Search Geauga County Court Records
Geauga County court records are managed by the Clerk of Courts in Chardon, Ohio. The Clerk's office keeps all case files for the Court of Common Pleas, which handles felony criminal matters, civil cases, and domestic relations disputes. Geauga County also has a municipal court and a probate court with their own records. The current Clerk, Sheila Bevington, also serves as the 2025 Treasurer of the Ohio Clerk of Courts Association. If you need to look up a case, get a copy of a filing, or check on a court record, the Clerk's office is the place to go. Records requests can be made in person at the courthouse.
Geauga County Court Records Overview
Geauga County Clerk of Courts
The Geauga County Clerk of Courts is led by Sheila Bevington. The office files and dockets all cases for the Court of Common Pleas and gives the public access to view court documents. For records questions, you can contact Denise M. Kaminski at 440-285-2222, ext. 2380.
The Clerk's office sits in Chardon, the county seat. You can visit during regular business hours to search for and copy court records. Regular copies cost $0.10 per page, and certified copies run $1.00 per page. The Clerk is required under Ohio Revised Code 149.43 to provide public records promptly. No explanation for your request is needed.
Geauga County's Clerk plays a role beyond the local level. As the 2025 OCCA Treasurer, Clerk Bevington works with the Ohio Clerk of Courts Association to improve court records access statewide. The OCCA has been connecting Ohio's 88 county clerks since 1940.
Geauga County Common Pleas Court Records
The Geauga County Court of Common Pleas is the trial court of general jurisdiction. It handles felony cases, civil litigation over $15,000, and domestic relations matters. This is where the most significant court records in the county come from.
Every case in the Common Pleas Court produces a docket. The docket tracks the filing date, parties, judge assignment, motions, hearings, and final orders. If you want to follow a case from beginning to end, the docket is the central document. The Clerk preserves these records and makes them available to the public.
Domestic relations cases in Geauga County include divorce, custody, and support matters. Civil cases range from property disputes to business litigation. Criminal cases in this court are felonies only. Misdemeanors and traffic cases go to the municipal court.
Geauga County Municipal and Probate Records
The Geauga County Municipal Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil matters up to $15,000. This court has its own clerk and maintains its own record system. If you need a traffic case or misdemeanor record from Geauga County, check with the municipal court.
The Geauga County Probate Court keeps records for estates, guardianships, adoptions, and marriage licenses. Probate records are separate from the Clerk of Courts files. Most are open to the public, though adoption records are sealed. Marriage records, wills, and estate inventories can all be found at the probate court.
Accessing Court Records in Geauga County
Ohio's public records law is strong. Under ORC 149.43, court records must be made available for inspection at all reasonable times during business hours. The Clerk cannot demand a reason for your request. There are exceptions for medical records, sealed cases, adoption files, and some law enforcement records. But the vast majority of court filings in Geauga County are open.
If the Clerk denies your request, they must point to a specific exemption. You can challenge a denial with a mandamus action, and courts can award damages up to $1,000 plus attorney fees. The Ohio Court of Claims also handles public records disputes for $25.
The Supreme Court of Ohio oversees record retention rules for all Ohio courts. Under the Rules of Superintendence, dockets and journals last 25 years. Civil files are kept two years. Criminal misdemeanor files stay for 50 years. Courts can hold records longer.
Below is a screenshot of the Ohio Public Records Act statute, which governs access to court records in Geauga County and all Ohio counties.
This statute is the legal basis for public access to court records throughout Ohio. It was updated in 2024 with Senate Bill 29.
Note: Under Rule 45, the Geauga County Clerk is not required to provide remote online access to every case file or document.
Geauga County Court Records and Case Information
Geauga County has a population of about 94,000 and sits east of Cleveland. The court system in Chardon handles a range of cases, from drug charges to contract disputes to divorces. Each case creates a paper trail that the Clerk maintains. Contact Denise M. Kaminski at 440-285-2222, ext. 2380 if you have questions about specific records or need help finding a file.
The Clerk indexes all cases by party name and case number. That means you can search in two ways. If you know the case number, the lookup is fast. If you only have a name, the Clerk can show you every case that name appears in across all divisions of the Common Pleas Court. The index covers civil, criminal, and domestic relations files.
Geauga County also processes judgment lien filings. When a court enters a money judgment, the prevailing party may record it as a lien against the debtor's real property. Liens last five years and can be renewed under Ohio law. These records are public and searchable. Title companies and real estate attorneys check the Clerk's lien index before any property transaction closes in Geauga County. The process is the same in all 88 counties because the Supreme Court of Ohio sets the standards. Whether you are in Chardon or any other courthouse in the state, the rules for filing, preserving, and accessing court records are uniform.
Background Checks and Geauga County Court Records
Court records from the Clerk of Courts only show cases filed in Geauga County. For a statewide check, the Ohio BCI runs fingerprint-based criminal history searches at $22 each. An FBI check adds nationwide coverage. County clerks do not run background checks.
Nearby Counties
Geauga County is in northeastern Ohio, east of Cleveland. Neighboring counties each maintain their own Clerk of Courts and court records.