How to search Ohio court records
Ohio has no statewide trial-court search at all. Each county runs its own independent case-management system, so finding a record means first identifying the right county, then searching that county's own portal. Cost varies by record type — some searches are free, others require a paid account or a formal records request.
county by county varies criminal data
Open the official Ohio portal →
What's actually there
No statewide trial-court search. The old link now redirects to a court services page; the Supreme Court's Ohio Trial Courts page lists every common pleas, municipal and county court by county with links to each court's own site and record search.
Other official lookups for Ohio
How Ohio's courts are organized
Ohio's main trial court is the court of common pleas, the only trial court created by the Ohio Constitution. There is one in each of the 88 counties, and most are split into divisions: general (felonies and larger civil cases), domestic relations, juvenile and probate. Misdemeanors, traffic cases and civil claims up to $15,000 go to municipal courts and county courts; the Supreme Court's 2019 statistical summary counted 131 municipal courts and 33 county courts. Mayor's courts hear local ordinance and traffic violations in some villages and cities, but the Supreme Court notes they are not part of the judicial branch and are not courts of record.
Appeals from the trial courts go to one of 12 district courts of appeals, which hear cases in three-judge panels, and then to the Supreme Court of Ohio, made up of a chief justice and six justices. There is no statewide trial court case search. Each clerk of courts decides whether and how to put its records online.
Finding the right online search
The Supreme Court of Ohio's Ohio Trial Courts page lists every trial court by county, including each common pleas division, municipal court and county court, and links to most courts' own websites. That is the practical starting point: pick the county, then follow the link to that court or its clerk of courts to see what online docket search, if any, it offers. The Supreme Court's own online docket covers only cases filed in the Supreme Court.
Ohio's public access rules, Rules 44 through 47 of the Rules of Superintendence, presume court records are open. Courts are not required to offer remote access, but when they do, the online version must generally match what you would see at the courthouse, except that exhibits and attachments can be left off if the docket notes they exist.
- Personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers are excluded from public case documents.
- A judge can restrict access to a document by order, sometimes only for remote access, after finding a higher interest by clear and convincing evidence.
- Juvenile and some domestic relations records are handled under separate exceptions, so expect less online for those divisions.
- Mayor's court records will not be in any clerk of courts search because they are not courts of record.
Getting copies and certified copies
Ask the clerk of the court where the case was filed. For the court of common pleas, the statutory fee in R.C. 2303.20 is one dollar per page for copies of pleadings, process, records or files, and that price includes the certificate and seal. Municipal, county and probate courts set fees under their own statutes and local rules, so check that court's website or call the clerk before sending payment.
Many clerks now let you print docket entries and filed documents from their online systems; when a document is shown online, the public access rules require it to match the courthouse copy, but only the clerk can certify it.
Records that are not public
Ohio offers both sealing and expungement under R.C. 2953.32. Sealing closes the record from public view; expungement, as defined in R.C. 2953.31, means the record is destroyed so it is permanently irretrievable. An eligible offender can apply to the sentencing court to seal misdemeanors and fourth- or fifth-degree felonies one year after final discharge, one or two third-degree felonies three years after final discharge, and minor misdemeanors after six months. Expungement of a misdemeanor is available one year after final discharge, and of a felony ten years after the person could first have sought sealing. The application fee is $50, plus up to $50 in local court fees, and it is waived for people who file a poverty affidavit.
First- and second-degree felonies, most felony offenses of violence, traffic offenses, many offenses against victims under 13, and some domestic violence convictions cannot be sealed or expunged under this section. This is a summary of the statute; talk to a lawyer or ask the local court about its self-help resources.
Ohio tip: one county can mean several clerks
In a large Ohio county, the common pleas court, several municipal courts and sometimes a county court each keep their own records, and the probate and juvenile divisions often run separate websites from the general division. A felony will be in the common pleas general division, but a misdemeanor or traffic case could be in any municipal court in the county depending on where it happened. Work down the Supreme Court's county list and check each court that covers the town you care about.
Sources
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Ohio Trial Courts and Local Rules (courts by county)
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Ohio Judicial Structure chart
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Citizens Guide to Ohio Courts
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Public Access and Records Retention primer (Sup.R. 44-47)
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Online case docket
- R.C. 2303.20, clerk of common pleas fees
- R.C. 2953.31, definitions for sealing and expungement
- R.C. 2953.32, sealing or expungement of conviction records
Checked against the official sources above in October 2026. Court rules and fees change; the court's own site is the final word. This is general information, not legal advice.
Federal cases filed in Ohio
State portals don't cover federal court. If the case you're looking for might be a federal criminal prosecution, civil suit, or bankruptcy, use CourtRecordsFree's live federal search — it queries CourtListener/RECAP directly and isn't limited to any one state.
Largest counties in Ohio
- Franklin County — Case Information Online covers Common Pleas criminal, civil and domestic-relations cases, plus the 10th District Court of Appeals.
Search tips
- Try both "Last, First" and "First Last" — courts index names inconsistently.
- Middle initials and suffixes (Jr., III) often matter for common names.
- A date of birth or case number is the only reliable way to confirm you found the right person.
- An arrest or charge shown in a docket is not a conviction — read the disposition.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to search Ohio court records online?
It depends on what you're looking for. Some record types on Ohio's portal are free; others require payment or a formal request.
Does this include criminal records?
Yes. Ohio's portal includes criminal case records alongside civil cases, though sealed and expunged cases are not shown.
Does one search cover the whole state?
No single search. Ohio has no statewide index — you need to find the right county first, then search that county's own system.
Links move. If the Ohio portal link above is dead, tell us on the corrections page.