Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026.
Putnam County, Ohio, has about 34,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Putnam County is held at the county jail, run by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Putnam County public records, Putnam County arrest records, Putnam County warrants, Putnam County criminal records, Putnam County court records, Ohio arrest records and Ohio inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Putnam County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Putnam County is held at the county jail, run by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at sheriffoff.com/services/inmate-visitation (page title: Inmate Visitation | Putnam County Sheriff’s Office), phone 419.523.3208, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 11, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at 419.523.3208.
The Putnam County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2023 the jail held about 25 people, down from about 46 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2019, the last year with a capacity figure, was 76 beds, and it ran at 61 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Putnam County has about 34,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 7 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Putnam County Jail
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Ottawa, Leipsic, Columbus Grove, Kalida, Pandora, Continental and two more cities make the arrests that end in a booking in Putnam County.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Ottoville's 1,152 for 2025, Kalida's 1,152 for 2025 and Belmore's 1,152 for 2025.
Together, the six agencies in Putnam County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,662 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Putnam County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
The jail holds people awaiting trial and people serving short sentences. A person sentenced to prison in Putnam County serves the sentence in a facility of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, whose inmate locator is at appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Putnam County?
Ask the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 419.523.3208; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at sheriffoff.com/services/inmate-visitation.
How many people are in the Putnam County jail?
About 25 on an average day in 2023, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 76 beds.
What is the phone number for the Putnam County jail?
419.523.3208, the number on the page of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Putnam County go?
To a facility of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction; its inmate locator is at appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch.
Is this the official Putnam County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.