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How to get an Ohio birth certificate

In Ohio, order a certified birth certificate from the Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, and local vital statistics offices.1 Each certified copy costs $21.501. You can order online, by mail, in person or at a local office. The fastest published option is in person: same day1.

Last checked against official sources.

On this page
  1. Ways to order
  2. What an Ohio birth certificate costs
  3. How long it takes
  4. Who can order an Ohio birth certificate
  5. ID you need
  6. What the application asks for
  7. Forms
  8. Years held and older records
  9. Special situations
  10. The state office
  11. Questions people ask
  12. Sources

Current notice from the office

  • New birth certificate design since Aug. 6, 2025; accepted for all state and federal purposes2

Ways to order

HowCost per copyProcessing timePayment
Online$21.501Up to 5 business days1Card1
By mail$21.5034 to 6 weeks1Check and money order1
In person$21.501Same day1Card1
At a local officeSet by each office, for example $224 in Summit County or $324 in Fairfield CountySame day1–

Online

Run by
LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc., on behalf of the Ohio Bureau of Vital Statistics5
Fees
  • Per copy $21.501
Processing time
Up to 5 business days1
Expedited service
Not offered1
Payment
Card1

Good to know

  • Online birth certificates are abstract copies1
  • Do not order online for genealogy, dual citizenship, international legal matters or international marriage; use the mail-in application1
  • Birth records 1908 to present, Ohio only1
  • The portal takes orders for your own or someone else's certificate5
  • Enter the mother's birth surname exactly as on the record1
  • Orders cannot be canceled once submitted1
  • Expected delivery in the continental U.S. is three weeks by USPS1

Go to the ordering site1

By mail

Fees
  • Per copy $21.503
Processing time
4 to 6 weeks1
Expedited service
Not offered1
Payment
Check and money order1
Make payable to
Treasurer, State of Ohio3
Mail to
Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, PO Box 15098, Columbus, OH 43215-0098
1

Good to know

  • Status check by email after three weeks1

Open the application or mail instructions1

In person

Fees
  • Per copy $21.501
Processing time
Same day1
Payment
Card1
Office
Bureau of Vital Statistics, 4200 Surface Road, Columbus, OH 43228
6
Hours
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., only for central Ohio customers who need an expedited birth record and can pay by credit card1

Good to know

  • Complete the Application for Certified Copies before arriving1

Open the official page1

At a local office

Fees
  • Summit County, per copy $224
  • Fairfield County, per copy $324
Processing time
Same day1

Find a local office7

What an Ohio birth certificate costs

First certified copy
$21.501
Each additional copy
$21.503
If no record is found
The fee is kept as a search fee1
Fees in effect since
Jan. 1, 20251

Types of copies

CopyAccepted forFee
Abstract copy (online orders)1All U.S. legal uses, including passports1$21.501
Birth Certificate, certified copy (mail application HEA 2709)3Required route for genealogy, dual citizenship, international legal matters and international marriage1$21.503
Heirloom Birth Certificate1Legal document and keepsake8$253
Certified statement of no record1–$21.501

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. They do not include shipping. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

How you orderProcessing time
OnlineUp to 5 business days1
By mail4 to 6 weeks1
In personSame day1
At a local officeSame day1

Who can order an Ohio birth certificate

The office's ordering pages do not say who may order a certified copy. If the record is not your own, ask the office before you pay.

Other kinds of copies

  • Statement of no record The person named on the record and legal guardian1

ID you need

The office does not publish an ID list on the ordering pages and forms used for this guide. Ask the office what to bring or send before you order, especially for a record that is not your own.

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.3

  • Full name on the original birth record
  • New name, if changed since birth
  • Date of birth
  • City and county of birth
  • Each parent's name before first marriage
  • Reason for the request
  • Applicant name, address, email, phone and signature

Forms

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds
Dec. 20, 1908 to today6
Older records
County probate court (1867 to December 19, 1908); the Ohio History Connection holds some counties9

Special situations

If no record is found
The $21.50 fee is kept if no record is found; only payment exceeding $21.50 by more than $2 is refunded1
Use abroad
International uses require the mail application1
Adoption
Adoption file copy costs $20, needs a notarized application and two IDs, and cannot be ordered online10 Details
Sex marker
ODH changes the sex marker with a probate court order11
Paternity
Certified Acknowledgement of Paternity costs $7.00; the Central Paternity Registry number is required3
Births at home
Register births outside a birthing facility through the local vital statistics office12
Delayed registration
Probate courts file delayed birth registrations; Franklin County charges $72.0013

The state office

Office
Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics6
Mailing address
Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, PO Box 15098, Columbus, OH 43215-0098
1
Walk-in address
Bureau of Vital Statistics, 4200 Surface Road, Columbus, OH 43228
6
Hours
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., only for central Ohio customers who need an expedited birth record and can pay by credit card1

Questions people ask

How much is a certified Ohio birth certificate?

Each certified copy costs $21.50.13

How long does it take to get an Ohio birth certificate?

Online: up to 5 business days. By mail: 4 to 6 weeks. In person: same day. At a local office: same day.1

Can I order an Ohio birth certificate online?

Yes. Online: LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc., on behalf of the Ohio Bureau of Vital Statistics.5

Who do I make the check or money order payable to?

Write it exactly as the office prints it: Treasurer, State of Ohio.3

Where are older Ohio birth certificates kept?

County probate court (1867 to December 19, 1908); the Ohio History Connection holds some counties.9

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 5, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

  1. How to Order CertificatesOhio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated December 31, 2024
  2. New birth certificateOhio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated August 1, 2025
  3. HEA 2701 & HEA 2709 (PDF)Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated January 1, 2025
  4. Registrar directory (PDF)Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated February 28, 2026
  5. LexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc. home pageLexisNexis VitalChek Network Inc., portal linked by the Ohio Department of Health as its online order service
  6. Vital StatisticsOhio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics
  7. VS - Local Vital Statistics DirectoryOhio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated May 1, 2025
  8. VS Heirloom Certificate Application 2016 (PDF)Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated October 1, 2016
  9. Birth recordsOhio History Connection Archives & Librarydated June 29, 2026
  10. Adoption File InformationOhio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated May 4, 2020
  11. Changing or Correcting a Birth RecordOhio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated May 18, 2021
  12. Local Vital Statistics SupportOhio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statisticsdated November 24, 2023
  13. Court CostsFranklin County Probate Court