Port Clinton public health guide for clinics, records, WIC and environmental help
If you are trying to reach the Ottawa County Health Department, the main office is in Port Clinton at 1856 E Perry Street. The department handles much more than shots: local services include WIC, birth and death certificates, public-health clinics, communicable disease work, food safety, sewage-system programs and other environmental health services.
For people coming from Port Clinton, Oak Harbor, Marblehead, Catawba Island, Put-in-Bay or elsewhere in Ottawa County, the practical rule is to choose the service first and call before driving over. Some clinics are appointment-only and some environmental requests require forms, site information or fees.
Ottawa County Health Department phone, address and what the office does
The Ottawa County Health Department main office is at 1856 E Perry Street, Port Clinton, OH 43452. The main phone is 419-734-6800, the county toll-free number is 800-788-8803, and published office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Immunizations, WIC, HealthChek, TB-related clinic services, reproductive health and other public-health nursing programs are among services listed by OCHD.
Vital Statistics issues eligible certified Ohio birth certificates and Ottawa County death certificates. The department also has routes for its own medical and public records.
Food protection, sewage systems, environmental complaints, inspections and related public-health regulation are handled through Environmental Health.
Port Clinton office contact details
The main Health Department address and public hours are straightforward, but clinic schedules can be more limited than the building hours. Call first if the trip involves a vaccine, HealthChek visit, WIC appointment, TB service or a time-sensitive environmental application.
| Contact item | Official detail | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Office | Ottawa County Health Department | County public-health and environmental-health services. |
| Address | 1856 E Perry Street, Port Clinton, OH 43452 | Main in-person Health Department location. |
| Phone | 419-734-6800 | General routing, appointments, records and program questions. |
| Toll-free | 800-788-8803 | County directory lists this for calls within Ottawa County. |
| Fax | 419-734-6888 | Use only when the department instructs you to fax a form. |
| info@ottawahealth.org | General non-emergency questions. | |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | General office hours; clinic schedules may differ. |
Choose the Ottawa County public health service you actually need
OCHD is not one single clinic counter. Vital Statistics, WIC, nursing clinics and Environmental Health solve different problems. Starting with the correct service makes it easier for staff to tell you what to bring and whether an appointment or fee applies.
Start with the Immunization Clinic. Adult and childhood vaccinations are offered by appointment.
Use WIC for nutrition education, breastfeeding support, referrals and qualifying food benefits.
Use Vital Statistics rather than a hospital medical-records office.
Start with Environmental Health before installation, replacement or other regulated onsite sewage work.
Use Food Protection for licensing, inspection, plan review and temporary/mobile food guidance.
Use OCHD’s medical-record request process for records created by the Health Department itself.
Adult and childhood immunizations: call for an appointment first
The Health Department provides adult and childhood immunizations. Its official immunization page says clinics are by appointment only, so showing up during regular office hours does not necessarily mean a vaccine appointment is available.
Immunizations are available at the main Health Department location.
The department also lists satellite clinic locations. Call 419-734-6800 for current dates and appointment availability.
Official guidance says a parent or legal guardian must sign consent for immunizations. Bring the child’s current vaccination record.
Ottawa County WIC eligibility, appointment and documents
Women, Infants and Children is a nutrition program for qualifying pregnant women, breastfeeding women, certain postpartum women, infants and children through age four. Ottawa County’s official FAQ says applicants must live in Ohio, meet WIC income guidelines and have a qualifying nutrition or health risk.
- Nutrition education and support
- Breastfeeding education and support
- Immunization screening and referral
- Health-care referrals
- Qualifying supplemental food benefits
- Proof of income or qualifying benefit information
- Proof of your Ohio address
- Proof of identity for applicants
- Family members who are applying
- Pregnancy due-date documentation when applicable
- Children’s immunization records
Birth certificates, death certificates and Health Department records
There are three different record questions people often mix together: a certified birth/death certificate, a medical record created by OCHD, and a court record such as a marriage license. They do not all use the same process.
| Record | Correct route | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio birth certificate | OCHD Vital Statistics | Certified Ohio births from December 20, 1908 to present can be issued. |
| Ottawa County death certificate | OCHD Vital Statistics | County death certificates from December 20, 1908 to present are maintained. |
| OCHD medical record | Health Department medical-record request | Use when the Health Department created the clinical record. |
| Environmental inspection/public record | Environmental Health/public records | Inspection and enforcement records may be requested through the public-record process. |
| Marriage license | Ottawa County Probate Court | Marriage licenses are a Probate Court function, not a Vital Statistics certificate service. |
Certified birth and death certificate cost
The Health Department currently lists $22 per certified copy. For a mail request, official instructions say to send the completed application with a check or money order payable to the Ottawa County Health Department and include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
The current official application also lists cash, check, credit card and e-check payment options. It lists a $5 convenience fee for credit-card payment and $2 for e-check payment. Because payment procedures can change, confirm the current method before sending sensitive record information electronically.
Food safety, sewage systems, inspections and environmental records
Environmental Health covers a different side of the department than nursing clinics. This is the route for regulated public-health issues involving food operations, sewage systems, environmental inspections and related records.
OCHD licenses and inspects establishments that prepare, serve, package or sell food to the public. Current resources include 2026 temporary, mobile and plan-submission packets.
The Sewage Disposal Program provides site-review and onsite sewage information plus 2026 lists for septic pumpers, service providers, installers, soil evaluators and designers.
Environmental inspection and enforcement activities are public records and may be requested using the department’s public-record process.
If you are buying, building or repairing a septic property
Do not call with only a township or village name. Have the site address and any existing septic documentation in front of you.
The department publishes an Application for Site Review and current provider lists. Ask which step applies before hiring work.
OCHD posts separate 2026 resources for septic pumpers, service providers, installers and soil/design professionals.
OCHD participates in an Ohio EPA Water Pollution Control Loan Fund program intended to assist qualifying low- to moderate-income homeowners with repair or replacement of failing home sewage treatment systems.
Save site-review documents, approvals, inspection information and maintenance records. They may matter later during a property sale or future repair.
HealthChek, TB testing and other nursing services
The department’s current annual reporting lists a wider nursing program than immunizations alone. Services include HealthChek/well-child care, reproductive health, 60+ clinic activity, TB testing, WIC, school nursing and other public-health nursing programs.
Ottawa County’s FAQ describes HealthChek as preventive care for children and adolescents from birth through age 20 who are currently on Medicaid.
The official FAQ lists Thursday morning clinics by appointment. Bring the child’s immunization record and Medicaid information; confirm the current schedule before visiting.
TB testing and additional nursing services appear in OCHD program materials. Call 419-734-6800 because availability and clinic dates can differ from regular office hours.
Davis-Besse emergency planning and potassium iodide in Ottawa County
This is one of the services that makes Ottawa County different from a generic health-department page. OCHD’s emergency-preparedness information says potassium iodide, or KI, may be available from the department for people who live or own a business within the 10-mile emergency planning zone around the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station.
Ottawa County’s guidance directs residents to the Emergency Management Agency at 419-734-6900 to verify the 10-mile emergency planning area.
Follow the official alert, shelter or evacuation direction being issued at that time. Do not delay an evacuation to obtain KI.
What the Ottawa County Health Department is not
For severe breathing difficulty, stroke symptoms, serious injury, overdose, uncontrolled bleeding or another life-threatening emergency, call 911.
OCHD can process records it maintains. If a hospital, private physician or other provider created the record, start with that provider.
The Health Department handles qualifying birth and death certificates. Ottawa County Probate Court handles functions such as marriage licenses.
What to bring before visiting the Port Clinton office
What belongs in your folder depends on why you are going. Calling first is particularly useful if you are driving in from another part of the county or trying to fit the visit around work, school or ferry travel.
How to get help from Ottawa County Health Department without guessing
Decide whether you need clinic care, immunizations, WIC, a certified record, Environmental Health, sewage-system help, food licensing or another program.
Use 419-734-6800 and ask whether the service requires an appointment, specific clinic day, fee or application.
Bring the ID, health record, Medicaid card, WIC documents, property details, form or business information that applies to your request.
Environmental permits, record requests and clinic requirements can change. Use the official Ottawa County page rather than a copied third-party form.
Routine public-health office contact should never delay emergency care. Call 911 for a medical or life-safety emergency.
Official Ottawa County Health Department resources
Use these pages before submitting applications, paying fees or relying on an appointment time. Local clinic schedules, forms, environmental requirements and charges can change during the year.
Ottawa County Health Department FAQs
What is the Ottawa County Health Department phone number?
The main Ottawa County Health Department phone number in Port Clinton, Ohio is 419-734-6800. The county directory also lists 800-788-8803 as a toll-free number within Ottawa County.
Where is the Ottawa County Health Department located?
The main office is at 1856 E Perry Street, Port Clinton, OH 43452.
What are the Ottawa County Health Department hours?
Published office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Individual clinics can have narrower appointment schedules, so call before visiting.
Does Ottawa County Health Department provide immunizations?
Yes. OCHD provides adult and childhood immunizations. Its official page says immunization clinics are by appointment only and lists Port Clinton plus satellite clinic locations in Oak Harbor and Genoa.
How much is an Ottawa County birth or death certificate?
OCHD currently lists $22 per certified copy. Payment and convenience-fee rules depend on how the request is submitted, so verify the current application before paying.
Can Ottawa County Health Department issue an Ohio birth certificate?
Yes. The department states that it can issue certified birth certificates for individuals born anywhere in Ohio from December 20, 1908 to the present.
Which death certificates does Ottawa County Health Department have?
OCHD maintains death certificates for deaths that occurred in Ottawa County from December 20, 1908 to the present.
Does Ottawa County Health Department offer WIC?
Yes. WIC serves eligible Ohio residents who are pregnant, breastfeeding or recently postpartum, along with infants and children up to age five. Income and nutrition or health-risk requirements apply.
Who handles septic systems in Ottawa County, Ohio?
Start with the Ottawa County Health Department Environmental Health Division. The department’s Sewage Disposal Program publishes current site-review information and 2026 lists for septic pumpers, service providers, installers and soil/design professionals.
Does the Health Department handle marriage licenses?
No. Ottawa County Probate Court handles marriage licenses. The Health Department’s Vital Statistics service focuses on eligible birth and death certificates.