Canton Birth Records Database
Canton birth records are available from the Canton City Health Department on Market Avenue. The city runs its own vital statistics office separate from the Stark County Health Department, which covers the rest of the county. Both offices can issue Ohio birth certificates, and the county office even has online ordering. The Stark County Probate Court and District Library hold older records from the 1860s. Whether you need a legal copy for a passport or want to look into family history, Canton has multiple offices to help. This page explains each one.
Canton Birth Records at a Glance
Stark County Handles Canton Filings
Canton is the county seat of Stark County. Birth records in the county are split between a few health departments. The Canton City Health Department covers births within Canton city limits. The Stark County Health Department at 7235 Whipple Avenue NW in North Canton handles the rest of the county, except for Alliance and Massillon, which have their own offices.
The Stark County Health Department offers online ordering through starkohvitals.permitium.com. That is a nice option if you do not want to go in person. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Call (330) 493-9904 for questions. The county office participates in the statewide Ohio Vital Records System, so it can issue death certificates for deaths anywhere in Ohio.
Canton City Health Department Records
The Canton City Health Department at 420 Market Avenue North is the main place for birth records if the birth took place in Canton. The office issues certified birth certificates for anyone born in Ohio, plus death certificates for deaths in Canton from December 20, 1908 to now. Call (330) 489-3231. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Same-day service is available for walk-in customers with a valid ID.
The office takes cash, check, money order, and credit cards. They also help with birth record corrections and establishing paternity for single parents. For non-hospital births in Canton, this office creates the birth certificate. All births at Canton hospitals get registered through this office as well.
Note: For births outside Canton but still in Stark County, use the Stark County Health Department instead.
Canton Birth Certificate Resources
The Canton City Health Department website shows the vital records page with office location, phone number, and hours.
This page covers the services available at the Market Avenue office for birth certificate requests.
The Stark County Health Department website provides information about county-level vital records services and online ordering.
The county office has an online portal for ordering birth and death certificates from outside Canton city limits.
The Stark County District Library Genealogy Division at 715 Market Avenue North holds historical records on microfilm useful for Canton birth record research.
The library keeps Probate Court birth records from 1867 to 1908, death records, marriage records from 1809 to 1916, and will records on microfilm.
Pre-1908 Canton Birth Records
The Stark County Probate Court at 110 Central Plaza South originally held birth and death records from 1867 to 1908. Many of these have been transferred to the University of Akron Archival Services and the Stark County District Library for preservation. The original birth record volumes 1 through 8 covering 1867 to 1908 are now at the University of Akron, along with death record volumes and marriage records from 1809 to 1916 on microfilm. Call the court's Records Center at (330) 451-7753 for questions. The court still handles current probate matters, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses.
Canton Birth Certificate Fees
Fees depend on which office you use. The state office charges $21.50. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24, the base fee is twelve dollars with a five-dollar surcharge going to the state general fund. Local offices add their own charges above that floor. VitalChek online orders include additional processing and shipping fees. The Ohio Department of Health online portal processes orders in about 5 business days; mail orders from the state take 4 to 6 weeks.
Birth Record Research in Canton
The Stark County District Library Genealogy Division at 715 Market Avenue North is the best place for genealogy research in Canton. They hold Probate Court records on microfilm including birth records from 1867 to 1908, death records from the same period, marriage records from 1809 to 1916, and will records from 1811 to the 1980s. The library has the Canton Repository newspaper on microfilm from 1809, census records for Ohio, and city directories for Canton and Massillon. Free access to Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest is available.
The University of Akron Archival Services at (330) 972-7670 holds the original Stark County birth and death record volumes. They are part of the Ohio Network of American History Research Centers and have records for multiple counties. Some digital collections are online.
Nearby Cities
These qualifying cities near Canton have their own birth record pages: