Search Brown County Death Records
Brown County death records are managed by the Brown County Health Department in Georgetown. The office has records from 1909 to the present for deaths that occurred in the county. You can request a certified death certificate in person, by mail, or online through VitalChek. The fee is $25.00 per certified copy. Ohio is an open records state, so anyone with basic facts about the person who died can get a copy. Brown County also has historical death records at the Probate Court for deaths between 1867 and 1908.
Brown County Death Records Overview
Brown County Health Department Death Records
The Brown County Health Department issues death certificates at its office located at 9116 Hamer Road, Suite 101, Georgetown, OH 45121. The office can issue birth certificates for anyone born in Ohio, but death certificates are only for deaths that took place in Brown County. If the person died in a different county, you need to go to that county's health department or use the state system.
Call the office at 937-378-6892. The toll-free number is 866-867-6892. Fax requests to 937-378-4301. Email the health department at health@browncountyhealth.org. Records are available from 1909 to the present. The office keeps certified copies and can print one during a walk-in visit. Staff are available during regular business hours Monday through Friday.
The screenshot below shows the Brown County Health Department vital statistics page.
This page gives details on how to request birth and death certificates from the Brown County Health Department.
How to Get Brown County Death Certificates
Three ways to request. In person is the fastest. Go to 9116 Hamer Road, Suite 101 in Georgetown. Provide the full name and date of death. Pay $25.00. Staff will print the certificate.
Mail requests go to the Brown County Health Department at the same address. Include $25.00 by money order only. No personal checks are accepted for mail orders. Include your return address. Mail orders take one to two weeks to arrive. Online orders go through VitalChek, which adds a processing fee to the base $25.00. Pay by credit or debit card and have the certificate shipped to you.
You can also order through the Ohio Department of Health at $21.50 plus a $5.00 surcharge. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43, death records are public. You do not need to be a family member. You do not need to explain why you want the record. Just provide the basic facts about the deceased.
Note: Brown County burial permits increased to $10.00 as of September 30, 2025, matching the standard rate set by Ohio law.
Brown County Death Record Fees
Certified copies cost $25.00 each. Mail orders must include a money order. No personal checks by mail. In-person payment can be by cash, money order, or other accepted methods. Call ahead to confirm credit card acceptance at the counter. VitalChek adds its own processing fee, so online orders run higher than $25.00.
At the state level, the fee is $21.50 plus $5.00 under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24. A portion of every fee collected goes to the state office of vital statistics each quarter, and another part goes toward local health department subsidies. The $10.00 burial permit fee is separate from the death certificate cost.
Brown County Historical Death Records
The Brown County Probate Court has death records from 1867 to 1908. The court is at P.O. Box 379, 510 E. State St, Georgetown, OH 45121. Call 937-378-6549. Marriage records from 1818 to the present are also at the Probate Court. These historical records predate the statewide registration system that Ohio started in December 1908.
For state-level archives, the Ohio History Connection holds death records from 1908 through 1970. They have a free online death record index. The Ohio Department of Health has records from 1954 forward. Under Section 3705.07, local registrars send the original certificates to the state. Genealogy researchers can access these records since Ohio death certificates are public under Section 149.43.
The image below shows historical records listings for Brown County.
This resource lists the Probate Court contact details and the types of historical vital records available in Brown County.
What Brown County Death Certificates Contain
A certified death certificate from Brown County includes the deceased person's full name, date and place of death, cause and manner of death, and the physician or coroner who certified it. It lists date of birth, parents' names, marital status, residence, and social security number. The SSN is hidden for five years after death per Section 3705.23 unless requested by an authorized person.
Every death in Ohio must be registered under Section 3705.16. The funeral director files the certificate and a physician completes the medical section within 48 hours. A burial permit costs $10.00 and requires a filed death certificate per Section 3705.17. Falsifying a death certificate is criminal under Section 3705.29.
Note: Courts accept Ohio death certificates as prima facie evidence, meaning the facts listed are taken at face value unless challenged with other evidence.
Nearby Counties
Brown County is in southwestern Ohio near the Ohio River. These neighboring counties handle their own death records.
Cities in Brown County
Georgetown is the county seat. Brown County has no cities large enough for dedicated pages on this site. All residents get death certificates from the Brown County Health Department at 9116 Hamer Road in Georgetown.