Everything specific to Ohio in one place: what a death certificate costs and how to get one, who has the legal right to arrange the funeral, and where to find official help. Each section links to a full guide with its sources.
Ohio at a glance
| Certified death certificate (state fee) | $21.50 |
|---|---|
| Decides the funeral if nobody was named in advance | Representative named in the decedent's declaration |
| Can you name someone in advance? | Yes |
| The law | Ohio Rev. Code §§ 2108.70-2108.90 (priority § 2108.81) |
Funeral cost calculator for Ohio
Pick the kind of arrangement and what it includes, and the estimate updates line by line, using Ohio funeral homes’ own prices where we have them. Every line shows its source.
Funeral costs in Ohio
These are medians from 10 Ohio funeral homes’ own published General Price Lists (9 cities, dated 2024-08 to 2026-09), collected in September 2026. Each figure counts only the price lists that show that item. Direct cremation and immediate burial are the lowest option each home lists; some include a basic container or the crematory fee and some do not. Your funeral home’s own price list is the only figure that counts for your bill.
| Item | Median | Price lists |
|---|---|---|
| Direct cremation (lowest listed option) | $1,695 | 10 |
| Basic services fee | $1,812.50 | 10 |
The 10 price lists behind these figures
- Newcomer Funeral Home (Columbus: Northeast, Southwest, Northwest chapels), Columbus (also Grove City, Powell), 2026-09-11
- Newcomer Funeral Home – Akron Chapel, Akron, 2026-09-10
- David G. Martens & Son Funeral Home, Cleveland, 2025-01-01
- Gaines Funeral Home, Maple Heights (Cleveland area), 2024-08-16
- Burrell Funeral Services, Zanesville, 2025-01-01
- Willis Funeral Home, Gallipolis, 2025-02-14
- Spaulding Funeral Home & Crematory, Middletown, 2025-10-01
- Advantage Cremation Care, Cincinnati (serves Greater Cincinnati), 2026-01-01
- Area Cremation Group, Akron, 2026-05-19
- Pfeil Funeral Homes, Inc., Sandusky (also Monroeville), 2026-03-01
Under the FTC Funeral Rule every funeral home must give you its prices over the phone, so calling two or three is the fastest way to a real number. How much a funeral costs, line by line.
Death certificates in Ohio
Certified copies come from Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. ODH: online orders 'are processed in our office within five business days' (delivery by USPS about three weeks); 'All mail-in orders typically take four to six weeks to process.' Application: online or in-person requests fulfilled within five business days, and 'We are unable to provide a same-day service for walk-in requests.'. Full guide: getting a death certificate in Ohio.
Who decides the funeral in Ohio
Ohio law sets the order. The first people in line are: Representative named in the decedent's declaration; Surviving spouse; Children (collectively); Parents. The full order, ties, deadlines and disputes.
Help paying for a funeral in Ohio
Federal help is the same in every state: Social Security’s one-time $255 payment to an eligible spouse or child, VA burial benefits for eligible veterans, and FEMA help only after a declared disaster. What each pays and how to apply.
Some Ohio counties and cities also help low-income families with burial or cremation costs. Ask the social services office in the county where the person died.
More official links for every state: funeral resources · all states.