Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Lima is a city in Allen County, Ohio, with about 35,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Lima offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 3 city office pages for Lima, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, City Hall, Records requests and Questions.
City or county record: where Lima records are kept
- Kept by the City of Lima: council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Allen County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Allen County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Lima City Clerk: council records and ordinances
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Lima.
- Website: limaohio.gov/101/Clerk-of-Court (page title: Clerk of Court | Lima, OH)
- Phone: (419) 221-5275
- Address: 109 N Union St Lima, OH 45801
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Lima City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: limaohio.gov (page title: Lima, OH)
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Lima
Ohio public records law applies to the city government of Lima. The city runs one records request page for its departments; it is the page below, verified by SearchSystems. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
- Website: limaohio.gov/174/Records (page title: Records | Lima, OH)
- Phone: (419) 221-5135
- Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
A record the request page does not cover is asked for from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Lima website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Lima offices listed above, and the city's own website is limaohio.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
Where do I find Lima city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at limaohio.gov/101/Clerk-of-Court, phone (419) 221-5275. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Lima?
Lima cases are heard by the courts that serve Allen County, and people arrested in Lima are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Allen County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Lima?
Through the city's records request page at limaohio.gov/174/Records, phone (419) 221-5135. A record it does not cover is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records and the department that issued a permit or license for its records.