Researching ancestors from Montgomery County, Ohio? Here's where the records are — the free path first, then how to get the whole family history traced and written.
Montgomery County's seat is Dayton. Look up your surname among the deceased residents of Ohio in our public-record database.
Search Ohio records →Where Montgomery County records are kept
Original Montgomery County vital, probate, and land records are held at the county courthouse in Dayton — the county recorder or clerk's office. Statewide death registration in Ohio began around 1908 (earlier deaths are at the county probate court), so for earlier Montgomery County deaths you'll rely on the county courthouse, church registers, and cemetery transcriptions. The Ohio History Connection in Columbus holds the broader historical and microfilmed county records.
The free records for Montgomery County
- Census — every federal census through 1950 is free and places your family in Montgomery County by household every ten years.
- Death records — search our Ohio database and the state death index for the death year and place.
- Obituaries — the Library of Congress's Chronicling America has free Ohio newspapers, including Dayton-area papers.
- Cemeteries — Montgomery County cemetery and tombstone transcriptions, many public domain, fill gaps where a certificate doesn't exist.
We trace both sides back to the documented wall and deliver a written book + interactive family site — flat rate, no DNA test.
See how it works →Frequently asked questions
How do I find genealogy records in Montgomery County, Ohio?
Start with the free federal census (public through 1950) and our free Ohio database, then check the county courthouse in Dayton for vital, probate, and land records, plus obituaries and cemetery transcriptions.
Where is the Montgomery County, Ohio courthouse?
The Montgomery County seat is Dayton, where the county recorder or clerk holds original vital, probate, and land records.