Lorain Obituary Lookup

Lorain obituary and death records are available through the city health department, the Lorain Public Library System, and state databases. The Lorain City Health Department keeps death certificates for deaths within the city going back to 1908. The library system holds newspaper obituary indexes and contributes tens of thousands of records to the statewide Ohio Obituary Index. If you want to find an obituary for someone who lived or died in Lorain, there are good options for searching both online and in person. County and state sources fill in gaps that go beyond what the city holds.

Lorain County Obituary Resources

Lorain is in Lorain County, and the way death records work here is a bit different from most Ohio cities. The Lorain City Health Department handles deaths that happen inside city limits. But for deaths elsewhere in the county, the Lorain County Public Health office in Elyria takes over. That office is at 9880 S. Murray Ridge Road in Elyria. They charge $25 for a certified death certificate and accept cash, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, money orders, and personal checks with a 5-day hold.

The Lorain County Probate Court at 225 Court St. in Elyria has marriage records since 1824 and birth and death records from 1867 to 1908. These old records are line entries in ledger books, kept before Ohio's statewide vital records law under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705 took effect. The Lorain County Records Retention Center at 320 Gateway Blvd. in North Elyria also holds these early records.

For the full county page with more details, check below.

View Lorain County Obituary Records

Lorain City Health Department

The Lorain City Health Department issues death certificates for deaths within Lorain. They also issue birth certificates for Lorain and Elyria births since 1908. The office is at 1144 W. Erie Ave. in Lorain.

You can also order death certificates through VitalChek by calling 1-888-290-0228 for faster service. VitalChek charges an extra processing fee on top of the certificate cost. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.23, any person may request a certified copy of a death record from the local registrar. The registrar checks your identity and purpose before issuing the copy. You do not need to be related to the deceased.

For deaths outside Lorain but in the county, call the Lorain County Public Health office at 440-322-6367. They handle vital records for the rest of the county. The state office in Columbus covers records from 1971 forward if you'd rather go that route.

Lorain Library Obituary Resources

The Lorain Public Library System at 351 Sixth Street is a strong resource for obituary research. Their collection has Lorain city directories, local history materials, and genealogy reference works. They also hold microfilm of local newspapers from the late 1890s to the present, including the Lorain Journal from 1922 on and the Lorain Times-Herald from 1901 to 1932.

The library has contributed over 70,000 obituary records to the Ohio Obituary Index, which makes it one of the bigger contributors to that statewide database. They also provide in-library access to Ancestry Library Edition, FamilySearch, HeritageHub, and the Cleveland Necrology File. HeritageHub is available 24/7 for cardholders. The first 5 black-and-white printouts from microfilm are free, then $0.10 per page after that.

If you want the library to look up a specific Lorain obituary, you can send a request by email or mail. Include the person's name, date of death, and any citation info you have. They do not take phone requests for obituary lookups. The email for local history is local-history@lpls.info.

Note: The library's obituary index to Elyria newspapers covers 1830 to 1883 and is useful if the person had ties to nearby Elyria.

How to Search Lorain Obituaries Online

Start with the Ohio Death Record Index from the Ohio History Connection. It is free and covers 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970. Type in the name and year of death to see if there is a match. If the index has a hit, you get a certificate number to order a copy of the actual death certificate. Records from 1908 to 1953 are also on FamilySearch as free digital images.

The Ohio Obituary Index from the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center has over 3.7 million entries. It pulls from newspapers across Ohio, and Lorain County is included. Search by name and date. The results show which library holds the original obituary so you can request a copy. This is one of the best free tools for finding Ohio obituaries that are not digitized anywhere else.

The Ohio Department of Health has death records from 1971 to the present. Online orders cost $21.50 per record under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24. The fee is charged whether they find a record or not. Expect about three weeks for delivery by mail after an online order.

Getting Lorain Death Record Copies

Where to go for Lorain death records depends on the date of death. Ohio has different custodians for different time periods:

• Before 1867: No official records were kept
• 1867 to 1908: Lorain County Records Retention Center or Probate Court in Elyria
• 1908 to 1970: Ohio History Connection in Columbus
• 1971 to present: Ohio Department of Health or Lorain City Health Department

For certified copies that hold up in court or with insurance companies, go through the Lorain City Health Department or the state. The Ohio History Connection gives uncertified copies stamped to show they came from the state archives. Those are fine for genealogy and family tree work but not for legal matters. FamilySearch has free images of the 1908 to 1953 certificates if you just need to see the record.

The Lorain County Probate Court can also help with older estate and probate records. Those files sometimes list cause of death, names of family members, and other details you won't find on a death certificate alone. Call them at 440-329-5175 to ask what they have for your time period.

Lorain Obituary Search Tools

The Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics manages statewide death records and provides an online ordering system for certified copies.

State resources complement the local Lorain offices by covering records from 1971 forward and providing statewide search tools for older records through the Ohio History Connection.

Nearby Ohio Cities

Lorain sits on Lake Erie and is close to several other Ohio cities with their own obituary and death record resources.

Elyria • Cleveland • Lakewood • Parma • Strongsville • Mentor