Search Union County Obituary Records

Union County obituary and death records are kept by the county health department, the probate court, and state offices in Columbus. Marysville is the county seat and the main place to go for vital records. Union County sits northwest of Columbus and has been one of Ohio's faster growing counties in recent years. The probate court holds death registers going back to 1867, and FamilySearch has a large collection of Union County death records available for free online. The Ohio Death Record Index and the Ohio Obituary Index are also good starting points if you want to search from home for death certificates and newspaper obituaries.

Union County Health Department Death Records

The Union County Health Department handles death certificates for deaths that took place in the county from December 1908 to the present. Certified copies cost about $25.00 each. You can get them in person during regular business hours with a valid photo ID.

Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705, local health departments serve as registrars for vital events. The Union County Health Department is the official source for recent death records in the county. If you cannot visit in person, you may be able to order through VitalChek online. For deaths before 1908, you need to go to the probate court. The health department staff can point you in the right direction if they do not have the record you need.

Union County Probate Court Obituary Files

The Union County Probate Court holds birth and death records from 1867 to 1908. These are the oldest official death records in the county. The handwritten registers include names, dates, and basic facts about each death recorded before the state system started in December 1908.

The probate court also keeps marriage records, wills, estate files, and guardianship records. Estate papers can be a good source for obituary-type details in Union County since they sometimes list surviving family, property, and the date of death. FamilySearch has a large collection of Union County death records from 1867 to 1908, plus death records from 1871 to 1942 and a birth and death record index from 1867 to 1907. You can view many of these digital images for free with a registered FamilySearch account, which saves you a trip to Marysville.

Ohio Obituary Search Tools

The Ohio Department of Health keeps death records from 1971 to the present. The state fee is $21.50. The Ohio History Connection has original death certificates from 1908 through 1970 in their Columbus archives.

The Ohio Death Record Index covers 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970. You can search it for free online. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library has the Ohio Obituary Index with over 3.7 million newspaper obituary entries. If a Union County newspaper ran an obituary, the index likely has it. Genealogy Trails History Group also has Union County death records available online for free.

Union County Genealogy Obituary Sources

FamilySearch stands out as one of the best free resources for Union County obituary and death research. They have multiple collections covering the county, including death records from 1867 to 1908, death records from 1871 to 1942, and a birth and death record index spanning 1867 to 1907. They also have Union County minister's licenses from 1820 to 1941, which can help trace families through church records.

The Ohio Genealogical Web Alliance has Union County vital records online as well. Local cemetery records can confirm death dates and show family connections that you might not find in official records or newspaper obituaries. The Union County library system has local history and genealogy collections with newspapers on microfilm that often contain detailed death notices from past decades.

Union County Obituary Record Sources

The Union County government website provides links to county offices and services that handle vital records and obituary-related requests.

From here you can find the health department, probate court, and other Union County offices involved in death record access.

Getting Union County Death Records

Where you search for a Union County death record depends on when the person died. Recent records are at the health department. Mid-century files sit at the Ohio History Connection. Anything before 1908 is at the probate court or on FamilySearch.

• Deaths 1971 to present: Union County Health Department or Ohio Department of Health ($21.50 to $25.00)
• Deaths 1908 to 1970: Ohio History Connection archives
• Deaths 1867 to 1908: Union County Probate Court or FamilySearch (free)
• Newspaper obituaries: Ohio Obituary Index at the Hayes Presidential Library
• Online free search: Ohio Death Record Index (1913-1944, 1954-1970)

Section 3705.29 of the Ohio Revised Code covers penalties for false statements on vital record requests. Social Security numbers are blacked out on death certificates for five years after death. Death records over 50 years old may be transferred to the Ohio History Connection under Ohio law.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Union County. Check neighboring county records if the person lived near a county line.