Belmont County Death Records
Death records in Belmont County are held by the Belmont County Health Department in St. Clairsville. The office keeps county death records from 1916 to the present, along with records from the cities of Bellaire and Martins Ferry going back to 1908. You can request a certified death certificate in person or online. Belmont County requires you to fill out a form on a tablet or phone first, even for walk-in requests. The fee is $25.00 per certified copy, and the records are open to anyone under Ohio's public records law.
Belmont County Death Records Overview
Belmont County Health Department Death Records
The Belmont County Health Department is at 68501 Bannock Road, St. Clairsville, Ohio 43950. This is the primary office for all death certificate requests in the county. The vital statistics department stops printing certificates at 4:00 PM each day, so plan your visit accordingly.
Belmont County has a unique process. Even if you walk in, you must complete the request form online first. Use a tablet or your cell phone at the office to fill out the digital form. Once submitted, staff will process your order. Online orders placed outside business hours are processed within two business days. Contact the registrar at 740-695-1202 or email bchd@belmontcountyhealth.com with questions.
The office holds three sets of death records. County death records run from 1916 to the present, though records from 1908 to 1920 are very few. Bellaire city birth and death records cover 1908 to 2000. Martins Ferry city death records span from 1908 to the present. This means some Belmont County deaths from before 1916 may only exist in the city records for Bellaire or Martins Ferry.
The screenshot below shows the Belmont County Health Department vital statistics page.
This page explains the digital form requirement and provides contact information for the vital statistics department.
How to Request Belmont County Death Certificates
Walk-in requests start with the online form. Go to the office at 68501 Bannock Road in St. Clairsville. Use a tablet or your phone to fill out the request. Pay at the counter with cash or credit/debit card. Staff will print the certificate. The department stops printing at 4:00 PM, so arrive before then.
Online ordering is available through the health department. Fill out the digital form on their website and pay by credit or debit card. Orders are processed through Permitium and include service fees on top of the $25.00 base cost. Online orders placed during business hours are usually processed the same day. Orders placed outside hours take up to two business days.
Payment methods include cash and credit or debit cards at the counter. Online payments go through Permitium with additional processing fees. Business checks may be accepted at the discretion of the office. Money orders and cashier's checks also work. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43, death certificates are public records. Anyone can request a copy with basic information about the deceased.
Note: If the cause of death is listed as pending on a certificate, the Belmont County Health Department will exchange one certified copy for the final version at no extra charge.
Belmont County Death Record Fees
Each certified copy costs $25.00. Online orders through Permitium have additional service fees. Credit and debit card payments also carry processing charges. The state fee through the Ohio Department of Health is $21.50 plus $5.00 per Section 3705.24.
No refunds are given after a certificate is issued. The only exception is if the office cannot locate the record you requested. Genealogy requests may take up to 10 business days to process because staff handle them as time allows.
Belmont County Death Certificate Privacy Rules
The social security number on a death certificate is redacted for the first five years after the date of death. This applies to all Belmont County death records. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.23, only authorized persons can get an unredacted copy during that period. Authorized persons include the spouse, a direct descendant, the executor of the estate, a funeral director, law enforcement, an attorney, or a licensed private investigator.
After five years, the full certificate including the social security number is available to anyone. The rest of the information on the death certificate is always public. Every death must be registered under Section 3705.16. The funeral director files the certificate and the physician or coroner completes the medical section. Altering or forging a death certificate is a crime under Section 3705.29.
Historical Death Records in Belmont County
Belmont County's older death records require some digging. The health department has very few county records between 1908 and 1920. Bellaire city records cover 1908 to 2000 and Martins Ferry records go from 1908 to present. For deaths before 1908, check with the Belmont County Probate Court, which holds records from 1867 to 1908.
The Ohio History Connection has state-level death records from 1908 through 1970 with an online index. The Ohio Department of Health keeps records from 1954 to present. Under Section 3705.07, local registrars send the original certificate to the state after filing it. The state maintains a permanent index of all Ohio deaths.
Note: Genealogy requests at the Belmont County Health Department may take up to 10 business days to process since staff handle them between regular duties.
Nearby Counties
Belmont County is in eastern Ohio along the West Virginia border. These neighboring counties manage their own death records through their health departments.
Cities in Belmont County
Belmont County includes St. Clairsville, Bellaire, and Martins Ferry, but none meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page. All residents get death records from the Belmont County Health Department at 68501 Bannock Road in St. Clairsville.