Ohio Death Records

Ohio death records can be ordered from the state’s Office of Vital Statistics or by placing an order through a website offering them for a fee. There are four ways that you can obtain a death record in the state.

One way to obtain a copy of a death record is to contact the local Vital Statistics Office. This approach will work if you know where the person died. Normal office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. The Office cannot guarantee same day service on orders placed after 4:30 p.m., but you can arrange to return on another day to pick up the death record or have it mailed to you.

The Vital Statistics Office has access to records of all deaths which occurred in the state from January 1, 1954 to the present time. It can take up to three months for a record to be registered with the Vital Statistics Office.

All birth, death, marriage and divorce records in Ohio are available to the public. Anyone who can provide basic information about a person can request a copy of his or her death record. Where little information about the location or date of a person’s death is known, you can pay a fee of $3.00 for each 10-year period you would like to have searched to locate a death record.

Counter service is available to walk-in customers on a same-day basis. Fill out an application form and pay a fee of $21.50 by check, cash or money order. The address of the Vital Statistics Office is:

Ohio Department of Health

Vital Statistics
225 Neilston Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 466-2531

The approximate wait time for an Ohio death record when you visit the Vital Statistics office personally is 20-30 minutes.

If you would like to visit the office to search the files for Ohio death records, call (614) 466-2531 to make an appointment in advance. Walk-in customers are not able to search through the statewide records.

A death record can be ordered by mail. The turn-around time for this type of request is two-three weeks. Mail a check or money order for $21.50 to:

Ohio Department of Health
Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, Ohio 43215-0098