How to Get a Death Certificate in Indiana: Ways to Order and Fees

To get a death certificate in Indiana, submit Form 49606 along with a copy of your ID and the fee to the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Division of Vital Records, or walk into the health department of the county where the death occurred. The state charges $8 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.¹ Mail and online orders through the state currently take around 60 days to process; county offices often turn walk-in requests around the same day.²

Who Can Order One

Indiana does not release death certificates on request to the general public. Under Indiana Code 16-37-1-10, the state registrar issues a certified copy only when the applicant has a “direct interest” in the record and needs it to establish personal or property rights or to comply with state or federal law.³

In practice, two groups qualify. The first is close family: parents named on the record, a surviving spouse (with proof of marriage), adult children or grandchildren, grandparents, and adult siblings. Each needs to show proof of the relationship.⁴

The second is people with a legal or financial tie to the deceased. The statute specifically names beneficiaries of retirement accounts, brokerage transfer-on-death accounts, annuities, and life insurance policies.³ Guardians, attorneys, funeral directors, and authorized agents may also qualify. Plan to bring supporting paperwork: a court order, a contract, a policy showing you as beneficiary, or a title tying you to the estate.⁴

One quick distinction. A certified copy carries the state registrar’s signature and the state seal, which is what banks, insurers, and probate courts require.⁵ A non-certified copy looks similar but has no seal and no legal weight. Form 49606 handles both types.⁶

What to Put on the Application

All requests use Form 49606, “Application for Search of Certified or Non-Certified Copy of a Death Record.” You can download it from the IDOH Division of Vital Records website or pick one up at your local county health department.⁶

At a minimum, you need the deceased person’s name, date of death, place of death, and date of birth.⁷ The form also asks for the mother’s maiden name and the father’s name, which help the registrar match the record. Having the Social Security number handy helps if you plan to use the certificate for financial or federal benefit claims. Incomplete applications get rejected, and the fees are non-refundable, so check every field before you send it.

Proving Your Identity

Every applicant has to verify their identity before the registrar will release a certificate.⁸ You have two paths:

One primary ID: a government-issued driver’s license or state ID card, front and back.
Two secondary IDs if you don’t have a primary. Accepted combinations include a signed Social Security card, a voter registration card with your current address, a DD-214 military discharge form, a current vehicle registration, a work ID badge paired with a pay stub, or a college ID with proof of enrollment.⁴

Mail and online orders use legible copies of your ID, not originals.

Three Ways to Submit

Indiana lets you order online, by mail, or in person at a local county health department. The state office in Indianapolis does not accept walk-ins, so if you need the certificate quickly, your route is the county office.⁶

In Person at the County Health Department

This is the fastest option. Visit the health department in the county where the death occurred — many offer same-day service for walk-in requests.² IDOH publishes a directory of local health department contacts so you can check hours and availability first.⁶ County fees are set locally and are often higher than the state’s $8 base, so call ahead to confirm cost and accepted payment methods.

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is the only online vendor IDOH has authorized. It accepts credit cards and offers order tracking and expedited shipping. The base certificate fees stay the same, but VitalChek adds its own processing and service charges on top.¹ Convenient, but the most expensive route once the add-ons are counted.

By Mail

Complete Form 49606, attach copies of your identification, and mail everything to:

Indiana State Department of Health
P.O. Box 7125
Indianapolis, IN 46206-7125

Make the check or money order payable to the Indiana Department of Health. Personal checks are accepted for mail orders; cash is not.¹⁶ Processing at the state office currently runs about 60 days from receipt of a complete application.

Fees and How Many Copies to Order

The state charges $8 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy in the same order.¹ Those fees are non-refundable, even if the search turns up no matching record. VitalChek orders include added service charges on top of the base fees. County health departments set their own prices, and the state fee schedule does not apply there.

Order more than you think you need. Most families use at least three or four certified copies: one for probate, one for the life insurance company, one for the bank, and a spare. At $4 for each extra copy in the same order, buying ahead is far cheaper than filing a second application later.

Fixing an Error on the Certificate

A misspelled name, wrong birth date, or incorrect cause of death can derail an insurance claim or hold up an estate. IDOH’s Division of Vital Records handles corrections, and the path depends on what needs to change. Minor clerical fixes like a misspelled name may be handled administratively. Substantive changes, such as altering the cause of death or demographic information, often require a court order.

Call IDOH Vital Records at (317) 233-2700 before you submit anything. Staff will tell you exactly what documentation the specific correction needs. Skipping that call usually leads to rejected paperwork and lost time.

Deaths That Happened Outside Indiana

Indiana does not issue death certificates for people who died in another state. If your family member died in Ohio, Florida, or anywhere else, request the certificate from the vital records office in the state where the death occurred.⁹ Each state sets its own eligibility rules, fees, and processing times.

Using the Certificate in Another Country

If a foreign authority needs to accept an Indiana death certificate, you’ll usually need an apostille, the authentication recognized by countries in the 1961 Hague Convention. The Indiana Secretary of State handles apostilles for Indiana vital records, and birth and death certificates are exempt from the standard $2 filing fee, so the authentication itself is free.¹⁰

Submit the original certified death certificate with a completed Authentication Request Form from the Secretary of State’s website, naming the destination country. In-person requests (by appointment at 302 W. Washington Street, Room E-018, Indianapolis) can be processed up to 10 documents while you wait. Mailed requests are processed daily, typically within one to two business days of receipt, and require a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return.¹⁰ If the destination country is not a Hague Convention member, you may need full legalization through its embassy or consulate instead.

1
Indiana Department of Health. Indiana Department of Health – Order Certificates
2
Allen County Department of Health. Birth and Death
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Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 16-37-1-10 – Confidentiality; Disclosure of Data in Records; Conditions for Availability; Grounds for Denial
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Fishers, Indiana Health Department. Death Certificate Eligibility Criteria
5
Legal Information Institute. Indiana Code 410 IAC 18-0.5-5 – Death Certificate Defined
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Indiana State Government. Indiana Department of Health Division of Vital Records
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IN.gov. What Are the Required Pieces of Information to Order Death and Fetal Certificates?
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Legal Information Institute. Indiana Code 410 IAC 18-4-2 – Documentation Required to Obtain Death Certificate
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Indiana Department of Health. Health – Vital Records – Deaths
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Indiana Secretary of State. Secretary of State – Business Services Division – Authentications