Fayette County Obituary Lookup

Fayette County obituary and death records are kept at the Health Department and the Records and Archives Center in Washington Court House. The Health Department holds death certificates from 1909 to the present, while the Archives Center has older records dating back to 1867. Fayette County is a smaller rural county in south-central Ohio, and its records are well organized for researchers. If you need to find an obituary, a death certificate, or details from a probate file, this page covers each office, what they hold, and how to request copies.

Fayette County Death Certificates

The Fayette County Health Department at 317 S. Fayette St. in Washington Court House handles death certificates from 1909 to the present. Their office hours are limited. They are open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Plan your visit around those hours or call (740) 335-5910 to ask about mail requests.

Uncertified copies for genealogy research cost $3.00 each. This is one of the lower fees in Ohio and makes Fayette County a good value for family history researchers. Certified copies cost more and follow the fee schedule set under Ohio Revised Code 3705.24. If you need a copy for legal use, ask specifically for a certified copy when you place your order.

Fayette County Obituary Archives

The Fayette County Records and Archives Center is a key resource for older obituary and death record research. They hold birth and death records from 1867 to 1908, wills from 1810 to the present, marriage records from 1810 to January 1988, and probate files from 1829 forward. This is where you go for records from before the state began requiring death certificates.

Copy fees at the Archives Center are low. Non-certified birth and death records from 1867 to 1908 cost $2.00. Certified copies of those same records cost $5.00. Wills, estates, and marriage records cost $1.00 per page. The staff is limited, so call before you visit to make sure someone is available to help. These pre-1908 death records were kept in ledger format under the county probate system, as required by Ohio law at the time.

Under Ohio Revised Code 3705.23, registrars must provide copies of vital records on request. The Archives Center fills this role for the oldest Fayette County records.

Find Obituaries in Fayette County

The Fayette County Genealogical Society (P.O. Box 342, Washington Court House, OH 43160) offers online searchable indexes for birth, death, and marriage records. These indexes let you quickly check if a person is in the Fayette County records before you order a copy or visit in person. The society is volunteer-run but provides solid tools for researchers.

The Carnegie Public Library in Washington Court House has the Fayette County Archive 1867-1908 Death Index, a Birth Index covering 1909-1999, and St. Colman Church Death Records. Church death records are especially valuable for obituary research because they often include details about funeral services, surviving family members, and burial locations that official death certificates leave out. The library is free to visit and the staff can help you navigate their genealogy collection.

For statewide obituary searches, the Ohio Obituary Index at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library has over 3.7 million entries. The Ohio Death Record Index covers state death certificates from 1913 to 1970 and is free to search online. FamilySearch has digitized Ohio death certificates from 1908 to 1953 that you can view for free.

Fayette County Obituary Access Rules

Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705 governs all vital records in the state, including Fayette County death records. Section 3705.23 says that local registrars shall provide certified copies upon request. Section 3705.231 allows researchers to photograph or copy records during in-person visits, which is useful if you want to take pictures of old ledger entries at the Archives Center.

Death records less than 50 years old may have some access limits. Social Security numbers on death certificates are blacked out for the first five years after death unless you are immediate family. Birth records less than 125 years old are restricted. For obituary research, these rules mainly matter if you are looking for a very recent death. Older records are generally open to the public without restrictions.

Fayette County Records Center

The Fayette County Records and Archives Center website is shown below. You can learn about their holdings and contact information before visiting.

This office holds some of the oldest death records in Fayette County, going all the way back to 1867.

Nearby Counties

These counties surround Fayette County. Deaths near a county boundary may have been filed in a neighboring county.