Indiana ranks 23rd out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#6of 51
Speed#30of 51
Ease of ordering#42of 51
Birth certificates #22 of 51
Cost
$10 first copy, $4 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 12–16 weeks; mail: 10–15 business days after the application arrives; in person: no walk-in at the state office; local health departments offer walk-in service
Time until the copy is in hand
About 4–5 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from October 1907
Marriage records #16 of 51
Cost
$8 per copy from the state (marriages from 1958 to 2012); county fees vary
Processing time
Mail: 10–15 business days after the state receives the request; county copies vary
Time until the copy is in hand
About 3–5 weeks by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State office (Record of Marriage, 1958–2012) or the county Clerk of Courts
Order online
No (state copies by mail only)
Records available
State Record of Marriage for 1958–2012; other years from the county Clerk of Courts
Divorce records #27 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Death certificates #33 of 51
Cost
$8 first copy, $4 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 12–16 weeks; mail: 10–15 business days after the application arrives; in person: no walk-in at the state office; local health departments offer walk-in service
Time until the copy is in hand
About 2–3 months by mail (estimate)
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from 1900
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order Indiana birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get an Indiana birth certificate?
A certified Indiana birth certificate costs $10 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Order from the local health department in the county of birth (IDOH says this is faster), or from the Indiana Department of Health by mail, phone or VitalChek. The state office has no walk-in service.
Indiana birth records: ordering details
Who can order
You need a “direct interest”: a documented and verifiable financial and legal interest, or close kinship. The IDOH list includes the person named (18 or older), parents listed on the record, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children and grandchildren, the current spouse, aunts and uncles, step-parents, legal guardians, attorneys and agencies. Most relatives must send proof of the relationship, such as birth or marriage certificates. For genealogy, the person must be deceased and over 75 years old.
Fee
$10 search fee, which includes one certified copy if the record is found; $4 for each extra copy of the same record bought at the same time. The search fee isn’t refunded if no record is found. One search covers the year you give plus the two years before and after. Through VitalChek, add a $12.95 processing fee; regular USPS mail costs nothing extra, and UPS Air in the continental U.S. is $21. Express courier on a mail order costs extra; call IDOH for the current rate.
How to order
Local health department (fastest): IDOH recommends ordering from the local health department in the county where the birth occurred. This is also the only way to order in person; walk-in hours vary by county. Online or by phone:VitalChek, IDOH’s only authorized online vendor, or call (866) 601-0891, 24/7, to pay by credit card. By mail: the Application for Search and Certified Copy of Birth Record (State Form 49607), a copy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to the Indiana Department of Health, to Indiana Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, 2 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. In person at the state: not available. IDOH Vital Records has no walk-in service. Which version: the standard certificate (8.5” x 5.5”) is accepted for passports, REAL ID and most uses. The long form (8.5” x 11”) adds details such as the time of birth and hospital, and is used for dual citizenship, immigration, apostilles and genealogy. The long form must be ordered from the state.
ID needed
A copy of the front and back of one current, valid photo ID: driver’s license or state ID, U.S. military ID, U.S. or foreign passport, Veterans ID or Mexican consular ID. Or send two current secondary documents from the IDOH identification list, such as a signed Social Security card, voter registration card, or vehicle registration with your name and current address. The mailing address on your application must match your ID; orders without proper ID are returned unprocessed. Send copies only, as originals aren’t returned. Amish and religious exceptions need a letter from a bishop or clergy.
Processing time
IDOH posts different times on different pages. The Order Certificates page lists 2–3 weeks for a standard birth certificate and 6–8 weeks for a long form. The Vital Records home page says to allow 2 weeks for a mailed order to arrive, then 10–15 business days to process it. The VitalChek page lists 12–16 weeks once all documents are received and approved. Local health departments are faster. Estimate: about 4–5 weeks for a standard copy by mail, including mail time both ways.
Older and local records
State birth records begin in October 1907. Births before October 1907 are filed only with the local health department in the county where the birth occurred.
Tip: Need it for a passport or REAL ID? The standard certificate works and is quicker. Order the long form only if you need it for dual citizenship, immigration, an apostille or genealogy.
A certified Indiana death certificate costs $8 for the first copy and $4 for each extra copy ordered at the same time. Order from the local health department in the county of death (IDOH says this is faster), or from the Indiana Department of Health by mail, phone or VitalChek. The state office has no walk-in service.
Indiana death records: ordering details
Who can order
For a certified copy you need a “direct interest”: parents, spouse, adult children and grandchildren, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, adult nieces and nephews, someone with a legal interest (with proof such as a contract, title or court order), or the assigned funeral home. For genealogy, the person named must have been over 75 years old. The death application also offers non-certified copies.
Fee
$8 search fee, which includes one copy if the record is found; $4 for each extra certified copy of the same record bought at the same time (2 copies $12, 3 copies $16). The search fee isn’t refunded. If the record isn’t found in the year you give, IDOH also searches the two years before and after. Through VitalChek, add a $12.95 processing fee; regular USPS mail costs nothing extra, and UPS Air in the continental U.S. is $21. Express courier on a mail order costs extra; call IDOH for the current rate.
How to order
Local health department (fastest): IDOH recommends ordering from the local health department in the county where the death occurred. This is also the only way to order in person; walk-in hours vary by county. Online or by phone:VitalChek, IDOH’s only authorized online vendor, or call (866) 601-0891, 24/7, to pay by credit card. By mail: the Application for Search of Certified or Non-Certified Copy of a Death Record (State Form 49606); choose certified or non-certified, and with or without the cause of death, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order payable to the Indiana Department of Health, to Indiana Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, 2 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. In person at the state: not available. IDOH Vital Records has no walk-in service.
ID needed
A copy of the front and back of one current, valid photo ID: driver’s license or state ID, U.S. military ID, U.S. or foreign passport, Veterans ID or Mexican consular ID. Or send two current secondary documents from the IDOH identification list, such as a signed Social Security card, voter registration card, or vehicle registration with your name and current address. The mailing address on your application must match your ID; orders without proper ID are returned unprocessed. Send copies only, as originals aren’t returned. Amish and religious exceptions need a letter from a bishop or clergy.
Processing time
IDOH posts different times on different pages. The Order Certificates page lists 60 days for death certificates. The Vital Records home page says to allow 2 weeks for a mailed order to arrive, then 10–15 business days to process it. The VitalChek page lists 12–16 weeks once all documents are received and approved. Local health departments are faster. Estimate: about 2–3 months by mail, based on the 60-day posted time plus mail time.
Older and local records
State death records begin in 1900. Deaths before 1900 are filed only with the local health department in the county where the death occurred. For deaths from 1900 through 1917, include the city or county of death so the record can be found.
Tip: For 1900–1917 deaths, put the city or county of death on the application. IDOH needs it to locate the record.
For a certified copy of an Indiana marriage license, contact the Clerk of Courts in the county where the license was issued; fees vary by county. The Indiana Department of Health also sells a certified Record of Marriage for marriages from 1958 through 2012 for $8 by mail.
Indiana marriage records: ordering details
Who can order
County copies: contact the Clerk of Courts. State Record of Marriage: either spouse, or someone who can document a direct interest, a need to determine personal or property rights, or a need to comply with state or federal law.
Fee
County copies: varies by county. State Record of Marriage: $8 per date searched, which includes one certified copy if the record is found. The fee isn’t refunded; if no record is found, you get a letter saying so.
How to order
County: contact the Clerk of Courts in the county where the marriage license was issued. If you don’t know the county, search the Indiana Courts Marriage License Public Lookup. State Record of Marriage (by mail): send the Application for Search for Certified Record of Marriage (State Form 54764), a copy of your ID and a check or money order to Vital Records, Indiana Department of Health, 2 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The form, last revised in 2018, still names the payee as the Indiana State Department of Health; call IDOH at (317) 233-2700 if you aren’t sure how to write the check.
ID needed
State: identification is required, and your mailing address must match your ID. Requests without proper ID are returned. County: contact the Clerk of Courts.
Processing time
State Record of Marriage: 10–15 business days after IDOH receives the request. County copies: varies by county. Estimate: about 3–5 weeks for the state copy by mail, including mail time both ways.
Older records
The state became the central repository for marriage records in 1958, but it can currently provide certified records only for marriages from 1958 through 2012. For marriages before 1958 or after 2012, contact the county Clerk of Courts. The Indiana State Library has online marriage indexes through 1850 and for 1958–2018.
Tip: Don’t know which county issued the license? Search the Indiana Courts Marriage License Public Lookup or the Indiana State Library’s marriage indexes first.
Indiana divorce records are kept only by the county. For a certified copy of a divorce decree, contact the Clerk of Courts in the county where the divorce was granted. The Indiana Department of Health doesn’t store divorce records and has no statewide divorce verification.
Indiana divorce records: ordering details
Who can order
Contact the Clerk of Courts in the county where the divorce was granted.
Fee
Varies by county.
How to order
Contact the Clerk of Courts in the county where the divorce was granted for its request methods, forms and payment options.
ID needed
Varies by county; contact the clerk.
Processing time
Varies by county.
Older records
All Indiana divorce records, old and new, are with the Clerk of Courts in the county where the divorce was filed.
Tip: Don’t send a divorce request to the Indiana Department of Health. The state vital records office doesn’t store divorce records, so go straight to the county clerk.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other Indiana records people search for
Official Indiana sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Official Indiana sites for other records
Court case lookup
MyCase Indiana Supreme Court statewide case search.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About Indiana public records
In Indiana, public records are governed by the Access to Public Records Act (ARPA). ARPA, as outlined in Indiana Code 5-14-3, stipulates that the Indiana government is obliged to make publicly available any information regarding the government, public officials and employees and their activities. This includes information in any format that pertains to or is produced by the state, county or city government in Indiana. Vital records are not covered by ARPA and are instead governed by Indiana Code 16-37.
Vital Records
Indiana birth and death certificates are available from either the State Department of Health Vital Records or from the local health departments. Birth records are available from the state from 1907 to present and death records from 1917 to present. They can be ordered online through a licensed third party, VitalChek. Copies of birth or death certificates can also be ordered by phone or by mail at:
Birth and death certificates can also be ordered through the local health department in the county where the event occurred. This is also the only way to order older records that are not available at the State Department of Health.
Indiana marriage and divorce records are all available at the County Clerk where the marriage or divorce occurred.
Property Records
County authorities are also the holders of public records concerning real estate transactions and other documentation, including deeds, mortgages, liens, etc. For property sales, however, your best source of information is the Department of Local Government Finance which has an online request form for sales disclosure since property sales are considered public records. The database includes transactions from all Indiana counties but if you can’t find the record you need, you are advised to contact the county authority.
Court Records
The Indiana Judicial Branch uses an online case management system that includes access to court cases. They provide a case search tool that allows you to search all non-confidential cases. This includes the ability to search the criminal and citation records based on case, defendant’s name, citation and attorney, and the civil, family and probate records based on case, party, and attorney.
Business Records
The Indiana Secretary of State is where you should go if you need a business entity record. You can search for all publicly available business information of any company that is registered to do business in the state. You can also print certificates of existence and download business entity documents, in exchange for a fee. The information available varies from the basic contact details, name, and entity type to more detailed records including principals, registered agents, and corporate report data.
Indiana State Archives
This agency is responsible for keeping the historical records in the state. These include but are not limited to governmental history, census records, naturalization records, land ownership records, as well as select medical, military, and criminal records that are deemed to be of public relevance. The State Archives is the place to go for any sort of historical research about Indiana. Requests for records stored by the Archives can be made via e-mail, by phone or by mail. You need to clearly specify the subject of your request to avoid your e-mail being discarded as spam. You can also request access to historical records in person. In any case, the State Archives is the place to contact if you’re doing research for a college project or a literary work, for instance.
Indiana Genealogies and Historical Records
The Indiana State Library is a valuable resource for anyone researching their genealogy or historical vital records. Its databases include extensive genealogical resources, federal census records, and historical vital records published in newspapers. The historical and genealogical records alone exceed 50 million pages of documents.
