Search Marion County Death Index

Marion County death index records are managed by the Department of Vital Records within the Marion County Public Health Department in Indianapolis, Indiana. As the most populous county in the state, Marion County handles more death certificate requests than any other county in Indiana. The department issues certified copies for deaths that took place in Indianapolis and all of Marion County. You have three ways to get records: walk in to the office, order through VitalChek, or send your request by mail. This page covers every step of the process.

Marion County Death Records Office

The Marion County Vital Records office is in the Hasbrook Building, 1st Floor, at 3838 North Rural Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205-2930. Call (317) 221-2400 for general questions. For corrections to existing records, call (317) 221-2397. The Department of Vital Records in the Marion County Public Health Department is dedicated to issuing birth and death certificates in a timely manner. They also collect data and produce quality Marion County vital statistics.

The Marion County Public Health Department is one of the largest local health agencies in Indiana. Their vital records division processes thousands of death certificate requests each year from families, attorneys, insurance companies, and government agencies. The office is at the Hasbrook Building and is open during regular business hours for walk-in service. Public health data from death certificates filed in Marion County is used by the CDC on a weekly basis for tracking and reporting.

How to Get Marion County Death Certificates

There are three ways to get a death certificate from Marion County. Walk-in service is the fastest. Head to the Hasbrook Building during office hours with your photo ID and the details of the death you need a record for. The staff will search the Marion County death index and, if the record is on file, can provide a certified copy during your visit.

Online orders go through VitalChek, the vendor approved by the Marion County Public Health Department. VitalChek adds its own processing fee on top of the base certificate cost. You can also call VitalChek at (866) 601-0891 to place an order by phone.

Mail service is the third option. Send a written request with the name of the deceased, date of death, your name, your relationship, a copy of your ID, and payment to the Hasbrook Building address. The office accepts credit and debit cards with a $2 convenience fee for charges up to $100 and a 3% fee on amounts over $100. Mail orders take longer than walk-in visits, so plan ahead if you have a deadline.

Marion County Death Index Search

When you request a death record, the staff searches the Marion County death index for a match. Give them the full legal name of the deceased and the date of death. A year range or place of death within Marion County can help narrow the results. The more details you provide, the quicker the search goes. Under IC 16-37-1-11, the search fee is not refundable. Even if no record is found, you still pay the full amount.

You must have valid, current identification. No expired or temporary IDs are accepted. This is a strict rule at the Marion County office. Bring one primary photo ID like a driver's license or passport. Two secondary documents are also needed. The office hours and fees page spells out the ID requirements in detail.

The Marion County vital records office also shows its fee schedule and hours online.

That page has the most current information about costs, accepted payment methods, and business hours. Check it before your visit to make sure you have the right forms of payment and ID ready.

Death Certificate Eligibility Rules

Indiana law under IC 16-37-1-10 sets strict eligibility rules for certified death certificates. The Marion County office follows these same rules. You must have a direct connection to the person named on the record. Eligible requesters include parents, spouses, siblings age 18 and older, adult children and grandchildren, grandparents, aunts, uncles, attorneys, and court-appointed legal guardians.

An adult may authorize another adult to pick up a death certificate on their behalf. The authorization must be notarized. This is useful when the eligible person cannot visit the office themselves. The authorized person still needs to bring their own valid ID along with the notarized authorization letter. This third-party process is specific to the Marion County office and gives families more options when distance or illness makes a personal visit hard.

Indianapolis Death Index Records

Indianapolis is the county seat and, as a consolidated city-county, covers nearly all of Marion County. All death records for Indianapolis residents are filed through the Marion County Public Health Department. Whether someone died at a hospital, at home, or at any facility in Indianapolis, the death certificate goes to the county vital records office. The city of Lawrence is also within Marion County and its death records are filed at the same office.

The Marion County vital records page provides the starting point for all death certificate requests.

This page explains the three ordering methods and links to all the forms you need. Marriage and divorce records for Marion County are handled separately through the Marion County Clerk's office, not the health department.

Genealogy Death Records Research

Genealogists researching Marion County benefit from the large volume of records on file at the vital records office. Indianapolis has been one of the biggest cities in Indiana since the 1800s, so the death index covers a significant number of people. For genealogy requests, the deceased must have been dead for at least 75 years, and you need proof they have passed. These rules come from state law.

The Indiana State Library at 315 W. Ohio Street in Indianapolis is another resource for family history research. They hold cemetery records, family history books, and death record indexes covering many Indiana counties, including Marion. Call 317-232-3689 to reach the reference desk. Since the state library is in Indianapolis, you could visit both the library and the Marion County vital records office in the same trip.

The Marion County Public Health Department website has additional information about community health services.

The site covers the full range of services the department provides. For death records specifically, the vital records division handles everything from initial filing to issuing certified copies.

State Resources for Marion County

The Indiana Department of Health also keeps Marion County death records from 1900 forward. The state search fee is $8.00. Order through VitalChek, by phone, or by mail with State Form 49606. The IDOH order page has all the details. State mail orders take about two weeks to arrive plus 10 to 15 business days for processing.

Indiana's electronic death registration system under IC 16-37-1-3.1 means funeral directors file records digitally. This gets new records into the death index much faster than the old paper system. The local health department map shows all county offices across the state. Indiana's public records law under IC 5-14-3 supports the public's right to access government records, with death certificate eligibility set by state statute.

Nearby Counties

If the death did not happen in Marion County, the record is filed in the county where it occurred. These counties surround Marion County.