Introduction to Indiana Birth Certificates

This article is designed to help you get an Indiana birth certificate.  Counter to common belief, not everything is on the Internet.  Individual birth certificates are one of the items that are not readily available online, and that is probably a good thing.  You do not want your birth certificate in the public domain, where it can be seen by anyone.  However, this does not mean that you can’t easily get your birth certificate.    

Indiana birth certificates have been maintained by the Indiana Department of Health, Vital Records Division for individuals born in the state of Indiana since 1907.

Online Databases that have Indiana Birth Information  

Database	Description
Bartholomew County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1883-1920, Volume I	This database is comprised of volumes I and II of the index to birth records for Bartholomew County, Indiana and includes surnames A-Z. In addition to providing the child’s name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index also provides the father’s full name, the mother’s maiden name, the sex and color of the child, and the date of the child’s birth. The Indiana Work Projects Administration created the index.
Clinton County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920, Volume I-II	This database is comprised of volumes one and two of the index to birth records for Clinton County, Indiana and includes surnames A-Z. In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex and color of the child, and the date of the child's birth. The Indiana Work Projects Administration created this index.
Elkhart County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920	This index to birth records for Elkhart County, Indiana for the years 1882-1920 was completed by the Works Projects Administration (WPA). In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex of the child, and the date of the child's birth.
Greene County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1885-1920	This index to birth records for Greene County, Indiana was completed by the Work Progress Administration (WPA). In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex and color of the child, and the date of the child's birth. The title page of the index lists the locations of the books that contain the original records.
Indiana Births, 1880-1920	Birth records for the state of Indiana were recorded by the county health office beginning in 1882. The WPA began to index vital records, county-by-county for the entire state, but the agency was abolished before it was completed. This database indexes births for thirty-one of the counties indexed by the WPA. Taken from copies of the original works from the WPA, these records will prove useful for those seeking ancestors in the state of Indiana.
Lagrange County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920, Volume I	This first volume of the index to birth records for Lagrange County, Indiana includes surnames A-L. In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex and color of the child, and the date of the child's birth. The Indiana Work Projects Administration created this index.
Lake County and Crown Point, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1921-1941	This database contains an index to birth records for Lake County and Crown Point, Indiana for the years 1921-41. In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex and color of the child, and the date of the child's birth. The Indiana Work Projects Administration created this index.
Lake County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920	This index to birth records for Lake County, Indiana for the years 1882-1920 was completed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and includes surnames A-Z. In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex of the child, and the date of the child's birth. The original records are held at the County Health Office in Crown Point.
Montgomery County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920	This database contains an index to birth records for Montgomery County, Indiana for the years 1882-1920 that was created by the Indiana Work Projects Administration in 1938. In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex and color of the child, and the date of the child's birth.
Nappanee, Elkhart County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1907-1920	This index to birth records for the city of Nappanee in Elkhart County, Indiana was completed by the Works Projects Administration (WPA), and includes surnames A-Y. In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex and color of the child, and the date of the child's birth. The original records are held at the Nappanee city health office.
Orange County, Indiana Index to Death Records, 1882-1920	This database is an index to the death records of Orange County, Indiana for the years 1882-1920. The index was created by the Indiana Works Progress Administration. In addition to providing the name of the deceased and a reference to the actual death record, the index also provides the person's age, date and place of death, sex, and color. The original records are held at the county health office in Paoli, Indiana.
Pulaski County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1882-1920	This index to birth records for Pulaski County, Indiana was completed by the Work Projects Administration (WPA). In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex of the child, and the date of the child's birth.
Whiting, Lake County, Indiana Index to Birth Records, 1899-1920	This database contains an index to birth records for Whiting, Lake County, Indiana for the years 1899-1920. It was completed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In addition to providing the child's name and a reference to the actual birth record, the index also provides the father's full name, the mother's maiden name, the sex of the child, and the date of the child's birth.  Birth and death records were recorded by the county health office beginning in 1882 where they remain before mandatory recording with the state board of health began in October 1907 for births and January 1900 for deaths. Certified copies may be obtained from either the county health department or the Division of Vital Records (1330 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46207).
Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1695-1954	In the 1940s the Institut Généalogique Drouin began microfilming records pertaining to French Canadians throughout French Canada and America. Consequently, this filmed set of records has become known as the Drouin Collection.  The entire Drouin Collection contains vital, notarial, and other miscellaneous records from Quebec, as well as French Catholic parish records from Ontario, Acadia, and the U.S. This database only contains the French Catholic parish records from U.S.
Miscellaneous French Records (Drouin Collection), 1651-1941	In the 1940s the Institut Généalogique Drouin began microfilming records pertaining to French Canadians throughout French Canada and America. Consequently, this filmed set of records has become known as the Drouin Collection.  The entire Drouin Collection contains vital, notarial, and other miscellaneous records from Quebec, as well as French Catholic parish records from Ontario, Acadia, and the U.S. This database only contains the miscellaneous records. Most of the records are from Quebec, but some are from other parts of French Canada and America.
American Vital Records from the Gentleman's Magazine	The Gentleman's Magazine was founded in London in 1731. The first publication of its type, it featured a broad mix of news, essays, poetry, parliamentary debates, book reviews, and antiquarian notes. For the genealogist it is an absolute treasure-house of useful data. From the day of its inception until 1868 it published columns listing births, marriages, and deaths, enabling people throughout the English-speaking world to keep abreast of friends and relatives at home and abroad. These columns contain thousands of entries relating to North American which have now been extracted to form a unique source of genealogical reference material for the period from 1731 to 1868.
Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875	This is the fourth book in David Dobson's Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875, a series designed to compensate for the lack of official Scottish passenger lists to North America during the nineteenth century. Containing about 1,300 sketches not found in the prior books, Part Four brings the total number of descriptions of the Scottish men and women and their families who were part of this great exodus to about 6,000. In addition to skilled craftsmen, a number of the immigrants found in Part Four were dispossessed Highland farmers who had suffered as a result of the Highland Clearances, a kind of enclosure movement, or by periods of famine at mid-century.
National Huguenot Society Bible Records	The National Huguenot Society is one of our most esteemed lineage organizations. Its members, of course, are the descendants of the French Protestants who fled their homeland during the religious wars of the 17th century and, especially, following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV in 1685. Many of those Huguenots who ultimately fled to the American colonies would settle in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia, later arrivals dispersing to Pennsylvania and other states.
U.S. County History Catalog	Thousands of county histories organized by state and county
Mayflower Births & Deaths, Vol. I	This work is a compilation of birth and death records from the Bowman files, the largest manuscript resource on Mayflower genealogy in existence.  With references to 50,000 Mayflower relations, this two-volume work contains, besides records of births, baptisms, deaths and burials, references to burial location, cause of death, and address at death gleaned from land and will records, court and church records, transcripts of personal letters, and more. Volume I
Mayflower Births & Deaths, Vol. II	This work is a compilation of birth and death records from the Bowman files, the largest manuscript resource on Mayflower genealogy in existence.  With references to 50,000 Mayflower relations, this two-volume work contains, besides records of births, baptisms, deaths and burials, references to burial location, cause of death, and address at death gleaned from land and will records, court and church records, transcripts of personal letters, and more. Volume II

Indiana Birth Certificate Authorized Persons

By Indiana state law, Indiana birth certificates are confidential records and can only be obtained by the following authorized individuals:

• Person Named on the Indiana Birth Certificate
• Mother/Father (or Legal Guardian) of Person Named on the Indiana Birth Certificate
• Grandparent of individual named on the Indiana birth certificate
• Husband/Wife of Person Named on the Indiana Birth Certificate 
• Son/Daughter of Person Named on the Indiana Birth Certificate
• Grandchild of individual named on the Indiana birth certificate 
• Sister/Brother of Person Named on the Indiana Birth Certificate
• Aunt/Uncle of individual named on the Indiana birth certificate  
• Legal Representative of an Authorized Person of Person Named on the Indiana Birth Certificate

Indiana Birth Certificate for Genealogy Purpose

To obtain an Indiana birth certificate for genealogy reasons you need to meet one of the above criteria.

Indiana Birth Certificate Ordering

Options Option 1 – Order Indiana Birth Certificate Online

This option is the simplest and easiest way to get your Indiana Birth Certificate.  Order online and you will get your Indiana Birth Certificate usually in less than a week.  Many times you will have the option of receiving your vital record by next-day or second-day service.

Order Birth and Death Records Online!

Option 2 – Order Indiana Birth Certificate through the Mail

Follow the instructions below, if you are not ordering your Indiana birth certificate online.  It usually takes 3-4 weeks upon receipt of request to be sent to you:

Step 1: Download Mail-In Application

Step 2: Please provide as much of the following information as possible to locate the Indiana birth certificate:

• Full name of person at birth on the Indiana birth certificate
• Date of birth on the Indiana birth certificate
• Sex on the Indiana birth certificate
• County (or city) of birth on the Indiana birth certificate
• Hospital of birth - if not in a hospital state "home" 
• Full maiden name of mother on the Indiana birth certificate
• Full name of father on the Indiana birth certificate
• Your name 
• Your signature 
• Your relationship to the person whose Indiana birth certificate you are requesting 
• Address where the Indiana birth certificate is to be mailed 
• Self addressed stamped envelope
• Your daytime phone number
• By Mail: Send the above information and the appropriate fee to:

 

Indiana Vital Records

Indiana State Department of Health

P.O. Box 7125

Indianapolis, IN 46206-7125

Option 3 – In Person

In Person in Indiana: You may go to any county health department in the State of Indiana to obtain a certified copy of an Indiana birth certificate. Most Indiana birth certificates can be issued while you wait.

Indiana Birth Certificate Ordering Cost

The fee to search for an Indiana birth certificate is $10.00, which includes one certified copy of the Indiana birth certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the Indiana birth certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $4.00. Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "Vital Records." Please do not send cash. Fees are not refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service.