How to Find Ohio Death Records

How to Find United States Deaths Ohio Deaths

The Ohio Territory became a state in 1803. A statute was enacted in 1856-57 requiring registration of deaths, but it was mostly ignored. A law was passed in 1867 requiring registration but the current record keeping system was not in place until 1908.

Next Step: When did the death occur?	Choose a time period to search for your ancestor's death record: Deaths before 1867 Deaths from 1867 thru 1908 Deaths from 1908 thru 1953 Deaths from 1954 to the present I don't know when the death is

Learn more about U.S. Death Records

Deaths before 1867

Before 1867, deaths were not recorded formally by the county or state. Almost 50,000 records from 1854-1867 are indexed in the following database:

Ohio Deaths and Burials Database - Includes Index only
	1854-1997 - At FamilySearch.org	Free; dates vary by county.

If your ancestor's death was not found in this database, you must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s death date and place.

Records that give death information:
Cemetery Records Newspapers Probate (wills, etc) Tax Records	Church Records Census Bible Records

Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths from 1867 thru 1908

Prior to 1908, death records for the state of Ohio were kept by the county probate court where the death occurred. Some of these records are indexed in this database:

Ohio Deaths and Burials Database - Includes Index only
	1854-1997 - At FamilySearch.org	Free; dates vary by county.

If your ancestor's death was not found in this database, you must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s death date and place.

Records that give death information:
Cemetery Records Newspapers Probate (wills, etc) Tax Records	Church Records Census Bible Records

Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths from 1908 thru 1953

The state of Ohio began recording deaths in 1908. There are no restrictions on ordering death certificates from Ohio.

STEP ONE: Find Death Information

For deaths that exist during the time period, try the following databases. Try each link.

Ohio Deaths Databases - Includes Index and Digital Images
Try 1st:
	1908 - 1953 - At FamilySearch.org]	Free; name index and images of Ohio statewide death certificates
Next try:
Includes Index Only
Choose one of the following:
	1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 - At FamilySearch.org]	Free; index of deaths from the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus
	1908-1932, 1938-2007 use at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center
	1908-1932, 1938-2007 use your Ancestry subscription	$, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available through your local public library for free
	1913-1944 - At the Ohio Historical Society	Free; index of death certificates from the Ohio Department of Health.
	Can't search the index listed above?	Try searching other records for death information.
Can't find your ancestor in the index?		Tips for searching indexes
No death record for your ancestor?		Other records with death information

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate

If the image was not included in the index entry above, you can order a copy of the death record for a fee from the following locations:

To Order Death Certificates
From County of Death		From OH Dept. of Health State office
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use	Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee	May be more expensive than ordering from the county

Death Certificates for the period December 20, 1908 through 1953 are held at the Ohio Historical Society.

If you do not know the exact date or place of death:
The Ohio Department of Health will search for the death of one individual for free. Searches for additional individuals are available for a fee.

If you do not want to order the death record, there are other records with death information you can search.

Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths from 1954 to the present

The state of Ohio began recording deaths in 1908. There are no restrictions on ordering death certificates from Ohio.

STEP ONE: Find Death Information

For deaths that exist during the time period, try the following databases. Try each link.

Ohio Deaths Databases - Includes Index Only
Try 1st:
	1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 - At FamilySearch.org]	Free; index of deaths from the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus.
Next try:
Choose one of the following:
	1908-1932, 1938-2007 use at FamilySearch Centers/Libraries	Free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center
	1908-1932, 1938-2007 use your Ancestry subscription	$, To obtain a subscription to Ancestry; Ancestry is often available through your local public library for free
	Can't search the index listed above?	Try searching other records for death information.
Can't find your ancestor in the index?		Tips for searching indexes
No death record for your ancestor?		Other records with death information

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate

If the image was not included in the index entry above, you can order a copy of the death record for a fee from the following locations:

To Order Death Certificates
From County of Death		From OH Dept. of Health State office
Pros	Cons	Pros	Cons
May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state	County websites can be more difficult to use	Offers a search of the state index for an additional fee	May be more expensive than ordering from the county

If you do not know the exact date or place of death:
The Ohio Department of Health will search for the death of one individual for free. Searches for additional individuals are available for a fee.

If you do not want to order the death record, there are other records with death information you can search.

Return to top: Choose another death year

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