User:Amberannelarsen/SandboxOhioB1



Although Ohio became a state in 1803, birth registration was not mandatory statewide until 1908. County-level registrations of births began in 1867 and were kept by the probate court, but they are incomplete. A few counties have birth records dating from the 1840s. Some of these records are indexed in the following database:

Before using birth records know:

 * Name of the individual
 * Year/approximate year of the birth
 * Place of birth

Search a state birth record index
Try 1st
 * at FamilySearch

Try 2nd
 * at FamilySearch

If you haven't found your ancestor in the above collections, here are some incomplete databases that may contain more documents:
 * Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1774-1973 at Ancestry.com ($).
 * Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at Ancestry.com ($).

Next Steps

 * Compare any new information in the record with what was known before to be sure details are consistent.
 * Look for birth/christening information for the siblings.
 * Find the marriages of the parents.

How to Obtain the Birth Certificate
PART A: You know the exact date of birth

With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

PART B: You don't know the exact date of birth

If you do not know the exact date or place of birth: For a fee, the Ohio History Connection will do a search.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.