Michelle Crossan
Registrar

Vital Statistics consists of the compiling of births, deaths, stillbirths and other vital records occurring in the City of Lorain. It is the responsibility of the local registrar to establish registration of these documents. Monthly they are tabulated, coded, indexed and entered into the HDIS with the originals forwarded to the Ohio Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Columbus Ohio for permanent filing.

As of October 15, 2003 we have been issuing all birth certificates from our computerized data management system, which prints an abstract onto our new Bordered Security Paper. This new system cuts down on searching and processing times and allows for a record to be flagged that may need special attention.

The Lorain City Health Department maintains birth and death records on file of all registered births and deaths occurring within the City of Lorain from December 1908 to present. If you have been adopted or have had a name change please call 440-204-2301, 440-204-2302, or 440-204-2327 to verify that your birth record is on file at our office.

How to request a birth or death certificate:

How to Request a Birth/Death Certificate

In Person:
To obtain birth/death certificates from the Lorain City Health Department you may come to the department offices located at 1144 West Erie Avenue, Lorain Ohio 44052.  Office hours are 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM but closed government holidays. Certificates are public records and may be obtained by providing the necessary search information; name at birth/death, and date of birth/death. You will fill out an application and your request will be processed while you wait.

By Mail or Fax:
To obtain birth/death certificates from the Lorain City Health Department you can mail a request to the department office located at 1144 West Erie Avenue, Lorain Ohio 44052 or fax a request to (440) 246-6894. (Your fax request must be received by 2:00 PM EST if you are also requesting overnight delivery.) Certificates are public records and may be obtained by providing the necessary search information; name at birth/death, and date of birth/death.  You will need to include a return address, daytime telephone number or e-mail address and the appropriate fee. Certificates are mailed out via certified mail.

Please click here to print out the "Vital Record Request Form". Fill out and mail form with your payment.

Cost:
A certified copy of a birth or death certificate cost $18.00 per copy plus $1.00 handling charge and is used for legal purposes i.e., social security benefits, survivor benefits, driver's license, passport or for children entering school. 

Method of Payment:
Cash, money orders, and checks are accepted for purchasing birth/death certificates.  Make money order or check payable to: LORAIN CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.  MasterCard and Visa also accepted, click here to order & pay online. (Please note: Your credit card will not be charged until we verify your record and proceed to process your request). Call 440-204-2301, 440-204-2302 or 440-204-2327 with any questions.

When will I get my certificate?:
In person requests will be processed as you wait. Normal waiting time is 5 to 10 minutes.
Mail and Online requests are processed in 1 to 2 business days then sent via certified mail.
Overnight shipping is available for a $25.00 charge and will be sent via FedEx Standard Overnight delivery service and FedEx shipping rules will apply. Online requests asking for overnight delivery must be submitted before 2:00 PM EST. Please note that requests submitted before 2:00 PM EST on Friday will not be delivered until Monday.

If you wish to verify that we have the record on file prior to making a request/payment, please call 440-204-2301, 440-204-2302 or 440-204-2327.