How to Get a Death Certificate in Indiana
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Indiana. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In Indiana, certified death certificates are issued by the Indiana Department of Health's Division of Vital Records, which has death records back to 1900, and the local health departments. The state charges $8 for the first death certificate and $4 for each additional copy in the same order. Ordering through VitalChek, the only online vendor the state approves, adds a service fee.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Indiana, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Indiana.
Who issues death certificates in Indiana?
Certified copies come from the Indiana Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records, which has death records back to 1900, and the local health departments. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.
How much does a certified copy cost in Indiana?
The state charges $8 for the first death certificate and $4 for each additional copy in the same order. Ordering through VitalChek, the only online vendor the state approves, adds a service fee.
Who can order a copy in Indiana?
The state’s application (State Form 49606) asks for details about the death and your connection to the person, and you will need identification. Check the department’s page for the current eligibility rules.
How do I order more copies in Indiana?
- At the local health department: the state office has no walk-in service, so for in-person service go to the local health department in the county where the death occurred.
- By mail: with State Form 49606 and a check or money order payable to the Indiana Department of Health.
- By phone: (866) 601-0891, 24 hours a day, with a credit card (the call is handled by VitalChek).
- Online: through VitalChek, the only vendor the state approves.
What else should I know before I order?
The state recommends ordering through the local health department where the event occurred for faster service.
What should I do next?
Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Indiana and our general guide to death certificates.
Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.
Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Indiana Department of Health or your local health department before you send payment.
Sources
About this review
Everendium Editorial Team · last reviewed October 17, 2026.
Fees, eligibility rules, and ordering options were checked on October 17, 2026 against the state's own published fee information, application forms, and county government pages listed in the sources. Death certificate fees change often, and some official pages were read only as search extracts, so the current fee should be confirmed on the agency's page before paying. Recommended for periodic re-verification. This is general information, not legal advice
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