Carroll County Obituary Database

Carroll County obituary and death records are available from the county health district in Carrollton, the genealogical society, and the probate court. This is a small, rural county in eastern Ohio with a population under 30,000. The county seat is Carrollton. If you need to find an obituary or death certificate for someone from Carroll County, there are a few local offices and some good state-level online tools that can help. The Carroll County Genealogical Society plays a bigger role here than in larger counties because they hold the pre-1908 vital records that the health department does not have. Online ordering is available through the health district's portal, which makes it easier to get records without driving to Carrollton.

Carroll County Health District Obituary Records

The Carroll County General Health District is the main office for death certificates in the county. They are at 301 Moody Avenue SW, Carrollton, OH 44615. Phone: 330-627-2250. You can also reach Amy Campbell at 330-627-4866 ext 1557 for specific questions about vital records. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The health district issues death certificates for Carroll County deaths from December 1908 forward. They also handle birth certificates for any Ohio birth through the statewide system. A certified copy costs $27.00, which is a couple dollars more than most Ohio counties charge. You can order in person, by mail, or through their online ordering portal. The online option is convenient if you do not live near Carrollton. Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705, local health districts serve as the official registrars for vital events in their area.

For records before December 1908, the health district cannot help. Those older records are held by the Carroll County Genealogical Society, not the probate court as in most other Ohio counties.

Carroll County Genealogical Society Death Records

The Carroll County Genealogical Society is at 24 Second Street NE, Carrollton, OH 44615. Their mailing address is P.O. Box 174. They are housed in the basement of the Carroll County Library, with the entrance at 70 2nd Street NE. Phone: 330-627-9411. This society holds an important collection that sets Carroll County apart from many other Ohio counties. They have the birth and death records from 1867 to 1908, the period before the state registration system started.

In most Ohio counties, those pre-1908 records sit in the probate court. In Carroll County, the genealogical society took on that role. They also have marriage records from 1833, when the county was formed. If you are doing genealogy work on Carroll County families from the 1800s, this is a must-visit. The society has volunteers who know the local records well and can help guide your search. They may also have cemetery transcriptions, church burial records, and other materials that do not exist in any government office.

Carroll County Probate Court Records

The Carroll County Probate Court is at the Carroll County Courthouse in Carrollton, OH 44615. The court keeps probate records and marriage licenses. While the pre-1908 vital records went to the genealogical society, the probate court still has estate files, wills, and guardianship records that can help with obituary research. When someone died and their estate went through probate, the file may list heirs, a death date, and family details that do not appear on a death certificate.

The Carroll County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society is at 59 Third Street NE in Carrollton. They offer additional local genealogy research support. Between the genealogical society and the OGS chapter, Carroll County has a strong volunteer network for researchers who need help finding records in this part of Ohio.

Ohio State Death Record Resources

The Ohio Department of Health in Columbus keeps death records from 1971 to the present at 4200 Surface Road, Columbus, OH 43228. Online, mail, and in-person orders are all accepted. The state fee is $21.50 per search under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24. That fee is charged whether a match is found or not.

For deaths from 1908 to 1970, the Ohio History Connection at 800 East 17th Avenue in Columbus has the original certificates. The Ohio Death Record Index is free to search online. It covers 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970. You need a name and a year of death to run a search. Once you find an entry, you can order a copy through the site. These are not certified for legal use but they work fine for genealogy.

The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library in Fremont runs the Ohio Obituary Index. It has over 3.7 million entries from newspapers across the state, going back to the 1810s. FamilySearch provides free access to Ohio death records from 1908 to 1953 with images. You just need a free account. Between these tools and the local Carroll County sources, you have a solid set of options for any time period.

Note: Section 3705.23 of the Ohio Revised Code requires local registrars to issue certified copies upon request and allows individuals to photograph records during in-person visits.

Carroll County Obituary Record Sources

The Carroll County General Health District birth and death certificates page explains how to request death records from the county.

This page lists the $27.00 fee and explains the different ways you can submit a request for a Carroll County death certificate.

The Carroll County online records portal lets you order birth and death certificates through an online system without visiting the office.

This portal is the most convenient way to get Carroll County vital records if you live outside the area.

How to Get Carroll County Death Records

Carroll County has a slightly different setup than most Ohio counties because the genealogical society holds the pre-1908 records instead of the probate court. Knowing that saves you a wasted trip. Here is where to look by time period:

• Deaths 1971 to present: Carroll County Health District ($27.00) or Ohio Department of Health ($21.50)
• Deaths 1908 to 1970: Carroll County Health District or Ohio History Connection
• Deaths 1867 to 1908: Carroll County Genealogical Society in Carrollton
• Estate and probate records: Carroll County Probate Court
• Newspaper obituaries: Ohio Obituary Index at the Hayes Presidential Library (free)
• Free online search: Ohio Death Record Index and FamilySearch

Ohio law makes it a crime to submit false statements on vital record applications. Section 3705.29 of the Ohio Revised Code spells out the penalties. Be accurate with your request forms. If you do not know the exact date of death, that is fine. Leave the field blank and provide what you do know. The health district staff and the genealogical society volunteers are used to working with partial information. They can often help you narrow things down if you give them a name and a rough time frame. The online ordering portal is the easiest way to get started if you are not in the Carrollton area.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Carroll County. If the person you are researching lived near a county line, their records might be filed next door.