Jackson County Birth Records Lookup
Jackson County birth records from December 1908 to now are at the health department on East Main Street. Certified copies cost just $7.00 each, one of the lowest fees in Ohio. The county seat is Jackson, where the health department and the probate court are both on Main Street. Older birth records from 1867 to 1908 are at the probate judge's office nearby. This page covers how to get Jackson County birth certificates, the fees, office hours, and free research tools for genealogy work.
Jackson County Birth Records at a Glance
Jackson County Health Department Records
The Jackson County Health Department holds birth and death records from December 1908 to now. The office is at 200 E. Main St., Jackson, OH 45640. Call (740) 286-5094 or fax (740) 286-8809. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Certified copies of birth and death certificates cost $7.00 each. That is well below the state average. Non-certified copies are only $0.50 each. Postage is not required but appreciated, especially for non-certified copy requests. The low fees make Jackson County one of the cheapest places in Ohio to get a birth certificate. Walk-in requests are the fastest option. Mail orders work too, though including a self-addressed stamped envelope will speed things up.
Like all Ohio health departments, the Jackson County office can issue a birth certificate for anyone born in Ohio after December 20, 1908. You don't have to be born in Jackson County to use this office.
Jackson County Birth Certificate Resources
The Jackson County local government page lists the health department, probate court, and other offices with their addresses, phone numbers, and fees.
This page shows the $7.00 certified copy fee and the $0.50 non-certified rate. It also has the probate court details for older records and the clerk of courts info for other county filings.
Jackson County Probate Court Birth Records
The Jackson County Probate Judge's Office is at 226 E. Main St., Jackson, OH 45640. Call (740) 286-1401 or fax (740) 286-4061. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Birth and death records from about 1867 through December 1908 are here, along with marriages, wills, and estate probate records.
Copies at the probate court cost $0.10 per page. Birth and death records take two pages each since they are written across two facing pages in the old ledger books. That comes to $0.20 per birth record. A self-addressed stamped envelope is appreciated but not required. These are among the lowest copy fees of any Ohio courthouse. Jackson County was created in 1816 from Athens, Gallia, Ross, and Scioto counties.
Birth Record Research in Jackson County
The FamilySearch wiki for Jackson County has free digitized birth records in the "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003" collection. The site also has an Ohio Births and Christenings Index from 1800 to 1962 through Ancestry. Stillbirth records from 1918 to 1953 are in the FamilySearch set. The Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953 for Jackson County.
For other Jackson County records, the Clerk of Courts is at 226 E. Main St., phone (740) 286-2006, for chancery and petition info. The Jackson County Recorder at the same address, phone (740) 286-1919, handles deeds, mortgages, maps, and early surveys. Land record copies cost one dollar per page.
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.23, a certified copy of a birth record has the same standing as the original in court. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24, the state sets minimum fees and requires a five-dollar surcharge per copy for the general fund. The $7.00 fee at the Jackson County Health Department is notably low compared to most other Ohio counties, which charge $20 or more.
Note: Hospital birth records are not certified copies and do not serve as legal identification.
Nearby Counties
Jackson County is in southeastern Ohio. These neighboring counties may help if your birth record search crosses county lines:
Cities in Jackson County
Jackson is the county seat and the largest community in Jackson County. No cities in the county meet the population threshold for a dedicated birth records page. Other communities include Wellston, Oak Hill, and Coalton. For birth records in all Jackson County communities, contact the health department or probate court on East Main Street in Jackson.