How to Get a Replacement Birth Certificate in Indiana

To get a replacement birth certificate in Indiana, order a certified copy from the Indiana Department of Health or the local health department in the county where the birth occurred. The first copy costs $10, and each additional copy in the same order is $4.¹ You can apply by mail, in person, online through VitalChek, or by phone. Standard-form certificates typically arrive in two to three weeks by mail; the long form takes six to eight weeks.

Who Can Request One

Indiana law limits who may obtain a certified birth certificate. Under Indiana Code 16-37-1-10 and 16-37-1-11, you qualify if you are:

The person named on the record, and at least 18
A parent listed on the record
A grandparent (parent of someone listed on the record) with proof of relationship
A sibling, adult child, or grandchild, at least 18, with proof of relationship
The current spouse, with a marriage certificate
An aunt, uncle, or step-parent with proof of relationship (step-parents need a valid marriage certificate)
A court-appointed legal guardian, with sealed guardianship papers
An attorney showing ID and documented direct interest on letterhead or in court documents
A government or social agency employee with a work ID and documented direct interest

If you’re requesting someone else’s record, be ready to prove the relationship. A marriage certificate, your own birth certificate showing shared parentage, or court paperwork will usually do it depending on how you’re connected.

Genealogy requests are different: the record must be more than 75 years old and the person named must be deceased, with proof of death supplied.

Standard Form or Long Form

Indiana issues two types of certified birth certificates, and ordering the wrong one costs you time and another fee.

The standard form is a half-page document (8.5″ × 5.5″) that shows your name, sex, birthplace, date of birth, parents’ names, parents’ birthplace, the filing date, and a certificate number. It works for most everyday purposes: a Real ID or driver’s license, a passport, a Social Security card, school enrollment, a new job, or government benefits.²

The long form is a full-page document (8.5″ × 11″) with everything on the standard form plus the time of birth, the attending physician’s name, the certifier’s name, the hospital name, and parents’ dates of birth. You’ll typically need this version for marriage outside the United States, dual citizenship, immigration or visa proceedings, adoption matters, genealogy, apostille requests, and applications to organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution.²

Both are certified copies with full legal validity. If you’re not sure which you need, ask the agency requesting it before you order. The long form processes much more slowly, so getting this right the first time saves weeks.

What You’ll Need to Apply

Have this information ready before you start the application:

Full name at birth, plus any other name the birth may have been recorded under
Date of birth
City and county of birth
Hospital name, if known
Full names of both parents, including the maiden name of the parent who changed their name at marriage
Adoption information, if applicable, including the name after adoption

You’ll also state your relationship to the person on the certificate and the reason for the request.³

Every application must include a photocopy of the front and back of a valid government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, state ID card, U.S. passport, or military ID. Applications without ID are rejected.³ If you’re not the person named on the certificate, include your proof of relationship documents in the same envelope.

How to Order

Indiana offers four ways to request a certificate. The fees are the same regardless of channel: $10 for the first copy, $4 for each additional copy in the same order.¹

By Mail

Print and complete State Form 49607 from the Indiana Department of Health website. Use black ink and fill in every applicable field. Mail the form with a photocopy of both sides of your ID and a check or money order payable to the Indiana Department of Health. Cash is not accepted.¹ Send everything to:

Vital Records
Indiana State Department of Health
P.O. Box 7125
Indianapolis, IN 46206-7125⁴

In Person

Visit the local health department in the county where the birth occurred. The state’s central office does not accept walk-in requests, but many county offices do and can be faster than mailing to the state. Call the county office first to confirm hours and accepted payment methods.¹

Online

The Indiana Department of Health uses VitalChek Network, Inc. as its only authorized online vendor. VitalChek takes credit cards and sends email updates with tracking. Expect service and shipping surcharges on top of the state’s $10 base fee; these can roughly double the total.¹

By Phone

Call (866) 601-0891 to order with a credit card. Phone orders also go through VitalChek and carry the same additional fees.¹

How Long It Takes

Standard form: 2 to 3 weeks
Long form: 6 to 8 weeks

These are mail-in timeframes through the Indiana Department of Health and can vary case by case.¹ County health departments sometimes turn in-person orders around faster. VitalChek orders still route through the state system, so ordering online mainly buys convenience and tracking, not a faster certificate. All certified copies arrive by mail. Keep a copy of your application and receipt.

Fixing an Error on an Existing Certificate

If your current certificate has a misspelling, wrong date, or other inaccuracy, you need a correction or amendment, not another copy. The fee is $8.¹

Start by calling Vital Records at (317) 233-2700. You’ll generally need supporting documentation at least 10 years old that shows the correct information. Acceptable records include court orders, school records, life insurance policies, marriage license applications, voter registration cards, military discharge papers, census records, employment records, children’s birth records, and hospital records from the birth.⁵

For questions about adding a parent through a paternity affidavit, or about same-sex couples or surrogates being listed on a birth record, submit a help desk ticket to Vital Records.⁵

Making Sure It Works for a Passport

Not every birth certificate is accepted for a U.S. passport application. The State Department requires that the certificate:

Be issued by the city, county, or state of birth
List your full name, date of birth, and place of birth
List your parent or parents’ full names
Bear the registrar’s signature
Show a filing date within one year of your birth
Carry the official seal or stamp of the issuing authority

Electronic or mobile birth certificates are not accepted. You need a physical certified copy.⁶

Certificates from the Indiana Department of Health or a county health department will generally meet these requirements as long as the original birth was registered within a year. If your birth was registered late, expect extra scrutiny and possibly a request for supplemental evidence of citizenship.

If There’s No Record on File

Some Indiana-born residents find no birth record exists, particularly those born at home or in rural areas before hospital births were standard. Indiana did not require birth registration until 1882, and the state itself didn’t begin recording births until 1907.⁷

If no record exists, you can file a delayed registration of birth. Documentation requirements depend on your age at registration. Contact the Indiana Department of Health at abadaruddin@health.in.gov, or write to:

Indiana Department of Health
Vital Records
Attn: Delayed Registration of Birth
2 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204²

For births between 1882 and 1906, records were kept at the county level. Contact the county health office where the birth occurred.⁷

One boundary worth flagging: if you were born abroad to U.S. citizen parents, your proof of birth is a Consular Report of Birth Abroad from the U.S. Department of State, not an Indiana birth certificate. Indiana can’t replace that document. Replacement requests go to the State Department’s Passport Vital Records Section.⁸

1
IN.gov. Order Certificates
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Indiana Department of Health. Health: Vital Records: Births
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Indiana Department of Health. Application for Search and Certified Copy of Birth Record
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CDC. Where to Write for Vital Records – Indiana
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IN.gov. Corrections and Amendments
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U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
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Indiana Archives and Records Administration. Census and Vital Records
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U.S. Department of State. How to Replace or Amend a Consular Report of Birth Abroad