Where to Find Ohio Civil Court Records 

Ohio civil court records are legal documents detailing the proceedings of non-criminal disputes handled by Ohio civil courts. Civil cases usually begin with conflicts between people, institutions, and government agencies. Records generated during civil case proceedings usually include summons, affidavits, motions, oral arguments, witness testimonies, transcripts, and many other documents in paper and electronic formats. Typically, civil cases are non-criminal in nature and can include monetary disputes, domestic relations cases, as well as all questions of law.  

Ohio civil court records are typically generated, stored, and distributed by the individual courts where the cases are heard. They are available to the public on request. For records that prove especially elusive, third-party amalgamation sites offer a suitable retrieval alternative. 

Are Ohio Civil Court Records Public? 

The Ohio Freedom of Information Act furnishes the public with the right to inspect and copy records of civil cases filed within the state’s jurisdiction. However, all or parts of some records are protected by law. Records featuring confidential and sensitive information such as bank account information, Social Security numbers, home and business addresses, trade secrets, and tax IDs are sealed by statutes. These records are primarily open to:

• subjects or individuals named on the record, 
• individuals authorized by the court, 
• individuals authorized by the subject of the record, 
• selected law enforcement officials and 
• legal representatives of the parties involved.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that the person resides in or was accused in. 

Third-party sites are independent from government sources and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

Types of Cases in Ohio Civil Court 

Civil courts in Ohio hear cases of legal or domestic disputes between individuals, businesses, private/public institutions, and families. These cases are non-criminal, and the legal consequences do not result in jail time. Some of these cases include;

• Ohio Tort claims involving claims of battery, negligence, personal injury, defamation, fraud, medical malpractice, etc.
• Breach of contract claims and Ohio contract or property disputes
• Equitable claims with cases where the plaintiff is requesting a restraining order or injunction to stop the destruction of property or improper transfer of land 
• Actions for the recovery of money or personal property
• Judgment collection actions
• Replevin and interpleader
• Title or boundaries of real property
• Traffic violations
• Ohio small claims
• Social security and insurance benefits
• Discrimination and civil rights violations 
• Unemployment hearings and workers compensation
• Denial of public and health benefits such as welfare, food stamps and Medicaid
• Landlord/tenant issues such as eviction, or return of security deposit, foreclosure, fixing poor living conditions, etc. 
• Domestic relations cases involving marriages, divorces, paternity lawsuits, child support/custody, emancipation, adoption, and guardianship

Generally, civil courts in Ohio handle different types of cases and consequently hold all associated records - e.g. Ohio bankruptcy records. There are four trial courts in the state including courts of common pleas, municipal courts, county courts, court of claims, and mayors’ courts. While the courts of common pleas handle civil cases with over $15,000 in controversy, other lower courts have limited and concurrent jurisdictions over cases with less financial value. 

What is the Difference Between Criminal Cases and Civil Cases?

Criminal cases constitute the criminal court enforcing public codes of behavior according to state laws. This involves the government prosecuting an individual for committing a crime against the state laws. On the other hand, civil cases mostly comprise non-criminal and non-violent legal disputes and disagreements between individuals, businesses, and institutions. One of the major differences between both case types is that criminal cases are filed by the government against an individual, while  civil cases are typically initiated by individuals and institutions. The presiding judges overseeing both case types have different powers. A criminal court judge can sentence a defendant to prison or jail while civil defendants mostly pay fines or money as compensation. 

How Do I Find Civil Court Records In Ohio?

In Ohio, records of civil cases are maintained by the respective courts where the cases were heard. These records are usually generated and  maintained by the clerks of courts. According to the Ohio Open Records law, citizens and residents of the state have the right to inspect non-confidential court records on request. This can be done in person, by mail, or online. 

Follow these steps to make an in-person and mail-in request for Ohio civil court records:

• Individual courts maintain records of their cases. As such, the first step in finding a record is to find the court where the civil case was heard
• Due to the number of records maintained by the courts, inquirers are required to provide enough specific information about the civil case for which the record is sought. Such required information include names of parties involved, the date the case was filed, case file number, and names of legal representatives
•  This shortens the search time and avoids delay.
• Ohio courts charge nominal fees for requests and these costs are subject to local court guidelines. Call the court clerk holding the record of interest before sending a request to get information on request forms, fees and other relevant details 
• After gathering all these information, the requesting party may then visit or send a mail to the courthouse to tender a request

Information on all courts in Ohio have been aggregated on the Ohio Supreme Court Judicial branch website with locations, phone numbers, court websites and mailing addresses for state courts, or county websites for county courts.

How Do I Find Civil Court Records Online? 

Civil court records in Ohio can be accessed online via court, county websites as well as third party aggregate sites. The state courts generally obey the state laws regarding sealing and exempting records for the safety and privacy of the citizens. As such, all records made available online do not jeopardize the safety or privacy of its subjects. 

Records that contain information about adoption, the identity of victims of child abuse, HIV test results and juvenile permission for abortion may be unavailable online.

Public civil court records may be accessed online via the Ohio Supreme court’s online database. Inquirers may also access civil court opinions online via the Ohio Appellate Courts.

In addition, the PACER (Public Access Court Electronic Records) and CM/ECF (Case Management/Electronic Case Files)  systems may also be quite resourceful means of finding civil records online. These systems may however require users to register and run searches for civil court records across the state using case numbers. The charge per page is 10 cents.

What Is Included In an Ohio Civil Court Record?

Civil court case files contain a variety of documents and information generated throughout the case proceedings. Depending on the type of case, the content of each document varies from county to county. However, these records share similar general characteristics such as:

• Civil complaint that summarises the identities of the parties involved, the court hearing the case, plaintiffs allegations, and the requested damages or compensation
• Proof of service document that carries information of the time and places the defendant was notified of the lawsuit
• Legal representatives of both parties and contact information (plaintiff and defendant)
• Amended complaints that may be added as the case progresses
• Details of cross-complaints (if applicable)
• Interrogatories of questions from both parties to be answered under oath
• Depositions or interviews conducted under oath
• Memorandum of points and authorities
• Restraining orders and injunctions signed by the judge
• Dismissal, judgment, or verdict describing the final outcome or ruling of the case

How to Access Ohio Civil Court Records for free

In Ohio, inspection of most electronic civil court records from government websites and physically at the agency offices or courthouses are generally free. However, querying parties will need to pay if copies of these records are also required. Also, there are no charges associated with e-mailed documents if the court holding the record of interest offers email request options.

How to Seal Civil Court Records in Ohio

Sealing or expungement of civil court records in Ohio is mainly based on public rights and private interests. That is, an individual or establishment requesting for sealing case records has the burden of proving to the court that public access to these records may cause harm or damage and that the consequences outweigh  the public’s right to access the records.

Persons involved apply to have civil court records sealed, the individual will file a motion with the court where the case was originally heard. According to  Ohio Revised Codes 2953.32 and 2953.52, every application for sealing or expungement requires a hearing. The motion may be to restrict public access to specific information in a case or the entire record. At this hearing, arguments and evidence will be presented to support the motion to seal the records. The presiding judge has complete discretion to grant or deny the application after considering and balancing the interest of the public and the petitioner.

In response to the application for sealing civil cases in Ohio, certain information and portions of the filings found to be harmful may be redacted, but the entire document may not be sealed. On other occasions, the judge may grant the application to seal the entire document after considering 

• If public policy is served by restricting access to members of the public
• If the state or federal laws exempt the document or information in the document from public access
• If there’s risk associated with granting public access, such as the risk of public safety, individual privacy rights, or proprietary business information.

How to Access Sealed Civil Court Records in Ohio? 

Access to sealed civil court records in Ohio can be obtained by written motion to the court.  To grant access to these records, the court shall schedule a hearing after notifying all parties involved in the case of the motion. 

In some cases,  after considering new evidence and the initial reason for restricting access, the court may grant access to sealed records. This is only possible if the new evidence proves that the presumption of granting public access is no longer outweighed by a higher interest.

The civil courts have the power to restrict records at the judge’s discretion, after considering:

• Safety of parties involved 
• Privacy rights and interests of the parties involved
• Proprietary business information
• General or public safety