Birth and Death Records

The Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics operates a statewide system for the registration of births, deaths, and other vital events that happen within the State of Ohio. Defiance County Health Department provides services for people to obtain Birth and Death Certificates. Certificates can be obtained in-person at the DCHD office, by mail, or through an online portal. See the information below to learn more about obtaining a Certificate. CLICK the button links to access forms and to be directed to other websites.

The fee for certified copies of birth and death certificates is $25.00 per copy.
We accept cash, checks*, money order, and credit/debit cards** with a valid I.D.
*Sorry, we cannot accept out-of-state checks.
** Credit/debit cards will be processed with a $2 additional fee.

Defiance County has statewide access to birth records for any person who was born in the State of Ohio from December 1908 to present.  

Death certificates can be obtained for individuals who passed away in Defiance County from December 1908 to present. Starting December 1, 2025, Defiance County is part of Ohio’s new Vital Records rollout. We can now print a death certificate at the Defiance County Health Department for anyone who has recently passed away in the State of Ohio.

For the first 5 years after a decedent’s death, the social security number is redacted on the death certificate unless requested to be on the certified copy by one of the following who presents proof satisfactory to the registrar of the person’s identity:

• The decedent’s spouse
• A county veterans service officer
• A lineal descendant of the decedent
• The executor or administrator of the decedent’s estate, or an attorney representing the executor or administrator
• Power of attorney, an agent of the estate or who is authorized to act on behalf of the decedent
• A licensed funeral director, or an employee
• A private investigator with a class A/B license
• A federal or state government official prosecuting a crime
• An individual engaged in the work of or connected with, or employed by any media organization or media association for the purpose of gathering, procuring, compiling, editing, disseminating, or publishing news

In Office: Fill out an application in our office.

By Mail: Download a request form for either a birth or death certificate. Complete the request form and include the signature of the person who is purchasing the certificate. Mail the completed request form along with payment and a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope. Mail requests are usually processed the same day they are received.

Order Online: If you would like to order a Certificate online, go to VitalChek and place your order, this will re-direct you from the Health Department website.  Orders must be placed by 3:00 p.m. EST in order for our office to process the same day.

If you encounter any problems with the online order form, please contact VitalChek at 1-800-669-8312 . When discussing your order, please make sure your order does not get routed through the Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, Columbus, OH. Orders routed through the state office take much longer to process than orders processed through our office.

To obtain information for other Ohio counties and other state health districts, go to VitalChek. To obtain the latest information regarding passports, visit Travel.State.Gov.

Refunds: Defiance County Health Department (DCHD) does not provide refunds for birth or death certificate sales.

Exchanges: If an error is found on a birth or death certificate that can be corrected through DCHD, our office will correct and replace the birth or death certificate within six (6) months from the original date of purchase at no cost.

DCHD does not offer or provide credit to the customer for future purchases.

 ALL SALES ARE CONSIDERED FINAL

Defiance County Health Department
Stacie Hummel, Registrar
1300 East Second Street, Suite 100
Defiance, OH 43512
419-784-3818