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Lake County, Ohio public records

In Lake County, deeds are recorded by the Lake County Recorder; property values come from the Lake County Auditor; court files are split between the Lake County Clerk of Courts, Legal Division and the Lake County Probate Court.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Voter records
  11. Historical records
  12. Good to know about Lake County records
  13. Office addresses, phones and hours
  14. Records that are not online: public records requests
  15. Questions people ask
  16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  17. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsLake County Recorder4Search deeds23Self-serve copier $0.25 per page; system copies without watermark and staff-assisted copies $2.00 per page2
Property values and ownersLake County Auditor5Property search6—
Property tax billsLake County Treasurer5Tax bill search7—
Court casesLake County Clerk of Courts, Legal Division5
Lake County Probate Court5		Lake County Court of Common Pleas, General Division8
Lake County Probate Court9		Copies $0.10 per page and $1.00 per certification (plus postage if mailed); non-certified PDF copies by email free8
Marriage recordsLake County Probate Court: license $70.00, applied for online with appointment, valid 60 days9——
Divorce recordsClerk of Courts (Domestic Relations); copies by email request with case number, or married names and year8——
Birth certificatesLake County General Health District10——
Death certificatesLake County General Health District10——
Probate and willsProbate Court online case search9——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Lake County are recorded by the Lake County Recorder.4

Cost
AVA basic search: no fee stated; Laredo Select requires registering for an account (fee not stated); public computer stations at the office2
Who runs it
Fidlar Technologies (AVA / Laredo), linked by the Recorder2
Years online
Digitized and online from January 1980 to present; deed and mortgage books begin 18402
Copy fee
Self-serve copier $0.25 per page; system copies without watermark and staff-assisted copies $2.00 per page2
Certified copy fee
Certified copy $2.00 per page plus certification fee $1.00 per document (ORC 317.32(B))11
How to order
Research in the Records Rooms in Painesville or online; public record requests by email to [email protected]2
Fraud alerts
Property Fraud Alert sign-up offered by the Recorder4

How deeds work in Ohio

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Lake County Auditor (Appraisal Department) sets property values5; the Lake County Treasurer bills and collects the tax5.

Property search
auditor.lakecountyohio.gov/… (Auditor property search)6
Tax bill search
payments.municipay.com/oh_lake/search (Treasurer payment portal; past-due bills online)7
Parcel map (GIS)
experience.arcgis.com/… (linked from the county GIS page); open data downloads at gis-lakeohgis.opendata.arcgis.com/…12
Appealing a value
Complaint against value to the Board of Revision; 2025 complaints filed January 1-March 31, 2026 at 4:30 PM; Smartfile online preferred13
Tax due
Next due date Feb 24, 2027; 2026 bills online January 20277

How property tax works in Ohio

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Lake County Court of Common Pleas, General DivisionFelony criminal, civil (no upper limit), foreclosures, administrative appealsLake County Clerk of Courts, Legal Divisionphoenix.lakecountyohio.gov/… Free public case search: cases 1990-present, images 2017-present8Free search
Lake County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations DivisionDivorce, dissolution, legal separationLake County Clerk of Courts, Legal Division Same public case search; no document images for divorce/dissolution cases (file request needed)8
Lake County Probate CourtEstates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licensesLake County Probate Courtprobateeserve.lakecountyohio.gov/…9
Fees
Copies $0.10 per page and $1.00 per certification (plus postage if mailed); non-certified PDF copies by email free8
Divorce filing deposit
Divorce, dissolution, legal separation without children $306.00 deposit (schedule updated November 4, 2025)14

Criminal records and background checks

Summary
Felony cases: Common Pleas General Division via the Clerk's free public case search15

How Ohio courts keep their files

Marriage records

Lake County Probate Court: license $70.00, applied for online with appointment, valid 60 days; certified copies by mailed request form9

Ohio marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Clerk of Courts (Domestic Relations); copies by email request with case number, or married names and year8

Ohio divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Lake County General Health District: $23.00 per copy; any Ohio birth; walk-in same day, mail, phone or email10

Ordering an Ohio birth certificate

Death certificates

Lake County General Health District: $23.00 per copy for deaths in Ohio; SSN redacted if less than 5 years from death10

Ordering an Ohio death certificate

Probate records and wills

Probate Court online case search9

Finding a will or probate case in Ohio

Voter records

Registration status lookup at the Ohio Secretary of State county lookup6

Historical records

Clerk of Courts online index of historical naturalization records16

Good to know about Lake County records

  • Lake County was established March 6, 1840; deed and mortgage record books begin in 1840 and were combined into the Official Public Record on January 3, 1983.2
  • The Clerk of Courts also runs Title Division offices in Mentor and Wickliffe (motor vehicle titles).16
  • Lake County marriage licenses carry no waiting period and are valid 60 days.9

Office addresses, phones and hours

Lake County Recorder

Address
105 Main Street, Painesville, Ohio 440772
Mail
P.O. Box 490, Painesville, Ohio 440772
Hours
Business days 8:00am-4:00pm; 3:45pm courtesy cutoff for same-day recording2

Lake County Auditor (Appraisal Department)

Address
105 Main Street, Painesville, OH 440776
Phone
(440) 350-2221 (Appraisal Department)17

Lake County Treasurer

Address
105 Main Street, Painesville, OH 440776
Hours
Main Office Hours 8:00-4:30 Mon-Fri7

Lake County Clerk of Courts, Legal Division

Address
25 N Park Place, Painesville16
Hours
Monday-Friday 8AM to 4:30PM16

Lake County Clerk of Courts, Legal Division (Common Pleas General Division, felony cases)

Address
25 N Park Place, Painesville16

Lake County Probate Court

Address
25 North Park Place, Lake County Courthouse, West Annex, Painesville 4407718
Phone
440-350-2626 (directory listing); marriage department (440) 350-216818
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm18

Lake County General Health District, Vital Statistics

Address
5966 Heisley Road, Mentor, OH 4406010
Phone
(440) 350-2549 (phone orders)10
Hours
Walk-in Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M.-4:30 P.M.10

Lake County Board of Elections

Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm20

Lake County GIS

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
lakecountyohio.gov/… (Clerk of Courts); Recorder: [email protected]8

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Lake County?

The Lake County Recorder keeps deed records. To order copies: Research in the Records Rooms in Painesville or online; public record requests by email to [email protected]. Plain copies: Self-serve copier $0.25 per page; system copies without watermark and staff-assisted copies $2.00 per page. Certified copies: Certified copy $2.00 per page plus certification fee $1.00 per document (ORC 317.32(B)).4211

Where do I get a divorce decree in Lake County?

Clerk of Courts (Domestic Relations); copies by email request with case number, or married names and year.8

How do I look up who owns a property in Lake County?

Use the property search of the Lake County Auditor (Appraisal Department): auditor.lakecountyohio.gov/…6

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 Lake County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in Ohio with a full guide: Allen County, Ashland County, Ashtabula County, Athens County, Belmont County, Butler County, Clark County, Clermont County, Columbiana County, Cuyahoga County, Darke County, Delaware County, Erie County, Fairfield County, Franklin County, Greene County, Hamilton County, Hancock County, Huron County, Jefferson County, Knox County, Lawrence County, Licking County, Lorain County, Lucas County, Mahoning County, Marion County, Medina County, Miami County, Montgomery County, Muskingum County, Pickaway County, Portage County, Richland County, Ross County, Sandusky County, Scioto County, Seneca County, Stark County, Summit County, Trumbull County, Tuscarawas County, Union County, Warren County, Washington County, Wayne County, Wood County. Every county in the state: Ohio county list. Looking for another Lake County? Lake County, California; Lake County, Florida; Lake County, Illinois; Lake County, Indiana.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026
  2. Record Research OptionsLake County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  3. Record Research Options - Lake County Recorder's OfficeLake County, OHchecked November 8, 2026
  4. Recorder - Recording ServicesLake County, Ohiochecked November 4, 2026
  5. Elected OfficialsLake County, Ohiochecked November 4, 2026
  6. Lake County, Ohio homeLake County, Ohiochecked November 4, 2026
  7. TreasurerLake County Treasurerchecked November 4, 2026
  8. Public Records Requests - Clerk of CourtsLake County Clerk of Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  9. Marriage DepartmentLake County Probate Courtchecked November 4, 2026
  10. Birth and Death RecordsLake County General Health Districtchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Costs for Copies of RecordsLake County Recorderchecked November 4, 2026
  12. Geographic Information System (GIS)Lake County, Ohiochecked November 4, 2026
  13. Complaint Against Value (Board of Revision)Lake County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  14. Deposit/Fee Schedule (PDF)Lake County Clerk of Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  15. Common Pleas Court, General DivisionLake County Court of Common Pleaschecked November 4, 2026
  16. Clerk of CourtsLake County Clerk of Courtschecked November 4, 2026
  17. Auditor Contact UsLake County Auditorchecked November 4, 2026
  18. Probate CourtLake County Probate Courtchecked November 4, 2026
  19. DepartmentsLake County, Ohiochecked November 4, 2026
  20. Board of ElectionsLake County Board of Electionschecked November 4, 2026
  21. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026