Ohio Court Records

What are the chief duties of any courthouse in America? In a broad sense, these functions can be divided under two heads. These are the passing of judgment of all civil and criminal cases, and the careful preservation of the different records of the various cases. The courts located in the State of Ohio operate on these very principles as well.

You might need to obtain copies of the various personal records at any time for different reasons. The legal authorities of Ohio keep this in mind and ensure that the public records can be easily accessed by the residents of the state. While most of the maintained Ohio court records can be requested for personal viewing, all such records do not follow this pattern. In fact, the courts of the state keep certain types of records restricted from public access. These ‘private’ records that cannot be accessed by the general public are mentioned specifically in the state's laws.

These are however few in number. Remember, the authorities are legally obliged to maintain the records and share them with you when you place a request. The best news is you do not have to seek permission from anyone to access these court records.

Accessing Ohio Court Records

How do you apply for gaining access to the public records with the courts of Ohio? You will have to mention both the type of the record that you are searching for as well as the full name (preferably) of a person to whom the record that is being sought is actually related. There are various types of courts in the state and they all maintain a variety of records, so you must know where to request these records.

The clerk at the appropriate courthouse is where you need to address your request for gaining access to the record. You can approach the clerk’s office directly, or you can also place your request over telephone. Alternatively, you can find the information you need from the state records website. There are some private websites too where you can access these court records. With huge gains in computers, technology and Internet, it has now become possible to find public court records online.

Steps to Find the Information You Need

You must first know the complete name of the person you want to research, or determine the location of the court where the appropriate record is held. Remember, you will need to approach the Court of Appeals if you want to check the records of those cases that were heard but were reconsidered.

Perhaps the person about whom you want the information came to Ohio from another state. Perhaps the crime or any other incident was committed in another state. These are the reasons why it is good to have as much information about the concerned person as is possible.

Information You Can Find with the Ohio Court Clerk

With so many cases of fraud happening in recent times, there is a need to carry out a complete background check rather than just a check of someone's criminal history. This may become a necessity for your safety if for example you need to hire someone for your business or babysit your children.

By carrying out the complete check, you can receive much more information than what you would have received from the criminal check. Armed with all this data, you can finally make an informed decision and be sure about your and your family’s safety.

All publicly held records, from those of births and deaths, divorces and marriages, police and criminal records, driving offenses and financial records are stored and made accessible to you when you place a request.

Here is the kind of information that you can get:

•    Age, sex and other relevant details 

•    Current & past phone numbers & addresses 

•    Marriage records 

•    Divorce records

•    Default records

•    Police, arrest, courts and criminal records 

•    Army, navy and military records 

•    Business and property records 

When you follow the prescribed format for requesting these public records from the courts of Ohio, there are no chances of unnecessary time-lags before you can get your results. The timely manner in which these records are supplied is also another highlight of the court system of Ohio. You can get them quickly provided you submit the correct application and approach the right court. Remember, you will need to approach the Ohio Clerk of Courts or find the record that you need on the Internet from the database.