Birth Registration Module in New Ohio Vital Records System Set for ‘Go-Live’

Access to Electronic Death Registration System Affected During Transition

Ohio’s current birth registration system (IPHIS) will cease operation when the birth registration module in the new Ohio Vital Records System (OVRS) launches on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. During the transition, access to the electronic death registration system (EDRS) will be temporarily affected, too.

During the transition outage from 7:30 a.m. to approximately 11 a.m. that day:

• New death certificates will not be able to be entered into EDRS.
• Permits for cremation or burials will not be able to be approved.
• Corrections and changes to birth and death records will not be possible.
• Certified copies of birth and death certificates will not be able to be generated.

Once the new birth registration module transition has occurred, all functions of birth registration and issuance will be through the new OVRS birth registration module, and EDRS will be back online for death registrations.

The retirement of EDRS and go-live of the new OVRS death registration module is anticipated to occur in October 2025. Go-live details will be communicated to current EDRS users closer to that date.

“Birthing facilities need to ensure that any birth event that is started in the current IPHIS birth registration system is completed prior to August 6 to ensure that the data will not be lost during the transition to OVRS and its birth registration module,” said Judy Nagy, Chief of the Ohio Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics. “Data for birth events that are started in IPHIS, but registration is not completed, will be lost during the transition. In such instances it will be up to the birthing facility to rekey any records into the new OVRS birth registration module.”

Access to OVRS will only be available through the State of Ohio’s secure OHID digital platform, which provides access to different state agency services and applications through a single set of log-in credentials. Birthing facilities have been previously notified about this planned change, and staff should have already created roles within the new OVRS application. A birthing facility that has not done so should send an e-mail to OVRS@odh.ohio.gov for assistance. In preparation for the new OVRS death registration module go-live in October, funeral homes should create an OHID account by visiting the OHID webpage.

The ODH Bureau of Vital Statistics has been communicating directly with current IPHIS and EDRS users over the past year-and-a-half about the planned retirement of these separate applications and their replacement with OVRS as a single vital records system for registering births, deaths and other related services. The new system will offer enhanced security, accessibility on a mobile device, electronic submission of records, and integrated payment and ordering capabilities.

Questions about OVRS and the birth and death registration modules should be sent to the OVRS team at OVRS@odh.ohio.gov.