Summit County Obituary Records

Summit County obituary and death records are held by the county health district, the probate court, and state offices in Columbus. Akron is the county seat, and the health district has two offices that handle death certificates for different parts of the county. The main office in Akron covers most of Summit County, while a separate Barberton office handles deaths in that city. With a population over 540,000, Summit County is one of Ohio's most populated counties, and its death records are well maintained. Online tools from the Ohio History Connection and FamilySearch let you look up records from home, and the Akron-Summit County Public Library has strong genealogy collections for local obituary research.

Summit County Health District Death Records

The Summit County Health District has two offices that issue death certificates. The main Vital Records Office is at 368 South Main Street in Akron. Call 330-375-2976 for info. They are open Monday and Thursday from 8:00 AM to 5:45 PM, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. This office handles death certificates for deaths anywhere in Summit County except Barberton.

The Barberton office is at 571 West Tuscarawas Avenue. Call 330-861-7157. Their hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Both offices have death records from December 20, 1908 to the present. Certified copies cost $22.00 each. Bring a photo ID when you visit. Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705, the county health district acts as the local registrar for vital events, making these offices the official source for Summit County death records.

Note: Deaths in Barberton require you to go to the Barberton office, not the main Akron location.

Summit County Probate Court Obituary Files

The Summit County Probate Court holds birth and death records from 1867 to 1908. These are the oldest official death records in the county. They are handwritten registers that include names, dates, and basic facts about each death. The court also keeps marriage records, wills, estates, and guardianship files.

Estate papers from the probate court can help with obituary research in Summit County. They often list surviving family, property, and the date of death. If you are doing genealogy work, the probate court gives you access to records that stretch back to when the county was formed in 1840. For deaths before 1867, church records, family bibles, and cemetery markers are your best options since Ohio had no official registration system before that date.

Ohio Obituary Search Resources

The Ohio Department of Health in Columbus keeps death records from 1971 to now. The fee is $21.50 per record as set by Section 3705.24 of the Ohio Revised Code. The Ohio Death Record Index covers 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970 and is free to search online.

The Ohio History Connection holds the original death certificates from 1908 through 1970 in their Columbus archives. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library runs the Ohio Obituary Index with over 3.7 million entries. If a Summit County newspaper published an obituary, the index likely has it. You can search it for free from home.

Summit County Library Obituary Collections

The Akron-Summit County Public Library has a strong special collections department with genealogy, local history, and newspaper archives. The Akron Beacon Journal and other local papers are available on microfilm or in digital form, and these are some of the best sources for Summit County obituaries going back many decades. The library staff can help you navigate their collections if you are not sure where to start.

FamilySearch has Summit County death records available for free online viewing. Digital images of death certificates from 1908 to 1953 can be viewed with a free account. Cemetery records from across Summit County are also available through FindAGrave and other databases, which can confirm death dates and family ties that official records or obituaries might miss.

Summit County Obituary Record Sources

The Summit County Public Health website provides details on ordering death certificates and accessing vital records in Summit County.

Use this site to check current fees, office hours, and locations for the Akron and Barberton vital records offices.

How to Get Summit County Death Records

Where you look for a Summit County death record depends on when the person died. Recent deaths are at the health district. Mid-century records sit at the Ohio History Connection. Anything before 1908 is at the probate court.

• Deaths 1971 to present: Summit County Health District or Ohio Department of Health ($21.50 to $22.00)
• Deaths 1908 to 1970: Ohio History Connection archives
• Deaths 1867 to 1908: Summit County Probate Court
• Newspaper obituaries: Ohio Obituary Index or Akron-Summit County Public Library

Social Security numbers are blacked out on death certificates for five years after death unless you prove a close family tie. Section 3705.29 of the Ohio Revised Code covers penalties for false statements on vital record forms. Death records over 50 years old may be sent to the Ohio History Connection for archival storage under Ohio law.

Cities in Summit County

Summit County includes Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and Strongsville. The county-level offices listed above handle death records for all cities within Summit County. Check each city page for more location-specific obituary details.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Summit County. If the person you are searching for lived near a county line, check the neighboring county records.