Search Clinton County Death Index

Clinton County death index records are stored at the health department in Frankfort, Indiana. The office has death certificates on file from 1882 to the present, covering more than 140 years of records for this central Indiana county. Whether you need a certified copy for a legal matter, insurance claim, or family history research, the Clinton County Health Department in Frankfort is the place to begin. You can reach the office by phone, mail a written request, or visit during regular business hours to search the death index in person.

Clinton County Death Records Office

The Clinton County Health Department is at 407 S. Main St., Frankfort, IN 46041. This is the main office for all death index requests in Clinton County. Call them at (765) 659-6385. The fax line is (765) 659-6386. Walk-in visits are typically the quickest way to get a certified death certificate since many requests can be handled on the spot. Bring a valid photo ID and any details you have about the person whose death record you need. The staff will search the Clinton County death index and let you know if the record is on file.

Records at this office date back to 1882. For any death in Clinton County before 1900, this health department is the only source. Indiana did not start its statewide death index until 1900, so those early records are unique to the county. If you are looking for a death that happened in the late 1800s, the Frankfort office is where you need to go.

Who Can Get Clinton County Death Certificates

State law limits who can request a certified death certificate in Indiana. Under IC 16-37-1-10, only certain people can get copies of death records. The Clinton County Health Department follows these same rules. You cannot request a death certificate for just anyone. There has to be a direct connection between you and the person on the record.

Eligible requesters include parents listed on the record, a spouse with proof of marriage, siblings who are 18 or older, and children or grandchildren who are at least 18. Grandparents can request copies if they show proof of the family link, like a birth certificate. Aunts and uncles can also qualify. Attorneys and court-appointed legal guardians have access too. Every person who requests a Clinton County death record must show valid photo ID. A driver's license, state ID card, US passport, or military ID all work as primary identification. You also need two secondary documents such as a signed Social Security card or a voter registration card.

Search Methods for Clinton County Death Index

There are several ways to look up a death record in Clinton County. The fastest is a phone call or in-person visit. Dial (765) 659-6385 and ask the staff to check their death index. Give them the full name of the person and the date of death if you know it. For walk-in requests, go to 407 S. Main St. in Frankfort during office hours.

You can also go through the state. The Indiana Department of Health keeps death records for all 92 counties from 1900 forward. The state fee is $8.00 per search. Under IC 16-37-1-11, that fee is not refundable even when no record is found. It pays for the search, not the copy. Online orders go through VitalChek, the only vendor approved by the state. VitalChek adds its own processing fee on top of the base cost.

Mail orders to the state use Form 49606. Send the completed form with $8.00 to P.O. Box 7125, Indianapolis, IN 46206-7125. Expect at least two weeks for delivery plus 10 to 15 business days for processing.

Clinton County Death Certificate Fees

Fees for death certificates in Clinton County are set by the local health department. Most Indiana county offices charge between $15 and $20 per certified copy. The fee covers the search of the death index and one certified copy if the record is found. If the staff cannot locate the record, the search fee still applies. This is consistent with state law, which says the fee pays for the work of looking through the index, not just the paper document you take home.

The state office charges $8.00 per search. Each extra copy in the same order costs $4.00. These state fees are lower than most county fees, but state orders take longer. You cannot walk in at the state office. For same-day service, the Clinton County Health Department in Frankfort is the better choice.

Genealogy Research in Clinton County

The Clinton County death index is a strong tool for family history research. Records stretch back to 1882, so they cover a time period that many genealogists find hard to access through other channels. Deaths from the 1880s and 1890s are only found at the county level. The state has nothing before 1900. If your family roots run through central Indiana, Clinton County death records can fill in gaps that would otherwise stay empty.

For genealogy purposes, the person on the death record must have been dead for at least 75 years. You need to bring proof that they are no longer living. This rule comes from Indiana state law. The Indiana State Library in Indianapolis holds a large genealogy collection with death record indexes, cemetery records, and family histories. Call the reference desk at 317-232-3689. The library offers free one-on-one family history consultations on the second Saturday of each month, which can help if you are just starting your research into Clinton County family lines.

State Death Index Resources for Clinton County

The IDOH death information page spells out the full process for requesting death records from the state.

This page covers all the forms, fees, and identification requirements. The state holds Clinton County death records from 1900 to the present. For anything before 1900, you must contact the Clinton County Health Department directly since those records only exist at the county level.

The IDOH order page provides step-by-step instructions for mail, phone, and online requests. Indiana uses an electronic death registration system under IC 16-37-1-3.1, so new death records enter the system much faster than they did in the past. The local health department map shows every county office in the state. Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3, protects the public's right to access government records, including death certificates for those who meet the eligibility rules.

Nearby Counties

If the death you are researching did not take place in Clinton County, the record will be on file in whichever county the death occurred. Check these neighboring counties if you need to broaden your search.