Indianapolis Birth Certificate: Eligibility, Ordering, and Corrections

To get an Indianapolis birth certificate, you can order a certified copy from the Marion County Public Health Department for $15.00 or from the Indiana State Department of Health for $10.00. Both agencies accept in-person, mail, and online requests, but you must qualify under Indiana’s eligibility rules and present valid photo identification. Mail requests to Marion County generally require a notarized application.

Who Qualifies to Request a Copy

Indiana law limits certified birth certificates to people with a direct interest in the record who need the information for personal rights, property rights, or compliance with law.¹ In practice, that means the person named on the certificate, their parents, a legal guardian, or a current spouse. A legal representative or someone with a court order can also qualify with documentation proving that authority.

The registrar can deny a request if there is reasonable suspicion that releasing the record could lead to fraud or identity theft.¹ If you cannot show a clear legal connection to the person named on the certificate, expect the department to turn you down.

What the Application Requires

Marion County’s form is called the Application for a Certified Birth Certificate. You can download it from the health department’s website or pick one up at the office. The form asks for the person’s full name at birth (not a married or later legal name), the exact date of birth and the Marion County hospital where the birth occurred, both parents’ full names including the mother’s maiden name and each parent’s state of birth, whether the person was adopted or had a legal name change, your relationship to the person, and the reason you need the document.²

Acceptable Photo Identification

Bring a valid, current photo ID. The department accepts a driver’s license, state-issued ID, military ID, U.S. passport or passport card, a current student ID showing the current year, an Indiana Department of Correction release ID within six months of release, or an approved current foreign government-issued ID.² If you are requesting the certificate of a relative and were not born in Marion County yourself, include a copy of your own birth certificate to prove the family relationship.

The Notary Requirement for Mail Requests

This is the step that catches most people. If the person on the birth certificate is one year of age or older, the mail-in application must be notarized. Sign the form in front of a notary public, who verifies your ID and stamps the built-in notary section on the application.² If the person is under one year old, no notary is needed and you can just include a copy of your photo ID. A mail request missing a required notarization will be rejected.

Ordering From Marion County

Marion County offers three ways to place a request. Each has a different cost and timeline.

In Person

Walk-in requests go through the Vital Records office on the first floor of the Hasbrook Building, 3838 North Rural Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.³

A certified copy costs $15.00. Payment options include cash, check, money order, and credit or debit card. Card payments carry a $2.00 convenience fee on purchases up to $100.00.³ Walk-ins are typically the fastest route, often processed during the same visit.

By Mail

Send your completed application, notarized if required, with payment to: ATT: BIRTH MAIL ORDER, MCPHD/Vital Records, 3838 N Rural St, Indianapolis, IN 46205-2930. Pay by check or money order made out to the Marion County Public Health Department. Do not send cash. Include a copy of your photo ID with money order payments.² Allow several weeks for processing and return delivery.

Online Through VitalChek

Marion County’s authorized online vendor is VitalChek.⁴ The order runs $15.00 for a standard full-size certificate or $17.00 for a plastic-sealed version, plus VitalChek’s processing fee and shipping. You will also complete a remote identity verification step. Express UPS Next Day Air shipping through VitalChek runs about $18 to $19.⁵ If you can’t visit the office and need the certificate soon, the overnight option is worth the tracking alone.

Ordering From the Indiana State Department of Health

The state also issues birth certificates for anyone born in Indiana, including Indianapolis. It charges $10.00 for the first certified copy, with additional copies in the same order at $4.00 each.⁶ Order by mail using State Form 49607, online through VitalChek, or by phone at (866) 601-0891, which is available 24 hours a day.

The trade-off is speed. Standard state orders take two to three weeks, and long-form certificates can take six to eight weeks.⁶ Online and phone orders through VitalChek add processing and service fees on top of the base price. If time is not tight and you want the lowest cost, the state’s mail-in route is the cheapest.

Fixing Errors on a Birth Certificate

Mistakes on birth certificates come up more often than you might expect, and the fix depends on the type of error.

Changes to a first, middle, or last name require a court order for a legal name change. The same rule applies to changing the sex listed on the certificate. Minor factual errors, such as a misspelling or incorrect date, may sometimes be corrected using supporting documents that are ten or more years old.⁷ Only a parent (while the child is a minor), an emancipated minor, or the adult named on the certificate can request an amendment.

The state charges $8.00 for an amendment or correction.⁶ Marion County handles paternity additions and certain corrections locally, charging $35.00 for the record amendment plus $15.00 for the new certificate.⁸

Adding a Father Through a Paternity Affidavit

If no father is listed, a Paternity Affidavit can establish legal paternity and add the father’s name without a court case. Both parents can sign the affidavit at the hospital within 72 hours of birth. After that window, the affidavit can still be signed at the local health department any time before the child turns 18, so long as no father is already listed on the certificate.⁹

Signing carries real legal weight. Paternity is established without further court action, and there is only a 60-day window to rescind the affidavit through a court filing. After 60 days, reversing paternity becomes extremely difficult even if DNA testing later shows the man is not the biological father. A man who is not certain he is the biological father should request genetic testing before signing.⁹ The Marion County Public Health Department processes these affidavits locally and can walk you through the paperwork in person.⁸

Genealogical Access to Old Records

Indiana birth records are not public, even old ones. The state does allow genealogical access under specific conditions: the person named on the certificate must be over 75 years old and deceased, and you must show proof of death.¹⁰ Without that proof, the standard eligibility rules apply and you will need to show a direct interest in the record. If your research involves ancestors born in Marion County, the local Vital Records office may be able to help, but the same documentation requirements apply.

1
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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Marion County Public Health Department. Application for a Certified Birth Certificate
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Marion County Public Health Department. Vital Records Office Hours, Services and Fees
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VitalChek. Marion County Public Health Department (IN) – Order Certificates
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VitalChek. Express Shipping Services
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Indiana Department of Health. Health – Vital Records – Order Certificates
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Indiana Department of Health. Health – Vital Records – Amendments/Corrections FAQs
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Marion County Public Health Department. Vital Records
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Indiana Department of Health. Paternity Affidavit – Hospital Use
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Indiana Department of Health. Health – Vital Records – Home