*Please use only the link provided here. For your safety, avoid using search engines, as they may direct you to fraudulent websites.
Health Department Fees
Certified Birth Certificate - $10.00
Certified Death Certificate - $11.00
Paternity Affidavit - $15.00
Birth Certificate Name Change - $15.00
Birth Certificates
For a person born within Lake County, except cities of East Chicago or Gary, a birth certificate can be obtained as follows:
- In person, by visiting our Lake County Government Complex location.
- By mail, by mailing us an application (see below) with the following information:
- Name of the child
- Place of birth
- Birth date
- Copy of photo ID (for example, driver's license)
- Self-addressed stamped envelope
- $10.00 processing fee in money order or cash (no personal checks are accepted, except funeral homes)
For a person born in the cities of East Chicago or Gary, please contact or visit their respective health departments:
East Chicago Health Department
100 West Chicago Ave.
East Chicago, IN 46312
(219) 391-8467
Gary Health Department
1145 West 5th Ave.
Gary, IN 46402
(219) 882-5565
Register a Home Birth
To register a home birth at the Lake County Health Department, before the child turns 1 year old, you'll need to provide documentation. This typically includes proof of residence in the county or jurisdiction where you're registering the birth, but other documents might be required depending on the specific health department. You'll find a complete list of all necessary documents for Lake County, along with the Home Birth packet, included in the registration materials.
* When you've finished filling out your Home Birth packet, it's really important that you don't mail it in. Both parents need to drop it off in person at the health department. Please remember to bring your current IDs with you for this.
More information about Vital Records can be found on the Indiana State Department of Health*.
- Be aware that the Indiana State Department of Health website may have a different set of requirements for obtaining certificates.
Other Important Locations
