Perry County Death Records
Perry County death records are held at the health department in New Lexington. You can search for and request death certificates for anyone who died in Perry County from 1908 to the present. The office recently moved to a new location on State Route 13, so make sure you have the right address before visiting. Perry County death certificates cost $25.00 per certified copy. Ohio is an open records state, and anyone can request a copy with basic facts about the deceased. You can order in person, by mail, by phone, or by email.
Perry County Death Records Overview
Perry County Health Department Death Records
The Perry County Health Department issues death certificates for deaths that took place in Perry County. The office moved to a new location at 2235 State Route 13, New Lexington, OH 43764. This is where the Administration, Emergency Preparedness, Nursing, and Vital Statistics divisions now sit. The Health Education and Environmental Health offices remain at 409 Lincoln Park Drive.
Call (740) 342-5179 to reach the vital statistics office. You can also email them at vitalstatistics@perrycountyohio.gov. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. That early start time is helpful if you want to get in before a typical workday. A certified copy of a Perry County death certificate costs $25.00.
Below is the Perry County Health Department website where you can find details on their vital records services.
The site has contact information, fees, and steps for requesting a death certificate in Perry County.
Note: The Perry County Health Department recently moved its vital statistics office to 2235 State Route 13 in New Lexington, so verify the address before visiting in person.
How to Get Perry County Death Certificates
There are four ways to request a death certificate from Perry County.
Walk-in requests are the fastest option. Visit the health department at 2235 State Route 13 in New Lexington during business hours. Staff will look up the record and print it. Pay $25.00 per copy. You can also call (740) 342-5179 and order by phone with a credit card. Phone orders have a 3% processing fee on top of the base cost. Email requests go to vitalstatistics@perrycountyohio.gov. Include the name of the deceased and the date of death.
For mail requests, send a completed application with a check payable to Perry County Health Department. Mail it to 2235 State Route 13, New Lexington, OH 43764. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. The Ohio Department of Health also issues copies for $21.50. Death certificates are public records under Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43. No reason is needed for the request.
The VitalChek portal for Perry County is shown in the image below.
VitalChek is a third-party option that lets you order Perry County death certificates online with a credit card.
Perry County Death Record Fees
Each certified copy from the Perry County Health Department is $25.00. Phone orders have a 3% credit card processing fee. The state charges $21.50 per copy through the Ohio Department of Health, as outlined in Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24. The search fee applies whether or not a record is found.
Payment at the county office is by check for mail orders. In-person visits may accept cash and other methods. VitalChek adds its own fee on top of the base cost. That extra charge pays for their processing and credit card handling. If cost is the main concern, ordering in person at the health department is the cheapest route.
Historical Death Records in Perry County
Death records from before 1908 in Perry County are not at the health department. For older records, contact the Ohio History Connection at 800 East 17th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211. Their phone is 1-800-686-6124. They hold the state's archival death certificates from December 1908 through 1970 and have a free online index covering 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970.
For records from 1867 to 1908, check with the Perry County Probate Court. Those records were kept locally before the state system started. The detail and completeness of pre-1908 records can vary. FamilySearch has free digitized Ohio death records from 1908 to 1953 that are useful for genealogy work. Records from 1971 to the present are at the Ohio Department of Health.
What Perry County Death Certificates Show
A Perry County death certificate contains the full name of the deceased, date and place of death, cause and manner of death, parents' names, date of birth, and marital status. The attending physician or coroner signs the medical section. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.16, every death in Ohio must be registered with the local registrar. The funeral director files the personal details portion.
The social security number appears on the certificate but is redacted for the first five years after death under Section 3705.23. Only authorized requestors can get an unredacted copy during that time. Burial or cremation information is also on the record. A burial permit cannot be issued until the death certificate is filed per Section 3705.17.
Note: Falsifying a death certificate is a crime in Ohio under Section 3705.29, and only a coroner can certify a violent or suspicious death.
Nearby Counties
Perry County is in southeast-central Ohio. These neighboring counties each have a health department that issues death certificates.
Cities in Perry County
Perry County has no cities large enough for a dedicated page on this site. New Lexington is the county seat and the largest town. All Perry County residents get death certificates through the Perry County Health Department in New Lexington.