Ohio's vital records, including birth, marriage, and death were kept by various entities throughout the state's history and the available records vary by time period. Please see the individual vital record pages for specific information about how to locate these records and what the Archives & Library holds in its collection. In general, before searching for a vital record, it is helpful to know the following information:
Ohio did not make it a law to keep birth and death records until 1867
Starting on December 20, 1908 births and deaths are recorded in a certificate format
Marriage records are created by county Probate Courts, starting from the date of the county's creation