Howard County Death Records

Howard County obituary and death records are managed by the Howard County Health Department in Kokomo, Indiana. The office maintains death certificates for events in Howard County going back to 1875, making it one of the deeper county archives in Indiana. The department has a specific process for remote requests: you fill out an application, submit it by email or fax with a copy of your ID, and the office calls you to collect credit card payment. Cash, money orders, and cashier's checks are the only options for mail-in payments. This page covers what you need to know to get Howard County death records.

Howard County Health Department Obituary Records

The Howard County Health Department vital records office is in the Kokomo courthouse complex at 120 E. Mulberry St., Room 208, Kokomo, IN 46901. The general phone is 765-456-2400, and the vital records line is 765-456-2403. The department website at in.gov/localhealth/howardcounty provides current contact information. Howard County death records go back to 1875, though the office notes that records from 1875 through 1920 may be incomplete or hard to read due to the age of the originals. More recent records are generally in better condition and easier to locate.

The fee for a certified death certificate is $10 per copy. Payment rules vary by how you submit your request. For mail requests, only cash, money orders, and cashier's checks are accepted. Personal checks are not. For requests submitted by email or fax, the office will call you after receiving your application to collect credit card payment over the phone. Under IC 16-37-1-11, access to certified copies is limited to people with a qualifying interest. The Howard County office will ask you to demonstrate this interest before releasing any record.

Genealogy requests in Howard County follow a specific rule. The deceased must have been at least 75 years old at the time of death for the record to be available as a genealogy copy. This is different from some other Indiana counties and is worth confirming before you submit your request. The Howard County vital records page has the most current version of these rules.

State-level orders are a good option when Howard County's early records from 1875 to 1920 are difficult to locate or are incomplete.

How to Request Howard County Death Certificates

In-person visits to the Kokomo office are the most straightforward way to get a Howard County death certificate. Go to Room 208 in the courthouse building. Bring your photo ID and $10 for the fee. Tell the clerk the name of the deceased and the year of death. For deaths after 1920, the office can usually locate the record quickly. For deaths from 1875 to 1920, allow extra time and bring any additional details you have, such as place of death or full name, to help narrow the search.

Remote requests work through a two-step process. Fill out the application form, then email or fax it along with a copy of your ID. The office will call you at the number on your application to take credit card payment. After payment clears, the certificate is mailed to you. This process works well for people in Kokomo who want to avoid a trip to the courthouse, or for those outside Howard County who cannot visit in person.

Mail requests require a different payment approach. Since only cash, money orders, and cashier's checks are accepted by mail, plan accordingly. Do not send a personal check or your credit card number in the mail. Write your request, include a copy of your ID, enclose the $10 fee in the accepted format, and add a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send to 120 E. Mulberry St., Room 208, Kokomo, IN 46901.

Note: Genealogy copies are available only for deceased individuals who were at least 75 years old at the time of death.

Howard County Obituary Records Online

Online ordering for Howard County death certificates is available through the VitalChek portal. VitalChek is a state-approved third-party service that processes Indiana vital records orders and ships certified copies by mail. A service fee applies in addition to the $10 certificate fee. The VitalChek phone line at 866-601-0891 operates 24 hours a day for phone orders. Expedited shipping is an option for urgent needs.

The Indiana Department of Health in Indianapolis holds the statewide death registry and can be reached at 317-233-2700. For searches that span multiple Indiana counties or for records not found at the local level, the state office is the best resource. Mail orders through the state use State Form 49606, downloadable from the IDOH site.

For older Howard County obituary records, especially those from the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Indiana Legacy database offers free access to historical death indexes and digitized newspaper obituaries. The Indiana State Library genealogy division and the Indiana State Archives are also strong resources for this time period in Howard County history.

Indiana Law and Howard County Death Records

Indiana law under IC 5-14-3 gives people broad access to government records but carves out vital records like death certificates as a protected category. Certified copies of Howard County death records are available only to those who can show a direct interest. The health department verifies this before releasing any certified document. Informational or genealogy copies may be available under different rules for older records, but these cannot be used for legal or administrative purposes.

Corrections to Howard County death certificates follow the amendment process under IC 16-37-3-9. If you find an error on a certificate, contact the health department to begin the process. The funeral home that originally registered the death is often required to participate in corrections. Call 765-456-2403 to discuss the steps involved before you gather documentation.

Cities in Howard County

Howard County's county seat and largest city is Kokomo, which has a dedicated city records page.

Other communities in Howard County include Russiaville, Greentown, and Bunker Hill. Deaths in these smaller areas are handled through the Howard County Health Department in Kokomo.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Howard County. Contact the appropriate county health department for records outside Howard County.