Walk-In Service is available Monday through Friday, between 8:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. You may also request certificates by phone or mail. See below for details.
Lake County General Health District provides:
- Birth Certificates for everyone born in the State of Ohio
- Death Certificates only for those deaths that occurred within Lake County
Costs:
- Birth Certificates: $21.50 per copy
- Death Certificates: $21.50 per copy
- Burial Permits: $3.00
Types of payment: cash, check (Ohio only), credit card. Payments made with a credit card are charged a convenience fee ($1.50 <$50.00, $3.00 >$50.00 and $3.00 for each additional $100.00).
Birth Records
How to Obtain a Birth Certificate from Lake County Vital Statistics:
- In person (Same-Day Service): Stop in the office of the Lake County General Health District, 5966 Heisley Road, Mentor, OH 44060 (Directions) between 8:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M.
- By Mail: Download the Application Form, fill out the required information and then mail it, with the appropriate fees, to the Lake County General Health District. Out-of-state checks are not accepted, but you can pay by money order.
- By phone: Call (440) 350-2549. Please have your credit card ready. Once processed, your order will be mailed to you. (See the disclaimer below.)
- By email (lakevs@lcghd.org): Do not include your credit/debit information. Provide a phone number so we can contact you to acquire it. Once processed, your order will be mailed to you. (See the disclaimer below.)
PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT ABLE TO EMAIL OR FAX BIRTH CERTIFICATES
Death Records
How to Obtain a Death Certificate from Lake County Vital Statistics:
- In person (Same-Day Service): Stop in the office of the Lake County General Health District, 5966 Heisley Road, Mentor, OH 44060 (Directions) between 8:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M.
- By Mail: Download the Application Form, fill out the required information and then mail it, with the appropriate fees, to the Lake County General Health District. Out-of-state checks are not accepted. Please pay by money order.
- By phone: Call (440) 350-2549. Please have your credit card ready. Once processed, your order will be mailed to you. (See the disclaimer below.)
- By email (lakevs@lcghd.org): Do not include your credit/debit information. Provide a phone number so we can contact you to acquire it. Once processed, your order will be mailed to you. (See the disclaimer below.)
PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT ABLE TO EMAIL OR FAX DEATH CERTIFICATES
Important Information Regarding Death Certificates
- All requests for death certificates less than 5 years from date of death will be printed without the social security number. They are redacted per ORC 3705.23.
- If a copy of a death certificate must have the social security number, please submit an application for a death certificate, the non-redacted form, and documentation via mail or in-person. Proof of documentation is required based upon the relationship to the decedent in the form.
Funeral Homes
If e-filing a death certificate, please follow the instructions below:
- E-mail Lake County at lakevs@lcghd.org.
- Subject Line – Request Approval of Death Certificate.
- Copy the contents of Request for Approval or submit as an attachment. Provide the required information. If you would like to request copies when submitting your Request for Approval, please complete the Request for Approval and Order form instead.
- Scan the death certificate as a PDF and attach to e-mail. One death record per e-mail. Death certificates MUST be of good quality and legible.
- VS Clerk will send an e-mail acknowledging our office has received the request. If you do not receive acknowledgement after ½ hour, please contact our office at (440) 350-2549.
- Please allow one (1) business day for filing.
- If there are any issues with death record, the contact listed for the Funeral Home will be informed and they must re-submit after making the necessary corrections.
- VS Clerk will send an e-mail that the death certificate has been filed and orders can be requested.
- After notification is received that the certificate has been filed in EDRS, copies may be requested via e-mail, regular mail, or walk-in. If requesting by e-mail, the subject line should read Request Copies – decedent’s name. Separate e-mails are required if requesting multiple decedents. Payment by credit cards will be processed promptly. Payment by check will be processed when the check is received.
For same-day service, please arrive no later than 3:00 P.M. to file death certificates as our hours of operation end at 3:30 P.M.
See the disclaimer below regarding mailing of completed orders.
Lake County General Health District usually processes requests on the same business day the order is submitted during regular business hours. Mail is sent out at 10:00 a.m. each day, which means that your order will be mailed on the next business day. Standard delivery method is U.S. Mail which can take 15 days to receive. Click here for our most frequently asked questions. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact our office Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at (440) 350-2549.
DISCLAIMER
The Lake County General Health District Office of Vital Statistics is not responsible for lost, stolen or non-delivered orders handled by the U.S. Postal Service for delivery. All sales are final and non-refundable. Please contact the Vital Statistics Department at (440) 350-2549, or by e-mail to lakevs@lcghd.org, for additional information on obtaining a birth or death certificate.
BREAKDOWN OF COSTS
Distribution of the $21.50 certificate fee: $8.00 remains at the Lake County General Health District. The rest is distributed among the Ohio Department of Health ($9.00, but $1.00 is later redistributed back to the health department), Child Trust Fund via Treasurer of Ohio ($3.00), and Department of Public Safety via Treasurer of Ohio ($1.50). Click here for a more detailed explanation. Distribution of the $3.00 burial permit fee: $2.50 is remitted to the Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and $0.50 remains at LCGHD.
