Formed March 4, 1845 from Williams, Henry, and Paulding counties — named for Fort Defiance · county seat Defiance. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Defiance County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube221 Clinton St., 2nd Floor, Defiance, OH 43512 · (419) 782-4181
defiance-county.com/probate-and-juvenile-court
Wills, estate administration, guardianships, adoptions, birth registrations/corrections, name changes, and marriage licenses.
500 Second St., Suite 201, Defiance, OH 43512 · (419) 782-4741
Deeds, mortgages, liens, military discharge records (restricted access), plats, and easements.
221 Clinton Street, Defiance, OH 43512 · (419) 782-1936
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
500 Second Street, Suite 301, Defiance, OH 43512 · (419) 782-1926
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
320 Fort St., Defiance, OH 43512 · (419) 782-1456
defiancelibrary.org/genealogy-questions
Family histories, city/county directories, vital record compilations, yearbooks, and newspaper microfilm. NewspaperArchive.com and Ancestry Library Edition available with a library card; staff will do limited look-ups via the site's genealogy request form.
PO Box 7006, Defiance, OH 43512
Founded 1977. Materials are maintained within the Defiance County library system rather than a standalone building. Meets 4th Monday monthly (except August) at St. John's UCC on the Defiance College campus. Focus areas: cemeteries, churches, military records, and First Families lineage programs.
12296 Krouse Rd., Defiance, OH · (419) 990-0107
Founded 1936. A separate organization from the genealogical society above — an open-air museum of 40+ historic structures, better suited to artifacts than records research.
1300 East Second St., Suite 100, Defiance, OH 43512 · (419) 784-3818
defiancecohealth.org/birth-death-records
Certified Ohio birth records and Defiance County death records, December 1908–present. Pre-1908 records: check state archives or church/court records.
Find A Grave — Defiance County and Interment.net — Defiance County.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Defiance County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Defiance County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Defiance County was formed in 1845 from Williams, Henry, and Paulding Counties. For records made before then, search the parent counties:
Most of Defiance County's land was federal Congress Lands, surveyed in townships and sections and first sold through U.S. land offices. The first buyer of each tract received a federal patent.
Titles that covered Defiance County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.
| Title | Years | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| Defiance Democrat | 1844–1920 | Chronicling America; partial run on Newspapers.com |
| The Crescent-News (Defiance) | 1888–current | Chronicling America (1888–1971); current at crescent-news.com |
| Defiance County Express | 1867–1888 | Chronicling America |
| Defiance Banner | 1838–1839 | Chronicling America |
| Defiance Republican Express | 1892–1897 | Chronicling America |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Defiance County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
County guides, record walkthroughs, and brick wall breakthroughs. Subscribe on YouTube and tap the bell so new episodes find you.
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