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Ohio public records: who holds what

In Ohio, deeds are recorded by the County Recorder in most places; birth and death certificates come from the Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics; and requests for other government records fall under the Ohio Public Records Act. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Ohio
  2. Public records law in Ohio
  3. How Ohio organizes its records
  4. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  5. Counties in Ohio
  6. Warnings from official sources
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Official directories
  9. Sources

Who holds what in Ohio

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty Recorder in each county (Cuyahoga: County Fiscal Officer; Summit: Fiscal Office, Recorder division)1$2.00 per page total ($1 base fee + $1 housing trust fund fee) for photocopies, per 8.5x14 page1
Property recordsCounty Auditor is the assessor of real estate (Cuyahoga/Summit: Fiscal Officer)2—
Court recordsUnified state judiciary under Ohio Constitution Art. IV; trial courts are county Courts of Common Pleas (88 counties) with general, domestic relations, juvenile and probate divisions, plus municipal, county and mayor's courts; records kept by each court's clerk3Clerk of common pleas: $1 per page for copies of pleadings, process, record or files, including certificate and seal4
Marriage recordsCounty Probate Court (probate division of common pleas) where the license was issued; not ODH5Probate certified copy of journal entry, record, or proceeding: $1.00 per page (minimum $1)6
Divorce recordsClerk of the Court of Common Pleas (domestic relations) in the county where finalized5$1 per page including certificate and seal (clerk statutory fee)4
Birth certificatesODH Bureau of Vital Statistics (Dec. 20, 1908–present) and local health departments (local registrars)5$21.50 per certified birth record (search fee, charged even if no record found)7
Death certificatesODH Bureau of Vital Statistics for 1971–present; pre-1971 deaths: local health department where death occurred (certified copies); originals 1908–1970 at Ohio History Connection7$21.50 per certified death record7
Probate and willsCounty Probate Court (probate division of common pleas): wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses3$1.00 per page (minimum $1) for certified copy of probate journal entry/record6

Public records law in Ohio

Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Revised Code 149.43) Read the law8

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Any person; no residency requirement; may be anonymous; purpose cannot be required8
Response time
No fixed number of days: inspection "promptly"; copies "within a reasonable period of time"9
Copy fees
Inspection free; copies at "actual cost" (generally excludes employee time); law-enforcement video up to $75/hour, max $7508
If a request is refused
Serve a complaint (on the Court of Claims clerk's form) on the office; the office has 3 business days to cure; then EITHER a complaint with the clerk of the Court of Claims or the clerk of the county court of common pleas under R.C. 2743.75 ($25 filing fee) OR a mandamus action in common pleas, the court of appeals or the Ohio Supreme Court (not both)9
What is exempt
Exemptions listed in 149.43(A)(1) (e.g., medical records) plus a catch-all for records whose release is prohibited by state or federal law (149.43(A)(1)(v)); redactions must be disclosed8
Official guide
Ohio Sunshine Laws Manual ("Yellow Book"), Ohio Attorney General, updated yearly: ohioattorneygeneral.gov/…10
More on the Ohio Public Records Act
Response time Attorney General
There is no set period for a public office to respond8
Fees video
Law enforcement/prosecutor video: actual cost up to $75 per hour of video, $750 total9
Who can request statute
Identity/intended use cannot be required9
Appeal court of claims fee
$25 filing fee11
Statutory damages
$100 per business day, max $1,000 (mandamus; written request delivered by hand, electronic submission or certified mail)9
Enforcement
Self-help statute: no agency (including the AG) enforces it8
Incarcerated requesters
Incarcerated persons need sentencing judge finding to obtain criminal investigation/prosecution records9

How to write a public records request

How Ohio organizes its records

  • Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer. Fiscal Officer = auditor + recorder12
  • Summit County Fiscal Office. Fiscal Office = auditor + recorder + treasurer13
  • Probate courts issue marriage licenses. Probate court5
  • Open vital records. Any applicant14
  • Mayor's courts3
  • Pre-1971 death records. History Connection custody7

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI); fingerprint-based checks15
How to request
Fingerprints submitted electronically through a WebCheck location15
Out of state
Out-of-state: FastFingerprints pilot or mailed fingerprint card16
Fee
$22 for a BCI criminal record check (law enforcement officers exempt); payable to "Treasurer of State of Ohio"17
Fee authority
Fee set by AG rule ("reasonable fee")18
More about criminal history checks
Who may order
Employers, licensing bodies and individuals via WebCheck; FBI checks only for specific Ohio employment16
Phone
BCI 877-224-004315
Who may request rule
Any person may obtain a person's BCI criminal record with that person's full name, address, identifiers, complete fingerprints and signed consent17

Sex offender registry

Official registry
Ohio sex offender registry (eSORN) operated by AG/BCI; public search linked from ODRC Offender Search19
Statute
AG/BCI must operate public internet sex offender database20

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Offender Search: appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch19
Victim notification
Victim registration for notification available19

Voter records

Public access
Voter registration forms and statewide database are public records, minus SSN, driver license/ID number, phone, email, confidential and protected records21
How to request
Secretary of State Voter Files Download Page: county, district and statewide files, updated weekly22
Updated
Weekly22

Business names (DBA)

Where
Trade names and fictitious names registered with the Ohio Secretary of State (no county DBA filing)23
Fee
$39 trade name or fictitious name registration23
Fee schedule
SOS schedule: Name Registration $39.00 (Form 534A); Renewal $25.0024
Copies
Copy/Certificate Request $5.00 (Form 500)24
Online filing
Ohio Business Central (ohiobusinesscentral.gov)24

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
UCC financing statements filed with the Ohio Secretary of State, except fixture filings/as-extracted collateral/timber at the county recorder (mortgage records)25
County fixtures
Fixture filings: county recorder25
Search
SOS UCC page offers file online and search UCC records26
Recorder index fee
Recorder indexing of fixture/crop financing statements: $2 base + $2 housing trust fund per name1

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
OGRIP (Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program), Ohio DAS; Geodata Download at gis1.oit.ohio.gov/geodatadownload27
Open data
Statewide GIS datasets free to download27

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
Ohio History Connection serves as the state archives by statute28
State gov records
OHC State Archives works with state and local governments on records (Local Government Records Program)29
Death index
Ohio death certificates 1908–1970 research index30
Copy services ended
OHC staff no longer provide order/copy services; vital records accessible on-site only31
Onsite
From July 1, 2026, 1954-1970 death records digital on-site at Ohio History Center kiosks31
More about historical and genealogy records
Early records
Birth/death registration began 1867; certificate format from Dec 20, 190831

Counties in Ohio

48 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 88 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.32

Warnings from official sources

  • No such federal program/form (Summit County Fiscal Office)33
  • Property Alert / deed fraud (Franklin County Recorder)34
  • Property Record Alert (Summit County Fiscal Office)35

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Ohio office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 38 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Ohio Revised Code 317.32 – County recorder feesOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  2. Ohio Revised Code 5713.01 – County auditor shall be assessorOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  3. Judicial System StructureSupreme Court of Ohio
  4. Ohio Revised Code 2303.20 – Clerk of court of common pleas feesOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  5. Vital StatisticsOhio Department of Health
  6. Ohio Revised Code 2101.16 – Probate court feesOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  7. How to Order CertificatesOhio Department of Health – Bureau of Vital Statistics
  8. The Ohio Public Records Act (FAQ)Ohio Attorney General
  9. Ohio Revised Code 149.43 – Availability of public records for inspection and copyingOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  10. The Sunshine Laws Manual (landing page)Ohio Attorney General
  11. Ohio Revised Code 2743.75 – Court of claims public records complaintOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  12. Fiscal Officer – About UsCuyahoga County
  13. Summit County Fiscal Office
  14. Ohio Revised Code 3705.23 – Certified copies of vital recordsOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  15. Background Check (WebCheck)Ohio Attorney General – Bureau of Criminal Investigation
  16. Background Check FAQsOhio Attorney General – Bureau of Criminal Investigation
  17. Ohio Adm.Code 109:5-1-01 Criminal record requestOhio Laws (codes.ohio.gov)
  18. Ohio Revised Code 109.57 – Bureau of criminal identification and investigationOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  19. Offender SearchOhio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
  20. Ohio Revised Code 2950.13 – Attorney general duties – sex offender registryOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  21. Ohio Revised Code 3503.13 – Voter registration records publicOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  22. Voter Files Download PageOhio Secretary of State
  23. Ohio Revised Code 1329.01 – Trade name registrationOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  24. Filing Forms & Fee ScheduleOhio Secretary of State
  25. Ohio Revised Code 1309.501 – UCC filing officeOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  26. Uniform Commercial CodeOhio Secretary of State
  27. OGRIP – Ohio Geographically Referenced Information ProgramOhio Department of Administrative Services
  28. Ohio Revised Code 149.30 – Public functions of Ohio history connectionOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  29. State ArchivesOhio History Connection
  30. Archives & LibraryOhio History Connection
  31. Vital Records research guideOhio History Connection Archives & Library (LibGuides; linked from ohiohistory.org Archives & Library page)
  32. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  33. Fiscal Officer Scalise Warns Residents About Unofficial and False Federal Property Tax Relief VideosSummit County Fiscal Office
  34. Franklin County Recorder home pageFranklin County Recorder
  35. Property Record AlertSummit County Fiscal Office
  36. Ohio Trial Courts & Local Rules (courts by county)Supreme Court of Ohio
  37. VS - Local Vital Statistics DirectoryOhio Department of Health
  38. Property Tax Resource HubOhio Department of Taxation