Ohio Vital Records

Birth | Death | Marriage | Divorce | Adoption

Address:
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Ohio Department of Health
35 East Chestnut Street, 6th Floor
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, OH 43215-0098
Phone: (614) 466-2531

Remarks: Check or money order should be made payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio. Personal checks are accepted. Call or visit the Web site to verify current fees. Requests for vital records may take as long as 10-12 weeks. If you do not know the date or place of event, you may request a search of the State Vital Statistics office files and records. The fee for a search is $3.00 per name for each ten years searched. Payment must be made in advance. After searching is completed you will be informed if the record was located.

Vital records in Ohio were not recorded by law until 1867. Although some records from a few counties predate 1867, records of births, marriages and deaths in Ohio are generally not available before this date.

Web site:  Ohio Vital Statistics

Event: Birth

Dates: From December 20, 1908

Cost of copy: $9.00 (certified copy);  ($0.03 per page for genealogy copies)

Comments: The Ohio Department of Health issues both certified copies and uncertified copies (may not be used for legal purposes) of birth certificates. A special bonus for genealogists is that uncertified copies are practically free - fees are only (.03) cents per copy plus postage costs. Include with your request as much as you can of the following: full name of individual, date of birth, city or county of birth, full name of father, full maiden name of mother, your relationship to the individual, your name and address and a daytime telephone number. 
Application for Certified Birth Record

* For birth records prior to from 1867 - December 29, 1908, contact the Probate Court of the county where the birth occurred.

Dates: From January 1, 1945

Comments: The Ohio Department of Health issues both certified copies and uncertified copies (may not be used for legal purposes) of death certificates. A special bonus for genealogists is that uncertified copies are practically free - fees are only (.03) cents per copy plus postage costs. Include with your request as much as you can of the following: full name of decedent, date of death, city or county of death, your relationship to the individual, your name and address and a daytime telephone number.
Application for Certified Death Record 

* For Death Records from December 20, 1908-December 1944 contact the Ohio Historical Society, Archives Library Division, 1982 Velma Ave., Columbus, OH 43211-2497. For death records from 1867- December 20, 1908, contact the Probate Court of the county where the death occurred. 

You can also search online:
Ohio Death Certificate Index, 1913-1937

Cost of copy: $0.03 per page plus postage costs; cost varies at county level

Comments: The Ohio Department of Health houses only the abstracts of marriages that occurred in Ohio from September 7, 1949 to the present. Abstracts are brief forms that list the original marriage licenses’ basic information. An abstract is not a marriage license. The Ohio Vital Statistics Office does not have marriage licenses on file.  Please contact your County Probate Court where the marriage license was issued for a copy.
Application for Marriage Abstract (write "Requesting Marriage Abstract" on the top of the application)

* Ohio county Probate Courts have kept marriage records from the date of the county's formation. Some of these county records can also be found at the Ohio Historical Society.

Dates: From September 7, 1949

Cost of copy: $0.03 per page plus postage costs; cost varies at county level

Comments: The Ohio Department of Health houses only the abstracts of couples divorced in Ohio from September 7, 1949 to the present. Abstracts are brief forms that list the original divorce decrees’ basic information. An abstract is not a divorce decree.The Ohio Vital Statistics Office does not have divorce decrees on file. Please contact your County Clerk of Court where the divorce was granted for a copy. Include with your request as much as you can of the following: full name of husband and wife, date of divorce, location of divorce, your relationship to the individual, your name and address and a daytime telephone number.
Application for Divorce Abstract (write "Requesting Divorce Abstract" on the top of the application)

* Prior to 1851, divorce records will be found in either the Supreme Court, the Chancery Court, or the Common Pleas Court.

Ohio Adoption Search & Support Resources