Vital Statistics

Contact Information
Defiance County General Health District
Stacie Hummel, Registrar
1300 East Second Street, Suite 100
Defiance, OH 43512
419-784-3818

Certificate Fees
The fee for certified copies of birth and death certificates is $25.00 per copy.
We accept money orders or checks with a valid I.D. (Sorry, we cannot accept out-of-state checks).

Birth Certificates
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
Death certificates can be obtained for individuals who passed away in Defiance County from December 1908 to present.

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

How to Obtain a Certified Certificate

In Office:  Fill out an application in our office, lobby limited to two guests at a time.

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.