Find Cincinnati Obituary Records
Cincinnati obituary records are available through multiple local and state sources. The city sits in Hamilton County along the Ohio River and has about 309,000 residents. Cincinnati has its own health department that issues death certificates for deaths within the city limits. The Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library holds one of the five largest genealogy collections in the country, making it a prime spot for obituary research. Whether you need a recent death record or one from the 1800s, Cincinnati has strong resources to help you find what you are looking for.
Cincinnati Overview
Hamilton County Obituary Records
Cincinnati is in Hamilton County. The city handles its own death certificates through the Cincinnati Health Department, which is different from many Ohio cities where the county health department takes the lead. For deaths inside the Cincinnati city limits, the city health department is the issuing authority. For deaths in Hamilton County outside of Cincinnati (except Norwood and St. Bernard), the Hamilton County Public Health office handles records.
The Hamilton County Probate Court at 1000 Main Street in Cincinnati has older records. They hold marriage licenses and birth and death records from 1867 through 1908. The probate court phone number is 513-632-6500. Their online court record search lets you look up estate records and other probate filings that often include death-related documents.
Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705, the state oversees all vital record keeping in Ohio. Local registrars like the Cincinnati Health Department operate under this law. Section 3705.23 controls who can access death certificates, and Section 3705.24 sets the fees and ordering process.
Cincinnati Death Certificates
The Cincinnati Health Department Vital Records office is at 1525 Elm Street, 4th Floor, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Call 513-352-3120 for questions. They issue death certificates for deaths that happened within the Cincinnati city limits only. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 3:45 PM.
Cincinnati charges $27 for a death certificate, which is higher than the state rate of $21.50. If you order before 3:45 PM, you can pick up the same day. They also have an online portal where you can start the ordering process. If the record is not found, the city charges a $3 search fee. Payment methods include cash, credit cards, and money orders.
For deaths in Hamilton County outside of Cincinnati, contact Hamilton County Public Health at 250 William Howard Taft, 2nd Floor, Cincinnati, OH 45219. The county office covers all of Hamilton County except Cincinnati, Norwood, and St. Bernard, which each have their own vital records offices.
Cincinnati Library Obituary Resources
The Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library at 800 Vine Street has one of the top five genealogy collections in the entire country. Their genealogy department phone is 513-369-6905. The newspapers and magazines department can be reached at 513-369-6973. This library is a powerhouse for Cincinnati obituary research.
Their Newsdex is an index of Cincinnati stories, death notices, and obituaries. The library has the Cincinnati Enquirer going back to 1841 through ProQuest Historical Newspapers (covering 1841 to 1922) and full page images from 1923 to the present. The Cincinnati Post is available in full text from 1882 through 2007 via NewsBank. These newspaper archives are the main sources for finding Cincinnati obituaries that were published in local papers.
The library also holds Ohio death certificates from 1908 through 1953 on microfilm. Cincinnati death records from 1865 through 1876 and 1882 through 1908 are available on microfilm as well. Hamilton County Probate Court records are on microfilm at the library. Hours are Monday and Tuesday 10 AM to 8 PM, Wednesday through Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM, and Sunday 1 to 5 PM.
Note: The genealogy department is temporarily housed in the Cincinnati Room. An appointment is recommended but not required.
Cincinnati Obituary Search Online
The Cincinnati Health Department offers an online vital records portal where you can start the process of ordering death certificates.
This portal lets you submit requests and check on the status of orders without having to visit the office in person.
The University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Books Library at 800 Carl Blegen Library holds the Cincinnati Birth and Death Records Index covering 1865 through 1912. This index has over 528,000 records and is a key resource for finding older Cincinnati death records. The phone number is 513-556-1959. The Hamilton County Genealogical Society also maintains a database of pre-1920 obituaries for the area.
The Ohio Obituary Index at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center covers Cincinnati obituaries as part of its statewide collection. The Ohio Death Record Index is another free online tool for finding death certificate numbers from 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1963. Both of these state resources include Cincinnati records.
How to Get Cincinnati Obituary Copies
Getting copies of Cincinnati obituary and death records depends on the time period and type of record you need. Here is a breakdown of the main options.
For certified death certificates from 1909 to present, contact the Cincinnati Health Department at 1525 Elm Street or use their online portal. The fee is $27 per copy. You can also order from the Ohio Department of Health at the state level for $21.50. For deaths from 1867 through 1908, the Hamilton County Probate Court is the right source. Deaths before 1867 have no official record in Ohio.
- Cincinnati Health Department: $27 per death certificate
- Ohio Department of Health: $21.50 per certified copy
- Hamilton County Probate Court: older records from 1867-1908
- Cincinnati library: obituary copies from newspaper archives
- University of Cincinnati: death record index 1865-1912
For newspaper obituaries, the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library is the best source. Their newspaper archives cover the Enquirer, the Post, and other local papers going back to the 1840s. You can visit in person or call the newspapers department at 513-369-6973 to ask about a specific obituary. The library's digital collection also includes scanned books, maps, and city directories that can help with genealogy research.
Nearby Ohio Cities
Cincinnati is in the southwest corner of Ohio. Several nearby cities have their own obituary records and vital statistics offices. If you are searching for someone who may have lived in the greater Cincinnati area, check these cities too.
Dayton • Hamilton • Kettering • Middletown • Fairfield • Columbus • Springfield • Beavercreek
Hamilton County Obituary Records
Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Death records, probate filings, and historical archives for the area go through the county system. For more information on county-level obituary resources, visit the Hamilton County page.