Search Ohio criminal court cases by finding the right court first
Ohio does not provide one public statewide trial-court database that replaces every county clerk, municipal court and county court search. Felony cases are generally filed in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas in one of Ohio’s 88 counties, while misdemeanors and traffic-related criminal cases are generally handled by municipal or county courts. Appeals move through one of Ohio’s 12 Courts of Appeals, and selected cases can reach the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Which Ohio court has the criminal case?
Ohio court jurisdiction matters because the state does not funnel every criminal prosecution into one online database. The correct search depends first on the level of the offense.
Felony criminal cases
Every Ohio county has a Court of Common Pleas. The General Division has original jurisdiction over felony criminal cases.
Misdemeanors and traffic
Municipal courts generally handle non-traffic misdemeanors, traffic offenses and preliminary felony proceedings.
Misdemeanors outside municipal jurisdiction
County courts serve areas not covered by municipal courts and have similar misdemeanor and preliminary-hearing jurisdiction.
Limited ordinance / traffic cases
Some Ohio municipalities operate Mayor’s Courts for limited local and traffic matters. They are not courts of record.
Appealed criminal cases
Ohio is divided into 12 appellate districts that review judgments from Common Pleas, municipal and county courts.
Selected appeals
Ohio’s court of last resort hears cases within its constitutional and statutory jurisdiction, including certain criminal appeals.
How to search an Ohio felony criminal case
For an adult felony prosecution, identify the county where the charge was filed and locate that county’s Court of Common Pleas General Division / Clerk of Courts.
Identify the county
Use the arrest location, indictment, jail record or known residence to determine where the felony case was filed.
Find the county Common Pleas Clerk
Search the official county or Clerk of Courts website for “case search,” “criminal docket,” “public records,” or “case information.”
Search the defendant or case number
A known case number is usually more reliable than a common-name search. When searching by name, compare date of birth and other identifiers where public.
Open the criminal docket
Review charges, indictment information, motions, hearings, pleas, judgment entries and sentencing events.
Check the final judgment
Determine whether the charge ended in conviction, dismissal, acquittal, plea to a different offense or another disposition.
Contact the Clerk when remote access stops
A case or document can exist even if a clerk does not make it available remotely. Ask about in-person inspection, copies and archived records.
How to search Ohio misdemeanor criminal court records
Municipal and county courts have nearly identical criminal subject-matter jurisdiction: both can handle non-traffic misdemeanors, traffic offenses and preliminary hearings in felony matters.
The correct court is determined by the geographic jurisdiction where the offense occurred.
Do not overlook Ohio Mayor’s Courts
Ohio is unusual because some municipalities operate Mayor’s Courts. These courts are not part of Ohio’s judicial branch and are not courts of record, but they can hear certain local ordinance and state traffic matters.
A person convicted in Mayor’s Court can seek a new proceeding in the municipal or county court with jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court of Ohio provides an official Mayor’s Court Search that can help identify the local court and contact information.
Examples of official Ohio county criminal court searches
Ohio’s decentralized approach becomes easier to understand when you see how major counties publish their own systems.
| County | Official search | Useful local note |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | Case Information Online | Common Pleas felony records are searchable through the Clerk’s CIO system. Columbus Municipal Court records use a separate municipal system. |
| Cuyahoga County | Clerk of Courts Criminal Search | Supports criminal search by case number or defendant name. The Clerk warns that online information is not a substitute for the official record. |
| Hamilton County | Criminal & Traffic Name Search | Search can cover Common Pleas Criminal and Municipal Criminal/Traffic records. DOB can be used as an optional criminal-case search field. |
| Montgomery County | Common Pleas Court Quick Links | The court links to Public Records Online and the court docket for Common Pleas matters. |
| Summit County | Summit County Clerk Case Search | Separate Criminal and Court of Appeals searches are available. Older pre-2002 records may require a records request. |
How to read an Ohio criminal docket
| Docket item | What it generally means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Unique local court identifier. | Use it for copies and cross-checking appellate or corrections records. |
| Indictment / complaint | The formal allegations filed in the case. | Not proof that the defendant was convicted. |
| Arraignment | Initial proceeding at which charges and plea issues are addressed. | Look for later amendments and final plea. |
| Docket entries | Chronological procedural history. | Motions, hearings, continuances, plea entries and sentencing. |
| Judgment entry | Court’s official ruling or final judgment. | Usually more important than the original charge. |
| Sentence | Penalty and court-ordered terms after conviction. | Prison, jail, community control, fines or other sanctions. |
| Appeal | Indicates appellate review may have followed. | Search the relevant Court of Appeals for later rulings. |
How to get Ohio criminal court documents and certified copies
Copy procedures and fees are local because trial-court records are maintained by the relevant clerk. Some clerks publish images online; others provide only docket information remotely.
Before contacting the clerk, collect:
- defendant’s full name
- court case number
- county
- court name
- approximate filing year
- specific document needed
- whether certification is required
- preferred electronic or paper format
Usually easiest online
Many clerks publish party, charge, docket and judgment information without requiring an in-person visit.
Availability varies
A clerk is not necessarily required to make every public case document available remotely.
Order from the record keeper
Request certification from the clerk maintaining the official file.
Older Ohio criminal court records may require an offline search
Online coverage dates differ sharply among Ohio counties. Some clerk websites contain decades of records; others make only newer records or selected documents remotely accessible.
How Ohio criminal appeals are organized
Ohio is divided into 12 Courts of Appeals districts. These intermediate appellate courts review judgments from Courts of Common Pleas, municipal courts and county courts.
Appellate docket access is commonly provided through the clerk serving the relevant appellate district. In many counties, the county Clerk of Courts also serves as clerk for that district’s appellate cases.
The Supreme Court’s Ohio Judicial System Structure explains the role of all 12 appellate districts.
Supreme Court of Ohio case docket search
The Supreme Court of Ohio maintains its own Online Case Docket.
You can use it to search cases filed with the Supreme Court by information such as case name, Supreme Court case number or lower appellate case information.
Supreme Court Clerk’s Office:
Phone: 614-387-9530
Ohio arrest records and police reports
A court docket is not the same as a police or sheriff record. If you need an arrest report, incident report, body-camera record or other law-enforcement record, start with the agency that created or maintains it.
Police department
Use the city police department’s public-records unit or records division.
Sheriff’s office
Use the county sheriff for sheriff-created arrest, jail and qualifying law-enforcement records.
Request from that agency
Ohio public-records law generally directs you to the public office that actually keeps the requested record.
Ohio Public Records Act: requesting police and government records
Ohio Revised Code § 149.43 gives any person access to qualifying public records kept by a public office, subject to statutory and other legal exemptions.
You generally do not have to live in Ohio
The Ohio Attorney General explains that a public-record requester generally does not have to live in Ohio and generally cannot be required to identify themselves.
Inspection vs copies
Generally no charge
A public office generally cannot charge merely for inspecting available public records.
Actual cost may apply
Ohio permits public offices to recover actual copying or delivery costs, subject to the law and special rules for certain records.
How quickly must an Ohio agency respond?
Ohio does not impose one universal fixed number of days for ordinary public-record requests. The law requires inspection to be provided promptly and copies within a reasonable period of time.
Ohio BCI criminal-history records are different from court dockets
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Identification Division serves as the state’s central repository for computerized criminal-history and biometric information.
Requesting your own Ohio BCI record
A person may request their own BCI computerized criminal-history record to review it for accuracy and completeness.
Current requirements include:
- complete name
- current address
- identifying characteristics
- complete set of fingerprints
- signed consent
- current $22 fee
BCI background-check inquiries: 877-224-0043
Request your own Ohio BCI recordOhio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction offender search
The official Ohio Offender Search provides public information about people who are currently incarcerated in an Ohio prison, under Department supervision, or judicially released.
Search options currently include:
- last name
- first name
- county of commitment
- residential county for supervised persons
- ZIP code for qualifying supervision searches
- status
- offender number
- next parole-board hearing month
Possible status values include:
- incarcerated
- released
- APA supervision
- violator at large
Ohio county jail and booking records
A person who was recently arrested may be held in a county jail and may not appear in the ODRC offender system.
Use the official county sheriff or jail website for:
- current jail custody
- booking date
- listed charges
- bond information
- release information
- booking number
How to search for Ohio warrant information
Ohio does not provide one unrestricted statewide public warrant search that replaces every local court and sheriff.
Check the court docket
Look for warrant-related entries in the court handling the case.
Check the sheriff
Some Ohio sheriffs publish wanted-person or warrant-search information.
Confirm directly
If the warrant may involve you personally, contact the responsible court or law-enforcement agency.
Ohio sealing and expungement rules changed again in 2025–2026
Ohio Revised Code § 2953.32 now provides separate pathways for sealing and expungement of qualifying conviction and bail-forfeiture records. Eligibility depends on offense type, degree, number of convictions and other statutory factors.
Restricted public access
A sealing order restricts public access while allowing certain statutorily authorized uses of the sealed record.
Broader destruction requirement
Ohio’s current statute generally requires covered entities other than BCI to destroy, delete or erase qualifying expunged records, subject to statutory exceptions.
Current waiting periods under § 2953.32
| Record category | Sealing application | Expungement application |
|---|---|---|
| Minor misdemeanor | 6 months after final discharge | 6 months after final discharge |
| One or more eligible misdemeanors | Generally 1 year after final discharge | Generally 1 year after final discharge |
| Eligible fourth- or fifth-degree felony | Generally 1 year after final discharge | Generally 10 years after the time the record first became eligible for sealing |
| One or two eligible third-degree felonies | Generally 3 years after final discharge | Generally 10 years after the applicable sealing-eligibility date |
Current application fee
Ohio law currently provides a $50 application fee for a sealing or expungement application, with a local court fee of up to another $50 permitted, unless the applicant qualifies for indigency treatment.
Dismissed cases and acquittals
Ohio Revised Code § 2953.33 separately allows qualifying people whose charges were dismissed, who were found not guilty, received a grand-jury no bill, or obtained qualifying pardons to seek sealing or expungement under that statute’s requirements.
2026 marijuana possession expungement provision
Effective March 20, 2026, Ohio added § 2953.321 providing an expungement process for certain older marijuana or hashish possession cases meeting the statute’s criteria.
Read current Ohio § 2953.32Juvenile and restricted Ohio court records
Juvenile matters are handled through the Juvenile Division of the Court of Common Pleas and are subject to different confidentiality and public-access rules from ordinary adult criminal cases.
Other case documents can also be unavailable online because of:
- court sealing orders
- statutory confidentiality
- protected victim information
- personal identifiers
- record expungement
- remote-access restrictions
Federal criminal court records in Ohio
Ohio has separate state and federal judicial systems. A federal prosecution will not appear simply because you search a county Common Pleas docket.
Ohio federal cases are generally filed in:
Northern District of Ohio
Covers federal cases filed in the Northern District, including courts serving areas such as Cleveland, Akron, Toledo and Youngstown.
Southern District of Ohio
Covers federal cases filed in the Southern District, including courts serving areas such as Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton.
Search federal criminal cases through PACER.
Supreme Court of Ohio location and statewide court reference
Supreme Court of Ohio
65 South Front StreetColumbus, OH 43215-3431
Main: 614-387-9000
Clerk: 614-387-9530
Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Local trial records stay local
The Supreme Court location is useful for Supreme Court records and statewide judicial information, but it is not the records counter for every Ohio felony or misdemeanor.
Contact the Common Pleas, municipal or county clerk that maintains the original trial case.
Practical Ohio criminal court record search tips
Felony means Common Pleas
Start with the county Common Pleas General Division rather than a statewide search engine.
Misdemeanor means local court
Search the municipal or county court serving the location where the case arose.
Check for a felony bind-over
A municipal-court felony docket may end when the matter moves to Common Pleas.
Use the case number
A known case number is usually much more precise than a common defendant name.
Don’t use BCI as a public name lookup
BCI computerized criminal histories are not an unrestricted public criminal-history database.
Check appeals
A later appellate decision may reverse, modify or affirm the trial-court judgment.
Search jail separately
A recent county booking may appear before the complete court docket is available.
Older case? Call the clerk
Remote coverage varies by county and court system.
Read the final judgment
Never treat the arrest, complaint or indictment as the final case result.
Using Ohio criminal court records for background screening
A public Ohio court-record search is not automatically a consumer background report prepared in compliance with laws governing employment, housing, credit, insurance or other regulated decisions.
If criminal-history information will affect another person’s employment, housing or another eligibility decision, additional federal, state and local rules may apply.
Ohio criminal court records: frequently asked questions
1. Is there one statewide Ohio criminal court case search?
No single public trial-court portal replaces all Ohio county, municipal and county-court searches. Felony cases generally start with the county Common Pleas Clerk, while misdemeanors generally start with the relevant municipal or county court.
2. Where are Ohio felony criminal cases filed?
Adult felony criminal cases are generally filed in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas for the appropriate Ohio county.
3. Where can I search Ohio misdemeanor cases?
Search the municipal or county court serving the location where the misdemeanor was filed. These courts generally handle non-traffic misdemeanors and traffic offenses.
4. Can a felony case appear first in municipal court?
Yes. Municipal and county courts can conduct preliminary felony proceedings. If a felony is bound over, the prosecution normally continues in Common Pleas Court.
5. Can I search Supreme Court of Ohio cases online?
Yes. The Supreme Court provides an Online Case Docket. It covers cases filed with the Supreme Court and is not a substitute for county trial-court searches.
6. Are Ohio BCI criminal-history records public?
Ohio Attorney General guidance states that computerized criminal-history records maintained by BCI are not public records. Individuals can request their own fingerprint-based record for review under the authorized procedure.
7. How much does it cost to request my own BCI criminal record?
The Ohio Attorney General currently lists a $22 fee for the own-record process, along with fingerprints, signed consent and required identifying information.
8. Where can I search Ohio prison offenders?
Use the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Offender Search. It includes people who are incarcerated, under Department supervision or judicially released within the system’s coverage.
9. Can an Ohio criminal conviction be sealed or expunged?
Some convictions can qualify under Ohio Revised Code § 2953.32. Eligibility depends on offense type, degree, conviction history, waiting period and other statutory requirements.
10. Do Ohio county court searches include federal criminal cases?
No. Federal criminal cases use the federal judiciary and are generally searched through PACER, including the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio.
Official Ohio sources used for this guide
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Judicial System Structure
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Online Services
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Case Docket Search
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Mayor’s Court Search
- Ohio Attorney General — Public Records Act
- Ohio Attorney General — 2026 Sunshine Laws Manual
- Ohio Attorney General — Requesting Your Own Criminal Records
- Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
- Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction — Offender Search
- Ohio Revised Code § 149.43 — Public Records
- Ohio Revised Code § 2953.32 — Sealing / Expungement
- Ohio Revised Code § 2953.33 — Dismissals / Acquittals
- Franklin County Clerk — Case Information Online
- Cuyahoga County Clerk — Criminal Case Search
- Hamilton County Clerk — Criminal & Traffic Search