Free Franklin County Warrant Search (Ohio Resource)

Conduct a free Franklin County warrant search on yourself or others today without hassle or tedious research.

Viewing details of warrants allows citizens to learn if there’s one issued under their name or someone they know and lets them carry out the steps to address it. Warrants are issued by the honorable Court of Ohio, and this data is available to the general public through databases run by county courts and the sheriff’s office.

This resource covers the best methods of performing record searches for various types of warrants issued in Franklin County, Ohio. Interested parties can also learn the differences between various types of warrants and how to handle them.

Understanding the Franklin County Warrant Search Process

According to Section 149.43 of the Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules, all records that are under the custody of the court and office of the clerk are available to the public unless there is an exemption on some records from disclosure.¹

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are various types of records issued in Franklin County, Ohio, that will be discussed later in this article. However, individuals should note that some records are kept confidential since their disclosure interferes with law enforcement operations. More information on the types of warrants will be discussed later in this article.

There are two ways of finding criminal records in Franklin County, Ohio. The first is through the Franklin County Municipal Court (FCMC) and the other way around is through the Franklin County Clerk of Courts.^{2, 3}

Individuals who are interested in searching criminal record information in Columbus, the most populated city of Franklin County, Ohio can do so by accessing the FCMC search tool from the official website of the city.⁴

Citizens must note that there are several custodians and agencies that host warrant search information in Franklin County, Ohio, while some records are not available for public use under an exemption as mentioned above.

How To Verify if You or Someone Else Has an Active Warrant in Franklin County Ohio

The best way to perform a criminal record search is through the online search tool of Franklin County Municipal Court (FCMC), which is an accessible tool for everyone free of cost.²

Once on the search page, requesters are required to enter basic details about a subject they wish to search – such as their first name and last name. Note that these two are mandatory requirements to perform a successful record search.

Individuals can improve the accuracy of the search by entering some or all of the following information before clicking on the “perform search” button:

• Middle Name
• Date of Birth
• Company Name
• Party Type
• Case Number
• Ticket Number
• Case Type
• Case Year
• Case Status

Clicking on the search button will display a list of results based on the inputs provided by the requester, which includes the following information about the subjects:

• Case Number
• Name
• Party Type
• Date of Birth
• Alerts & Pending Events
• Status

Interested parties can click on the “view” button at the left of each record to find out more about a particular result – leaving the individual with more information on the offender, such as complete defendant information, charges issued, docket, and financial summary.

Franklin County Municipal Court – For further information on any criminal record or to get assistance regarding the search process, individuals can contact the Franklin County Municipal Court through:

Franklin County Municipal Court
Criminal Sector
375 South High St.
Columbus, Ohio (43215)

Phone: (614)6458186
Email: [email protected]

For more information regarding types of records or some additional assistance, curious parties can feel free to browse the FAQs section of the FCMC.⁶

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office – Individuals looking for warrant information on anyone or interested in reporting the whereabouts of a concerned person can reach out to the Franklin County Ohio Sheriff’s Office through the following means:

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
373 South High Street
Columbus, OH (43215)

Phone: (614)5253333
Email: [email protected]

Franklin County Clerk of Courts – Another solid way of finding criminal records in Franklin County, Ohio, is through the clerk of courts. Interested individuals can conduct a Free Criminal Record Search Tool of Franklin County Clerk of Courts.³

All a person needs to know is the last name of a subject in order to perform a successful search. Citizens can enter other information that can improve the accuracy of the returned results, such as:

• First Name
• Middle Initials
• Court
• Case
• Department
• Name of Party
• Filing Date (From & To)

After entering the desired information, requesters can click on the search button, which leaves them with a list of records with the following information on each one:

• Case Number
• Name
• ITN Number
• Gender
• Police Department
• Date of Birth
• Description
• Filed Date
• Status

Additional information on any particular incident may be explored by clicking on the case number, which leaves inquirers with detailed results about the subject, including the case schedule, docket, and other civil case details.

Interested parties can contact the Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse through the following details:

Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse
345 South High Street, 1st Flr
Columbus, OH (43215)

Phone: (614)525-3621

Citizens may email the Common Pleas Courthouse by filling out the Courthouse’s online contact form or get more information regarding specific records or any other assistance by going through external resources.

City of Columbus Attorney – If an individual wants to perform a criminal record search in Columbus, the most populated city in Franklin County, Ohio, they can do so through the search tool of FCMC that has been covered earlier. The search tool can also be accessed through the official City of Columbus website.⁴

If interested individuals require more information about warrant information, they can contact the Office of Columbus City Attorney through the following details:

Columbus City Attorney’s Office
77 North Front St.
Columbus, Ohio (43215)

Phone: (614)6457385
Email: [email protected]

An Overview of Warrant Types

As mentioned multiple times earlier in this resource, there are several types of warrants issued in Franklin County, Ohio. Here is what each type means:

Arrest Warrants: An arrest warrant is issued by the police of Ohio if they think that an individual has committed a crime or is accused of being guilty. An arrest warrant in Franklin County, Ohio, is issued mainly for the following reasons:

• Failure to Appear in Court
• Alleged of a Serious Crime
• Found Violating a Court’s Order
• Found Disobeying Probation Conditions
• Failure to Pay Costs and Due Fines

Bench Warrants: A bench warrant is issued by the honorable court of Ohio when a subject fails to appear in court when summoned or has violated court rules. This warrant grants local authorities the power to bring the subject into legal custody, where ultimately, he/she will be presented in front of the court to answer why they previously failed to appear.

Probation and Parole Violation Warrants: A probation and parole violation warrant is issued by the court through the probation officer against an individual who has violated their respective terms. Here are some common probation and parole violations under which this type of warrant is issued:

• Avoiding a Mandatory Drug Test
• Influenced by Drugs or Having Drugs in Possession
• Committing a New Crime/Offense
• Failure to Report to Probation Services
• Failure to Pay Restitution
• Ignoring a Protection Order
• Leaving the County of Residence Without Legal Permission

Traffic Warrants: A traffic warrant is issued when a subject has violated traffic laws or has an unpaid infraction or ticket under their name. In this case, the individual has to appear before the court and settle the warrant or pay the fine amount in advance within 15 days of issuance.

Child Support Warrants: A child support warrant is issued if a non-custodial parent fails to pay child support on time that has been previously agreed upon by the court. The Child Support Enforcement Agency is responsible for enforcing and establishing child support orders in Franklin County, Ohio.⁸

Capias and Capias Pro Fine Warrants: A capias and capias pro fine warrant is issued by the honorable court if a defendant fails to pay a fine or fees associated with a criminal act committed before. In Franklin County, Ohio, subjects who fail to pay their fines and fees on time are obligated to pay a penalty on the charges.

Search Warrants: A search warrant (also known as a no-knock warrant) is issued when authorities are under suspicion that an individual has or will be committing a crime. The local police of Franklin County, Ohio, have the full right to search a subject’s residence or place of hiding and confiscate any items that might be evidence.

Fugitive Warrants: A fugitive warrant is issued against an individual who has fled to another jurisdiction to avoid punishment or prosecution. In Franklin County, Ohio, the sheriff’s office is responsible for arresting such subjects and presenting them in front of the court.⁹

How To Handle an Active Warrant in Franklin County Ohio

In case an individual or someone they know has an active warrant in Franklin County, Ohio, they can follow some steps to get rid of it.

Before diving into the process, it is important to know if any citizen has information about a concerning subject’s whereabouts, they can convey this information to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office or submit information through a tip form rather than taking action themselves.^{10, 11}

The sheriff’s office can be reached through the following details:

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
373 South High St.
Columbus, Ohio (43215)

Phone: (614)5253333
Email: [email protected]

Now, here are four things that an individual needs to do in order to lift a warrant in Franklin County, Ohio:

1. Wait for Arrest – In this case, the individual will be detained or arrested by the police, and the department will not grant the individual a new court date.
2. Turn In – Individuals can surrender themselves to the court if they are willing to settle the warrant and deal with the issue.
3. Hire an Attorney – Another way is to hire an attorney who will file a motion with the court to have the warrant lifted on behalf of the individual.
4. Visit the Court – Lastly, concerned individuals can show up at court during business hours to lift the warrant and comply with any procedures that the court states.

In order to learn in detail about ways of getting rid of a warrant in Franklin County, Ohio, curious parties can go through the detailed instruction document published by the County Court of Common Pleas.¹²

Thorough and detailed ways of performing a Franklin County warrant search have been discussed in this article; individuals should reach out to relevant authorities to report warrant information about someone else so that the required action is taken most effectively.