Youngstown Health Department unveils new program to better access birth, death info

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Health Department today rolled out a new electronic program that enables the public to search for and access basic birth and death record information without cost.

The fee for a certified copy of a birth or death record is $23, and now the electronic program allows the basic search to be done locally saving a trip to the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus, said Kristy Boyles, manager of the Youngstown Health Department’s Division of Vital Statistics.

The local health department’s electronic program is connected to a statewide electronic index, operated by ODH, that has birth records back to 1908 and death records back to 1954, Boyles said.

She said people often want birth and death records to trace family and medical history to know what medical risks for which they might be at risk.