Montgomery County Death Records
Montgomery County death records are managed by Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County at the Reibold Building in downtown Dayton. If you need a death certificate for someone who died in Montgomery County, this is where you start. The office has death records from 1909 to the present. Older records going back to 1867 are at the probate court and the city of Dayton. Montgomery County is one of the most populous counties in Ohio, and its vital statistics office handles a high volume of requests each year. The process is public and open to anyone.
Montgomery County Death Records Overview
Montgomery County Death Certificate Office
Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County runs the vital statistics office for Montgomery County. The office is at the Reibold Building, 117 S. Main Street, Dayton, OH 45422. Call 937-496-3117 for the vital statistics line directly, or 937-225-4418 for the main number. Walk-in service is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Same-day service is available for in-person requests.
Death records here cover 1909 to the present. The office issues certificates for deaths that took place in Montgomery County only. Records are tied to the place of death, not where the person lived. If someone died outside the county, contact that county's health department or the Ohio Department of Health. The state office holds records from 1954 to the present for all Ohio counties.
One thing to know: the city of Oakwood, which sits within Montgomery County, has its own vital statistics office at 30 Park Avenue. Call 937-298-0402 for Oakwood records. Birth certificates from Oakwood are not issued by the county office. Death certificates for deaths that occurred in Oakwood may also be at the Oakwood office.
How to Get Montgomery County Death Certificates
You can request a Montgomery County death certificate in person, by mail, or online. In-person visits to the Reibold Building are the fastest. Bring a valid ID and the basic facts about the deceased. Same-day pickup is available. The office takes cash, checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards.
By mail, send a written request with your payment and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County, 117 S. Main Street, Dayton, OH 45422. Include the name of the deceased, the date of death, and the amount due. Mail orders can take one to two weeks depending on postal times. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43, death certificates are public records. Anyone can ask for a copy.
Online, you can order through VitalChek. They charge an extra processing fee. The state also takes orders through the Ohio Department of Health online portal.
The image below shows the VitalChek page for Montgomery County vital records, where you can order death certificates online.
VitalChek accepts credit cards and offers expedited shipping for Montgomery County death certificate orders.
Note: Social security numbers are hidden on death certificates for the first five years after death unless you qualify as an authorized requestor under Ohio law.
Montgomery County Death Record Fees
A certified copy of a death certificate from Montgomery County typically costs $21.50 to $25.00. Contact the office at 937-496-3117 for the current fee. The state charges $21.50 if you order through the Ohio Department of Health, plus a $5.00 modernization surcharge per Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24. That section sets the minimum search fee at $12.00.
If you use VitalChek, expect an extra processing fee of $10 to $15. Credit card convenience fees may apply at the county office too. For mail orders, checks or money orders are the simplest payment method.
Historical Death Records in Montgomery County
Montgomery County has an unusually deep archive of death records. The Montgomery County Probate Court at 451 W. Third Street, Dayton, OH 45402 holds birth and death records from 1867 to 1908. Call 937-225-4640 for the probate court. The City of Dayton also kept its own set of birth and death records from 1867 to 1908, separate from the county files.
The Montgomery County Records Center and Archives is on the 6th floor of the Reibold Building at 117 South Main Street, Dayton, OH 45422. Call 937-225-6366. They hold probate court births and deaths from 1867 to 1908, City of Dayton births and deaths from 1867 to 1908, marriage records from 1803 to 1959, divorce records from 1876 to 1949, and wills and estates from 1803 to 1983. This is a strong resource for anyone doing genealogy work in Montgomery County.
The Ohio History Connection in Columbus keeps archival copies of death records from 1908 through 1970 and has a free online death record index.
Montgomery County Death Records for Kettering
Kettering spans both Montgomery County and Greene County. Most of Kettering falls in Montgomery County, but some parts are in Greene County. If the death happened in the Greene County section of Kettering, you need to contact the Greene County Combined Health District at 360 Wilson Drive, Xenia, OH 45385 or call 937-374-5639. Their certified death certificates cost $24.00 per copy. For deaths in the Montgomery County part of Kettering, use the Dayton office.
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.16, every death must be filed with the local registrar where the death occurred. The registrar numbers each certificate, signs it, and sends the original to the state per Section 3705.07. Falsifying any vital record is a crime under Section 3705.29.
Nearby Counties
Montgomery County is in southwestern Ohio. These neighboring counties maintain their own death records through their health departments.
Cities in Montgomery County
Montgomery County includes several cities with dedicated pages for death record information. Dayton is the county seat and largest city. Kettering and Huber Heights also have their own pages.