FAQs

The remains of the deceased person are brought to the Coroner's office because Ohio Law requires that the Coroner investigate deaths of persons dying from criminal violence, by accident, by suicide, suddenly, when unattended by a physician for a reasonable period of time, in detention, or in any suspicious or unusual manner. Another reason that a body may be brought to the Coroner's Office is that the identity of the deceased or next-of-kin is unknown.

The remains of the deceased person are brought to the Coroner's office because Ohio Law requires that the Coroner investigate deaths of persons dying from criminal violence, by accident, by suicide, suddenly, when unattended by a physician for a reasonable period of time, in detention, or in any suspicious or unusual manner. Another reason that a body may be brought to the Coroner's Office is that the identity of the deceased or next-of-kin is unknown. 

Ohio Law (ORC 2108.52) provides that the Coroner does not need permission for an autopsy. The Office of the Coroner will attempt to comply with the wishes of the next-of-kin, if this does not conflict with the duties of the Coroner. 

An autopsy is a systematic examination by a qualified physician of the body of a deceased person for the purpose of determining the cause and manner of death. A record is made of the findings of the autopsy including microscopic and other laboratory tests, including toxicology laboratory tests. These laboratory tests are conducted after the release of the body to the next-of-kin for burial. There is no charge to the next-of-kin for an autopsy nor for any of the tests, which may be conducted by the Coroner. 

This procedure is handled differently by the various counties. Prior to the final ruling, a "Pending Investigation" death certificate is issued. This enables the funeral services and burial to take place while the testing and investigation continues. At the culmination of these tests and investigation, the ruling is made based on all available information. A supplemental death certificate is then issued with the cause and manner of death which supersedes the "Pending" death certificate. This typically takes 4-6 weeks. 

Certified copies of death certificates may be obtained via your funeral director or from the health department in the jurisdiction of death. For more health department information, please visit the Recorder's Vital Statistics Page.

Stark County Vital Statistics

Birth & Death Records

Births & Deaths 1867-1908:
Stark County District Library
715 Market Ave North
Canton, Oh 44702-1080
330-452-0665

Births & Deaths 1889-1908 for the city of Massillon only:

Massillon Public Library
208 Lincoln Way East 
Massillon, Oh 44646
330-832-9831
(Both the Massillon & Stark County libraries should be checked for Massillon births & deaths from this time period.)

Births & Deaths 1909-present
For those occurring within Canton city limits (Aultman, Timken, Mercy, Columbia):
Canton City Health Department
Vital Statistics Division
420 Market Ave North 
Canton, Oh 44702-1544
330-489-3231

For those occurring within Massillon city limits (Massillon Community/Affinity Medical Center):
Massillon City Health Department
611 Erie St S
Massillon, Oh 44646
330-830-1711

For those occurring within Alliance city limits (Alliance City Hospital):
Alliance City Health Department
BOX 2504
537 East Market St 
Alliance, Oh 44601
330-821-7373

For those occurring anywhere else in Stark County (Doctors hospital, or at home in Stark County, but not in one of the above cities)
Stark County Health Department
3951 Convenience Cir NW
Canton, Oh 44718
330-493-9904

Births & Deaths 1909 - present can also be obtained from the state.

Births 1909-present & Deaths 1945-present:
Ohio Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Box 15098
Columbus, Oh 43215-4154
614-466-2531
Office At:
35 East Chestnut St, Columbus, Oh 43215

Deaths 1909-1944
Ohio Historical Society
1982 Velma Ave
Columbus, Oh 43211-2497
614-297-2300

Records from the Stark County Coroner’s Office are available in both a public format for the general public and a more comprehensive format for the decedent’s next of kin. For members of the general public, the Stark County Coroner’s Verdict is available for a fee of $1.00. For the decedent’s verified next of kin, there is no charge for the initial records request, which includes the Stark County Coroner’s Verdict, Stark County Coroner’s Findings, Investigative Narrative, and Toxicology Results. Any additional requests for records beyond the initial request will be subject to a coping fee of .25 cents per page, with a minimum of $1.00. Photographs are available only to the decedent’s verified next of kin. Black-and-white copies are provided upon request at no charge, while color copies are available for a fee of $1.00 per copy. Photographs are printed on standard computer paper.

Payment for records may be made by credit card, debit card, check, or money order. Credit and debit card payments must be processed in person at the Stark County Coroner’s Office. Check or money order payments may be made in person or mailed to the office. To verify eligibility for next of kin records, the decedent’s verified next of kin must provide a valid driver’s license or state-issued proof of identity and next of kin status. Members of the general public requesting publicly available records are not required to provide a copy of a driver’s license or other photo identification.

Record Requests may be requested online using the link provided. Requests may also be made verbally in person at the Stark County Coroner’s Office or by telephone during regular business hours.