Let’s start out by saying that changing anything on a birth or death certificate can be very confusing.  If you have any questions, give us a call at 330-723-9511.

Name Changes

Your first step in this process is to contact Probate Court in the county you now reside in.  Feel free to call us with any questions, 330-723-9511.  You can also can call Medina County Probate Court, 330-725-9703.

In Ohio, all court ordered name changes are attachments to the existing birth certificate.  The original birth certificate does not change.  When you request a copy of your birth certificate, you will receive a computerized birth abstract showing the name change.  There will be a note at the bottom of the certificate indicating that the name was legally changed. This legal change of name will be accepted as such by all agencies, such as passport office, etc.

When a name change has been granted by a probate court in Ohio to a person whose birth happened after December 20, 1908, a certified copy of the court ordered legal change of name needs to be sent to the Ohio Department of Health.  When a legal change of name has been granted to a person whose birth occurred prior to December 20, 1908, or no birth certificate has been recorded in the Office of Vital Statistics, a certified copy of the delayed birth registration also needs to accompany the court ordered name change.  In Ohio, delayed birth registrations are done in probate court.

When a name change has been granted by a court outside of Ohio, that court must be comparable to county probate courts in Ohio.  Once again, a certified copy of the legal name change must be sent to the Ohio Department of Health.  If no birth certificate has been recorded, then a delayed birth registration must be done by a probate court in Ohio before a name can be changed.

Corrections

For minor errors on a birth or death certificate, an affidavit may be done to make corrections. Once again, this does not change the original birth certificate. When you request a copy of your birth certificate, you will receive a computerized birth abstract showing the corrections. There will be a note at the bottom of the certificate indicating that the certificate was corrected. This legal correction will be accepted as such by all agencies, such as passport office, etc.

Items that may be corrected on a birth certificate by an affidavit include:
Spelling corrections of the child’s name (not name changes)
Month or date of birth (in most circumstances, but not all, so call for clarification)
Spelling of mom’s name (not name changes)
Spelling of dad’s name (not name changes)

There are a few additional items that may be corrected with an affidavit. Please call us at 330-723-9511 x303, with any questions regarding your specific circumstance. Click here to print out the affidavit and here for the instructions on how to fill it out. Once you have filled out and notarized the affidavit, bring it in or mail it to our office. There is no charge for filing an affidavit. We will send the affidavit to the Ohio Department of Health so it may be filed with the original birth certificate. If you have recently purchased an incorrect birth certificate from our office, we will exchange the old for the new when the affidavit has been filed through the Ohio Department of Health. Not all errors on a birth certificate can be corrected by an affidavit. For those errors that can not be corrected by an affidavit, you will need to go to probate court for the correction to be made. If the incorrect birth certificate is for a recent birth, call us for more information.

For death certificates, an affidavit may be made to correct anything except the medical area of the death certificate. Causes of death may only be changed by the doctor or the coroner. Affidavits are generally done by the funeral home that completed the death certificate. If you are unsure of which funeral home completed the death certificate, you may call our office for assistance at 330-723-9511.

If you need further assistance, call our office, or you may link to the Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics.