Tippecanoe County Obituary Records

Tippecanoe County obituary and death records are maintained by the Tippecanoe County Health Department at 1950 South 18th Street in Lafayette, Indiana. Death registrations in Tippecanoe County go back to 1882 and cover all deaths within the county. Families, attorneys, and genealogy researchers can request certified death certificates for legal use or uncertified copies for personal research through the county health department or state resources. This page covers how to find and request Tippecanoe County obituary records and death certificates.

Tippecanoe County Health Department Death Records

The Tippecanoe County Health Department is at 1950 South 18th Street, Lafayette, IN 47905. Call 765-423-9221 and press Extension 4 for vital records. The fax number is 765-423-9277. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:15 PM, with no lunch closure. The office is closed on holidays. For more details, visit tippecanoe.in.gov/275/Birth-Death-Certificates.

Certified death certificates in Tippecanoe County cost $15 per copy. The office accepts cash, cashier's check, and credit cards. Personal checks are not accepted. Same-day walk-in service is available when documentation is complete at the time of your visit. Mail requests are also accepted and most mail orders are processed the same day they are received. Corrections to death certificates must be initiated by the funeral home, not by the health department. Falsifying an application or altering a certificate is a criminal offense under Indiana Code 16-37-1-12.

Tippecanoe County death records are available from 1882 to the present. The county health department holds local records, and the state office holds duplicates. Under Indiana Code 16-37-1-11, certified copies are available to immediate family members and those with a documented legal need. Genealogy copies under IC 16-37-3-9 are available for older records without a family relationship requirement.

How to Request Tippecanoe County Death Records

Walk-in requests at 1950 South 18th Street in Lafayette are the fastest way to get a Tippecanoe County death record. Bring your valid photo ID and know the full name and date of death of the person whose record you need. Same-day service is available when your documents are ready. Pay by cash, cashier's check, or credit card. The $15 fee applies per certified copy.

Mail requests are processed promptly. Send a written request with the deceased's full name, date of death, your name and address, your relationship to the deceased, a copy of your ID, and a cashier's check or money order for $15 per copy. Address your request to the Tippecanoe County Health Department. Most mail requests are processed the same day they arrive at the office.

Online ordering through VitalChek for Tippecanoe County is available at 866-601-0891. A service fee applies through VitalChek in addition to the county fee. You can also order from the Indiana State Department of Health at 317-233-2700 or by mail using State Form 49606. The state charges $20 per certified copy, which is slightly higher than the county fee of $15.

Tippecanoe County Obituary Screenshot

The Tippecanoe County Health Department vital records page at tippecanoe.in.gov/275/Birth-Death-Certificates lists current fees, office hours, accepted payment types, and instructions for submitting a request in person or by mail.

Check this page before submitting your request to make sure you have the current fee and correct mailing address.

Searching Tippecanoe County Obituaries

Local newspapers are the main source of obituary notices for Tippecanoe County residents. The Lafayette Journal and Courier publishes obituaries regularly and maintains an online archive that can be searched by name. The Tippecanoe County Public Library in Lafayette holds older issues on microfilm and in bound volumes. Librarians can help you search the newspaper collections by date range or person.

The Indiana State Library at in.gov/library/genealogy.htm offers genealogy resources including Indiana newspaper archives and obituary indexes for Tippecanoe County. The Indiana Digital Archives at digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy holds digitized historical records. Ancestry.com and FindAGrave.com contain user-submitted obituary and cemetery data for Tippecanoe County. The Indiana State Archives at in.gov/icpr/archives holds supplemental early records for deaths before 1882.

Note: Purdue University in West Lafayette may also have local historical resources related to Tippecanoe County genealogy and death records through their libraries and archives.

Tippecanoe County Death Record Contents

Indiana death certificates from Tippecanoe County include the deceased's full legal name, date of birth, date of death, place of death, cause of death, the certifying physician's name and license number, the informant's name and relationship, and information about final disposition. These fields are set by Indiana vital records law and are consistent across all Indiana counties.

Obituaries published in Tippecanoe County newspapers often include details not found in the official death certificate. Names of surviving family members, church memberships, civic involvement, military service, and brief biographical information regularly appear in local obituary columns. Combining the official record with a newspaper obituary gives the most complete picture for family history research in Tippecanoe County and the Lafayette area.

Indiana Statewide Death Record Resources

The Indiana Department of Health at in.gov/health/vital-records issues certified copies of Tippecanoe County death records for $20 per copy. Orders go through VitalChek online or by phone at 866-601-0891, or by mail using State Form 49606. Indiana's public records law at IC 5-14-3 and the Title 16 vital records statutes govern death record access across Indiana. Note that ordering through the county directly at $15 per copy saves a few dollars compared to the state fee.

Cities in Tippecanoe County

Tippecanoe County includes Lafayette, the county seat, and West Lafayette, home to Purdue University. One city in Tippecanoe County meets the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site.

Other Tippecanoe County communities include West Lafayette, Dayton, and Battle Ground. All death records for Tippecanoe County residents are maintained by the county health department in Lafayette.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Tippecanoe County. Each has a local health department for death records and obituary requests.