Putnam County: Vital Records

Hours Vital Records are Issued

Monday - Friday
8:30am - 3:30pm
** Lunch 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Vital Records Management

The Vital Records division is charged with the registration, maintenance, and issuance of birth and death records for Putnam County. This office provides certified copies of birth and death records for events occurring in Putnam County and is available from 1882 to the present.

A certified birth certificate is the legal registration of a birth and is only issued by the county or state government. Persons must obtain their birth certificate from the county or state in which they were born.

A certified record of death can only be obtained from the county in which the individual passed away, no matter where he/she was buried. Costs for obtaining birth/death certificates and application procedures may vary from one Health Department to another.

Obtain Birth and Death Certificates

Walk-In Service

The vital records office issues certificates Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30am - 3:30pm (closed from Noon to 1:00 pm for lunch). Only individuals over 18 can apply for vital records. When requesting a certified copy of a birth certificate customers will need to complete an application. Proper identification, such as driver’s license, state issued ID, or passport, must be provided to request a birth certificate, only individuals listed on the birth certificate, or their immediate family (with proof of relationship) may apply.
When requesting a certified copy of a death certificate customers will need to complete an application and provide a valid ID, such as driver’s license, state issued ID, or passport. Certified death certificates will only be issued to immediate family or an individual who has a direct interest in the record. ALL other requests for death records will be stamped "Not a Legal Copy" and will not have the Health Officer signature or Certifying Seal.

US Mail

Those requesting a certified birth or death record by mail should print the appropriate application listed below, Application for Birth Certificate (Mail-in Payment Option) or Application for Death Certificate, (Mail-in Payment Option) and follow the directions closely. Mail your fully completed and notarized application, and appropriate fees to the Putnam County Health Department at the address listed on application. Certified copies of certificate requests are usually honored the same day as received, but omissions and errors may cause delays.

Online

For your convenience, you can now request online orders for birth and death certificates two different ways. From the list of links below you can select the one that will fit your need best. The links that are listed as Birth Certificate Application (Online Payment Option) or Death Certificate Application (Online Payment Option), are orders directly e-mailed to our office. There is no additional cost other than the certificate fee.

The other link for VitalChek Network, Inc., is for online requests through an independent company that Putnam County Health Department has partnered with. Additional fees are charged by VitalChek for using their service and if you select UPS expedited priority mail. Certified copies of certificate requests are usually honored the same day as received, excluding weekends and holidays. Omissions and errors on order may also cause delays.

*For birth and death records occurring in other Indiana counties, please contact that county health department regarding application procedures and fees. A list of Indiana county health departments and their websites can be found at https://www.in.gov/health/lhd/local-health-department-map/

Genealogy

We look forward to helping you with your record family history search. For more information please call (765) 653-0203.

The genealogy search of family history is a growing interest to many people not only in our community but all across the country. The Putnam County Health Department, in an effort to make the vital records of our county more accessible, has built a customer-friendly computer database resource. Vital records in Putnam County are from 1882 to the present. Our computer database has all the birth records completed. While we are working as quickly as we can, the database for the death records is only complete from 1908 to the present. We can still generate the death records for all requested individuals who died in the county, but the records from 1882 to 1907 will need to be requested on an individual basis and entered into the database as they are requested until all records are entered. We also have index books that allow the customer to research family history by name and date of birth or death to help establish if the family member's record is indeed in Putnam County.

We look forward to helping you with your family history search.
For more information please call (765) 653-0203.

.