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Portage County, Ohio public records

In Portage County, deeds are recorded by the Portage County Recorder; property values come from the Portage County Auditor; court files are divided among the Portage County Clerk of Courts, the Portage County Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division and the Portage 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. Historical records
  11. Good to know about Portage County records
  12. Office addresses, phones and hours
  13. Records that are not online: public records requests
  14. Questions people ask
  15. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  16. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsPortage County Recorder's Office4Search deeds2Ohio statute: $2.00 per page ($1 base + $1 housing trust fund)3
Property values and ownersPortage County Auditor5Property search5—
Property tax billsPortage County Treasurer's Office6Tax bill search5—
Court casesPortage County Clerk of Courts7
Portage County Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division8
Portage County Probate Court9		Portage County Court of Common Pleas, General Division4Fees: copies: Ohio clerk statutory copy fee: $1 per page including certificate and seal10
Marriage recordsPortage County Probate Court9——
Divorce recordsPortage County Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division8——
Birth certificatesKent City Health Department, Vital Statistics12—$24.00 per certified copy (Kent City Health Department, Ohio births/deaths 1909-present)11
Death certificatesKent City Health Department, Vital Statistics12—$24.00 per certified copy11
Probate and willsPortage County Probate Court9——
Business names (DBA)Statewide: Trade names and fictitious names registered with the Ohio Secretary of State (no county DBA filing)13——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Portage County are recorded by the Portage County Recorder's Office.4

Who runs it
Cott Systems (cotthosting.com "eSearch")2
Copy fee
Ohio statute: $2.00 per page ($1 base + $1 housing trust fund)3
Certified copy fee
Ohio statute: $1 base + $1 housing trust fund per page, plus $0.50 + $0.50 per certification with seal3
How to order
Call or e-mail the Recorder for correct page totals; staff will not perform searches14
Record types
Deeds, easements, land titles, federal tax liens, mortgages, veteran burial records, rights-of-way, unemployment liens, UCC filings, leases, veteran discharges15

How deeds work in Ohio

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Portage County Auditor (real estate appraisal and assessment) sets property values5; the Portage County Treasurer's Office bills and collects the tax6.

Property search
beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx (Real Estate Search)5
Tax bill search
Treasurer payment options: portagecounty-oh.gov/…; tax estimator on the Auditor Beacon site5
Parcel map (GIS)
Auditor Beacon map: beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx; county GIS department portagecounty-oh.gov/gis-department5
Appealing a value
Formal appeal to the Portage County Board of Revision, January 2-March 31 (2025 notice); appraisal dept (330) 297-35685

How property tax works in Ohio

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Portage County Court of Common Pleas, General Division (Ravenna Court House, 203 W. Main St., 3rd floor)Criminal (felonies), civil and administrative cases16Portage County Clerk of Courts (Common Pleas, Municipal Court and Auto Title)services.portageco.com/eservices Clerk of Courts eServices: search court records, pay fines4
Portage County Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations DivisionDivorce, dissolution, annulment, support, custody17Portage County Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division (records via Clerk of Courts)—
Portage County Probate CourtEstates, guardianships, adoptions, name changes, marriage licenses, birth registration/correction17Portage County Probate Court (Juvenile/Probate Court, a division of Common Pleas Court)—
Portage County Municipal Court (Ravenna and Kent)Misdemeanors, felony bond, civil up to $15,000, small claims up to $6,00018Portage County Clerk of Courts (civil: Common Pleas General Division; Municipal Court civil in Ravenna and Kent)—
Fees: copies
Ohio clerk statutory copy fee: $1 per page including certificate and seal10

Criminal records and background checks

Court records
Clerk of Courts files Common Pleas, Court of Appeals and Municipal Court criminal/civil papers17

How Ohio courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Portage County Probate Court (Juvenile/Probate Court, a division of Common Pleas Court).9

Records
Marriage records at the Probate Court from about 1808; card index by husband's surname and wife's maiden name; certified copies for a fee4

Ohio marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Portage County Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division (records via Clerk of Courts).8

Records
Divorce records at the Clerk of Courts (Common Pleas), indexed by husband and wife names; copies for a fee4

Ohio divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Kent City Health Department, Vital Statistics (Portage County, Ohio - Vital Statistics Primary District No. 6700).12

Fee
$24.00 per certified copy (Kent City Health Department, Ohio births/deaths 1909-present)11
How to request
Online via VitalChek (will call or shipping), in person, or by mail12
Older
1867-1908 birth/death records: Portage County Probate Court, 203 W. Main Street, Ravenna (330-297-3870)12

Ordering an Ohio birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Kent City Health Department, Vital Statistics (Portage County, Ohio - Vital Statistics Primary District No. 6700).12

Fee
$24.00 per certified copy11

Ordering an Ohio death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Portage County Probate Court (Juvenile/Probate Court, a division of Common Pleas Court).9

Records
Estate and guardianship records from 1817, indexed alphabetically; copies for a fee4

Finding a will or probate case in Ohio

Historical records

Public terminals
Public display terminals for computerized records; IT Services processes requests for computerized records for a nominal fee4

Good to know about Portage County records

  • Portage County was created by the Ohio General Assembly on June 9, 1808.17
  • Birth and death certificates for the county are issued by the Kent City Health Department, not the Portage County Health District.12
  • The Clerk of Courts also runs the auto title division.17
  • The Probate Court holds 1867-1908 birth and death records.12

Office addresses, phones and hours

Portage County Recorder's Office

Address
Portage County Administration Building, 4th Floor, 449 S. Meridian St., Ravenna, OH 4426614
Phone
(330) 297-3553 (main and copy requests); fax (330) 297-734914
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm14

Portage County Auditor (real estate appraisal and assessment)

Address
Portage County Admin. Bldg, 449 S. Meridian St., 5th Floor, Ravenna, Ohio 442665
Mail
PO Box 1217, Ravenna, Ohio 442665
Hours
Mon-Fri, 8:00AM-4:30PM5

Portage County Treasurer's Office

Address
449 S. Meridian Street, 1st Floor, Ravenna, OH 442666
Mail
P.O. Box 1217, Ravenna, OH 442666
Phone
(330) 297-3586; fax (330) 297-33936
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm6

Portage County Clerk of Courts (Common Pleas, Municipal Court and Auto Title)

Address
Courthouse, 203 W. Main St., Ravenna, Ohio 442664
Mail
Common Pleas General Division, PO Box 1035, Ravenna, Ohio 4426619
Phone
Common Pleas General (330) 297-3644; Domestic (330) 297-3475; Ravenna Civil (330) 297-3635; Ravenna Traffic/Criminal (330) 297-3639; Kent Civil (330) 678-9170; Kent Traffic/Criminal (330) 678-91007
Hours
Courthouse Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm7

Portage County Clerk of Courts (civil: Common Pleas General Division; Municipal Court civil in Ravenna and Kent)

Address
203 W. Main St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (Ravenna); 303 East Main Street, Kent, OH 44240 (Kent Municipal)19
Phone
Common Pleas General (330) 297-3644; Ravenna Civil (330) 297-3635; Kent Civil (330) 678-91707
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm7

Portage County Probate Court (Juvenile/Probate Court, a division of Common Pleas Court)

Address
203 W. Main Street, Ravenna, OH 442669
Mail
PO Box 936, Ravenna, OH 44266 (for marriage copy requests)20
Phone
330-297-3870; fax 330-297-3894; marriage 330-297-38719
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm (marriage license 8:00 am-3:30 pm)20

Portage County Common Pleas Court, Domestic Relations Division (records via Clerk of Courts)

Address
Courthouse, 203 W. Main St., Ravenna, Ohio 442664
Mail
Clerk of Courts, Domestic Relations Division, PO Box 1035, Ravenna, Ohio 4426619
Phone
330-297-3475 (Clerk, domestic)7

Kent City Health Department, Vital Statistics (Portage County, Ohio - Vital Statistics Primary District No. 6700)

Address
Kent Central Gateway - PARTA Bldg. 2nd Floor, 201 E. Erie Street, Kent, Ohio 4424012
Phone
330-678-8109; fax 330-678-208212
Hours
Pick up 8am-4pm Monday-Friday12

Portage County Board of Elections

Address
449 South Meridian Street, Ravenna, OH21
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm21

Portage County Geographic Information Systems

Address
449 S. Meridian St., Ravenna, OH 4426622
Phone
(330) 297-3510; fax (330) 297-456022

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
portagecounty-oh.gov/… (Clerk of Courts policy and request form)19

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

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

The Portage County Recorder's Office keeps deed records. To order copies: Call or e-mail the Recorder for correct page totals; staff will not perform searches. Plain copies: Ohio statute: $2.00 per page ($1 base + $1 housing trust fund). Certified copies: Ohio statute: $1 base + $1 housing trust fund per page, plus $0.50 + $0.50 per certification with seal.4143

How much is a birth certificate in Portage County?

$24.00 per certified copy (Kent City Health Department, Ohio births/deaths 1909-present).11

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

Use the property search of the Portage County Auditor (real estate appraisal and assessment): beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx5

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 Portage 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, Lake County, Lawrence County, Licking County, Lorain County, Lucas County, Mahoning County, Marion County, Medina County, Miami County, Montgomery County, Muskingum County, Pickaway 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.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 23 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. eSearch Name Search (Cott Systems) - linked by Portage County RecorderPortage County Recorder / Cott Systemsarchived copy
  3. Ohio Revised Code 317.32 – County recorder feesOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  4. Records SearchPortage Countyarchived copy
  5. Portage County Auditor real estate sitePortage County Auditor
  6. About the TreasurerPortage County Treasurerarchived copy
  7. Portage County Clerk of Courtsarchived copy
  8. Portage County home pagePortage Countyarchived copy
  9. Juvenile/Probate CourtPortage Countyarchived copy
  10. Ohio Revised Code 2303.20 – Clerk of court of common pleas feesOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  11. Birth and Death RecordsCity of Kent Health Department
  12. Birth and Death RecordsPortage County Combined General Health District
  13. Ohio Revised Code 1329.01 – Trade name registrationOhio Legislative Service Commission (codes.ohio.gov)
  14. RecorderPortage County Recorderarchived copy
  15. Your County RecorderPortage County Recorderarchived copy
  16. Common Pleas Court General DivisionPortage Countyarchived copy
  17. About Portage CountyPortage Countyarchived copy
  18. Municipal CourtPortage Countyarchived copy
  19. Public Records PolicyPortage County Clerk of Courtsarchived copy
  20. Marriage License Application InstructionsPortage County Probate Courtarchived copy; the page is no longer on the office's site
  21. Board of ElectionsPortage Countyarchived copy
  22. Geographic Information SystemsPortage County
  23. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau