Indiana birth, death, marriage and divorce records: where to look
Indiana's state office sells birth certificates for $10 and death certificates for $8 (each added copy $4), and says the local health department where the event happened is faster. Birth recording began in 1907 and death recording in 1900. Marriage and divorce copies come from the county clerk of court. The State Library lists the databases that cover older records.
At a glance
| Record | Years at the state | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | The state office began recording births in 1907. The State Library says birth and death records were not mandatory until 1907 and that earlier records were not collected statewide. [1][6] | $10 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy in the same order, by the state's fee schedule. [2] |
| Death | The state says death recording began in 1900. The State Library lists death certificate images for 1899 to 2011 on an Ancestry library database. [1][6] | $8 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy in the same order. The fee is a search fee and is not refunded if no record is found. [2][7] |
| Marriage | The State Library says statewide collection began in 1958; earlier records are at the county. [6] | Not confirmed on the official pages we read. |
| Divorce | Not confirmed on the official pages we read. | Not confirmed on the official pages we read. |
Superscript numbers point to the official page each fact came from, listed at the bottom of this page.
Birth records
- Where it is kept
- The local health department where the birth happened (in person), or the state Division of Vital Records by mail, phone, or online through VitalChek. The state says it has no walk-in service. [1][2]
- Years covered
- The state office began recording births in 1907. The State Library says birth and death records were not mandatory until 1907 and that earlier records were not collected statewide. [1][6]
- Who can get a certified copy
- A person with a direct interest: the person (18 or older), a parent listed on the record, grandparent, adult sibling, adult child or grandchild, current spouse, aunt or uncle, step-parent with proof of marriage, court-appointed guardian, attorney, or agency, each with the documents the PDF lists. The PDF says genealogy requests need the person to be over 75 and deceased, with proof of death. The FAQ says anyone may order a record more than 99 years old. [4][5]
- Fee
- $10 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy in the same order, by the state's fee schedule. [2]
- Processing time
- Standard form 2 to 3 weeks; long form 6 to 8 weeks, with a note that times vary. [2]
By mail you use State Form 49607, which the state's page links. The PDF accepts one current primary photo ID (driver's license or state ID, military ID, passport, veterans ID, or a green Mexico consular ID) or two secondary documents.
State order page Identification and relationship requirements (PDF)
Death records
- Where it is kept
- The local health department where the death happened, or the state Division of Vital Records by mail, phone or VitalChek. [1][2]
- Years covered
- The state says death recording began in 1900. The State Library lists death certificate images for 1899 to 2011 on an Ancestry library database. [1][6]
- Who can get a certified copy
- A person with a direct interest, per the same PDF. Listed: parents, spouse, adult children, grandparents, adult grandchildren, siblings, aunts and uncles, adult niece or nephew, a person with a documented legal interest, and the assigned funeral director. The PDF says genealogy requests need the person to be over 75 years. [4][5]
- Fee
- $8 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy in the same order. The fee is a search fee and is not refunded if no record is found. [2][7]
- Processing time
- The state lists 60 days for death certificates. [2]
By mail you use State Form 49606. The state says it does not issue certificates for people who died in another state.
Marriage records
- Where it is kept
- The Clerk of Court in the county where the marriage license was issued. The state office sells a Record of Marriage on State Form 54764. [3]
- Years covered
- The State Library says statewide collection began in 1958; earlier records are at the county. [6]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Processing time
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
If you do not know the county, the state's page points to the Indiana Courts marriage license lookup and the State Library's marriage databases (through 1850, and 1958 to 2018).
Divorce records
- Where it is kept
- The Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was granted. [3]
- Years covered
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Processing time
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
The state's page says to contact the county clerk of court for a certified divorce decree.
About ordering online
The state says online orders go through VitalChek Network, an independent company it calls the only authorized vendor for online ordering. For faster service the state suggests the local health department. [2]
Archives and other places to look
- The Indiana State Library guide lists FamilySearch databases it marks as Online, including a death index for 1882 to 1920 and marriage records for 1811 to 2007 (not statewide). It also lists Ancestry library editions that can be used in the library. The guide does not say what, if anything, FamilySearch charges. [6] State Library guide (PDF)
The National Archives describes FamilySearch.org as free with account creation (see our census page), but we could not open FamilySearch's own pages, so we do not describe what it holds for Indiana.
Historical newspapers
The Library of Congress's Chronicling America lists 70 digitized newspaper titles published in Indiana, with issues dated from January 8, 1831 to December 27, 1963. Coverage is uneven inside that span: it is a list of titles, not a promise that every town or year is there. Chronicling America includes select digitized newspapers through 1963.
Browse Indiana titles at the Library of Congress
New to newspaper research? See our guide to finding old newspapers (obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements).
Counts come from the Library of Congress's "All Digitized Titles" list, read October 27, 2026. The Library of Congress says it believes these newspapers are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions.
How we verified this page
Last verified October 27, 2026. Offices change fees and rules without notice. If something here no longer matches the official page, trust the official page.
Confirmed on official pages
- Birth certificates are $10 and death certificates $8, with $4 for each added copy in the same order.
- The state says birth recording began in 1907 and death recording in 1900.
- Marriage and divorce copies come from the county clerk of court.
- A requester needs a direct interest. The state's PDF lists accepted relationships and says genealogy requests need the person over 75 years.
- The state lists 2 to 3 weeks for standard birth forms and 60 days for deaths.
Could not verify
- The fee for a Record of Marriage on State Form 54764 and its processing time.
- Statewide divorce coverage years. The state refers you to the county.
- Whether the FamilySearch databases the State Library lists cost anything. The guide does not say.
Pages read 2026-10-27. The Indiana State Library PDF was converted to text with pdftotext.
Sources
- Indiana Department of Health: Vital Records Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Indiana Department of Health: Order Certificates Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Indiana Department of Health: Marriages Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Indiana Department of Health: Issuances FAQs Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Indiana Department of Health: Identification and Relationship requirements (PDF) Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Indiana State Library: Birth, Marriage, and Death Records in Indiana (PDF) Official state page read 2026-10-27
- Indiana Department of Health: Death Information Official state page read 2026-10-27