How to Search Ohio Public Records

Ohio's court, criminal, vital, property, voter, and licensing records are maintained across state agencies and the 88 counties listed below. Use the tabs to filter by record type, or jump directly to any source.

  • Courts: The Supreme Court of Ohio sits at the top of the system; trial-court business is handled by the Court of Common Pleas (each county), Municipal & County Courts. Most courts publish dockets and case lookups online.
  • Criminal history: The state's criminal-history repository handles official background checks. Fees and procedures are set by the state agency — see the linked official source.
  • Vital records: Birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates are issued by the state Department of Health (or equivalent) and may also be available locally.
  • Property & recorded documents: Maintained at the county level by the Assessor, Recorder, or Clerk's office.
  • Business filings: The Secretary of State (or equivalent) operates the official business-entity search.
Population
11,883,304
Households
4,763,600
Median Income
$66,990
Median Home Value
$191,500

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2024 Population Estimates Program; 2022 ACS 5-year)

Wants & Warrants Databases

35 official Ohio wants & warrants sources.

Wants & Warrants

Auglaize County Most Wanted
Official Free
The meaning of SITE is the spatial location of an actual or planned structure or set of structures (such as a building, town, or monuments). How to use site in a sentence. Cite, Sight, and Site
Butler County Most Wanted
Official Free
Most wanted fugitives list from the Butler County Sheriff office.
Central Ohio Most Wanted
Official Free
Central Ohio Crime Stoppers weekly list of list of most wanted fugitives.
Clermont County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this Clermont County, Ohio Police database by name, photo, and crime committed for a list of the most wanted fugitives.
Erie County Most Wanted
Official Free
Provided by the Erie County Sheriff's Office. Browse photos of most wanted criminals & view information including name, age, physical description.
Franklin County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this Bi-Monthly list of Most Wanted in Central Ohio (including Franklin County).
Franklin County Most Wanted - Child Support
Official Free
Browse this Franklin County, Ohio Sheriff Office list of dead beat parents wanted for non payment of child support. Click on name for details.
Franklin County Most Wanted - Sheriff
Official Free
Browse this Franklin County, Ohio Sheriff's list by name for most wanted persons.
Hamilton County | Child Support Warrants
Official Free
Hamilton County wanted deadbeat parent search.
Hancock County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this Hancock County, Ohio Sheriff's database by name and crime committed for a list of the most wanted fugitives.
Lake County Most Wanted
Official Free
Lake County, Ohio Sheriff's office list of most wanted fugitives.
Lake County | Mentor Court Warrants
Official Free
Mentor Municipal Court active arrest warrants.
Lucas County Warrants - Toledo Municipal Housing Court
Official Free
Browse the Toledo, Ohio Municipal Housing Court bench warrants by address.
Madison County Most Wanted - Child Support
Official Free
Browse this list from the Madison County, Ohio Sheriff's Office, of parents wanted for failure to pay child support.
Marion County Child Support Warrants
Official Free
List of active non-support warrants in Marion County.
Maumee Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this list from the Maumee, Ohio Police Department of most wanted fugitives.
Mercer County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this list from the Mercer County, Ohio Sheriff's Office of most wanted fugitives.
Muskingum County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this list from the Muskingum County, Ohio Sheriff's Department of most wanted fugitives.
Parole Violators at Large
Official Free
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction list of wanted parole violators.
Portage County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this PDF list from Portage County, Ohio Sheriff's office of most wanted fugitives.
Preble County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this list from the Preble County, Ohio Sheriff's office of most wanted fugitives.
Stow Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this list from the Stow, Ohio Police Department of the most wanted fugitives. Type "most wanted" in the search box at the upper right.
Trumbull County
Official Free
Trumbull County Sheriff Office list of most wanted fugitives.
Tuscarawas County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this Tuscarawas County, Ohio Court list by name for most wanted fugitives.
Fayette County Warrants
Official Free
Office of the Fayette County Sheriff listing of active warrants.
Pickaway County Most Wanted
Official Free
Pickaway County, Ohio Sheriff's Office most wanted fugitives.
Bryan Warrants
Official Free
Browse this list of outstanding warrants issued by the Bryan, Ohio Police Department.
SITE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
Official Free
Ohio Department of Corrections most wanted fugitives.
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Highland County Most Wanted
Official Free
Browse this Highland County, Ohio Sheriff's database by name and crime committed for a list of the most wanted fugitives.
Washington County Active Warrants
Official Free
Active Washington County warrants from Marietta Municipal Court.
Willoughby Active Warrants
Official Free
Willoughby Municipal Court list of wanted persons.
Lake County | Painesville Court Warrants
Official Free
Painesville Municipal Court in Lake County active warrants.
Putnam County
Official Free
Putnam County Sheriff Office active warrants list.
Tuscarawas County Warrants | County Court
Official Free
Active warrants from the Tuscarawas County Southern District Court.
Columbus Most Wanted - Crime Stoppers
Official Free
Browse the Columbus, Ohio police (Crime Stoppers) list by name and photo for most wanted.

Ohio Counties

88 Ohio counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ohio's official criminal-history repository is operated by the state law-enforcement agency. Free public access to a complete criminal history is generally not available; an official background check typically requires fingerprints and a fee. Countie-level court records can be searched at no cost through individual court websites.

Ohio's court system is headed by the Supreme Court of Ohio. Trial-court business is handled by the Court of Common Pleas (each county), Municipal & County Courts. Many Ohio courts publish docket searches and case lookups online — see the Court Records tab above for direct links.

The Ohio Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) operates the official business-entity search. You can typically search corporations, LLCs, LPs, and other registered entities by name or registration number. See the Licenses or Business tab above.

The Assessor determines property values for tax purposes. The Recorder (or Clerk-Recorder) records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property documents. Some county offices combine these roles, others keep them separate. Check the specific county page for details.

Ohio vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates) are issued by the state Department of Health (or equivalent) and, in many cases, by local county clerks. Fees and ID requirements are set by the issuing agency.

Most county-level property and recorded-document searches are free for basic information through the Assessor or Recorder website. Certified copies of deeds typically have a per-page fee. Direct links are in the Property Records tab above.

The Ohio sex offender registry is maintained by the state law-enforcement agency under the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act. The registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or address.

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