Lancaster Birth Records
Birth records for Lancaster are handled by the Fairfield County Health Department. The office issues certified birth certificates for anyone born in any Ohio county, not just Fairfield County. Lancaster is the county seat, and the health department is the main source for vital records in the area. Records go back to December 1908. For older records, the Fairfield County Probate Court has files dating to 1867. This page covers fees, hours, and all the ways to get a Lancaster birth certificate.
Lancaster Birth Records at a Glance
Fairfield County Files Lancaster Births
Lancaster is in Fairfield County. The Fairfield County Health Department Vital Statistics division is at 1550 Sheridan Drive, Suite 100, Lancaster, OH 43130. Call 740-652-2800 and press option 2 for vital statistics. You can also email vitalstats@fairfieldcountyohio.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Certified copies cost $32.00 per vital record. That is the fee for birth certificates, death certificates, and fetal death certificates. The office can issue birth certificates for births in any Ohio county, not just Fairfield County. Death and fetal death certificates are limited to events that happened in Fairfield County. Walk-in orders are printed while you wait. For mail orders, send a completed application, your fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the office. They do not accept personal checks for mail orders.
Newborn birth certificates take about 2 to 3 weeks to become available after the birth. Certified birth certificates cannot be emailed to you. You must pick them up in person or have them mailed.
Note: The $32.00 fee is higher than many other Ohio counties, which typically charge between $23.00 and $27.00.
Lancaster Birth Certificate Resources
The Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.23 page shows the statute governing certified copies of vital records in Ohio, which applies to all Lancaster birth certificate requests.
Under this statute, certified copies carry the same legal weight as the original record in all Ohio courts. A valid certified copy must include the date of issue, the issuing officer's name and signature, and the seal of the office.
Fairfield County Probate Court Records
The Fairfield County Probate Court keeps birth and death records from before December 1908. The court also holds marriage records from 1803 to the present. The court is at 224 E. Main Street, 3rd Floor, Lancaster, OH 43130. Call 740-652-7485. If you need a Lancaster birth record from the 1800s, the probate court is your only option. Records from that early period were not always complete since Ohio did not mandate statewide registration until 1908.
The probate court staff can help with searches if you give them the approximate year of birth and the name you are looking for. They also handle birth record corrections and name changes for records issued in Fairfield County. Cross-reference probate court records with census data and church records for the best chance of finding older Lancaster births.
Order Lancaster Birth Records Online
Online ordering for Fairfield County birth certificates is available through VitalChek. The base fee is $32.00 plus a VitalChek processing charge. You can choose from standard mail, priority shipping, or overnight. VitalChek takes all major credit cards and verifies your identity before sending the certified copy.
The Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics is at 4200 Surface Road, Columbus, OH 43228. Phone 614-466-2531. State copies cost $21.50 each. That is $10.50 less than the Fairfield County fee. You can order online or by mail from the state. Mail orders go to PO Box 15098, Columbus, Ohio 43215-0098. State online orders take about three weeks. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24, the state requires a minimum fee of twelve dollars per copy, with a five-dollar surcharge for the general fund.
Birth Record Research in Lancaster
The Fairfield County District Library offers genealogy resources and local history collections. They provide access to online databases that can help with family research in the Lancaster area. The Ohio Genealogical Society, based in Bellville, serves all of Ohio with resources for family history research. Their collections and member databases can help trace Lancaster families across generations.
FamilySearch provides free access to digitized Ohio vital records online. You can search for Fairfield County birth registers, census records, and military records. The Ohio History Connection in Columbus holds death certificates from 1908 to 1963. Death records list a person's birth date and birthplace, making them a useful tool when the actual birth record is missing.
Note: Hospital-issued birth certificates are not certified copies and cannot be used as legal identification documents.
Nearby Cities
Other cities near Lancaster with birth record pages: