Brown County Death Records
Brown County obituary and death records are held at the Brown County Health Department in Nashville, Indiana. This small south-central Indiana county maintains death certificates and vital records going back to 1882. If you need to find a death record or search older obituary records for Brown County, the health department is the right contact. You can request records in person, by mail, or through the state's online ordering system.
Brown County Quick Facts
Brown County Health Department - Vital Records
The Brown County Health Department is at 336 S. Main Street in Nashville, Indiana 47448. The mailing address is PO Box 326, Nashville, IN 47448. Call 812-988-6963 for vital records questions. The department's website is at in.gov/localhealth/browncounty. A death certificate application form is directly available at in.gov/localhealth/browncounty/files/Death-Certificate-Application.pdf.
Brown County is one of Indiana's smaller counties. The health department here is a modest office that handles vital records for the local community. Death certificates are $12 per copy. The office accepts cash or check only. Credit and debit cards are not accepted. Come prepared with the right payment, and call ahead if you have questions about hours, which the department does not prominently list online.
| Address | 336 S. Main Street, Nashville, IN 47448 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | PO Box 326, Nashville, IN 47448 |
| Phone | 812-988-6963 |
| Death Certificate Fee | $12 per copy |
| Payment | Cash or check only |
| Website | in.gov/localhealth/browncounty/vital-records |
The image below shows the Indiana Department of Health's order page, which Brown County residents can use to request death certificates by mail or through VitalChek when the local office is not an option.
Visit the Indiana Department of Health order page for State Form 49606 and instructions for ordering Brown County death certificates by mail.
This state page shows how to download and complete Form 49606 to order Brown County death certificates by mail through the Indiana Department of Health.
How to Get Brown County Obituary Records
Walk-in service is the most direct option. Go to 336 S. Main Street in Nashville during business hours. Bring photo ID and payment. Cash or check are the only accepted forms. The fee is $12 per copy. If you need the death certificate for legal use, ask for a certified copy with the raised seal.
Mail requests are available for Brown County death records. Download the application from the Brown County death certificate application page, complete it, attach a copy of your ID, and mail it to PO Box 326, Nashville, IN 47448 with a check or money order. Processing time for mail orders is longer. If you have a deadline, walk in or use the state mail form.
Online orders for Brown County death certificates go through VitalChek. They add a service fee on top of the base cost. Call them at 866-601-0891 around the clock. Alternatively, you can mail State Form 49606 directly to the Indiana Department of Health at PO Box 7125, Indianapolis, IN 46206-7125. The state charges $8 for the first certified copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same record.
Note: Under IC 16-37-1-11, the search fee is charged regardless of whether the record is located. Have the full name and approximate year of death before you send your request.
Who Can Request Brown County Death Records
You need a direct interest in the record to get a certified death certificate from Brown County. Immediate family members qualify: spouses, parents, children, grandchildren, and siblings. Legal representatives and attorneys with documentation can also request records. Bring government-issued photo ID and any papers that show your relationship to the person on the record.
For older records, genealogy access is allowed. If the person died more than 75 years ago, the rules are more relaxed. You still need to show proof of death in some cases. Genealogy copies are typically non-certified but contain the core information researchers need. Brown County records from the 1882 to 1920 period may be partially incomplete, which is common across Indiana for that era.
Under IC 5-14-3, certain death record information is open to the public without requiring a direct interest. This includes the name, gender, age, and location of death. Full certified copies with all detail require meeting the direct interest standard under Indiana vital records law.
State and Genealogy Resources for Brown County
The Indiana Department of Health at 2 North Meridian Street in Indianapolis holds statewide death records from 1900 forward. Their phone is 317-233-2700. They can issue certified copies of Brown County death certificates. Use VitalChek online or submit Form 49606 by mail. The state charges lower fees than many counties for mail orders.
The Indiana Legacy database covers obituaries, death records, and cemetery data from across Indiana, including Brown County. Over 5 million records are indexed and free to search online. This is a strong first step when you are doing family history research before paying for a certified copy. Search by name, county, or type of record.
The Indiana State Archives in Indianapolis holds original county government records from all Indiana counties. Their phone is 317-591-5222. They have materials from Brown County going back to early statehood, which can supplement what the health department holds. For historic obituaries, the Hoosier State Chronicles offers free access to digitized Indiana newspapers including Nashville-area papers.
Under IC 16-37-3-9, the Brown County local health officer is required by law to keep a permanent record of all deaths from the certificates filed. This ensures a continuous archive going back to 1882.
Related Records at the Brown County Clerk
The Brown County Clerk in Nashville holds marriage records, divorce filings, and probate court documents. These records often come into play when you need to research a death in detail or establish your relationship to the deceased for a records request. Probate filings are opened after a death and document how the estate is handled. For those working on family history, marriage records can confirm who was related to whom.
The Brown County Courthouse in Nashville is where the clerk's office is located. Brown County is a small county, so the courthouse handles a range of functions in one building. Call the courthouse main number to reach the clerk and ask about current hours and any fees for copying records. These records complement the death certificates and obituary information held at the health department.
Cities in Brown County
Nashville is Brown County's county seat and primary community. No cities in Brown County have a population over 25,000. All death records and obituary records for Brown County are managed through the health department in Nashville.
Nearby Counties
Brown County is in south-central Indiana and borders several counties, each with its own vital records office.