Portage County Death Index

Portage County death index records are managed through offices in Ravenna, the county seat. The Portage County Health Department has death certificates from 1908 to the present. The Probate Court holds older records going back to 1867. Portage County is in northeast Ohio and includes the city of Kent, home to Kent State University. You can search for Portage County deaths online through the free Ohio Death Certificate Index, which covers entries from 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1963.

Portage County Death Certificates

The Portage County Health Department issues certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Portage County from 1908 to the present. Their office is in Ravenna. Walk-in requests get the fastest service. Staff can search their records and print a certified copy during your visit. Certified copies cost about $25.00 each.

Cash, check, and money order are the usual payment methods. For mail requests, write a letter with the full name of the deceased, date of death, your name and relationship, contact information, and a check or money order for the fee. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Processing by mail takes one to two weeks. If the death occurred in Kent, Streetsboro, Aurora, or any other Portage County community, this is the office that has the certificate.

Under ORC Chapter 3705, death certificates are public records in Ohio. Anyone can request a copy. For deaths within the last five years, social security numbers are redacted unless the requester is a spouse, parent, child, or estate representative. The Ohio Department of Health also provides certified copies at $21.50 each for deaths anywhere in the state.

Portage County Death Index Before 1908

The Portage County Probate Court holds death records from 1867 forward. These are handwritten entries in ledger books that show the name of the deceased, date of death, age, cause of death, and sometimes the birthplace and parents' names. The quality varies from one entry to the next since different clerks recorded them over a span of decades.

The Portage County government website has general information about county offices including the Probate Court. The courthouse is in Ravenna. Visit in person to search the early death records. Phone lookups may work for simple requests. There is no online index for the pre-1908 records at this time.

Portage County was formed in 1807 and originally covered a much larger area. Parts of it were later split off to form other counties. If you are looking for very early records, keep in mind that the boundaries were different then. The Ohio History Connection in Columbus has microfilm copies of many county death records and may have Portage County holdings. Call 614-297-2510 to check before visiting.

Search Portage County Death Records Online

The Ohio Death Certificate Index is a free online tool covering 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1963. Search by name and get the county, death date, and certificate number. That number is what you need to order the actual certificate from the health department or the state office.

FamilySearch has free digital images of Ohio death certificates from 1908 to 1953. You need a free account. Their Ohio County Death Records collection covers 1840 to 2001 and may include Portage County entries not in other databases. Browse by county if name searches come up empty, since not all records are indexed by name.

The Ohio Memory digital library gathers materials from over 360 Ohio institutions. You may find Portage County newspaper obituaries, cemetery records, or local history items there. The Ohio Genealogical Society and its Portage County chapter may have compiled death indexes and cemetery transcriptions that go beyond what official databases contain.

How to Get Portage County Death Records

Walk into the Portage County Health Department in Ravenna for the quickest service. Bring the name of the deceased and approximate date of death. Staff can search and print a certified copy while you wait. This works for deaths from 1908 onward.

Mail requests are also accepted at the address above. For credit card ordering, VitalChek handles online orders for Ohio death certificates. They charge processing fees beyond the base cost and offer rush delivery options. Check the Ohio local health districts directory to confirm current contact information and hours for the Portage County Health Department before making a visit or mailing a request.

For pre-1908 records, contact the Portage County Probate Court in Ravenna. Those older records are only available through the court. The health department and VitalChek cannot help with records before December 20, 1908.

Portage County Death Index Resources

Cemetery records are an important resource for Portage County death research. The county has numerous cemeteries spread across its cities and townships. Local genealogical volunteers have transcribed many of these, recording names, dates, and ages from gravestones. These transcriptions help fill in gaps when official records are incomplete or hard to locate. Church records from Portage County congregations can also document deaths, especially from before the formal registration requirement in 1867.

For military veterans, the Ohio History Connection maintains graves registration cards from the Revolutionary War through World War II. These cards show the veteran's name, death date, cause of death, and burial place. Newspaper obituaries from the Record-Courier in Ravenna and other Portage County publications provide death information that official records may not include. The Portage County Historical Society and local library branches may have clipping files and compiled indexes. The Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna and the Kent Free Library both have local history collections worth checking for death-related materials.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Portage County. If you are not sure where a death was recorded, check neighboring county offices.