How to Get Indiana Vital Records (Start Here)
Vital records in Indiana — birth certificates, death certificates, marriage records, and divorce records — are handled at the state level by Indiana State Department of Health. Marriage licenses are issued locally by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
What this page covers: Indiana vital record ordering, eligibility requirements, and related databases. What it does not cover: Genealogy records older than the state vital records system (check the Genealogy Resources page for historical records).
Where to start: For certified copies of birth or death certificates, contact Indiana State Department of Health. For marriage licenses, contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the ceremony will occur. For divorce records, contact the court that granted the decree.
Common mistake: Birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees come from different offices. Do not assume one office handles all vital records.
Statewide vital-records agency
Parent agency
Records back to
Online ordering
Marriage license issued by
Local intake
Indiana: Local History & Genealogy Resource Guide
Population
6,924,275
Households
2,729,800
Median Income
$70,030
Median Home Value
$207,000
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: Indiana vital records URL verified against the official state publisher at www.in.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.
Indiana Vital Records — Key Facts (2026)
Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records for Indiana — who can request, how to order, and what 2026 changed.
State-only
Issuing authority
Not federal
Restricted
Birth/death access
Usually self + family
75-125 yr
When records become public
Genealogy threshold
VitalChek
3rd-party portal
Used by many states
CDC NVSS
National statistics
Data only, no certificates
The person named
100%
Parent of subject
100%
Spouse of subject
90%
Adult child
90%
Legal representative
80%
General public (recent)
10%
General public (historical 75+yr)
95%
Unit: % likely to receive a certified copy.
What Changed in 2026 — Indiana Vital Records
2026
Indiana vital records portal active
The official Indiana portal at www.in.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for vital records in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for vital records
The CDC National Vital Statistics System at www.cdc.gov provides federal-level context that complements Indiana state records.
2026
Indiana access in 2026
For 2026, Indiana continues to publish vital records information through state-authorized portals; check www.in.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE Indiana's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.
The 4-Step Indiana Vital Records Pathway
1
Step 1 — Confirm state of event
Vital records are issued by the state where the event happened. For events in Indiana, start with the Indiana health department.
2
Step 2 — Verify eligibility
Most states restrict birth/death to self, parents, spouse, child, or legal rep.
3
Step 3 — Choose ordering method
Indiana typically allows mail, in-person, or online (often via VitalChek).
4
Step 4 — Genealogy fallback
Indiana records older than 75-125 years are usually public — try FamilySearch or NARA.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Indiana Vital Records
❌ Myth: "I can request anyone's Indiana birth certificate."
✓ Truth: False. Most states (including Indiana) restrict access to immediate family or legal representatives.
❌ Myth: "Vital records are federal."
✓ Truth: False. They are state-issued. The CDC compiles statistics but does NOT issue certificates.
❌ Myth: "VitalChek is the government."
✓ Truth: False. VitalChek is an authorized third-party vendor used by many states, NOT a federal or state agency.
❌ Myth: "Older Indiana marriage records are private."
✓ Truth: False. Marriages older than ~75 years are usually public and indexed by genealogy sites.
❌ Myth: "A Indiana death is recorded the day it happens."
✓ Truth: False. CDC NVSS data has a 1-2 year lag for final figures; provisional data takes 6+ months.
Primary Sources and Official Record Portals
- www.in.gov — Official Indiana Vital Records — State portal for Indiana vital records
- CDC National Vital Statistics System — National Vital Statistics System
- CDC — Where to Write for Records — CDC state-by-state directory
- National Archives — Vital Records — Federal genealogy & vital guide
- Social Security Death Master File — Social Security death records
- Census — Births and Deaths — Census Bureau vital statistics
- VA — Veterans Records — Veterans Administration records
Related Vital Records Resources
📍 Other Indiana records:
- Indiana Court Records →
- Indiana Criminal Records →
- Indiana Property Records →
- Indiana Voter Records →
- Indiana Wants & Warrants →
- Indiana Licenses →
- Indiana Recorded Documents →
🇺🇸 Vital Records in other states:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
National: U.S. Vital Records hub →
Related Public Records
More Indiana records: Court records · Criminal records · Wants & warrants · Property records · Voter records · Licenses · Recorded docs
National view of this topic: All states: Vital records
Vital Records Databases
37 official Indiana vital records sources.
Vital Records
Allen County - Indiana State Library
Official Free
WPA Index to Death Records, 1896-1920 ISLG 977.201 A425u v. 5 · WPA Index to Supplemental Birth Records, 1882-1896 ISLG 977.201 A425u v. 4 · WPA Index to Supplemental Death Records, 1870-1896 ISLG 977.201 A425u v.
🌐 in.gov
Birth and Death Records for Allen County, Indiana on Allen INGenWeb Project
Official Free
It is designed to allow participants and users to obtain access to Indiana local history and vital records through searching across all indexes or a single index. The database is searchable by county, event, or through a general surname search of all records. These records are available to the public at no charge and include a host of records such as: birth, marriage, death, divorce, obituaries, court records, newspapers, scrapbooks, yearbooks, military records, and many other record types.
Search Allen County, Indiana Public Records — SearchSystems.net
Official Free
Search this Friends of Allen County database by name and/or date of death for burial permits issued between 1994 and 2010. ... Allen County Commissioners code of ordinances. ... Search this database of Fort Wayne and Allen County obituaries published since 1841. ... Search this Friends of Allen County database of Allen County Servicemen & Servicewomen who served during the 20th century. ... Search this database of Lindenwood Cemetery (located in Fort Wayne, Allen County) burials from 1860 to 2010.
Cass Co., Indiana, WPA Death Records Fos - Fye
Official Free
Funkhouser Adelbert L M W -- Mar ... CH-1 9 Fury F W 44 Jan 29 1889 Logansport CH-1 50 Fye Tilghman J M W 58 June 22 1920 Logansport CH-5 96 ... Index to Death Records for Cass Co., Indiana, 1882-1920 Compiled by Indiana Works Projects Administration, 1940 transcribed by Charlotte ...
Indiana Courts Case Search - MyCase
Official Free
Odyssey Public Access (the "MyCase" website) is a platform for online services provided by the Office of Judicial Administration (the “Office”) · Electronic access to court information is restricted by federal and state law in addition to court rules and orders.
Fulton County Births – FCPL Genealogy
Official Free
Fulton County Births · Fulton County Cemeteries · Fulton County Census · Fulton County Death Records · Fulton County Handbook · Fulton County Historical Trivia · Fulton County Marriage Records · Fulton County Newspaper Excerpts · Fulton County Obituaries ·
Index to Divorce Cases Filed in Hendricks County, Indiana
Official Free
Index to Divorce Cases Filed in · Hendricks County, Indiana
Indiana State Library: Hendricks County
Official Free
Deaths with Burial in County, 1882-1990 ISLG 977.201 H498dr v. 1-2 · WPA Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920 ISLG 977.201 H498u v. 1 · WPA Index to Death Records, 1882-1920 ISLG 977.201 H498u v. 2 ... The Indiana State Library will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.
🌐 in.gov
Death Records - Michigan City Public Library
Official Free
Porter County Obituaries and Death Notices: Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana. Transcribed by Steven Ross Shook. Genealogy Collection, Porter County · Index to the Obituaries and Death Notices Appearing in the Dziennik Chicagoski, 1890-1929. Compiled by Thomas L. Hollowak and William F. Hoffman. Genealogy Collection, Illinois Index · Kentucky Obituaries, 1787-1854. Compiled by G. Glenn Clift; with an Index by Anita Comtois. Genealogy Collection, Kentucky ... Index to Death Records, LaPorte County, Indiana, 1882 to 1920, Inclusive – FamilySearch: catalog record | digital images
Obituaries | Lake County Public Library
Official Free
Corresponding microfilm is available for actual obituaries. Crown Point Register and Star Newspapers: Marriage & Death Index August 1857 to December 1934 · Hobart Gazette: April 17, 1891 to February 22, 1895 · Lake County Star : Obituaries 1972 - 1999; marriage, birth, and death 1931 - 1938
Genealogy and Local History
Official Free
The actual text of the obituaries and church records are not available online, but if you contact Indiana Room staff we can provide either a paper copy or scan of obituaries from the newspaper microfilm. The library does not have the church records. Madison County Funeral Home Records, 1890-1964 · This databases indexes Madison County deaths found in various funeral home record books, including the Albright Funeral Home, Baker Brothers Funeral Home, Berryman Funeral Home, and unidentified funeral homes from 1890 to 1964.
North Madison County Historical Database - North Madison County Public Library System
Official Free
This database contains an index to obituaries that have been published in Elwood’s newspapers beginning in 1893. Obituaries found in this index can be requested via mail for $.20 per page plus the price of postage or free of charge via e-mail. You will also find hundreds of historical photos and postcards depicting mostly Elwood Indiana.
Indiana State Library :: Indiana Legacy:: Search :: Marion
Official Free
We started this online index with the 1930s since we already have a print death index for Indianapolis 1882-1930 in our collection. The WPA index to deaths in Marion County (Indianapolis) is available in the Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library .
Funeral Home and Cemetery Indianapolis, Indiana | Crown Hill
Official Free
Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery in Indianapolis has been providing funeral, memorial and cremation services to Indiana families for over 150 years . Our expert staff will work with every budget and need. Make arrangements today.
marriages index from 1958 - InfoExpress - Indiana State Library
Official Free
This index is derived from public records from the Indiana State Department of Health. The Indiana State Library cannot provide certified or official copies of marriage records, so to obtain a certified copy of a marriage certificate you will need to contact the county clerk where the marriage ...
Marriages Through 1850 - InfoExpress - Indiana State Library
Official Free
Volunteers expanded the card set to include all dates through 1850 for counties where marriage records existed. This became a database which contains approximately 330,000 records totaling 90.5 MB of electronic data. In addition to the marriage listings which index the county courthouse records, the database includes marriages which were noted from the early Quaker monthly meetings in Indiana.
Indiana State Library: Montgomery County
Official Free
Montgomery County was created in 1823 from Parke and Putnam Counties. It is located in west central Indiana. The county seat is Crawfordsville · The following list is not complete. Further resources may be found by searching the Indiana State Library online catalog
🌐 in.gov
Porter County Public Library System -- Obituary Index
Official Free
Obituaries printed in the Valparaiso Vidette-Messenger from 1938-1995 and the Northwest Indiana Times from 1995-present. Tip: To search for an exact match, use double quotes around the search term, such as "Dan". Browse by Letter A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z · This work by the staff at Porter County ...
Court Records - IARA
Official Free
The collection includes such documents as writs, summons and subpoenas, transcripts, declarations, depositions, deposition notices, certificates, cost bills, statements, affidavits, and verdicts which pertain to the litigation between early Posey County residents.
🌐 in.gov
St. Joseph County Obituary Index - Search
Official Free
This database is an index to local obituaries published in local newspapers, primarily the South Bend Tribune. Types of records included are obituaries, death records, arrangements pending notices, funeral notes, news articles, and memorial announcements. The index was started in 1913, but older records from other local papers are now being added with the goal of creating a comprehensive source for obituaries in our area.
Browning Genealogy Database - Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library
Official Free
The Browning Genealogy Database is the lifetime work of Charles Browning, who compiled the obituary records of Vanderburgh County and surrounding southwestern Indiana from Evansville newspapers.
🌐 evpl.org
Historical Biographies Timeline - Vigo County Public Library
Official Free
She was married to a local, very successful businessman, Crawford Fairbanks , on Dec. 31, 1872 and lived on Cherry Street.
Request an Obituary - Vigo County Public Library
Official Free
Fill out the form to request an obituary from the Vigo County obituary index . Each obituary is $5, and you can request up to 15 obituaries.
Genealogy Links - Wayne County Indiana Government
Official Free
Wayne County Home · About · Offices · Clerks Office · Small Claims Office · Small Claims Traffic · Voter Registration Office · Fees · Court Cost and Fees · Electronic Payments · Local Rules-Orders · Genealogy · Indiana State Library Marriages · Naturalization Search ·
The following Indiana county and city/town courts are a part ...
Official Free
The data or information provided is based on information obtained from Indiana Courts, Clerks, Recorders, and Department of Revenue, and is not to be considered or used as an official record. Doxpop, LLC, the Division of State Court Administration, the Indiana Courts and Clerks of Court, the ...
County, Township, & City History
Official Free
History of Howard County Indiana vol.2 by Jackson Morrow, 1909 · Biographical and Genealogical History of Cass, Miami, Howard and Tipton Counties, Indiana, 1898 ·
Indiana State Library: Vigo County
Official Free
WPA Index to Supplemental Marriage Transcripts, 1880-1920 ISLG 977.201u v. 17-19 ... WPA Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920 ISLG 977.201 V689u v. 1-5 WPA Index to Death Records, 1882-1920 ISLG 977.201 V689u v.
🌐 in.gov
Death Certificates List - Grant County Vital Records
Official Free
Vital Records: Death Certificates List · Grant County Government, Indiana Health Department Vital Records Read this Disclaimer - Not for Official Use · Death Certificates · Last Updated: 03/04/2026 · Search · Clear · Showing Items: 1 thru 100 of Search Total : 37,812 Maximum: Decedent: ...
Indiana Counties
92 Indiana counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I order an Indiana birth certificate?▼
Certified birth certificates for events in Indiana are issued by the Official Indiana Vital Records at www.in.gov. Requests can be made by mail, in person, or (in most cases) online through the state's authorized vendor. The county of registration may also be able to issue certified copies for recent local events.
How do I get an Indiana death certificate?▼
Indiana death certificates are issued by the Official Indiana Vital Records; eligibility (next of kin, executor, legal representative) and ID documentation requirements are listed at www.in.gov. For deaths within the last year, the county clerk or local registrar where the death occurred can often issue a copy more quickly.
Can I look up an Indiana marriage or divorce record online?▼
Indiana marriage and divorce records are not generally available in a free, name-searchable online index. The Official Indiana Vital Records (www.in.gov) handles certified copies; the underlying license/decree is filed with the county clerk or court that issued it, which is also a primary search point.
How long does it take to get an Indiana vital record?▼
Standard Indiana vital-record processing times vary from a few business days (in-person same-day at some county clerks) to several weeks for mailed requests. The Official Indiana Vital Records publishes current turnaround times at www.in.gov. Expedited processing is usually available for an additional fee.
What ID do I need to order an Indiana certified vital record?▼
The Official Indiana Vital Records requires government-issued photo identification (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID) and proof of your relationship to the record holder, if applicable. The full list of acceptable ID and supporting documents is published at www.in.gov.