How to Get an Indiana Death Certificate (2026)

Order an Indiana death certificate through the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Division of Vital Records or the local health department where the death occurred. At the state office the first certified copy costs $8.00, with each additional copy of the same record $4.00; county health departments set their own fees. A certified copy requires a qualifying relationship or documented interest plus valid ID, but under IC 16-37-1-10(c) an uncertified copy is a public record that any person may request.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in Indiana?

You get an Indiana death certificate from the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Division of Vital Records, or from the local health department in the county where the death occurred. Indiana keeps records for deaths that happened within the state. It does not issue certificates for people who died in another state.

There are four ways to request a copy.

Order online

Online orders are processed through VitalChek Network, Inc., the only vendor IDOH has authorized for online ordering. You complete the request, upload identification, and pay by credit card. A vendor service charge applies on top of the state fee.

Order by phone

To order by phone with a credit card, call the toll-free line at (866) 601-0891. The line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is operated by the state-authorized third-party service.

Order by mail

Print and complete State Form 49606, the Application for Search of Certified or Non-Certified Copy of a Death Record. Include payment, a copy of your valid ID, and any required supporting documentation. Make checks or money orders payable to the Indiana Department of Health.

Order in person at a local health department

For faster service, you can apply at the local health department in the county where the death occurred. County offices often process requests more quickly than the state office.

Their price is not the state's $8.00 and $4.00. Under IC 16-37-1-9(a) a local health department charges a fee established locally under IC 16-20-1-27, which may not exceed the cost of the service, and IC 16-37-1-9(b) requires a coroners continuing education fee to be added to that rate whenever the county charges for a death certificate. That statutory add-on is $2.50 through June 30, 2028, rising to $2.75 on July 1, 2028. Call the county office for its current total before you go.

Who Is Eligible to Request an Indiana Death Certificate?

Only qualified applicants may obtain a certified copy of an Indiana death certificate. You must have one of the following: a direct interest in the record, a documented and verifiable financial or legal interest, or an immediate direct kinship to the person named on the certificate.

Immediate direct kinship includes a parent, an adult sibling, or a grandparent. Spouses and adult children are typically treated as having a direct interest as well. If you are requesting on behalf of an estate or for a legal matter, you may need to show documentation of that interest.

Indiana Code 16-37-1-10(b)(1)(A) also names one qualifying category outright: an applicant for a death certificate has a direct interest in it if the applicant is a beneficiary of the deceased's individual retirement account, retirement account, brokerage transfer on death account, annuity, or life insurance policy. That is the usual path for a requester who is not a relative.

Identification is required for a certified copy under Indiana Administrative Code 410 IAC 18-4-2. Acceptable forms include a valid driver license, a state ID card, a military ID, a valid passport, or a Matricula Consular. If the address on your ID does not match the address you provide, your request may be returned unprocessed. These eligibility and ID rules govern the certified copy; an uncertified copy is handled differently, as explained below.

Indiana Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

At the IDOH Division of Vital Records, the first certified copy of an Indiana death certificate costs $8.00. This is a search fee, and it is non-refundable even if no record is found. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time is $4.00. IC 16-37-1-11(a) sets those amounts, and it sets them for the state department's division of vital records rather than for county offices.

Indiana charges the $8.00 fee to search the records and determine whether a certificate is on file. Because of this, a record cannot be confirmed as available before purchase.

If you order from a local health department instead, expect a different total. IC 16-37-1-9(a) lets the county charge a fee established locally under IC 16-20-1-27, capped at the cost of providing the service, and IC 16-37-1-9(b) requires the coroners continuing education fee to be added to that rate.

For mailed requests, allow about 2 weeks for your application to reach the state office, then 10 to 15 business days for processing once it is received. Processing times can vary case by case, so it is wise to plan ahead and allow several weeks. Online and phone orders add a vendor service charge but can speed up the submission step.

Certified vs Informational Copy in Indiana

A certified copy is the official document used for legal and financial purposes such as settling an estate, claiming life insurance, closing accounts, or transferring property. It is printed on security paper and carries the state seal, and it is available only to qualified applicants who meet the eligibility and ID rules above.

A non-certified copy (sometimes called an informational copy) contains the same record information but is not valid for legal proof of death. State Form 49606 is used to request either a certified or a non-certified copy.

The two are not subject to the same access rules. Under IC 16-37-1-10(c), a death certificate held by a local health department or by the state department is a public record that must be made available for inspection and copying on request, as long as the copy made is not a certified copy, any Social Security number appearing on it is redacted, and the fee due under IC 16-37-1-9, 16-37-1-11, or 16-37-1-11.5 is collected. The statute imposes no direct-interest test and no identification requirement for that uncertified copy. If you only need the information, you do not have to establish a qualifying relationship at all; the eligibility and ID rules above govern the certified version.

There is one further option worth knowing. IC 16-37-1-8(e) provides that once the local health officer determines you may be given a certification of death, it must issue one that excludes information about the cause of death if you request that exclusion. That helps when you need to prove a death to a bank, an employer, or a landlord without disclosing medical detail.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

You can order additional copies of the same Indiana death certificate at the time of your original request for $4.00 each at the state office, which is the most economical option. Estates and insurance claims often require several certified copies, so it is common to order multiple copies up front.

If you later need a replacement copy or more copies, you submit a new request through the same office and methods. Each new request is treated as a separate search and, at the state office, is subject to a new $8.00 search fee for the first copy plus $4.00 for each additional copy in that order; a county health department charges its own locally set fee instead. To replace a lost or damaged certificate, you do not need the original; you simply reapply with valid ID and proof of your qualifying relationship or interest.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Fees, eligibility rules, and processing times can change. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Indiana Department of Health Division of Vital Records or your local health department before submitting a request.

Sources

This page draws on the Indiana Code (IC 16-37-1), official guidance from the Indiana Department of Health Division of Vital Records, and the Indiana Administrative Code.

Up to the parent overview: Indiana Death Records. See the full Death Records by State hub for other states.