How to Find Ohio Death Records

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U.S. Vital Records

How to Find U.S. Death Records

Ohio Vital Records

How to Find Ohio Death Records

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 occurred

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 Try 1st: 1854-1997 - At FamilySearch.org Free; Ohio, Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997: Name index to death and burial records from the state of Ohio. Dates vary by county. Index only. Try 2nd: 1840-2001 - At FamilySearch.org Free; Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001: Name index and images of county death records from the state of Ohio. 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 Try 1st: 1854-1997 - At FamilySearch.org Free; Ohio, Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997: Name index to death and burial records from the state of Ohio. Dates vary by county. Try 2nd: 1840-2001 - At FamilySearch.org Free; Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001: Name index and images of county death records from the state of Ohio. 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. Not all deaths occurring in this time period are in the indexes below.  If you cannot find your person, go to Step Two below. STEP ONE: Find Death Information For deaths that occurred 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; Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953: Name index and images of Ohio statewide death certificates. Next try: 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 - At FamilySearch.org Free; Ohio Death Index: Index of deaths from the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus. Also available on Ancestry.com, free at family history centers. Index Only Or: 1913-1944 - At the Ohio History Connection Free; Ohio Public Records Index: Index of death certificates from the Ohio Department of Health, prepared by the Ohio History Connection. Index Only Or: 1913-1944, 1954-1963 - At MyHeritage.com ($) Requires MyHeritage Membership; Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963: Index of death certificates from the Ohio Department of Health, created from various official index extracts. Index Only Or: 1908-1932, 1938-2018 - At Ancestry.com ($) Requires Ancestry Membership Index & Images Or: 1840-2001 - At FamilySearch.org Free; Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001: Name index and images of county death records from the state of Ohio. Dates vary by county. Index Only Can't search the index listed above? Try searching other records for death information. United States Social Security Death Index. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, incomplete, ($). U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 ($) 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 History Connection. 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 occurred 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; Ohio Death Index: Index of deaths from the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus. Also available on Ancestry.com, free at family history centers. Next try: 1954-1963 - At the Ohio History Connection Free; Ohio Public Records Index: Index of death certificates from the Ohio Department of Health, prepared by the Ohio History Connection. Or: 1959-2012 at FindMyPast.com ($) Requires FindMyPast Subscription Ohio Deaths, 1959-2012: Name index from the state of Ohio. Dates vary by county. Or: 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage.com ($) Requires MyHeritage Subscription Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963: Name index from the state of Ohio. Dates vary by county. Or: 1840-2001 - At FamilySearch.org Free; Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001: Name index and images of county death records from the state of Ohio. Dates vary by county. Can't search the index listed above? Try searching other records for death information. United States Social Security Death Index. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, incomplete, ($). U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 ($) 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 Related Wiki Articles How to Find United States Birth Records Learn more about U.S. Death Records United States Record Finder U.S. Vital Records Overview United States Vital Records Locating United States Vital Records United States Birth Records United States Marriage Records