Formed 1819 from Miami County · county seat Sidney. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Shelby County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube100 E. Court St., 2nd Floor, Sidney, OH 45365 · (937) 498-7263
Estate administration, guardianships, and (per standard Ohio practice) marriage licenses. See the court's General Information page for full filing requirements.
129 E. Court St., 2nd Floor, County Annex, Sidney, OH 45365 · (937) 498-7270
Deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and plat maps dating to the county's 1819 founding. Online index searchable from July 1989 forward; staff cannot perform research for patrons but will assist in person.
100 E. Court Street, 3rd Floor, Sidney, OH 45365 · (937) 498-7221
co.shelby.oh.us/clerk-of-courts
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
129 E. Court Street, 3rd Floor, Sidney, OH 45365 · (937) 498-7202
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
230 E. North St., Sidney, OH 45365 · (937) 492-8354
Main branch of the Shelby County Libraries system; houses the Genealogical Society's collection of microfilmed local newspapers, courthouse record transcripts, and family genealogies.
Meets 7:00pm, 2nd Tuesday monthly (except Dec.), at the Ross Historical Center, 201 N. Main Ave., Sidney
Founded 1975; became an official OGS chapter in 2015. Publishes the quarterly newsletter Shelbyana; volunteers do basic look-up research for a donation.
Don't confuse with "Richland County – Shelby Chapter, OGS," which serves the city of Shelby in Richland County, not this county.
201 N. Main Ave., Sidney, OH 45365 (Ross Historical Center) · (937) 498-1653
shelbycountyhistory.org · Mon–Fri, 1:00–5:00pm
A separate organization from the Genealogical Society, though the two share the Ross Historical Center building and jointly fund the Barbara Adams Genealogical Research Center there.
202 W. Poplar St., Sidney, OH 45365 · (937) 498-7249
shelbycountyhealthdept.org — Vital Statistics
Births and deaths for events in Shelby County from December 1908–present; also issues Ohio birth certificates for any county. Orders by VitalChek/Permitium online or by mail.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Shelby County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Shelby County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Shelby County was formed in 1819 from Miami County. For records made before then, search the parent county:
Most of Shelby 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 Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby County Democrat | 1849-1940 | Chronicling America; microfilm — Amos Memorial Public Library |
| Sidney Journal | 1863-1905 | Chronicling America (Library of Congress) |
| Sidney Journal-Gazette | 1905-1909 | Chronicling America (Library of Congress) |
| Sidney Daily News | 1891-present | Chronicling America (early runs); Newspapers.com; current via Shelby County Libraries |
| Shelby County Banner | 1800s (exact span undetermined) | Microfilm only — Amos Memorial Public Library or Historical Society |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Shelby County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
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