How to Get an Ohio Death Certificate (2026)

You can get a certified Ohio death certificate from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Bureau of Vital Statistics or a local city or county health department. Ohio is an open-record state, so anyone may request a certified copy. The state search fee is $21.50 per copy, whether or not the record is found.

How Do You Get a Death Certificate in Ohio?

You get an Ohio death certificate from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Bureau of Vital Statistics or from a local city or county health department. ODH maintains death records from 1971 to the present. There are several ways to request a certified copy.

Order online. ODH offers an online vital record ordering system through its website. You provide the decedent's details and pay by credit card, and the copy is mailed to you.

Order by mail. Complete the ODH Application for Certified Copies and mail it to the Bureau of Vital Statistics with a check or money order. Do not send cash or credit card information by mail.

Order in person or through a local registrar. Most Ohio city and county health departments act as local registrars and can issue certified death certificates, often the same day. This is usually the fastest route.

For deaths before 1971, contact the local health department where the death occurred. The Ohio History Connection has custody of the pre-1971 death records and publishes an online death index for certain years. This cutoff moves forward over time: under Ohio Administrative Code 3701-5-11, death records older than 50 years may be transferred from ODH to the History Connection, and ODH's online ordering system already directs requests for death records more than 50 years old to a local vital statistics office.

Who Is Eligible to Request an Ohio Death Certificate?

Anyone may request a certified Ohio death certificate. Ohio treats death records as open public records, so eligibility is not limited to family members.

Because the record is open, no identification is required to order a standard certified copy. You simply provide enough information to locate the record, such as the decedent's full name, date of death, and the county where the death occurred.

One detail is restricted. Under Ohio Revised Code 3705.23, the decedent's Social Security number is omitted from certified copies for the first five years after death unless an authorized individual specifically requests that it be included.

Ohio Death Certificate Cost and Processing Time

The Ohio Department of Health search fee is $21.50 per copy as of January 1, 2025. This fee is charged whether or not the record is found, and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs the same amount.

Local health departments set their own fees, which can be higher than the state rate. For example, some city health departments charge around $27 per copy. Online orders placed through a third-party processor may add a small handling charge.

Processing time depends on the method. Mail orders to ODH typically take 4 to 6 weeks. Online orders are generally faster, and a local health department registrar can often print certified copies the same day you visit.

Certified vs Informational Copy in Ohio

Ohio issues certified copies of death certificates. A certified copy is the official document bearing the registrar's seal, and it is what banks, insurers, courts, and government agencies require to settle an estate, claim benefits, or close accounts.

Ohio does not market a separate lower-cost informational or noncertified copy of death records the way some states do. Because Ohio death records are open, the certified copy is the standard product the public receives.

If you only need to confirm details for genealogy or personal reference, a certified copy still works, but you pay the standard search fee. There is no discounted view-only version sold by the state.

How to Get Additional or Replacement Copies

To get additional or replacement copies, order them the same way you order the first one, through ODH online, by mail, or at a local health department. Each copy is charged the standard per-copy fee.

When settling an estate, it is common to need several certified copies at once, since each financial institution or agency may keep one. Ordering all the copies you need in a single request is usually the most efficient approach.

If you lose a certified copy later, you can simply order a fresh certified copy. There is no separate replacement process; a new request and the standard fee produce a new official document.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information about obtaining an Ohio death certificate and is not legal advice. Fees, processing times, and procedures change. Confirm current details with the Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics or your local health department before ordering.

Sources

This page draws on the Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics and the Ohio Revised Code.

Related: Ohio Death Records and Death Records by State.