How to Find Indiana Birth Records
How to Find United States Births 
Indiana Births
Indiana was created in 1816.In 1881 law required the counties to record births. Statewide registration of births began in 1907.Indiana, generally complied by 1920. The counties have copies of these records.
Next Step: When did the birth occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Births before 1816[edit | edit source]
Before 1816, no births were recorded by the county or state. You must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
| Records that give birth information: | ||
Births from 1816 thru 1881[edit | edit source]
In 1816, Indiana was created a state from Indian Lands and Indiana Territory. In 1816 there were thirty-seven counties by 1881 there were ninety-two counties. If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in other records.
- 1881 - Indianalaw required counties to record births
- 1881 - Indianalaw required counties to record births
Births from 1881-1907[edit | edit source]
Statewide registration of births began in 1907. Prior to October 1907, records of birth are filed only with the local health department in the county where the birth occurred.
- 1881 - Indiana law required counties to record births.
If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in other records.
For births that exist during the time period, try the following databases.
| Indiana Births Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| 1880-1920 |
($) Indiana Births, 1880-1920 at Ancestry.com - $; WPA Indexes most counties go to1920: list of county coverage (right side of the screen); collection also contains delayed birth records (Adams, Allen, Boone, Cass, Clay, Davies, De Kalb, harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard,Huntington, Jay, Johnson, Know, Madison, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Parke,Perry, Posey, Putnam, Spencer, Vanderburgh, Vigo, Warrick, and Washington Counties, Indiana) | |||
| Try 2nd: | ||||
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1773-1933 Indiana Births and Christenings
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Free;FamilySearch.org not all counties are complete | |||
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Births from October 1907 thru 1920[edit | edit source]
STEP ONE: Find Birth Information[edit | edit source]
Limited births maybe found in the following databases. Try each link. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, then contact the Indiana Department of Health office.
| Indiana Births Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| 1853-1930 - At West Virginia Division of Culture and History | Free; most counties go to 1930: list of county coverage (right side of the screen); collection also contains delayed birth records | |||
| Try 2nd: | ||||
| 1417341|1853-1930 - At FamilySearch.org}} | Free; not all counties are complete to 1930: list of county coverage (right side of the screen); collection also contains delayed birth records; click on "view partner website" to see a copy of the image | |||
| Next try: | ||||
| Includes Index Only | ||||
| Choose one of the following: | ||||
| 18-- -19-- - use at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center | |||
| 1880-1920 - use your Ancestry subscription | $, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available through your local public library for free | |||
| Can't search the index listed above? | Go to Step Two listed below and order a search for your ancestor from the West Virginia Department of Health State Office. |
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| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | |||
STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Birth Certificates | |||
| From County of Birth | From IN Dept. of Health State office | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state | County websites can be more difficult to use | Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee | May be more expensive than ordering from the county |
If you do not know the exact date or place of birth:
Restrictions for persons born within the last 100 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 100 years, you must be:
- The person on the certificate
- The parents and grandparents of person on the certificate
- The wife or husband of the person on the certificate
- The children and grandchildren of the person on the certificate
- The brothers or sisters of the person on the certificate
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the birth record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 100 years have passed from the date of the birth.
If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search.
Births from 1920 to the Present[edit | edit source]
Limited births maybe found in the following databases. Try each link. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, then contact the Indiana State Department of Health.
STEP ONE: Find Birth Information[edit | edit source]
| Includes Index Only | ||||
| Choose one of the following: | ||||
| 18-- -19-- - use at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries | Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center | |||
| 1880 -1920 - use your Ancestry subscription | $, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available through your local public library for free | |||
| Can't search the index listed above? | Go to Step Two listed below and order a search for your ancestor from the Indiana State Department of Health . | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the index? | Tips for searching indexes | |||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | |||
STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:
| To Order Birth Certificates | |||
| From County of Birth | From IN Dept. of Health State office | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state | County websites can be more difficult to use | Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee | May be more expensive than ordering from the county |
If you do not know the exact date or place of birth:
Restrictions for persons born within the last 100 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 100 years, you must be:
- The person on the certificate
- The parents and grandparents of person on the certificate
- The wife or husband of the person on the certificate
- The children and grandchildren of the person on the certificate
- The brothers or sisters of the person on the certificate
- Anyone who has legal interest in the certificate
- NOTE: A copy of the birth record cannot be obtained by anyone except those listed above until 100 years have passed from the date of the birth.
If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search.
How to Find Indiana Birth Records
How to Find Indiana Birth Records
Related Wiki Articles[edit | edit source]
References
Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Indiana. by The Indiana historical Records Survey Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration. Indianapolis, IN. The Indiana Historical Records Survey. July 194.1 FHL Film: 874,046 Item 5 Microfiche: 6,051,202 or Book 977.2 A5h.