Howard County Death Records

Howard County death index records are kept by the local health department in Kokomo, Indiana. The office has death certificates on file going back to 1882, which means you can find records covering more than 140 years of deaths in this part of central Indiana. If you need a certified copy of a death record for legal, personal, or genealogy reasons, the Howard County Health Department is where you start. Phone, mail, and walk-in requests are all accepted at the Kokomo office.

Howard County Death Records Office

The Howard County Health Department is the local registrar for death records. Their office is at 120 E. Mulberry St., Kokomo, IN 46901. Call (765) 456-2403 and select Option 2 to reach the vital records division. Walk-in visits are the fastest way to get a certified copy of a death certificate. The staff can often pull a record the same day if all your paperwork is in order. Bring valid photo ID, the name of the person on the record, and the date of death if you know it.

Howard County has kept death records since 1882. The state of Indiana did not begin its own death index until 1900. That means for any death that took place in Howard County between 1882 and 1899, this local office is the only place to find the record. Most people who live in or near Kokomo find it easier to visit the office in person than to order through the state. The county handles requests faster than the state office in Indianapolis for walk-in visitors.

Mail requests are also an option. Include the full name of the person who died, the date of death, your relationship, a copy of your photo ID, and payment. Address your request to the Howard County Health Department at 120 E. Mulberry St., Kokomo, IN 46901. Allow several weeks for processing and return mail.

Death Index Eligibility in Howard County

Indiana law limits who can get a certified death certificate. Not just anyone can walk in and request a copy. Under IC 16-37-1-10, only people with a direct connection to the person on the record can receive a certified copy. The rule holds at the Howard County Health Department the same as it does at every other county office in Indiana.

Eligible family members include parents named on the record, spouses with proof of marriage, siblings who are at least 18 years old, and children or grandchildren age 18 and up. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles qualify too with proof of the family link. Court-appointed legal guardians, attorneys representing an eligible party, and certain state and federal agencies also have access. You need a primary photo ID and two secondary documents. A driver's license or passport works for primary ID. A Social Security card or voter registration card counts as secondary.

Kokomo Death Records

Kokomo is the county seat and the largest city in Howard County. All death records for Kokomo residents are filed through the Howard County Health Department. There is no separate city office for vital records. If someone died in Kokomo, the Howard County death index is where you search. The same is true for other communities in the county like Greentown and Russiaville.

The Howard County Health Department serves Kokomo and all surrounding areas within the county. With Kokomo being the main population center, the office processes a high volume of death certificate requests each year. Despite the workload, same-day walk-in service is still available most of the time. That is a real advantage over waiting weeks for a mail order to come back from the state office.

How to Search Howard County Death Index

The most direct method is to call (765) 456-2403 and press Option 2. Give the staff the name and date of death. They will search the index and let you know what they find. Walk-in searches at the Mulberry Street office are also fast during regular hours.

You can search at the state level too. The Indiana Department of Health holds death records from 1900 forward for all 92 counties. The state charges $8.00 per search. That is less than the county fee, but state orders take longer. Allow two weeks for mail delivery and then 10 to 15 business days for processing. The state order page has forms and instructions.

Online orders go through VitalChek. VitalChek is the only vendor Indiana has approved for phone and internet orders. They add a service fee on top of the base price. You can call them at (866) 601-0891 any hour of the day. Under IC 16-37-1-11, search fees are not refundable whether you order through the county, the state, or VitalChek.

Genealogy and Howard County Death Index

Genealogists researching Howard County family lines have access to death records going back to 1882. That covers a time period most researchers find valuable, especially the years between 1882 and 1899 when the state was not keeping its own records. The 75-year rule applies to genealogy requests. The person on the record must have been dead for at least 75 years, and you need proof that they are no longer living.

The Indiana State Library in Indianapolis holds a large genealogy collection. Their holdings include death record indexes, cemetery transcriptions, and family histories that can help with Howard County research. The reference desk number is 317-232-3689. Researchers who plan to work on Howard County family lines may want to visit both the county office and the state library during the same trip to cover more ground.

State Resources for Howard County

The Indiana Department of Health death information page has all the details on how to order death records through the state. The state keeps Howard County records from 1900 to the present.

The map above shows Indiana's local health departments. You can use this tool to find the right county office for any death record in the state. Indiana uses an electronic death registration system under IC 16-37-1-3.1, which speeds up how fast new records enter the death index. The public records act under IC 5-14-3 gives the public a right to inspect government records, though death certificates carry their own eligibility limits under state law.

Nearby Counties

If the death did not happen in Howard County, the record will be filed in the county where the death took place. Indiana issues death certificates only from the county of death. These are the counties that border Howard County.