Cuyahoga County Arrest Records

A law enforcement officer makes an arrest when there is probable cause to believe a law has been violated. This arrest can be done with or without a warrant. After the arrest, the officer will take the arrested person to the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center (CCCC) for processing and booking. This process entails fingerprinting, mugshots, checking for outstanding warrants, and entering the arrestee's personal information into the computer system. After booking, the arrested person may:

• Be held in jail until the arraignment.
• Be released with no charges being filed.
• Post bail or bond and be released on their own recognizance and scheduled for an arraignment.

The arrested person will be asked to agree to a plea bargain. If the person refuses, the case will proceed to trial. The defendant will be released if found not guilty. However, they will be sentenced immediately or at a later date if found guilty. After imposing a sentence, the court will advise the defendant of their right to appeal the conviction. Review the Ohio Rules Of Criminal Procedure for more information on the arrest process in Cuyahoga County.

The Cuyahoga County Corrections Center (CCCC) houses over 26,000 arrested persons annually. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department keeps records of these arrests and makes them accessible to the public. Interested persons seeking arrest records also request Cuyahoga County Court Records of arrested persons. This helps them retrieve court information to review case status, charges, and sentencing information.

Are Arrest Records Public in Cuyahoga County?

Yes. Arrest records are public in Cuyahoga County under the Ohio Public Records Act. Therefore, citizens can inspect or copy arrest records from local law enforcement agencies during business hours. However, Ohio Law restricts the release of certain arrest records. Per OH Rev Code §149.43, confidential arrest records in Cuyahoga County include the following:

• Medical records of an arrested person
• Juvenile arrest records
• Arrest records pertaining to probation and parole proceedings
• Trial preparation records associated with an arrest
• Confidential law enforcement investigatory records

Arrest records whose disclosure that will reveal:

• Reveal the identity of an information source or witness.
• Reveal the identity of a suspect who has not been charged with the offense to which the record pertains.
• Endanger the life or physical safety of a police officer, a witness, a crime victim, or a confidential source.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Although not all arrest records are public in Cuyahoga County, some are readily available for public perusal. A typical arrest record available to the public contains the following information:

• Mugshot
• Arrestee's full name
• Gender and race
• Number
• Date of birth
• Arrest date
• Jail admission date
• Arresting agency
• Custody status
• Holding facility
• Arresting agency report
• Charges (charge type, statute, charge description, and disposition)
• Bond information (bond number, amount, and type, date set, and date posted)

Cuyahoga County Crime Rate

The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) provides crime statistics through its State Incident-Based Reporting System (OIBRS). The 2023 report of all law enforcement agencies in Cuyahoga County reveals 35,890 crimes, of which violent crimes totaled 8,021 and property crimes totaled 27,869. The top three offenses recorded that year were larceny-theft (10,938), motor vehicle theft (5,581), and aggravated assault (4,427). Compared to the 2022 report, Cuyahoga County law enforcement agencies recorded approximately 35,784 crimes, a decrease from 2023. Of these crimes, 7,751 were violent crimes, and 28,033 were property crimes.

The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office reported about 35 crimes committed by residents in 2022. Of this number, 28 were violent crimes, and 7 were property crimes. The highest crime committed that year was aggravated assault. The 2022 crime report decreased from 50 crimes committed in 2021, with 34 violent crimes and 16 property crimes.

The Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division addressed approximately 9,644 criminal charges in 2022. These charges were for person (3,714), DUI (82), property (2,632), and public order (2,503) offenses, unruly behaviors (701), and other offenses (12).

Cuyahoga County Arrest Statistics

In 2023, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction (ODRC) had approximately 1,794 arrested persons from Cuyahoga County in custody, a decrease from the 1,912 arrestees in 2022. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) made 92 felony arrests in Cuyahoga County in 2023.

Find Cuyahoga County Arrest Records

Individuals can find data on Cuyahoga County individuals housed in state prisons at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction (ODRC). This search can be conducted online or in person at the DRC's local facilities, and online requests can be made using the Offender Search tool. The search parameters are by name, county of commitment, residential county and/or zip, next parole board hearing date, or offender number.

Federal law enforcement agencies maintain records of Cuyahoga County arrestees in federal prisons. Requesters must contact the appropriate record custodian or visit their websites to find the desired record. For example:

Inquirers can obtain arrest summary reports from the United States Capitol Police (USCP) online or by mail. Online requesters can conduct a search using CFN number, crime date, crime summary, or crime type, while mail requesters fill out a Request Form and send it to:

United States Capitol Police
Reports Processing Section
119 D Street, Ne
Washington, DC 20510

Arrest information with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) criminal records can be retrieved online, by mail, or through approved channelers. This service costs $18, payable by credit card using the Credit Card Payment Form, money order, or certified check. Mail applicants must submit a completed Applicant Information Form to:

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issues arrest records online and in person at its local field offices and detention facilities. Online requests must be made through the Online Detainee Locator System using an A-Number or biographical information. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) provides access to arrest records online and in person at BOP facilities. A search can be conducted by number or name.

Free Arrest Record Search in Cuyahoga County

Arrest records may be viewed for free at the front counter of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department or local police stations during regular business hours. Requesters must be able to identify the desired record with sufficient clarity to allow the record staff to identify, retrieve, and review the records. Individuals can also get arrest records for free from the Sheriff's Department's booking desk by calling (216) 698-4820, (216) 515-8348, or (216) 698-6430.

The Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts (COC) has a Case Records Search System that can be used to find arrest records without charge. Go to the criminal search area and conduct a search by case or name.

Alternatively, inquirers can use third-party online platforms to find arrest records at no cost. However, only initial name-based searches are freely available. Comprehensive arrest record searches cost between $2.95 and $4.95 for 7 days of unlimited access or a monthly subscription charge between $19.95 and $24.95.

Get Cuyahoga County Criminal Records

A criminal record is an official document containing offenses for which a Cuyahoga County citizen has been found criminally liable and convicted. Individuals can get criminal records from local police stations in Cuyahoga County. For example, the Cleveland Division of Police issues criminal records in person at the Records File Section for five (5) cents per copy. Criminal request hours are Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 8:00 a.m. and. 3:30 p.m. The requester must provide necessary information like full name, social security number, and date of birth to facilitate the search. The Division is located at

The Cleveland Division of Police
Justice Center
1300 Ontario Street, third (3rd) floor
Cleveland, OH 44113

Individuals can request criminal records (also called background checks) in person at the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department at the Justice Center CCW License Office. The Department provides background checks only by appointment only. Therefore, call (216) 443-6080 to book an appointment. The requester must have a driver's license or state-issued I.D. card, documentation indicating the purpose of the desired record, and an address where the document will be mailed. The Department charges $35 for this service, payable by cashier's check or money order.

Interested persons who want a more complete criminal record can contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investiga­tion (BCI). Applicants must complete a form and a fingerprint impression sheet at a BCI-authorized agent office. Requesters who are not living in Ohio can mail a completed Fingerprint Card to the BCI. Complete and submit a Request for Exemption from Electronic Fingerprint Submission Requirement Form with the card. A fee of $22 payable by money order, certified check, business check, or personal check must accompany the card. Record seekers can get a copy of a previously completed background check by following the background check copy procedure and mailing a completed Background Check Copy Request Form. This service costs $8. The BCI's mailing address is:

Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investiga­tion (BCI)
P.O. Box 365
London, OH 43140

Cuyahoga County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records are different from criminal records. An arrest record is limited because it only contains the booking information of an arrested person. Everything else after the arrest is not included in the arrest record. Per OH Rev Code §109.571(4), criminal records are means information obtained by criminal justice agencies on arrested individuals. They consist of the arrestee's personal and arrest details, detentions, indictments, other formal criminal charges, and dispositions (like acquittal, sentencing, correctional supervision, or release).

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Typically, arrests stay on record in Cuyahoga County permanently except expunged. For example, the criminal case files of a person with a death penalty conviction are permanent. However, some arrest records have waiting periods during which they can be expunged. For example, a minor misdemeanor has a waiting period of 6 months, but a serious misdemeanor is one year. The Ohio History Connection, formerly the Ohio Historical Society, provides Records Retention Schedules, including details of how long arrest records are retained and then destroyed by a record custodian. For example:

• The criminal case file of an arrested person is kept for 50 years
• DNA samples of arrested persons are retained for 125 years from the collection date. However, the sample will be retained for 1 year if it is rejected and will be destroyed after confirmation if it is duplicative to existing samples within the past five years.
• RapBack program, rap sheets & transcripts are retained for 60 days for electronic copies and two years for paper copies after notification.
• Weekly court disposition reports on arrested persons are retained for six months for electronic copies and 110 years or seven years after death for paper copies.
• Court and law enforcement compliance files are retained for two years
• Expungement and sealed records of dismissals and convictions are retained for 110 years or seven years after death
• Daily jail activity logs of arrested persons are destroyed after three years if there is no pending action.
• Arrest records that are later expunged are destroyed upon receipt of an Expungement Order from a Court.
• Criminal incidents, case and crash reports, arrests, supplemental reports, and warrants are retained for six years, provided no pending legal action.
• Criminal case transcripts and exhibit dispositions, including hearing and trial transcripts, are retained for a year after the case is closed.

Expunge Cuyahoga County Arrest Records

Per OH Rev Code §2151.355, expungement is the destruction, deletion, and erasal of an arrest record so that it is permanently irretrievable. Only eligible individuals can have their arrest records expunged in Cuyahoga County. Expungement eligibility requirements are stated in the Ohio Revised Code § 2953:

• The person has no current pending criminal charges.
• The conviction's statutory waiting period has passed.
• The crime the person is convicted of is not one of the crimes precluded by law.
• A person who was charged with a crime, but the case was dismissed, or the person was found not guilty.
• The person was not subjected to a mandatory prison term for the conviction. Individuals who did prison time would qualify if they were eligible for community control/probation.
• The person had any of the following convictions or a combination of convictions: one misdemeanor, one felony, and two misdemeanor convictions, or one misdemeanor and one felony conviction. The expungement statute considers a series of two or three convictions out of the same case as one conviction, but minor misdemeanors, like traffic offenses, do not count as a conviction.

To request their arrest record expunged in Cuyahoga County, eligible applicants must submit an Expungement Form online or download and complete an Application Form. The Form can be submitted by mail, in person, or by email to the Cuyahoga County Public Defender's Office at:

Cuyahoga County Public Defender's Office
Attn: Expungement Application
310 W. Lakeside, Suite 200
Cleveland, OH 44113
Phone: (216) 443-7580
Email: PDExpApp@cuyahogacounty.us

The Public Defender's Office will respond to the request within four weeks to update the requester on their eligibility after receiving the application. If the applicants are eligible, the office will provide the next steps in the expungement process. However, those who are not eligible will be explained that effect and alternative options will be provided.

Cuyahoga County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a writ directing a peace officer to make an arrest. Per OH Rev Code §2935.08, a judicial officer issues an arrest warrant if there is probable cause to believe that a defendant has committed an offense from the affidavit or complaint filed by a peace officer. An arrest warrant issued in Cuyahoga County can be executed in any county in Ohio (OH Rev Code § 2935.02). Per OH Rev Code § 2935.18, an arrest warrant contains:

• The issuing date
• The name of the county where it was issued
• The defendant's name, but if unknown, a description of the defendant must be stated.
• A description of the offense
• A command to make an arrest, and
• The judge's office and signature

The officer must return the warrant to the issuing court before whom the defendant is brought after execution. An unexecuted arrest warrant should also be returned to the issuing court and can be canceled by a judge of that court at the request of the prosecuting attorney.

Cuyahoga County Arrest Warrant Search

Inquirers may conduct a Cuyahoga County arrest warrant search at the Sheriff's Department. The Department has a Warrant Unit that issues arrest warrant records by phone at (216) 443-6100 or in person. This service costs $10. The Department is located at:

Cuyahoga County Sheriff
1215 West 3rd Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Email: shcuy@cuyahogacounty.us

Do Cuyahoga County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants last indefinitely in Cuyahoga County. An arrest warrant form does not carry an expiry date; the only date it carries is the issuing date.