Indiana Vital Records Apostille: Free Birth and Death, $2 for Marriage
An Indiana vital records apostille comes from the Secretary of State in Indianapolis, which normally takes one to two business days and waives the fee for birth and death certificates. Marriage and divorce documents cost $2 each, and a marriage license needs the circuit court clerk’s certification first. The state’s own sources disagree about county death certificates. Here is the order that works from abroad.
- Free document review on every order
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Indiana charges nothing to apostille a birth or death certificate, but not a marriage
Suppose a grandmother died in Fort Wayne and an estate lawyer abroad wants an apostilled death certificate. Indiana makes that part cheap. The Secretary of State waives its apostille fee for Indiana birth and death certificates, and it does the same for adoption papers and transcripts. A marriage certificate or a divorce decree is not on that list, so each one costs $2 per apostille. The state form is explicit about it.
The price of the copy and the order of signatures differ more than the apostille fee does. A marriage license has to be certified by the current circuit court clerk of the county first. A death certificate comes from the Indiana Department of Health or from a county health department, and the state’s own sources disagree about whether a county copy is welcome. We lay out both answers below.
Indiana at a glance
- Apostille office
- Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Indianapolis.
- State fee
- No fee for birth and death certificates. $2 for marriage and divorce documents.
- Published speed
- Normally 1 to 2 business days.
- Counter
- In person at 302 W. Washington Street, Room E-018. Mail also accepted.
- Certified copies
- Department of Health for birth and death, circuit court clerks for marriage and divorce.
- Refused
- Photocopies, scans and records without the issuing official’s seal and signature.
Can a county health department’s death certificate be apostilled?
Either office will do
The Secretary of State’s guide for funeral homes says a death certificate can come from the Indiana Department of Health or from the appropriate county office. It needs the issuing authority’s seal and signature, no notarization, and it must be an original or certified copy rather than a photocopy.
Only a current IDOH copy
Another summary of the office’s rule says a county copy is refused and only a current copy issued by the Department of Health is valid. We could not open the page behind that summary. The two statements conflict, and we cannot tell you which is newer.
So the cautious order is to buy the death certificate from the Department of Health. It costs $8 for the first copy and $4 for each additional copy, and mail orders can take 60 days. County health departments charge about $15 to $20 in the counties we saw, but their copies carry the risk above. If time matters more than caution, call the Secretary of State at 317-234-9768 and ask whether the specific county copy will pass. Confirm with the office.
How each Indiana record gets to the apostille desk
| Record | Certified copy from | What to do or avoid | Copy fee | Apostille fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | Indiana Department of Health, or a county health officer | Order the long form and tick Apostille: Yes on the state form | $10 | None |
| Marriage | Clerk of the Circuit Court where the license was issued. IDOH also holds records from 1958 per a state library blog. | The current circuit clerk must certify the license first | Set by each county. Confirm with the clerk. | $2 |
| Death | Department of Health or a county health department | Prefer the Department of Health copy because of the conflict above | $8 state first copy. County $15 to $20. | None |
| Divorce | Clerk of the Circuit or Superior Court in the county where the decree was entered | The clerk’s signature, printed name and title must appear on the document | Confirm with the clerk | $2 |
The Department of Health ordering page and its death information page list the current ways to order. The state archives’ vital records page says the official certified marriage copy comes from the county clerk, which supports the circuit clerk route.
Health department or county clerk, then Indianapolis, then your country
What State Form 56720 asks you to send
The Secretary of State’s State Form 56720 gives the mailing address as Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, 302 W. Washington Street, Room E-018, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Include a prepaid return envelope. The office’s telephone is 317-234-9768, and its email is INBiz@sos.in.gov. Its apostille page says processing normally takes one to two business days.
Vital records do not need notarization. They must bear the issuing official’s seal and signature, and photocopies or scans are refused. We found no online or e-apostille option. Search summaries mention that Indiana moved to a single certificate with a unique verification number in July 2022, but we could not confirm how that affects what you receive abroad.
An Indianapolis timeline for someone living in another time zone
- 1
Settle the issuer before you pay for anything
Birth and death go to the Department of Health. Marriage and divorce go to the county clerk. Indianapolis is on Eastern Time, six hours behind Berlin and Zagreb, so email works better than calls for questions.
- 2
Order with the apostille purpose stated
On the state form, tick the apostille box and ask for the long form for births. Where Indiana allows an authorized third party to order, we can help obtain the certified copy, and the free review is where we confirm it.
- 3
Mail it with a return envelope that can cross borders
The state asks for a prepaid return envelope. If you live abroad, use a U.S. address and a courier label we prepare. Expect one to two business days at the state, plus mail and courier time at both ends.
- 4
Inspect the finished set
The apostille should be attached to the original certified copy. If a county clerk certified a marriage license, the clerk’s certification should still be there. Ship by DHL, FedEx or UPS with tracking.
Six reasons an Indiana record is sent back
Skipping the circuit clerk certification
The state page says the license must first be certified by the current clerk of the county where the marriage took place.
Relying on a copy the office may refuse
The sources disagree, so a county copy is a gamble when a deadline is close.
Sending a scan, photocopy or print
Only an original or a certified copy with the issuing authority’s seal and signature qualifies.
Having vital records notarized
The state says vital records do not need a notary. A stamp adds nothing.
The wrong birth certificate type
Order the long form and tick the apostille box on the Department of Health form.
No prepaid return envelope
Form 56720 asks for one. Without it the packet waits.
Germany and Croatia, two destinations where Indiana paper turns up
Germany’s mission website says an apostille is needed on a U.S. marriage certificate used for a German residence permit, and it lists children’s birth certificates for family applications. It does not state age limits or translation rules on the pages we read, so ask the office that will take your file. Germany is a Hague party. Because Indiana waives the fee for birth certificates, a family that needs a marriage certificate and two birth certificates pays $2 once. See the HCCH status table.
Croatia’s foreign ministry says the Hague apostille is single authentication in the country of issue. That means an Indiana apostille is the step, and Croatian courts or the Ministry of Justice issue Croatian apostilles for documents going the other way. What a digital nomad permit or a descent file needs is not set out on the page we found, so ask the Croatian consulate. If a translation is demanded, we provide ATA certified translations that get notarized. We are not a sworn translator and do not arrange sworn translations.
An Indiana packet, prepared from Tewksbury
We are a document preparation and courier service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, near Boston. For an Indiana record we review your certified copy for free, point out anything the Secretary of State would refuse, and can submit the packet and return it to you. Our published prices apply to Massachusetts documents: $149.95 Economy, $199.95 Express and $385.95 Rush per document.
Indiana work is quoted separately. During the free review we settle the Indiana fee and the likely speed, then you get one flat-rate quote before paying. Rush is the fastest tier (one to two days for Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents, state office volume elsewhere), Express takes two to five business days and Economy one to two weeks, with transit on top. Read our pricing and how it works, or start an order.
We are not affiliated with any state office, school or consulate. Hablamos Español. Call (978) 424-4629, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm Eastern.
Before you mail
- Original or certified copy, never a scan.
- Circuit clerk certification on a marriage license.
- Prepaid return envelope inside.
- Know the Hague status of your country.
What people ask before mailing to Indianapolis
How do I get an Indiana record apostilled from abroad?
Order the certified copy from the Indiana Department of Health or the county clerk, then mail it to the Secretary of State in Indianapolis with a prepaid return envelope. The state says processing normally takes 1 to 2 business days. Use a U.S. return address, and add courier time to your country. We can handle the U.S. steps after a free review.
How much does an Indiana apostille cost?
Nothing for Indiana birth and death certificates, which the Secretary of State exempts, along with adoption papers and transcripts. Marriage and divorce documents cost $2 per apostille. Copy fees are separate. The Department of Health charges $10 for a birth certificate and $8 for a first death certificate copy.
Do I need the circuit clerk to certify a marriage certificate first?
The Secretary of State page says a marriage license must first be certified by the current circuit court clerk of the county where the marriage occurred. The state archives also says the official certified copy comes from the county clerk. Order the certified copy from the clerk and confirm with the office.
Is a county death certificate accepted for an apostille?
The state sources disagree. A funeral-home guide says either the Department of Health or a county office can issue it, but another summary says only a current Department of Health copy is valid. Order from the Department of Health to be safe, and ask the Secretary of State by phone.
Can the Secretary of State apostille an Indiana divorce decree?
Yes, according to a summary of the office page, when the circuit or superior court clerk or judge signature, printed name and title appear on the document. The fee is $2 per apostille. The copy fee varies by county, and we could not confirm it, so ask the clerk.
Does Indiana offer an e-apostille?
We found no online or e-apostille option. The office takes documents in person or by mail, and the apostille is attached to the paper original. Search summaries mention a single certificate with a verification number since July 2022. Ask the office how that appears on your document.
Can someone else order my Indiana certificate?
Rules differ by record and county, and we could not confirm every one. We help obtain a certified copy only where Indiana allows an authorized third party, and we check this during the free review. Do not assume a lawyer abroad or a friend will be accepted.
Do I need a translation for Germany or Croatia?
The pages we read did not state it for either country. The receiving office decides. We provide ATA certified translations that get notarized, but we do not arrange sworn translations, so if the office demands a sworn translator you hire one there and we ship the apostilled set.
Neighbouring and related guides
From an Indiana clerk or health department to a desk abroad
Give us the record, the county and the country. We check your copy against the Secretary of State rules and quote one flat rate before you pay.