Franklin County public records are legal documents available to any interested member of the public. Encompassing the majority of the Columbus, Ohio metro area, Franklin County sets a prime example for what it means to provide free, public access to essentially every type of public record a person could want. Whether that be records pertaining to marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, criminal, and court documents, Franklin County provides an easy and streamlined process to obtain most of these records just from an online search.
Due to the robust online repositories various Franklin County government agencies have created, a free public records search will yield almost any record from the comfort of a home or office space without the need for filing fees or additional paperwork.
How To Conduct an Offender Search Through the Franklin County Sheriff’s Inmate Information System
The Columbus Police Department is the primary law enforcement body for Franklin County. With over 1,800 officers, the department serves a community of over 900,000 people.1
Alternatively, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the several dozen communities outside the Columbus city limits. Part of their main duties includes staffing the two correctional facilities located in Franklin County as well as updating the jail roster daily.
Those interested in finding Franklin County jail records can search for currently incarcerated individuals in one of two ways.
The first and easiest way to do so is by using the Franklin County inmate search function. A convenient feature of this search function is that very little information needs to be provided to utilize the system. For example, simply providing a last name will yield all potential matches even if the spelling of the first name is unknown.
The search function also provides an option to find someone’s mugshot since all recent Franklin County bookings have their mugshots posted.
Beyond the inmate search function, another way to find out if someone is in jail is to contact the facility directly.
In Franklin County, there are two correctional facilities. The primary facility is the new James A. Karnes Corrections Center. Opening its doors last year, the facility is a project undertaken by the City of Columbus to better prepare inmates for life back in their communities.
With state-of-the-art rehabilitation, recreation, and job training facilities, combined with a large number of beds dedicated for those mentally and physically handicapped, the facility is the bedrock of the Franklin County corrections system.3
The older Franklin County Corrections Center II is still in operation as well. The two jails in Franklin County can be visited in person or called over the phone:
Correctional Facility Contact Information
James A. Karnes Corrections Center
2551 Fisher Rd
Columbus, OH 43204
Phone: 614.525.3368
Franklin County Corrections Center II
2460 Jackson Pike
Columbus, OH 43223
Phone: 614.525.71004
Find Arrest Records via Various City Police Departments in Franklin County
Throughout Franklin County, there are numerous law enforcement agencies policing it. While the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office maintains the inmate search portal for all currently incarcerated individuals, the portal does not contain narrative arrest reports or information on those who have been already released.
Instead, members of the public should contact the arresting agency directly to speak with the records department and submit a request for any desired records.
For example, the City of Columbus police department has an online submission form to request a recent arrest report or crash report. Requestors are asked to provide some personally identifying information as well as contact information for the police department to reach back out to them.
These details are taken because requestors who desire arrest or crash reports via an emailed pdf can receive it completely free. However, those who prefer a hard copy mailed must pay 5 cents per page.5
Though this is not the only way to obtain Franklin County arrest records, starting with the Columbus Police Department is a great way to begin a search considering the volume of incidents the department handles each year.
Other law enforcement agencies that can be contacted to provide arrest reports include:
- Franklin County Sheriff’s Office: 614.525.3365
- City of Bexley: 614.559.4444
- Columbus Police Department: 614.645.4760
- Dublin Police Department: 614.889.1112
- City of Gahanna: 614.342.4240
- Grove City Police: 614.277.1710
- Hilliard Police Department: 614.876.7321
- Upper Arlington: 614.459.2800
- Westerville Police Department: 614.901.6450
How To Locate Marriage & Divorce Records Through the Franklin County Clerk of Court
Trying to find out if someone is married utilizing Franklin County public records is fairly straightforward thanks to the county’s initiative to digitize most listings. Marriage records are held at the Franklin County Probate Court.
The Probate Court has an online directory that lists all marriages that occurred on or after January 3, 1995. Franklin County marriage records before that date cannot be viewed online and must be requested through the Probate Court directly.
The online search function is the easiest way to check if someone is married in Franklin County. The portal lists both party names, the date, and the case number of the marriage. To actually obtain a copy of the marriage certificate, citizens can reach out to the Probate Court via email, phone, or visiting in person.
Certified copies are available for $1.00 per page while regular copies cost 10 cents per page.6
The following address is valid for both mail-in and in-person requests:
Franklin County Probate Court Marriage Department
373 S. High Street
23rd Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614.525.3108
Email: [email protected]
Mon – Fri 8am – 4:30pm8
Though Franklin County offers ample data regarding marriage records online, trying to find public divorce records requires a bit more legwork. Unlike marriage license numbers, there is no public index of freely available divorce certificate numbers.
Instead, interested parties can either submit a request in writing and mail it to the Franklin County Clerk of Courts, or visit the Domestic Relations Division in person. The copy fee is $1.00 along with either 10 cents per page for uncertified copies or $1.00 per page of certified copies.9
The Clerk of Courts encourages individuals to confirm the total amount of the copying fees before requesting Franklin County divorce records to avoid any unnecessary delays. When requesting divorce records, members of the public must submit or have the following information ready:
- Parties’ first and last names during the marriage
- The year the case was filed
- The case number (if applicable)
- Desired return address for records
To get ahold of divorce records, written requests can be mailed or submitted in person to the below address:
Franklin County Clerk of Courts
373 S High St., 4th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.525.4410
Mon – Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How Can I Look Up Franklin County, Ohio Criminal Records?
Thanks to the hard work of the Clerk of Courts, along with robust Ohio state law guaranteeing the public access to criminal records, there are numerous options to view public criminal records in Franklin County.
Before getting into the different ways to check public records for free, it is important to understand the different courts that operate in this jurisdiction. Inside Franklin County, the following local criminal courts apply:
- Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, General Division
- Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division
- Franklin County Municipal Court10
The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas handles the bulk of the serious offenses that occur in this jurisdiction. The Clerk of Court has created a very useful online tool to search for all criminal offenses that have taken place here; this is the most reliable option for looking up someone’s criminal history.
To use the online search tool, any member of the public can simply switch the search function to “criminal” and can see all criminal court cases going back several decades. It is important to note that to best utilize the search function, knowing some information such as the offender name will better narrow the results.
Utilizing the Case Information System is arguably the best way to conduct a completely free criminal record check in Franklin County due to the large volume of information available at no cost, while most other methods mentioned below will come at a nominal fee.
Another way to find out if someone has a criminal record that may not have elevated to the felony level is by searching the Municipal Court records. The Franklin County Municipal Court handles all misdemeanors, traffic, and civil violations. The court has established a useful public records repository that lists past and active minor criminal cases.
The listing is updated almost daily and provides accurate information regarding changes in the case including important court dates.
Despite being great tools, these two sites are not the only ways to check Franklin County criminal records. Numerous police departments also provide low cost options for obtaining police reports.
Retrieve Ohio Criminal Records Through State Resources
The Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is Ohio’s statewide investigative body. This organization has jurisdiction over any crime that occurs within state borders and assists local police departments when requested. The BCI maintains a database for all crimes in the state.
While the BCI may have access to all criminal offenses that have happened in the state, due to Ohio public records laws, the information contained within that database is not freely accessible to the public. Instead, any interested party can send a written request to the BCI that contains the following information:
- The full address, first, and last name of the subject;
- A full set of fingerprints;
- A signed letter giving consent to have background check done; and
- A payment of $22 made via money order, check, or electronic means to the “Treasurer of State of Ohio”12
Fingerprints can be submitted at any of the following BCI locations:
BCI London
1560 State Route 56 Southwest
London, OH, 43140
BCI Bowling Green
750 North College Drive
Bowling Green, OH, 43402
BCI Richfield
4055 Highlander Parkway
Richfield, OH, 44286
BCI Youngstown
20 W. Federal St
Youngstown, OH, 44503
If these locations are too far away, a person could visit any one of the State of Ohio’s approved vendors through the state’s background check system, Webcheck.
However, this method is mainly for conducting a criminal history check on oneself and is not available to look up information on others, unless conducted by approved law enforcement agencies, courts, employers, or licensing agencies.
Instead, there are several statewide databases that allow the public to access records accumulated across the state of Ohio at home for free:
Ohio Department of Corrections: The ODC has a useful tool that shows every inmate being held in state custody or released within the past several years.
Adult Parole Authority: Using the aforementioned Department of Correction search, interested parties can also look up if someone is currently on parole in the state of Ohio. The APA also handles anyone who transfers their probation status from an out-of-state conviction.
Sex Offender Registry: Figuring out if someone is a sex offender is pretty easy in Ohio. State law requires convicted sex offenders to provide a copious amount of information to the local sheriff’s office including all phone numbers, emails, and any online account usernames. The registry also maintains a list of those offenders currently not in compliance with the rules.
Perform a Background Check on Anyone in Franklin County, Ohio
The Franklin County Sheriff’s office offers both BCI and FBI background checks along with fingerprinting services. Members of the public interested in obtaining a personal copy of their own criminal record can fill out this application and bring it to the Sheriff’s office. The fee for a fingerprint card is $10, and conducting both a BCI and FBI background check will cost $70.
The BCI conducts over a million background checks each year for Ohio residents. The primary way this is done is through the hundreds of approved commercial providers authorized to take fingerprints and submit forms to the BCI. Because of this, Webcheck is the main way to look up someone’s criminal record in Franklin County.
To find which providers are in Franklin County, simply select “Franklin” from the county dropdown menu. On the right hand side of the search, providers are listed by their services provided as well as fees.
It is very common that practically every provider conducts both BCI and FBI background checks. However, what is not standard across the board is the fee schedule.
The fees vary wildly and can range from around $20 to nearly $100 depending on if a person wants just a BCI check, FBI check, or both. Each Webcheck vendor sets their own fees and there is no standard fee schedule amongst the hundreds of providers, so requesters should be sure to check on this fee in advance.
Once submitted, the background check should be ready in 4-5 business days for someone with no criminal record and up to 6 weeks for someone with a record. Once delivered, the requesting individual can then contact relevant record custodians to get further details on the events listed in the report by reviewing available Franklin County public records.
The contact information for each vendor is also listed and has their business name, address, and phone number. However, it is important to note that the Ohio Attorney General’s office does not endorse any one particular entity nor guarantee accuracy. Vendors listed may not be conducting services anymore and it is up to individuals to look into that before using those services.
How To See if Someone Has Outstanding Warrants in Franklin County, Ohio
In Franklin County, there are regularly over 100,000 individuals who have warrants out for their arrest.14 These warrants range from a wide variety of matters including fugitives from justice as well as individuals who simply failed to appear in court for a traffic ticket.
For those interested in searching for Franklin County warrants, there are two main ways to do so.
The first and easiest way is to use the Court Access and Search Engine administered by the Franklin County Municipal Court. Members of the public can use this to see active warrants by switching the search functions of Case/Type to “Criminal/Traffic” and Case Status to “Open.” Then, input the person’s name to see if any results come up.
If someone has a warrant, the system should display it. If no results populate, then there is not an active warrant for that person’s arrest in Franklin County.
But just to be sure that the information provided online is correct, there is another way to conduct a warrant search; the Franklin County Municipal Court encourages members of the public to contact the court directly by phone at (614)645-8214.16
How To Verify Probationer Details Through the Franklin County Adult Probation Authority
At any given time, there are over 6,500 people on probation in Franklin County.17 The Franklin County Adult Probation Department is the primary body overseeing the actions of these individuals.
The Adult Probation Department is only responsible for those individuals whose offense happened within the Franklin County limits or who transferred in from another Ohio county. Residents who are on probation whose crimes happened out of state are subject to supervision from Ohio’s Adult Parole Authority rather than the Probation Department.
Though public records in Franklin County are generally quite robust, the probation records are one of the areas the county is lacking.
As of the writing of this guide, there are no publicly searchable databases for every person on probation in Franklin County, due to the Court of Common Pleas’ records policy.
The currently stated policy of the Court of Common Pleas–the body that oversees the Adult Probation Department–is that the records and reports of that department are not available for public use. Any citizen who desires this information should consider Freedom of Information Act requests or consult an attorney.
As a partial solution, the state of Ohio does publish a search tool to find current parolees. While this mainly includes those on monitored release from prison rather than jail, it also includes those on probation if their cases were transferred to Ohio from another state.
Despite not providing probation information, any other questions can be asked in person or over the telephone at the Probation Department contact information below:
Franklin County Adult Probation Department
369 S High Street
5th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.525.3700
Mon- Fri 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How To Find Civil & Criminal Court Records in Franklin County Using Case Information Online
Viewing Franklin County court records is best done through the online portal managed by the Clerk of Courts. The portal displays every type of Franklin County case search available, including civil, criminal domestic, and appellate proceedings. These Franklin County public records regarding court proceedings go back for several decades and are available to anyone.
Individuals hoping to check public records in Franklin County pertaining to court cases may benefit from knowing that many case documents from the past decade or so have most of the case documents digitized as free PDFs available for instant download.
Despite the great amount of information available online, not every single court record has been digitized yet. Free copies of court transcripts are only available via electronic means. For members of the public who desire hard copies, the Court of Common Pleas charges 8 cents per page in both civil and criminal cases.18
To obtain Franklin County judicial records from the Municipal Court, the general public can reach out via phone or email, or stop by in person (see contact information below). When requesting these records, the person does not have to identify him or herself or state the reason for the request. Additionally, public records requests from the Municipal Court must be fulfilled in a prompt and reasonable time frame so as to not keep requesters waiting.
The Municipal court defines “prompt” as within one business day and states that records shall be available for viewing during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If the Municipal Court denies a member of the public access to records, there must be written notice provided that cites legal justification such as the records being sealed or belonging to a juvenile, as these are lawfully withheld.
Records can be accessed for free when requesting them to be emailed electronically, but paper copies will incur a charge of 5 cents per page and certified copies will be granted at $1.00 per page.19
Interested parties can visit in person or submit written requests for court records via mail:
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas
345 S High St
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.525.3453
Franklin County Municipal Court
375 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614.645.8186
How To Submit a Request for Franklin County Vital Records: Certificates of Birth & Death
The Columbus Public Health Office of Vital Statistics is the main regulatory body for providing documentation regarding all live births in Ohio since 1908, as well as all deaths registered within Franklin County during the same time period. The Vital Statistics department itself is not a separate entity but part of the Columbus Public Office.
For information regarding births or deaths that occurred before 1908, interested parties must contact the probate court of the county where the event occurred. Any records before 1867 are unavailable since the state of Ohio did not keep such records before then.
A request for a certificate of birth can be sent online, in the mail, or be made in person. When requesting by mail or in person, a birth certificate application or death certificate application must be completed. A non-refundable fee of $25 per certificate is due at the time of application submission.
For those wanting to order a certificate of death or birth online, the Public Health Office does offer an endorsed third-party method of doing so via VitalChek.
It is important to note that all certificates are available in the system within 2-5 weeks of a live birth or death. Those requesting a certificate before it appears in the system may want to be aware that the documentation will not be sent in the mail until the certificate is registered in the system.
When requesting documentation for births, the Public Health Office requests that citizens wait at least 14 days before inquiring as to its status and 60 days for death documentation.20
For those not using the third-party VitalChek service online, mailed requests can be sent to the below address as well as visited in person:
Columbus Public Health Vital Statistics:
240 Parsons Ave
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.645.7331
Mon-Fri, except Wed 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wed only 9am to 4pm
Certificates of birth or death can also be ordered at the state level through the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Ohio Department of Public Health, for $21.50 per certified document. Records can be ordered online, in person, or by mail.
Obtain Franklin County Property Records From the County Auditor or Treasurer
In most county structures, there could be an Auditor and a Treasurer whose duties are different but closely related. An Auditor is the person whose responsibility it is to ensure the accuracy of all title work to legal property in the county. The Treasurer ensures that all applicable taxes have been paid on such property.
In Franklin County, both the Auditor and Treasurer carry out these functions in lock step with one another.
Because of this, each position maintains vital property records as part of their fiduciary duties. The office of the Auditor maintains a property record database of all properties and their owners in the county, which includes a plethora of information regarding each piece of real estate.
Here is a thorough sampling of some of the information an individual may find associated with each property:
- Property owner
- Parcel ID
- Date last purchased or transferred
- Board of Revision status
- Authorized permits
- Sketches and maps
- Floor plans
- Street view photos
- Aerial photos
- Agricultural use
- Tax payments
- Parcel summary report
- Neighborhood search for adjoining properties21
It is important to note that all of this information is completely free of charge and can be downloaded at any time with no associated cost. Of all the information that is currently posted, arguably one of the best features of the database is the ability to print the parcel report which gives a completely free method of proving home ownership along with a tax breakdown.
Though the database offers an impressive amount of information, certified copies must be requested directly from the Office of the Auditor.
On the other hand, the office of the Treasurer has a separate property tax-focused database that has some overlapping data like ownership and appraisal value, but focuses heavily on tax burden, payments, and assessments. While it admittedly doesn’t have as much information on the design and lay out of the home like the Auditor offers, the Treasurer maintains a great deal of information surrounding the tax liability and history of the property.
Some of the information listed by the Auditor includes:
- Property owner
- Assessed value
- Tax bills for each year
- Parcel ID number
- Delinquent taxes
- Special taxes
- Interest charged
- Effective tax rate
- Payment history
- Special assessments
In addition to all of this information, the Treasurer also provides a breakdown for how all of the tax dollars from collected property taxes are spent each year. The following are all the possible options listed under each property:
- ADMH
- Children Services
- City
- Columbus State
- County General Fund
- FCBDD
- Library
- Parks
- Schools
- Senior Options
- Zoo22
In order to obtain certified copies of property records, written requests should be sent to the following addresses:
Office of the Auditor
373 S. High St., 21st Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: 614.525.4663
Office of the Treasurer
373 S. High St., 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.525.3438
A Short Summary of Franklin County Public Records
The information that is readily accessible for free or at low cost throughout Franklin County, Ohio is vast. The majority of county agencies do a fantastic job of presenting the huge volumes of material under their purview to the public in easy-to-find methods.
However, none of the records provided for free are considered certified copies, and the only free means any government organization offers for public records are via electronic means.
Both certified and paper copies must be paid for in advance. Background checks are not free either, but there are several tools that can provide a fairly accurate check as long as all of the offenses occurred within Franklin County.
With such a large volume of information and custodians to sort through, here is a brief summary of some county records available online for reference:
Inmate Search
Marriage Records
Divorce Records
Criminal Records
- Case Information Online
- Franklin County Municipal Court
- City of Columbus police reports
- BCI/FBI background checks via Webcheck
- Franklin County Sheriff’s Office background checks
Warrants
Probation and Parole Records
Court Records
Birth and Death Records
Property Records
With this resource available for residents to refer to, users can track down Franklin County public records on anyone efficiently.
References
1Columbus Police Department. (n.d.). Columbus Division of Police. Retrieved July 22, 2023, from Columbus Police Department. (n.d.). Columbus Division of Police. Retrieved July 22, 2023, from <https://new.columbus.gov/Services/Public-Safety/Police>
2Franklin County Ohio Sheriff. (n.d.). Inmate Search. Image. Retrieved July 22, 2023, from <https://fcsojmsweb.franklincountyohio.gov/Publicview/(S(14knmnmsuo4boqb3t2l4aw0k))/BookingFind.aspx>
3Gilbane. (n.d.). Franklin County Corrections Center. Retrieved July 22, 2023, from <https://www.gilbaneco.com/project/franklin-county-corrections-center/>
4Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. (n.d.). Division: Corrections. Retrieved July 22, 2023, from <https://sheriff.franklincountyohio.gov/About/Divisons/Corrections>
5Columbus Police Department. (n.d.). Report Request. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://www.columbus.gov/Templates/Detail.aspx?ekfrm=2147515578>
6Franklin County Probate Court. (n.d.). Certified Records. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://probate.franklincountyohio.gov/departments/certified-records>
7Franklin County Probate Court. (n.d.). Marriage License Index. Image. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://probate.franklincountyohio.gov/record-search/marriage-license-index>
8Franklin County Clerk of Courts. (n.d.). FAQS. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://clerk.franklincountyohio.gov/legal/aboutDomestic#FAQs>
9Franklin County Probate Court. (n.d.). Welcome Page. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://probate.franklincountyohio.gov/>
10The Supreme Court of Ohio. (n.d.). Courts by County. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/judicial-system/ohio-trial-courts/#Court-List>
11Franklin County Clerk of Courts. (n.d.). Case Information Online Research Options. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://fcdcfcjs.co.franklin.oh.us/CaseInformationOnline/>
12Ohio Attorney General. (n.d.). Requesting Your Own Criminal Records. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families/Consumers/Requesting-Your-Own-Criminal-Records>
13Webcheck Form. (n.d.). Ohio Attorney General. Retrieved August 15, 2023, from <https://sheriff.franklincountyohio.gov/SHRF-website/media/docs/Information/2023-SHR-Web-Check-Form.pdf>
14Columbus City Attorney. (n.d.). Is there a Warrant for Your Arrest? Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://city-attorney.columbus.gov/outstandingwarrants-search.aspx>
15Franklin County Municipal Court. (n.d.). Search Records of the Franklin County Municipal Court. Image. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <http://www.fcmcclerk.com/case/search>
16Franklin County Municipal Court. (n.d.). Questions. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://municipalcourt.franklincountyohio.gov/About/FAQ>
17Court of Common Pleas General Division. (n.d.). Adult Probation. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://www.fccourts.org/184/Probation-Services>
18Court of Common Pleas. (n.d.). Transcripts. Retrieved July 23, 2023, from <https://www.fccourts.org/182/Transcripts>
19Franklin County Municipal Court. (2007, September 29). FCMC Clerk Public Records Policy. Retrieved July 24, 2023, from <http://www.fcmcclerk.com/documents/clerk/FCMC_Clerk_Public_Records_Policy.pdf>
20City of Columbus. (n.d.). Get a Birth or Death Certificate. Retrieved July 24, 2023, from <https://new.columbus.gov/Services/Public-Health/Get-a-Birth-or-Death-Certificate>
21Franklin County Auditor. (n.d.). Property Search. Retrieved July 24, 2023, from <https://property.franklincountyauditor.com/_web/datalets/datalet.aspx?mode=cauvstat&sIndex=0&idx=1&LMparent=20>
22Franklin County Treasurer. (n.d.). Property Search. PHIPPS DENNIS. Retrieved July 24, 2023, from <https://treapropsearch.franklincountyohio.gov/Details.aspx?district=10&parcel=37882&ext=0&tab=4&year=2022>