all the ID rules for getting death certificates in Indiana.
You need at least one form of primary ID. A driver's license or state ID card works. So does a passport, military ID, or veteran's card. If you lack primary ID, you can show two forms of secondary ID instead. These include a signed Social Security card, voter registration card, vehicle registration, or a work ID badge. The state is strict about this. Every request for a certified Indiana death certificate goes through an ID check before anything gets processed.
There is one big exception for death records in Indiana. Anyone can get a non-certified copy of a death certificate. IC 16-37-1-10 makes that clear. The copy just cannot be certified, and the Social Security number must be removed. For genealogy work, you can request certified copies if the person has been dead for more than 75 years. You need proof that the person is deceased to use this rule.
Death Record Fees in Indiana
The state charges $8.00 for the first certified copy of a death certificate. Each extra copy in the same order costs $4.00. These are the fees at the Indiana Department of Health. County health departments set their own prices, and they vary quite a bit across Indiana. The cheapest counties charge as little as $5.00 per copy. Newton County and Orange County are at that level. The most costly counties run $25.00 per copy. Grant County and Decatur County sit at the top. Most fall somewhere in the $8 to $15 range for death certificates in Indiana. Always call ahead and ask about fees before you visit.
Use the Local Health Department Map to find fee details and contact info for your county's death records office in Indiana.
Most counties accept cash and money orders. Some take checks. A handful accept credit cards. Personal checks are turned away at many offices, so bring cash or a money order to be safe. If you order through VitalChek or a county's online system, you will pay by credit card plus an extra processing fee on top of the Indiana death certificate cost.
Note: County death certificate fees change from time to time, so call the health department before you go.
Historical Indiana Death Records
Indiana's statewide death registration started in January 1900. Records before that date are harder to find. For deaths between 1900 and 1917, you need the city or county where the death happened to locate the record. The state office cannot search by name alone for those early years. Compliance with reporting rules was spotty in the beginning. By 1917, most areas in Indiana were filing death records on a regular basis.
County health departments often hold death records going further back. Many started keeping files in 1882. Some have gaps in the early years. Howard County, for one, has records from 1875, but those early entries are incomplete. Sullivan County has records from 1880. These older files are useful for people doing family research in Indiana. For death records older than 75 years, you do not need to prove direct interest. That opens them up to genealogy researchers under Indiana Code 16-37-1-10.
The Indiana State Archives holds historical vital records on microfilm. The Indiana State Library has WPA-era death indexes for about half the state's 92 counties. Both are in Indianapolis. FamilySearch offers a free index of Indiana deaths from 1882 to 1920. Ancestry has a larger paid collection that covers death certificates from 1899 through 2011. These databases are good starting points if you need older Indiana death records and do not know which county to contact.
Since January 1, 2011, all death certificates in Indiana must be filed through the Indiana Death Registration System. This is an electronic database. Funeral homes, physicians, and medical examiners use it to file death records. IC 16-37-3-3 requires the person filing a death certificate to use this system. The local health officer then has five days to report the death to the state. This shift to digital filing has made newer Indiana death records easier to find and process.
Public Access to Indiana Death Records
Indiana law draws a clear line between certified and non-certified copies of death records. Certified copies carry legal weight. They can be used in court, for insurance claims, or to settle an estate. Only people with direct interest can get these. Non-certified copies are public records. Under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act, any person can request a non-certified copy of a death certificate. The Social Security number is blacked out, but the rest stays intact. Local health departments must provide these copies to anyone who asks and pays the fee.
Indiana Code Title 16, Article 37 lays out the full legal framework for death records in the state.
A few counties have special authority under IC 16-37-1-8. Dearborn County and Decatur County can issue death certificates from any county in Indiana, not just their own. Starting January 6, 2026, St. Joseph County will also begin issuing out-of-county death certificates. This is helpful if the death took place in a different part of the state and you cannot travel there. Most other counties in Indiana can only issue records for deaths that happened within their borders. The state office in Indianapolis can process requests for any county, but mail orders take longer than a local walk-up visit.
Browse Indiana Death Records by County
Each county in Indiana has its own health department that keeps death records. Pick a county below to find local contact info, fees, and ordering options for death certificates in that area.
Death Records in Major Indiana Cities
Most Indiana cities use their county health department for death records. A few cities run their own health departments. Pick a city below to learn where to get death certificates in that area.