Search Allen County Death Certificates

Allen County death records are managed by the Allen County Department of Health in Fort Wayne. As the largest county in northeast Indiana with over 380,000 residents, Allen County processes a high volume of death certificate requests each year. You can search for and order death records in person at the Citizens Square building, by mail, or through online ordering with VitalChek. The health department staff can help you find records for deaths that took place anywhere in Allen County.

Allen County Department of Health

The Allen County Department of Health runs the vital records office where death certificates are kept and issued. This office is in Citizens Square, a large county building in downtown Fort Wayne. It handles all death records for deaths that happened within Allen County. The department also works with funeral homes and medical providers who file the original death certificates.

Allen County sees thousands of death certificate requests each year. The office is well staffed to handle the demand. Walk-in service is the fastest way to get a death certificate from Allen County. You show your ID, fill out a request form, and pay the fee. Most certified copies are ready within 15 to 30 minutes for records that are on file. The staff at the Allen County health department can also help you figure out if the death you are looking for was filed in Allen County or in another jurisdiction.

Getting Allen County Death Records

Allen County gives you three ways to get a death certificate: in person, by mail, or online. Each option has a different speed and cost. The in-person method is fastest. Online is most convenient if you live far away. Mail takes the longest but works fine if you are not in a rush.

To visit the office in Fort Wayne, go to Suite 360 at Citizens Square on East Berry Street. Bring a valid photo ID. Tell the clerk the full name of the person who died, the date of death, and the place of death if you know it. Pay $20.00 for a certified copy or $3.00 for a non-certified one. A certified death certificate from Allen County has a raised seal and is accepted for legal use. Non-certified copies work for personal reference but not for court or insurance claims.

For mail requests, send a letter to the Allen County Department of Health at the address above. Include the full name of the deceased, date of death, your name, address, phone number, reason for the request, and a check or money order for $20.00. Mail requests for Allen County death records usually take one to three weeks to process. The office mails the certified copy back to you once they find the record.

Note: Allen County does not process mail requests without proper payment included in the envelope.

Online Death Certificate Orders

Allen County death records can be ordered online through VitalChek. This service lets you order from home using a credit or debit card. VitalChek charges the base certificate fee plus a service fee for processing the order. The total cost is higher than ordering in person, but it saves you a trip to Fort Wayne.

The Allen County health department website at allencountyhealth.com has a direct link to the VitalChek portal. When you order, make sure you pick Allen County as the location. You will need to enter the full name of the deceased, date of death, and your own information. VitalChek verifies your identity as part of the process. Orders are sent to the Allen County office for fulfillment, and the certificate ships to your address by mail. Standard shipping takes about two weeks. Rush options cost more but arrive sooner.

The Allen County health department website has details on what forms of payment they accept and the ordering steps.

This portal handles orders for death certificates from all Indiana counties, but Allen County is one of the most requested.

Indiana State Death Records Access

Besides the Allen County health department, the Indiana Department of Health in Indianapolis also has death records on file for Allen County. The state keeps a central copy of every death certificate filed in Indiana. You can request records from the state office by mail using Form 49606 or by ordering online through VitalChek.

The state office may be useful if you need death records from more than one Indiana county. Instead of contacting each county health department, you can make one request to the state. However, the state office often has longer wait times than the Allen County local office. For a single Allen County death certificate, the local office in Fort Wayne is usually the faster choice. State processing can take three to four weeks by mail.

Allen County Death Record Regulations

Death records in Allen County follow Indiana state law. Under Indiana Code 16-37-1-10, vital records are public records after a certain period. Death certificates are generally available to the public, though the local health officer has some say in how recent records are released. Allen County follows these state rules and makes records available to anyone who asks and pays the fee.

Indiana Code Title 16, Article 37 covers the full set of vital records laws. It says that deaths must be reported within 72 hours. The funeral director or person who handles the body files the death certificate with the local registrar. In Allen County, that means the health department gets the original filing. They keep it on record and send a copy to the state. This system means both the Allen County office and the state office have the record on file.

Certified copies from Allen County carry the official seal. They serve as legal proof of death for estate matters, insurance claims, and other official needs. Non-certified copies at $3.00 are much cheaper but do not carry the seal. They are fine for personal records and research purposes.

Note: The Allen County health department can only issue certificates for deaths that were filed in Allen County.

Allen County Health Department Portal

The Allen County Department of Health website shows the full range of vital records services available to the public.

Check this page for the latest hours, fees, and any updates to how Allen County processes death certificate requests. The site also has links to forms you may need.

Local Health Department Resources

The Indiana Local Health Department Map is a helpful tool if you are not sure which county to contact. Allen County covers a large area in northeast Indiana, and deaths that happen near county lines can sometimes be filed in the wrong county. The map shows you which health department covers each area and gives you contact info for each office. For Allen County, the map confirms that the Fort Wayne office at Citizens Square is the place to go.

Cities in Allen County

Allen County is home to Fort Wayne, the second largest city in Indiana. All death records for the county are processed through the Allen County Department of Health, regardless of which city the death took place in.

Other communities in Allen County include New Haven, Grabill, Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, Monroeville, and Woodburn. All death records for these areas go through the Allen County health department in Fort Wayne.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Allen County. If a death happened near the county line, you may need to check with the neighboring health department. Each county keeps its own death records.