Learn Where to Find an Ohio Marriage Certificate and How It Is Filed

There could be any number of reasons why someone checks out Ohio marriage records. Are you a professional genealogist trying to trace a long-lost relative or ancestor on behalf of someone else? Perhaps you are mapping the family tree of your dynasty and need to know more about a long-lost great-grandfather, uncle or aunt.

Are you an academic making genealogical inquiries for genetic, sociological or demographic research? Are your interests entirely more personal, such as making sure of a prospective spouse, whether for yourself or a loved one?

Whatever your reason, there is no law against doing it. You can indeed try to locate a marriage in Ohio and the authorities are also willing to help you. This is a point that needs to be made because a lot of people do not know their own rights.
 
The fact is, marriage certificates, including those of Ohio, are matters of public domain. Under the laws of the US, if you are a US citizen, you have the right to demand, possess a copy of and search for marriage certificates.

Exceptions may apply in specific circumstances and locations. You may have to prove your identity and credentials to receive a marriage or other vital record. This is usually to prevent abuse of the right such as by impersonation, fraud, or illegal immigration. In many cases you might also have to justify why you should be receiving that copy of Ohio marriages. In principle, all citizens of the country can access them. You will just need to know where to apply and how to send your request.

Where to Place Your Request to Receive Your Copy of a Marriage Certificate in Ohio

For marriages before September 7th, 1949, you will need to ask the relevant Ohio county probate court if the Ohio Historical Society does not keep that county’s marriage records. To inquire about marriages after that date, the Ohio Historical Society maintains and will give you the records for counties Delaware, Franklin, Marion and Tuscawara. For other counties, you still have to contact the relevant county probate court.

To statewide index of marriage records for all of Ohio’s counties and their individual request procedures can be accessed by visiting or writing to the Ohio Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, PO Box 15098, Columbus, OH 43215-0098. You may also call (614) 466-2531.

Get the Best Value from Your Application

Make your request letter short and to the point. Do not confuse the recipient with avoidable details about the family’s connections. Also, do not make more than two requests in that letter.

Leave nothing to chance by completing the following steps:

•    Provide all the particulars you know about the marriage. In case one of the marriage partners is known by one or more names, you will need to give them all, including any nicknames. The same goes for alternate spellings.
•    If you do not know the exact date of the marriage, please provide an approximate time span that you want searched. Keep the span as tight as you can – the more lengthy the search, the more the fees for the service.
•    Type or print all names and addresses to prevent misreading.
•    Enclose a stamped and self-addressed envelope. It is something you cannot afford to overlook!

Make no advance payment unless you know what precisely the charges will be. You may then send a signed, blank check; print "Not to exceed $__.00" (the maximum likely amount) in red ink under the check’s "$__" line.

You would be better off writing two letters instead of one. The first letter should include your needs, all relevant information, and your query about the cost to you. The second letter should carry your payment in the form of a check.

Thereafter, you have to be patient and courteous. You are dealing with short-staffed government offices that are in most cases overloaded with requests just like yours, and they are doing a service that is incidentally not their main work. So show some consideration and be nice and patient to them, and they will repay you with all the help you need.

Basic Details You Must Remember to Include:

•    Your date of request
•    Husband’s full name (the last name in caps for double surety) and wife’s full maiden name (last name in caps)
•    The marriage date
•    Place of marriage (city or town, county, state)
•    Relationship to you
•    Purpose of the request
•    Your name, signature & address
•    Your driver's license number & state may be required in some counties

Request Your Ohio Marriage Certificate on the Internet

Did you know that you can now also request your marriage record over the Internet? Yes, there is now a second option and thus you need not send a letter of request. This naturally saves you a lot of time because you can send the request instantly and get it processed quickly. You can also receive the reply fast. It is highly convenient too, because you can apply with just a few clicks.