Ashtabula County Birth Records Search
Birth records for Ashtabula County come from two main health departments, depending on where in the county the birth took place. The Ashtabula County Health Department in Jefferson covers most of the county, while the Ashtabula City Health Department handles births in the city of Ashtabula. Both offices can issue certified copies for Ohio births from 1909 to now. Older records from 1867 to 1908 are at the probate court. This page walks through all the ways to search for and get Ashtabula County birth certificates.
Ashtabula County Birth Records at a Glance
Ashtabula County Health Department Records
The Ashtabula County Health Department is at 12 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047. Call (440) 576-6010 and pick option 3 for vital statistics. You can also email amaraffi@ashtabulacountyhealth.com. Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, closed on federal holidays. The department got statewide birth issuance rights from the Ohio Department of Health in December 2010, so it can issue birth abstracts for anyone born in Ohio from 1909 to now.
Certified copies cost $25.00 each. That rate took effect on February 1, 2016. The office takes credit card payments. For mail requests, send a written letter with the full name at birth, date of birth, place of birth, both parents' names and birth states, your name, address, phone, and signature. Include a check or money order and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The county health department covers all of Ashtabula County except the cities of Ashtabula and Conneaut, which run their own health departments.
Death records for deaths in the general health district from 1909 to now are also on file here. Burial permits cost $10.00.
Ashtabula City Health Department
The Ashtabula City Health Department is at 4239 Lake Ave, Ashtabula, OH 44004. Call (440) 992-7123 or email vitalstatistics@cityofashtabula.com. Hours are 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM, closed on federal holidays. This office handles certified copies for births in Ohio from 1909 to now and death certificates for Ohio deaths from the same period.
Copies cost $25.00 each. Debit and credit card payments get a minimum $3.00 convenience fee plus postage costs. Phone, email, and mailed requests may take 24 to 48 hours to process before they ship out. For mail orders, send a completed application, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order to the Lake Avenue address.
Ashtabula County Birth Certificate Resources
The Ashtabula County Health Department vital statistics page has forms, fees, and details on how to request birth certificates by mail or in person.
This page lists the $25.00 fee and explains how mail requests should be formatted, including what info you need to provide about the person on the record.
The Ashtabula County Genealogical Society keeps genealogical resources at 4335 Park Ave, Ashtabula, Ohio 44004, and at the Geneva Public Library at 860 Sherman St, Geneva, OH 44041.
The society maintains cemetery records, obituary indexes, and family history files. They also have gravestones photos and cemetery location databases on their website. Contact them at 440-990-2340 or acgs@ashtabulagen.org.
Ashtabula County Probate Court Birth Records
The Ashtabula County Probate Court is at 25 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047. Phone is (440) 576-3451, fax is (440) 576-3633, email is probate@ashtabulacounty.us. The court holds birth and death records from 1867 to 1908, marriage records from 1811, and probate records from the 1880s. Ashtabula County was formed from Geauga and Trumbull counties in 1807, making it the first county in the Western Reserve. There is no known courthouse disaster here, so records are intact.
The Ohio History Connection holds Ashtabula County marriage records on microfilm from 1811 to 1901, but birth records from 1867 to 1908 are not at the state archives. You must contact the probate court for those. The court also handles delayed birth registrations and corrections to existing birth certificates.
Ashtabula County Birth Certificate Fees
Both the county and city health departments charge $25.00 per certified copy. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24, the state requires a minimum twelve-dollar fee for certified copies, with a five-dollar surcharge going to the state general fund. Online orders through VitalChek add a processing fee of $7.00 to $12.00 on top of the base cost.
The Ohio Department of Health in Columbus charges $21.50 per copy. You can order from the ODH website or by mail. State orders take about three weeks.
Birth Record Research in Ashtabula County
FamilySearch has an Ashtabula County genealogy page with free digitized records. Collections include Ohio County Births from 1841 to 2003 and the Ohio Birth Index from 1908 to 1998 through Ancestry. The county name comes from a Native American word meaning "river of many fish."
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.23, certified copies of vital records are treated the same as originals in every Ohio court. Anyone can request a birth record by filling out an application and paying the fee. Vital records in Ohio are public records.
Nearby Counties
Ashtabula County is in the far northeast corner of Ohio. These neighboring counties may help with your birth record search:
Cities in Ashtabula County
Ashtabula County does not have any cities over the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. The largest communities include Ashtabula, Conneaut, Geneva, and Jefferson. For birth records, the county health department in Jefferson or the Ashtabula City Health Department handles most requests depending on where the birth took place.