Ohio ranks 39th out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#37of 51
Speed#35of 51
Ease of ordering#34of 51
Birth certificates #17 of 51
Cost
$21.50 first copy, $21.50 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: within 5 business days; mail: 4–6 weeks; in person: often same day at a local vital statistics office; the Columbus state office also takes walk-ins
Time until the copy is in hand
About 5–7 weeks by mail (estimate); about 3 weeks for online orders
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from December 20, 1908
Marriage records #36 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the Probate Court in the county where the license was issued
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Divorce records #27 (tie) of 51
Cost
Varies by county
Processing time
Varies by county
Time until the copy is in hand
Varies by county
Where to order
County only: the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in the county where the divorce was granted
Order online
No statewide online ordering
Death certificates #41 of 51
Cost
$21.50 first copy, $21.50 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: within 5 business days; mail: 4–6 weeks; in person: no walk-in at the state office; local offices often same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 5–7 weeks by mail (estimate); about 3 weeks for online orders
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from 1971; earlier deaths from the local health department
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order Ohio birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get an Ohio birth certificate?
A certified Ohio birth certificate costs $21.50 per copy from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Bureau of Vital Statistics. Online orders are processed within five business days, with about three weeks for delivery by mail; mail orders take four to six weeks to process. For same-day service, use one of Ohio’s more than 100 local vital statistics offices.
Ohio birth records: ordering details
Who can order
Ohio birth and death records are public records: under Ohio law, ODH or a local registrar issues a certified copy to any applicant who sends a signed application and the fee, unless the record has been sealed (for example, after an adoption). You’ll need the full name at birth, date and place of birth, and the mother’s name before her first marriage.
Fee
$21.50 for each certified copy. Heirloom (decorative) birth certificate: $25. The $21.50 is a search fee and is kept even if no record is found; a “no record” statement is issued only to the person named or the legal guardian of a minor. Extras: ODH offers no expedited mail service, and online orders ship by regular USPS mail only. Local offices set their own fees.
How to order
Online:ODH online ordering through VitalChek, ODH’s authorized partner (Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express). Online birth copies are abstracts, valid for all U.S. legal uses including passports. Don’t order online for genealogy, dual citizenship or international use; mail the application instead. By mail: the Application for Certified Copies (form HEA 2709) with a check or money order payable to “Treasurer, State of Ohio” to Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 15098, Columbus, OH 43215-0098. In person: any local vital statistics office (most offer same-day copies). The state office at 4200 Surface Road, Columbus, serves walk-ins only for expedited birth records, Mon–Fri, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., credit card only.
ID needed
ODH’s mail application does not ask for a copy of your ID for a standard birth certificate. Local offices and the online service may have their own identity checks.
Processing time
Online: processed within five business days; ODH says to expect delivery in about three weeks in the continental U.S. Mail: typically four to six weeks to process (email Vitalstat@odh.ohio.gov to check status after three weeks). Local offices: often the same day. Estimate: plan on 5–7 weeks until a mail order arrives.
Older and local records
ODH has Ohio births from December 20, 1908 to today. Birth records more than 125 years old may be moved to the Ohio History Connection. Earlier births were recorded by the counties; for example, the City of Cleveland refers Cuyahoga County births from 1849 to December 19, 1908 to the Cuyahoga County Archives.
Tip: Ordering for a passport? The online abstract copy is accepted. If you need the record for genealogy, dual citizenship or other international use, send the paper application by mail.
A certified Ohio death certificate costs $21.50 per copy from the Ohio Department of Health. ODH issues death records from 1971 on; online orders are processed within five business days, and mail orders take four to six weeks. A local vital statistics office is usually faster.
Ohio death records: ordering details
Who can order
Anyone can order a standard copy (Ohio death records are public). A copy that shows the Social Security number, for a death in the last five years, is limited to authorized requestors with ID: spouse or legal partner, child, grandchild or great-grandchild, funeral director, executor or administrator of the estate, agent with power of attorney, VA or law-enforcement officials, or another person authorized by law.
Fee
$21.50 for each certified copy, kept as a search fee even if no record is found. No expedited service from ODH. Local offices set their own fees.
How to order
Online:ODH online ordering through VitalChek (deaths in the last 50 years). By mail:form HEA 2701 with a check or money order payable to “Treasurer, State of Ohio” to ODH Bureau of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 15098, Columbus, OH 43215-0098. In person: a local vital statistics office. The state office does not offer same-day death certificates.
ID needed
Not required for a standard copy. For a copy with the Social Security number (deaths in the last five years), attach a copy of your ID showing you are an authorized requestor.
Processing time
Online: processed within five business days, about three weeks for USPS delivery. Mail: typically four to six weeks to process. Local offices: often the same day. Estimate: plan on 5–7 weeks until a mail order arrives.
Older and local records
ODH holds Ohio deaths from 1971 to today and searches only the last 50 years. Death records before 1971 are in the custody of the Ohio History Connection; for certified copies of those, contact the local health department where the death happened.
Tip: Order all the copies you’ll need at once, and decide first whether you need the Social Security number shown: banks and insurers sometimes ask for it.
Certified copies of Ohio marriage records come only from the probate court in the county where the license was issued. Each probate court sets its own fee and process. The Ohio Department of Health does not keep marriage records.
Ohio marriage records: ordering details
Who can order
Set by the county probate court.
Fee
Varies by county.
How to order
Contact the probate court in the county that issued the license (in person, by mail and, in some counties, online). Each court posts its own contact page.
ID needed
Ask the probate court.
Processing time
Varies by county.
Older records
Held by the county probate court where the license was issued. Ask the court where its older marriage books are kept.
Tip: Need the marriage record for use in another country? Get a certified copy from the probate court first; the Ohio Secretary of State can then authenticate it (apostille).
Certified copies of Ohio divorce decrees come only from the clerk of courts in the county where the divorce was finalized. Fees and wait times vary by county. The Ohio Department of Health does not keep divorce records.
Held by the county where the divorce was granted. Ask the clerk where older case files are kept.
Tip: Have the names, the year and, if possible, the case number ready when you contact the clerk. For use abroad, the Ohio Secretary of State can authenticate a certified decree.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other Ohio records people search for
Official Ohio sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Official Ohio sites for other records
Court case lookup
Supreme Court of Ohio There is no statewide trial case search; records are kept by each county clerk of courts.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About Ohio public records
Certificate Information
Vital records are handled centrally by the Ohio Department of Health. You can obtain a birth or death record either by mail,
online, walk in to the state office or by visiting any of the local state or city vital records offices. Not all local vital
records offices are capable of issuing statewide records. Search fees are $21.50 in person with an approximately 1 hour turn
around time. Mail and online searches can take 3 to 6 weeks.
Ohio Department of Health
Vital Statistics
225 Neilston Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-2531
There is no central database for marriage or divorce records that can provice certified copies. All marriage records are held by the county probate court in which
the marriage license was granted. Divorce records are held by the local county clerk of court. The office of vital statisics
can search and issue abstrasts for a $3 dollar fee with a turn around time of 3 to 6 weeks.
Adoption records have different rules regarding the access to information based on when they were processes. Adoptions
prior to 1964 are available with a notarized affidavit and will include all information held including indentification, medical
history and original birth certificate. From 1964 to 1996, birth families can authorize the release of private information
to adult age (21) adoptees apon search or their guardians on their behalf. After 1996 adoptees must request for search
assistance to view any adoption records.
Ohio Department of Health
Office of Vital Statistics
P.O. 118
Columbus, Ohio 43216-0118
(614) 466-2531
• Request for Assistance by Adoptee
Property Records
Parcel records are maintained by the county government in which the property resides. Depending on the county either the
treasurer, auditor or gis department may be responsible for sharing the public records.
