As of January 1st, 2022 our office at 225 Neilston St. is permanently closed.  Certified copies of Ohio vital records may continue to be obtained online or in person at Vital Statistics offices in local health districts.  

Ohio law (Ohio Administrative Code Section 3701-5-11) states that death records older than 50 years and birth records older than 125 years may be removed from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and sent to the Ohio History Connection for archival. As of Nov. 1, 2021, the Bureau of Vital Statistics at ODH will have transferred all records for deaths prior to 1971 into the custody of the History Connection. Customers may obtain certified copies of pre-1971 death records by contacting the local health department in which the death took place – find the appropriate office on the ODH health department locator page.  For more information about the Ohio History Connection, including its online death index for certain years, visit www.ohiohistory.org.

There are three ways to order certificates from the Bureau of Vital Statistics:

Online

The simplest way to get a certified copy of a birth or death record is to order online using a credit card.  Our online order portal now accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express cards.  Orders are processed in our office within five business days.  Expected delivery time in the continental United States via the USPS is three weeks.  If you are requesting a certified copy of a birth record for genealogy, marriage abroad, or dual citizenship your request will need to be processed by mail.  Please use the "Download" button to print our paper application and select the appropriate box on the form.  

Visit our online order portal by clicking here.  

Please note that once an online order is placed, we cannot cancel your request and issue a refund.

By Mail

To request a birth, death, fetal death, or stillbirth certificate, an affidavit of paternity, or adoption file via mail, please complete the Application for Certified Copies and send it to the address below.  Click the "Download" button to view or download a copy of this application form.  

Ohio Department of Health

Bureau of Vital Statistics

PO Box 15098

Columbus, Ohio 43215-0098

Once completed, send the application with the total fee included.   For mail orders we only accept checks and money orders (in U.S. funds).  Please do not send cash or credit card information.  We do not offer expedited services.  All mail-in orders typically take 4-6 weeks to process.  To check the status of your order after three weeks, please email Vitalstat@odh.ohio.gov.

If you would like to order a decorative heirloom birth record click here to download the form.

In Person at Local Offices

Our office is not offering in person certificate service at this time.  Many local offices do have in person availability or other alternative pathways for the public to request a certified copy of an Ohio vital record.  If you are unable to place an online order through our office we recommend you visit our local health district locator page for the location and contact information of a local health district in Ohio near you.  

If you have further questions about obtaining a certified copy of an Ohio vital record please contact our Issuance Unit at Vitalstat@odh.ohio.gov.