Delaware County Court Records

Delaware County court records are official documents detailing the proceedings and decisions made in each court case in the county. Generally, Ohio court records serve as important documentation of judicial processes for posterity. The custodian of court records in Delaware County is the Delaware County Clerk’s Office. They are responsible for filing and disseminating court records, including the following:

• Judgements
• Pleadings
• Motions
• Orders
• dockets
• Case Transcripts
• Evidence and exhibits.

Are Court Records Public in Delaware County?

Yes, court records are public in Delaware County. Per Ohio’s Open Records Law (Ohio Rev. Code § 149.43), citizens and foreigners can inspect and copy public records, including court records. The Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio (Sup.R. 44 through 47) further states that although court records are considered public records, not all case records would be made available by the records custodian. To protect the interest of the case or parties involved in the case, not all court records are publicly available. Examples of information exempt from public view include the following:

• Personal identifier records
• Restricted records
• Juvenile case records
• Court staff and judiciary notes, drafts, recommendations, advice, and research
• Financial records
• Adoption records
• Mental health records

Delaware County Court Records Search

A Delaware County Court Records Search can be conducted using the following methods:

• In-person visits to the Delaware County Clerk’s Office.
• Online state and government lookup tools
• Third-party databases.

Delaware County Court Records Search by Name

To conduct a Delaware County Court Records Search by Name, individuals can use the online Records Search tool provided through the Delaware County Clerk of Court’s website. Individuals can conduct a name search using the parties’ first, middle, or last name, can add a suffix to the name, and can also search by business or company name. For a more refined search result, the requester can also specify the case type, case status, party type, and date of birth search range. The Delaware County Clerk’s Office also allows in-person record requests so individuals can visit the clerk’s office in person, and provide administrative staff available with the party’s name to facilitate a search.

Delaware County Courts

The main Delaware County Courts and their contact addresses are as listed as follows:

General and Domestic Relations Divisions
Delaware County Courthouse,
110 N Sandusky Street
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2500
Fax: (740) 833-2499

Juvenile Division
Rutherford B. Hayes Building,
140 North Sandusky Street
P.O. Box 8006
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2600
Fax: (740) 833-2599

Probate Division
Rutherford B. Hayes Building,
140 N Sandusky Street, 3rd Floor
P.O. Box 8006
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2680
Fax: (740) 833-2679

Delaware Municipal Court
Delaware Justice Center
70 N Union Street
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 203-1560 (Civil/Small Claims), (740) 203-1570 (Criminal/Traffic)
Fax: (740) 203-1599 (Civil/Small Claims and Criminal/Traffic).

Shawnee Hills Mayor’s Court
Shawnee Hills Municipal Building,
9484 Dublin Road
Shawnee Hills, OH 43065
Phone: (614) 889-2824
Fax: (614) 336-1791

Sunbury Mayor’s Court
91 East Granville Street
P.O. Box 508
Sunbury, OH 43074
Phone: (740) 965-2684
Fax: (740) 965-9633

Delaware County Superior Court Case Search

The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction over civil, criminal, domestic relations, and probate cases in the County. The Delaware County Clerk of Courts Office records for this court thereby handles the filing and dissemination of its court records. To obtain a court of common pleas record, interested parties can visit the court clerk’s office in person or use their Public Records Search Portal to retrieve a record online. Individuals can contact the Delaware County Clerk’s Office at the following address to obtain a record

Legal Division
Delaware County Courthouse
117 North Union Street, Level 300
Delaware, Ohio 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2500
Fax: (740) 833-2499

Delaware County District Court Records

Delaware County is located within the jurisdiction of the Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals. As one of the state’s intermediate appellate courts, it covers a broad jurisdiction and handles appeals from civil cases, criminal cases, administrative appeals, and family law appeals. To obtain court records from the Fifth District Court of Appeals, interested individuals can either contact the court or the Delaware County Clerk of Courts Office which is one of the courts' recorders. Individuals can contact the Fifth District Court of Appeals at the following address to obtain a record:

Court of Appeals
110 Central Plaza South
Suite #320
Canton, OH 44702
Email: info1@fifthdist.org
Phone: (330) 451-7765

Delaware County Criminal Records

Delaware County Criminal Records are official documents of an individual’s contact with their criminal justice system. These records are filed and maintained by the Delaware County Clerk of Courts Office for the Delaware County Common Pleas Court and Fifth District Court of Appeals. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office also maintains local criminal records and Delaware county arrest records and makes them available upon authorized request.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Office
1776 State Route 521
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2810

Delaware County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Individuals who want to conduct a Delaware County Criminal Court Case Lookup can visit the Delaware County Clerk of Courts office in person or using the online tools provided. To search in person, requesters need to provide the Legal division at the Clerk’s Office with details of the case and pay applicable copying and certification costs for the record.

To obtain a criminal court case record online using the Records Search tool, requesters can conduct a name-based search on the platform and select a criminal under case type. On the state level, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) maintains criminal records from all law enforcement agencies. To request records from the BCI, requesters are required to fill and submit a record application form, submit copies of a valid ID, and pay a $22 processing fee.

Get Delaware County Civil Court Records

The Delaware County Clerk of Courts office files and manages civil court records. Examples of civil court records include breach of contract, defamation of character, civil claims, paternity suits, and other non-criminal litigation. To obtain a record, interested individuals can make an in-person request at their office or use online resources including the Records Search tool,

To retrieve civil records using the records search tool, requesters conduct a name-based search and select civil cases under case types. Information such as names of parties involved in the case, the case status, and the party type help obtain more refined results when conducting a civil court record search. It is important to note that fees may apply for conducting searches or making copies of records.

Delaware County Family Court Records

The Domestic Relations Court of the Common Pleas Court of Delaware County oversees family-related cases in the county. Examples of family-related cases they are in charge of include the following:

• Divorce
• Dissolution of marriage
• Legal separation
• Annulment (and post-decree proceedings
• Paternity
• Custody
• Visitation
• Child support
• Allocation of parental rights and responsibilities
• Civil Protection Orders.

Individuals can request family court records by contacting the Clerk of Courts Office by mail or in person. Although they are important sources of genealogy and family legal histories for citizens, not all information contained in a family court record is publicly accessible to protect parties involved in the case. Examples of information restricted from unauthorized access include the following:

• Medical Records
• Personal Identity records (eg. social security number)
• Adoption records
• Financial information
• Records of domestic violence victims
• Juvenile records
• Mental health records
• Ongoing Investigation records.

Delaware Dissolution of Marriage Records

The Domestic Relations Division of the Common Pleas Court of Delaware County has jurisdiction over dissolution of marriage (divorce) cases. Delaware Dissolution of Marriage Records can be obtained by contacting the Delaware County Clerk of Court’s Office. Requesters must be eligible to access the record and be prepared to pay the necessary fees to obtain copies of the desired record.

Delaware County Marriage and Divorce Records

The Delaware County Probate Court manages records of marriages that took place within the county from 1996 to the present. Records of marriages that occurred before 1996 have to be obtained from the council’s record center. Marriage records from the probate court are available using their online search tool, by mail, and in person at the courthouse. To conduct a marriage record search, details of the marriage such as the names of the married parties as they existed before the marriage, and the date of the marriage. It costs $2 for each requested copy of the certificate.

To request a divorce record, the Delaware County Clerk of Court’s office should be contacted as long as the divorce was granted in Delaware County. The request can be made in person at the clerk’s office or in writing and the applicable fees of $0.10 per page and $2.00 per certified record copy. Details such as the first and last names of divorcees (at the time of the marriage), the year the case was filed, and the case number are necessary for completing a search.

The contact addresses of the custodians for obtaining these records are as follows:

Delaware County Probate Court
145 North Union Street
P.O. Box 8006
Delaware, Ohio 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2680
Fax: (740) 833-2679

Delaware County Records Center
2079 US 23 North,
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2140

Delaware County Clerk of Courts
117 North Union Street
3rd Floor
Delaware, Ohio 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2500
Fax: (740) 833-2499

Delaware Birth and Death Records

The Vital Statistics Office of the Delaware Public Health District manages vital records including Delaware Birth and Death Records. The department participates in the statewide issuance of certificates for all births and deaths that occur in Delaware County. Birth and death records are available to eligible individuals.

Individuals necessary to complete a birth record search include Name at birth on the certificate, Date of birth on the certificate, father’s name (If applicable), and Mother’s Maiden name (as stated on the birth certificate). Birth and death records can be obtained through phone orders, walk-in orders, mail orders, and online orders.

It is important to note that each method of ordering certified records can have applicable fees and a specific channel for payment. It costs $25 (per certified copy) for a mail request and requesters are required to fill out and submit an Application for Vital Records form to complete a record request.

The contact address for obtaining vital birth and death records is as follows:

Vital Statistics Office
470 South Sandusky Street,
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 203-2021
Email: rhess@delawarehealth.org.

Delaware County Probate Court Records

The Delaware County Probate Court oversees probate matters in the county and also files and manages probate court records. They make these records accessible in person or using the E-services provided through their website. Examples of probate court records they handle include the following:

• Adoptions
• Estate Administration
• Conservatorship
• Guardianships
• Marriage Licenses
• Name Changes information
• Trusts
• Hearings
• Birth records
• Mental commitment records
• Estate tax information
• Ancillary administration.

The probate court can be contacted in person using the information below:

Delaware County Probate Court
145 N. Union Street
P.O. Box 8006
Delaware, Ohio 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2680
Fax: (740) 833-2679

Delaware County Property Records

The Delaware County Auditor's Office, and Delaware County Recorder’s Office file, maintain, and disseminate property records in the county. These records include property valuation information, property tax information, tax distribution, and access to the county’s Geographic Information System.

The Auditor’s Office makes these records available to citizens in person, by mail, and online using their Real Estate Data Property Search tool, GIS Property Search tool, and other property-related digital tools. The Recorder’s Office also offers an E-search portal through which interested individuals can retrieve recorded information including property records. Creation of an account is however required to use this tool.

To conduct a search using the Real estate data property search tool, individuals can retrieve records by performing a search using owner, address, or parcel number. The GIS search tool also allows searches to be completed using the property owner’s name, address, or parcel tax number. It is also possible to conduct more advanced searches by entering more information about the property including its street, intersection, subdivision, and sales information.

For help retrieving property records or to conduct an in-person property records search, interested parties can contact the records custodians using the following details:

Delaware County Auditor
145 N. Union Street
Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2900
Email: auditor@co.delaware.oh.us.

Delaware County Recorder
145 N. Union Street
Delaware, Ohio 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2460
Fax: (740) 833-2459

Examples of public property records in Delaware include the following:

• Assessment records
• Liens
• Ownership History
• Property sale information
• Deeds
• Plat maps
• Tax information
• Property Valuation information
• Mortgage information.
• Land Contract
• Zoning Information.

Delaware County Court Records Online

For more comprehensive searches, third-party websites offer an alternative resource for finding court records online. Websites like ohiocourtcecords.us allow the retrieval of multiple records across multiple counties in the state at a time. As long as key information about the case, such as party names and case numbers, is provided in the search fields, the requester has online access to a vast repository of local and state court records. This is advantageous for general research as it saves time but is limited in availability and completeness as it may not be as up-to-date as official government sources.