East Chicago Death Records

East Chicago death records are handled by the East Chicago Health Department, one of only four cities in Indiana that runs its own city-level health department for vital records. Most Indiana cities rely on their county health department, but East Chicago manages death certificates independently. The city has about 26,000 residents and sits in the northwest corner of Lake County. The health department office is on West Chicago Avenue in the heart of the city. Records date back to 1927 and are available for in-person pickup only.

East Chicago City Health Department

The East Chicago Health Department is the local registrar for death records in the city. This is different from most Indiana cities. In nearly every other community, the county health department is the one that handles vital records. East Chicago has its own. It is one of just four cities in the state with this setup. The office is in Suite 100A at 100 West Chicago Avenue.

Walk-in service is the only way to get a death certificate from this office. There is no online ordering option. You go to the health department during business hours, bring a photo ID, and fill out a request form. Give the staff the name of the deceased and the date of death. They search the records and print a certified copy if it is on file. The fee is $12 per copy, which is actually lower than what many county offices charge across Indiana.

There is one important payment rule. The East Chicago Health Department does not accept cash. You need to bring a money order or cashier's check made out to the City of East Chicago. This catches some people off guard. Make sure you have the right payment before you go. Personal checks may or may not be accepted, so call ahead and ask if you plan to write one.

Note: No cash is accepted at this office. Bring a money order or cashier's check to avoid making a second trip.

Why East Chicago Has Its Own Health Department

Most cities in Indiana do not have their own vital records office. The county health department handles that for them. East Chicago is an exception. It has maintained its own city health department for decades. The other Indiana cities with their own health departments include Gary, which is also in Lake County. This means Lake County has multiple offices that can issue death certificates, depending on where the death happened.

For a death that occurred within East Chicago city limits, the record is filed with the East Chicago Health Department. Not the Lake County Health Department. This is a key distinction. If you are looking for a death record and the death happened in East Chicago, the county office in Crown Point will not have it. You have to go to the city office on West Chicago Avenue.

The split can cause confusion. People sometimes go to the Lake County Health Department first and get told the record is not there. That is because East Chicago keeps its own records. If you are not sure whether a death happened inside East Chicago or in a nearby area served by the county, call both offices. The East Chicago number is (219) 391-8413. You can also email the office at dburns@eastchicago.com.

How to Get East Chicago Death Certificates

Getting a death certificate in East Chicago is done in person. There is no online ordering. There is no VitalChek option for this office. You must visit the health department yourself or have someone go on your behalf.

Here is how it works. Go to the East Chicago Health Department at 100 W. Chicago Avenue, Suite 100A, during business hours. Bring a valid photo ID. Fill out the request form with the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and your contact information. The staff searches for the record. If they find it, they print a certified copy. You pay the $12 fee with a money order or cashier's check. No cash. The whole visit can take less than 30 minutes if the office is not busy.

If you cannot visit in person, your options are limited. You could try sending a mail request with a money order, but the office primarily serves walk-in customers. Call (219) 391-8413 before sending anything by mail to confirm they will accept it. The staff can tell you what they need in a written request.

For deaths that happened in other parts of Lake County but not in East Chicago, you would go through the Lake County Health Department in Crown Point instead. That office does have online ordering through VitalChek.

Where East Chicago Deaths Are Filed

A death that happens in East Chicago gets filed with the East Chicago Health Department. Not the county. This is the critical detail for this city. The filing goes to the city office first. Then a copy goes to the Indiana Department of Health at the state level. The state keeps a central copy of every death in Indiana.

If an East Chicago resident died in Hammond, Gary, or any other Lake County community outside East Chicago city limits, that record would be on file at the Lake County Health Department, not the East Chicago office. And if the death happened in a different county altogether, it would be with that county's health department. The place of death controls the filing location.

Note: Deaths at St. Catherine Hospital, which is in East Chicago, are filed with the East Chicago Health Department since the hospital is inside city limits.

East Chicago Vital Records Page

The East Chicago city website has a page for its vital records services, including information on death certificate requests and payment rules.

Check this page for updates on office hours and any changes to how the East Chicago Health Department handles death certificate orders.

Indiana State Death Records

The Indiana Department of Health holds copies of East Chicago death records at the state level. You can request records from the state by mail using Form 49606. The state office charges its own fee, which may be different from the $12 that East Chicago charges locally.

Going through the state can be a useful backup. If you cannot visit the East Chicago office in person and they do not accept mail requests, the state office is another route to get a certified copy. It takes longer since everything is by mail, but it works when in-person is not an option for you.

East Chicago Death Record Laws

Death records in East Chicago follow Indiana state law just like every other city. Under Indiana Code 16-37-1-10, vital records are public. Anyone can request a death certificate by filling out a form and paying the fee. You do not need to be a family member. Certified copies have an official seal and serve as legal proof of death.

Indiana Code Title 16, Article 37 sets out all the vital records rules. Deaths must be reported within 72 hours. The funeral home files the certificate with the local registrar. In East Chicago, the registrar is part of the city health department. They file the original and send a copy to the state. Both the city and the state can issue certified copies.

Find the Right Health Department

The Indiana Local Health Department Map helps you identify the right vital records office for any location in Indiana. East Chicago is a special case on this map because it has its own city health department separate from the Lake County office. Make sure you are going to the right one based on where the death actually happened.

Lake County Death Records

East Chicago is in Lake County, but the city runs its own health department for vital records. For deaths that happened outside East Chicago but elsewhere in Lake County, you would use the Lake County Health Department in Crown Point. See the Lake County page for details on that office.

View Lake County Death Records

Nearby Cities

These cities are near East Chicago. Each page has info on local death records access and which health department handles requests in that area.