Ohio Divorce Records

In Ohio, copies of divorce decrees are available through the Clerk of Courts in the county where the dissolution of marriage was granted. The Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics office does provide a search service to help locate the court decrees. Vital Statistics maintains an index of Ohio divorce records from January 1, 1954 to the present.

How To Access Ohio Divorce Records
Divorce records, including certified copies, are not issued from the Vital Statistics office, just the search verification services are offered. You may need either a verification or a certified copy of your divorce decree as proof of your dissolution of marriage before you can receive a new marriage license if you want to remarry. If you know the county where the divorce was granted, the Clerk of Court in that county can assist you in finding the Ohio divorce records that you will need.

Contact And Fee Information For Ohio Divorce Records
If you are not sure of the Ohio county from Adams to Wyandot where the divorce was granted, Vital Statistics can assist you as part of a records verification request. The phone number to call regarding this service is (614) 466-2531. You can also use that number to make an appointment to search statewide files for Ohio divorce records at the Vital Statistics office. If you require a certified copy of a dissolution of marriage, the current county court fee for divorce records in Ohio is $35, but this amount is subject to change.

Both walk in and mail in divorce verification services are available from the Vital Statistics office in Columbus. Same day service is often possible for walk in requests for Ohio divorce records if the order is placed before 4:30pm. Otherwise, the results may be mailed to you after your in person request. In person and mail requests for verification of an Ohio divorce record have a fee of $21.50 which can be paid by check or money order.

In person divorce record verification:
Ohio Department of Health
Vital Statistics
225 Neilston St.
Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-2531
Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm
(Same day requests must be made before 4:30pm.)

Mail in divorce record verification:
Ohio Department of Health
Vital Statistics
PO Box 15098
Columbus, OH 43215-0098

Divorce Records And Ohio Law
Under the law, Ohio public offices must maintain records, including those of divorces, and provide copies for a fee. Services such as the issuance of certified copies of divorce records from county courts and dissolution of marriage verification from the Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics, cannot be performed, in accordance with the law, until the appropriate fee as well as the required information is received from the requestor. Both names on the Ohio divorce records must be supplied by the requestor and it’s preferable for each middle name to be included to help ensure accurate results. You should also provide the correct spelling of these names as well as supply any additional search information such as the birth dates of both parties on the divorce record.

The date the divorce was filed must be included in your request. If you do not know the exact date, a range of years that is no longer than 10 years in duration is acceptable. The county where the divorce was granted should also be included in your Ohio divorce record request, if you have that information.