Find Hendricks County Death Index

Hendricks County death index records are managed by the health department in Danville, Indiana. Vital Records maintains the birth and death records for people who were born or died in Hendricks County. The county has been collecting death certificates since 1882, giving researchers and families more than a century of records in one place. You can request copies through mail, in person, or online through an approved vendor. This guide covers every step of the process for getting death records from Hendricks County.

Hendricks County Death Records Office

The Hendricks County Health Department handles all death index requests for the county. Their office is at 55 S. Main St., Danville, IN 46122. Call them at (317) 745-9618 if you have questions before your visit. Hendricks County birth and death records began with the year 1882. That gives the office more than 140 years of death index entries on file. Walk-in service is the quickest way to get a certified copy. Bring valid photo ID and the name and date of death for the person on the record.

The department accepts requests by mail and in person. You can also order online through VitalChek, the state-approved third-party vendor. VitalChek adds its own service fee on top of the base certificate price. For people who live near Danville, the in-person option is faster and cheaper. Mail requests take longer since you need to wait for delivery both ways plus the time to process your order at the office.

Hendricks County Death Index Fees

A certified death certificate from Hendricks County costs $15.00. This fee covers one search and one certified copy. Even if the office cannot find the record, the search fee still applies. Under IC 16-37-1-11, search fees for vital records in Indiana are not refundable. This is a state rule, not something Hendricks County came up with on its own.

The county also offers a genealogy search service. The fee is $5.00 per name for genealogy research. This is a lower rate than the standard death certificate request and is useful for people who are tracing family lines rather than ordering a certified copy. The Hendricks County Genealogical Society has death record resources that can help with research into older records from the county.

Death Index Eligibility Rules

Indiana law controls who can get a certified death certificate. Under IC 16-37-1-10, only people with a direct connection to the person on the record can receive a certified copy. This applies at the Hendricks County Health Department just like at every other county office in Indiana.

Eligible requesters include parents, spouses, siblings age 18 and up, children and grandchildren who are at least 18, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Attorneys, court-appointed legal guardians, and state or federal agencies also qualify. You will always need to show valid photo ID. The state accepts a driver's license, state ID, passport, or US military ID as primary identification. Two secondary documents are also needed, such as a Social Security card or voter registration card. Have these ready when you visit or include copies with a mail request.

How to Search Hendricks County Death Records

Call the health department at (317) 745-9618 to start a search. Give them the name and date of death. The staff checks the death index and lets you know if the record is on file. You can also visit the Danville office during business hours. Walk-in searches are fast when the office is not too busy.

At the state level, the Indiana Department of Health holds death records from all 92 counties going back to 1900. The state search fee is $8.00. Mail orders to the state use State Form 49606. Allow two weeks for mail delivery and then 10 to 15 business days for the office to process your request. The state order page has the forms and full instructions you need.

For those who prefer to order by phone or online, VitalChek is available around the clock. Call (866) 601-0891 or visit their site. The service fee is extra. It is a good option when you cannot make the trip to Danville or when the office is closed for the day.

Hendricks County Death Index Screenshots

The Hendricks County Health Department has an online page that describes their vital records services, including death certificate requests. You can view the page to check current hours, fees, and contact details before placing an order.

The screenshot above shows the county health department's vital records page. It confirms that the office handles death records for people who died in Hendricks County. Check the site for any updates to fees or procedures before you visit.

The Hendricks County Genealogical Society also has resources for death record research. Their website includes a section on death records from the county.

This page from the genealogical society is helpful for family history researchers. It covers older death records and can point you to sources the county health department may not have readily available at the front desk.

Plainfield and Hendricks County

The city of Plainfield is the largest qualifying city in Hendricks County. All death records for Plainfield residents are filed through the Hendricks County Health Department. There is no separate city office for vital records. If someone died in Plainfield or anywhere else in Hendricks County, the death index in Danville is where you search. The same applies to Avon, Brownsburg, and other communities within the county.

Hendricks County sits just west of Indianapolis and has seen steady growth over the past few decades. The county processes a large number of death certificate requests each year. Despite the workload, the office in Danville still handles walk-in requests the same day in most cases. That is a real advantage over waiting weeks for a mail order to come back from the state office in Indianapolis.

Genealogy and the Death Index

Genealogists working on Hendricks County family lines should know about the 75-year rule. For research purposes, the person must have been dead for at least 75 years and you need proof they have passed. The Hendricks County death index stretching back to 1882 is a strong resource for anyone who needs records from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The genealogy search fee of $5.00 per name makes it more affordable to check multiple records during a research session.

The Indiana State Library in Indianapolis has a large genealogy collection with more than 40,000 items. Holdings include family histories, cemetery records, and death record indexes that cover Hendricks County. The library is at 315 W. Ohio Street and is open Monday through Friday. Their reference desk number is 317-232-3689.

State Resources for Hendricks County

The Indiana Department of Health death information page covers the full process for ordering death records through the state. The state keeps Hendricks County records from 1900 forward. For deaths before 1900, you must go through the county office since those older records only exist at the local level.

Indiana uses an electronic death registration system under IC 16-37-1-3.1. Funeral directors now file death records digitally, which speeds up the time it takes for a new record to show up in the death index. You can find the right county office for any Indiana death record using the local health department map. The public records act under IC 5-14-3 protects the public's right to inspect government records, though death certificates still have eligibility limits.

Nearby Counties

If the death did not happen in Hendricks County, the record is filed in the county where the death took place. Check these neighboring counties if you are not sure where to search.