Find Franklin County Court Records
Franklin County court records are available through the Clerk of Courts office in Columbus, Ohio. Franklin County is home to Ohio's largest trial court, the Court of Common Pleas, which handles thousands of cases each year. The Clerk maintains a free online search tool called Case Information Online, or CIO, that lets you look up criminal, civil, domestic relations, and appellate cases from your computer. You can also visit the courthouse in person or request records by mail. With Columbus as the county seat, Franklin County processes more court filings than any other county in Ohio, making its online tools especially useful for anyone searching for case records.
Franklin County Court Records Overview
Franklin County Court Records Online (CIO)
The Case Information Online (CIO) system is the primary way to search Franklin County court records from home. The system is run by the Franklin County Clerk of Courts and the Franklin County Data Center. It covers criminal and civil cases in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas, domestic relations cases, and appellate cases from the 10th District Court of Appeals.
The docket entries you see in CIO match what is on the official court docket. But there is an important catch. The information in CIO is considered a copy, not the official record. If you need the official version, you have to go to the courthouse and look at the original file. CIO is meant for general public use, not for bulk data downloads. The Clerk will detect and stop efforts to mine large amounts of data without prior approval. Anyone wanting data files has to submit a public records request through the Clerk's website.
Below is a screenshot of the Franklin County CIO system where you can search court records by case number or party name.
The CIO portal gives free access to docket entries for criminal, civil, domestic, and appellate cases filed in Franklin County.
For domestic relations cases in CIO, you may see entries labeled "ADM TOLL TIME BEGIN" and "ADM TOLL TIME END." These exist because of the Supreme Court of Ohio's December 16, 2020 Order. They prevent statistical case-time from building up and are only used for calculating the age of active cases. They do not impact other time standards and do not stay the case. This is a detail specific to Franklin County's system that you won't see in most other counties.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Records
The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas is Ohio's largest trial court. It handles felony criminal cases, major civil litigation, domestic relations matters, and probate. The sheer volume of cases here dwarfs what you see in smaller Ohio counties. Columbus is the state capital, and the county's population drives a heavy caseload.
Criminal cases in the General Division cover felonies only. If someone was charged with a felony in Franklin County, the record is in the Common Pleas Court. Civil cases over $15,000 are also here. Domestic relations covers divorce, dissolution, custody, and support cases. All of these are searchable through the CIO system.
The 10th District Court of Appeals sits in Franklin County too. Appellate cases from the Common Pleas Court and other lower courts are filed here and are included in CIO. If a case was appealed, you can track both the trial court record and the appeal through the same online system.
Franklin County Probate Court Records
The Franklin County Probate Court handles estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, and mental health proceedings. The court provides an online Probate General Case Index Search. You can also search records in person with an appointment, by U.S. Mail, or by email at Probate@franklincountyohio.gov. The court is at 373 South High Street, 22nd Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215-6311.
Probate records are separate from the Clerk of Courts files. If you need a marriage license or want to check on an estate case, the Probate Court is where you go. Most of these records are public. Adoption records are typically sealed, as required by Ohio law.
Here is a screenshot of the Franklin County Probate Court website where you can find information about estates, guardianships, and marriage records.
The Probate Court offers online case search, in-person access, and email requests for records related to estates, guardianships, and mental health proceedings.
Franklin County Municipal Court Records
The Franklin County Municipal Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic tickets, and civil claims up to $15,000. This is a busy court given the size of the Columbus area. The municipal court has its own online case search, so you can look up misdemeanor and traffic cases separately from the Common Pleas records in CIO.
The Columbus City Attorney's Office prosecutes misdemeanor offenses and traffic violations within the city. Records of these prosecutions are maintained by the City Attorney and the Municipal Court. If you need to find a misdemeanor case from Columbus, the municipal court is the first place to check.
Below is a screenshot of the Franklin County Municipal Court website.
The Municipal Court handles a high volume of misdemeanor, traffic, and small civil cases in the Columbus area.
Public Access to Franklin County Court Records
Under Ohio Revised Code 149.43, court records in Franklin County are public. The Clerk must provide access during business hours. No reason is needed. Exemptions exist for medical records, sealed cases, adoption files, and certain law enforcement records, but most filings are open.
If you are denied access, you can file a mandamus action. The court can award damages of $100 per day the Clerk failed to comply, up to $1,000, plus attorney fees. The Ohio Court of Claims also handles public records disputes. Filing a claim costs $25, and the process starts with mediation.
The Rules of Superintendence set retention periods. Dockets and journals last 25 years. Civil files get two years. Felony criminal files are kept much longer. OVI files last 50 years. Franklin County, as the state's largest court system, maintains a significant archive of records.
Note: CIO data is not meant for bulk distribution, and anyone wanting large data files must submit a formal public records request to the Franklin County Clerk of Courts.
Court Records vs. Background Checks
Franklin County court records cover cases filed here. For a statewide criminal history, the Ohio BCI runs fingerprint-based checks at $22 each. BCI checks cover Ohio only. FBI checks go nationwide. County clerks do not run background checks. That is BCI's role.
The Ohio Clerk of Courts Association coordinates across all 88 counties. Their site has links and info for every county clerk in the state. Franklin County is a key member, given its size and the volume of records it manages.
Cities in Franklin County
Franklin County includes Columbus, the state capital, along with several other cities. Court records for these communities are filed through the Franklin County Clerk of Courts or the municipal court system.
Nearby Counties
Franklin County is in central Ohio. These neighboring counties each have their own court systems and Clerk of Courts offices.