Sealing a record means that your criminal conviction will be cleared and your record sealed from the public. However, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and other government agencies can look at your sealed record; and if you commit another crime, your sealed record can still be used against you in sentencing. When you apply for some jobs, apartments, and licenses, the people reviewing your application might look at your criminal record. If you have a conviction on your record, it decreases your chances of getting the job, apartment, or license. The answer is more complicated than it first seems: Anyone who has been convicted of an offense in Ohio or any other state who has 1 not more than one felony conviction, 2 not more than two misdemeanor convictions if the convictions are not from the same offense, OR 3 not more than one felony conviction and one misdemeanor conviction.
Village Hall
State law restricts access to vital records. Only the County Clerk and staff may handle the records. Staff members will search the indexes and copy the appropriate records. For genealogy access, birth records must be at least 70 years old. Marriage records must be 50 years old.
City of Westerville, OH
Death records must be 20 years old. Genealogy copies are uncertified and copied on white paper. These copies can be used only for informational purposes and are not valid for legal purposes. Mailed genealogy requests should be specific and include all known information for the individuals being researched and the type of record being sought birth, death or marriage.
Payment is required before documents are copied or mailed. State law is very specific about who may obtain a birth certificate.
State and federal agencies may also request your certificate on your behalf for official purposes. While these rules may be inconvenient, they are done to protect your privacy and prevent identity theft and other fraudulent practices. Many people attempt to use a birth certificate issued by the hospital as proof of identity. Unfortunately these hospital certificates, which usually contain footprints and decorative lettering, are meant for commemorative purposes only.
Official certified copies bear signature of the County Clerk and a raised certification seal.
You must obtain your birth certificate from the jurisdiction where you were born. We can assist by providing the appropriate contact information. In the days when home births were common, some parents inadvertently overlooked registering the birth.
Individuals can have a delayed birth certificate issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health by completing an application signed by the County Clerk and providing other documentation about their identity. What about correcting misspellings or inaccurate information? Typographical errors, illegible handwriting and other factors can lead to erroneous information on some birth certificates.
If the inaccuracies are minor, there may be no need to correct them. If they are more serious, the individual can apply for a corrected certificate from the Illinois Department of Public Health. We can assist you in obtaining a corrected copy from the state. Jump to Navigation. Search form.