Access Boone County Death Records

Boone County death index records are kept at the county health department in Lebanon, Indiana. Located just northwest of Indianapolis, Boone County has seen steady growth over the past two decades, which means the health department processes more death certificate requests now than in years past. Records go back to 1882. You can contact the office to search the death index, request certified copies, or ask about procedures for getting records by mail. The office is your starting point for any Boone County death record search.

Boone County Death Records Department

The Boone County Health Department handles all death index requests for the county. Their office is at 116 W. Washington St., Suite B-1, Lebanon, IN 46052. Call (765) 482-3942 or fax (765) 482-3945. You can also email the office at info@boonecountyhealth.org with questions about the death record process. Having an email option is helpful if you need to ask about hours or payment methods before making the trip.

Boone County keeps birth and death records from 1882 to the present. The health department is the local registrar and the only county-level source for certified death certificates. Walk-in requests get handled during business hours, and same-day service is typical when the record is on file and your paperwork is in order. Each certified copy costs $15.00.

The county sits just north of Marion County, so some residents of the greater Indianapolis metro area may actually have death records filed in Boone County. Communities like Zionsville and Whitestown are partly or fully within Boone County. If someone died at a facility in one of these areas, the record would be in the Boone County death index rather than Marion County's.

Searching the Boone County Death Index

Start your search by calling the Boone County Health Department at (765) 482-3942. Give them the name of the deceased, the date of death if you know it, and any other details you have. The staff will look through the Boone County death index for a matching record. If they find one, you can visit the office to pick up a certified copy or request it by mail.

Search fees in Indiana are not refundable. Under IC 16-37-1-11, you pay for the search work itself. One certified copy is included if the record is found. If no record exists, you still owe the fee. This is a rule that all Indiana county health departments follow. It is written into state law, so the Boone County office cannot waive it.

Boone County Death Certificate Requirements

Getting a certified death certificate from Boone County requires proving who you are and why you need the record. Indiana law under IC 16-37-1-10 limits access to specific groups. Parents listed on the record, the current spouse, adult siblings, adult children and grandchildren, grandparents, aunts, uncles, attorneys, and court-appointed guardians all qualify. Government agencies at the state and federal level can make requests too.

Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. The state accepts driver's licenses, state IDs, passports, military IDs, and veterans IDs. You also need two secondary documents. A signed Social Security card, voter registration card, current vehicle registration, or military discharge form (DD-214) all work. Every item must be current. The Boone County Health Department checks these before releasing any death record.

Mail requests follow the same eligibility rules. Include a copy of your photo ID with your written request, along with the $15.00 fee by check or money order. Send it to the Boone County Health Department at 116 W. Washington St., Suite B-1, Lebanon, IN 46052.

Death Index and Genealogy in Boone County

The Boone County death index goes back to 1882, giving family history researchers more than 140 years of death records to work with. The state of Indiana did not begin its own death index until 1900. For any death that occurred in Boone County between 1882 and 1899, the county health department in Lebanon is the only place those records exist. This makes the local office essential for anyone doing genealogy work in central Indiana.

Genealogy requests in Indiana require that the deceased person has been dead for at least 75 years. You also need proof the person is no longer living. These rules come from state law and apply at every county health department. The Indiana State Library at 315 W. Ohio Street in Indianapolis has a large genealogy collection. They hold cemetery transcriptions, family histories, and death record indexes from across the state. Call them at 317-232-3689 for research help. The library also runs Second Saturday consultations where volunteers assist with family history projects.

State Resources for Boone County Death Records

The Indiana Department of Health maintains Boone County death records from 1900 forward in their central database. The state fee is $8.00 per search, and additional copies cost $4.00 each. You can order through VitalChek online, by phone at (866) 601-0891, or by mail using State Form 49606. The IDOH order page has all the forms and instructions.

Indiana uses an electronic death registration system under IC 16-37-1-3.1. Funeral directors file death records through this digital system, which means new records appear in the death index faster than they used to under the old paper method. The local health department map shows contact info for every county office in the state.

The screenshot above shows the state death information page where you can learn about fees, required documents, and the process for getting Boone County death records through the Indiana Department of Health.

Nearby Counties

If the death did not happen in Boone County, the record is on file in the county where it actually took place. Check these neighboring counties for records.