Search Belmont County Death Index

Belmont County death index records go back to 1867 through a mix of local and state sources. The health department in St. Clairsville has death certificates from 1916 to the present, with a small number of records going back to 1908. Older files sit at the Probate Court and the Ohio History Connection. Online ordering is an option, and most requests get processed in about two business days. If you are looking for deaths in the Bellaire or Martins Ferry areas, the health department holds separate city registers for those places as well.

Belmont County Death Certificates

The Belmont County Health Department handles death certificates for anyone who died in the county from 1916 forward. A very small number of records exist from 1908 to 1920, but coverage is spotty for those early years. The office is at 68501 Bannock Road in St. Clairsville. Call (740) 695-1202 or email bchd@belmontcountyhealth.com to ask about a record before you visit.

Each certified copy costs $25.00. You can pay with cash, money order, or a debit or credit card. Card payments come with a processing fee. Online ordering is available through the health department, and they aim to have orders done in two business days. That is fast compared to most Ohio counties. Mail requests work too. Send a signed letter with the full name of the person who died, their date of death, the number of copies you need, and your contact info. Include payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

One thing that sets Belmont County apart is the city-level records they hold. The health department has Bellaire city birth and death records from 1908 to 2000, and Martins Ferry city birth records from 1908 to 2000 plus death records from 1908 to the present. These are separate from the county-wide files. If someone died in Bellaire or Martins Ferry, check both the city and county registers.

The Belmont County Health Department vital statistics page shows forms and steps for ordering death certificates by mail or online.

The screenshot above shows the Belmont County Health Department vital statistics page with details on how to request copies of death certificates and what forms of payment they accept.

Death Records Before 1908

The Belmont County Probate Court in St. Clairsville is the place to look for death records from before 1908. The court is at 101 West Main Street. Call (740) 695-2121 for questions about pre-1908 deaths, or (740) 699-2164 for general probate matters. These old ledger entries show the name, death date, age, cause of death, and birthplace. Some list parents' names.

There is an important limit here. Probate Court clerks are not available for email, phone, or mail research requests. You have to go in person. Public terminals are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The court does have online probate records from 1994 to the present, but those do not include images. You can search by name and see case information, but for actual copies you need to visit the courthouse.

The image above shows the Belmont County Probate Court birth and death records page with information on what they hold and how to access it.

Search Belmont County Death Index Online

The Ohio Death Certificate Index is free to use. It covers deaths from 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1963. Type in a name and you get the county, date of death, and certificate number. That number is what you need to order a copy from the health department or state office. Belmont County entries are in there alongside every other Ohio county.

FamilySearch has digital copies of Ohio death certificates from 1908 to 1953 you can view for free with an account. Their Ohio County Death Records collection runs from 1840 to 2001 and may have Belmont County entries. Not all records are indexed by name. You might have to browse through images page by page, which takes time but can turn up records that a name search misses.

The Ohio History Connection Archives in Columbus holds Belmont County death records from 1867 to 1908 on microfilm. This is the same time span as the Probate Court records, so if you cannot make the trip to St. Clairsville, Columbus is another option. The Ohio Genealogical Society also keeps cemetery records, obituary indexes, and compiled files that fill gaps when official records are thin or hard to read.

How to Get Belmont County Death Records

Walk in to the Belmont County Health Department at 68501 Bannock Road in St. Clairsville. This is the quickest way. Staff can pull records and make copies during business hours. Bring a valid ID and know the name and rough date of death for the person you are looking up.

Mail is another option. Send a signed letter to the health department at the same address. List the full name of the deceased, date of death, your name and phone number, and how many copies you want. Add a money order or cashier's check for $25.00 per copy. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return. Credit and debit cards are accepted if you order online or call ahead.

For online orders, the health department offers its own ordering system. Processing takes about two business days. VitalChek is another authorized service for Ohio vital records. They accept credit cards and charge their own fees on top of the base cost. The Ohio Department of Health in Columbus can also fill requests for Belmont County death certificates at $21.50 each, though state-level processing runs slower.

• Walk-in at 68501 Bannock Rd, St. Clairsville (same day)
• Mail to 68501 Bannock Rd, St. Clairsville, OH 43950
• Online through health department (2 business days)
• Online through VitalChek (credit card accepted)
• State office in Columbus ($21.50 per copy)

Belmont County Death Index Resources

The Ohio local health districts directory can confirm the current phone number and hours for the Belmont County Health Department. Fees and hours do change, so check before you visit or send a mail request.

Ohio law under ORC Title 37 treats death records as open public records. Anyone can ask for a copy. The one restriction is that for deaths in the last five years, the social security number gets removed unless you are a spouse, child, or estate representative. That rule applies across all Ohio counties, not just Belmont.

Church records can be helpful for Belmont County deaths, especially from before official registration started. The county has a long history of coal mining communities, and many small towns had their own churches that kept detailed registers. Cemetery records, funeral home files, and newspaper obituaries are other places to look. The Ohio Memory digital library has materials from over 360 Ohio institutions, and some cover the Belmont County area. It is free to search and browse.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Belmont County. If you are not sure where a death took place, check the neighbors too.