Henry County Court Records

Court records are legal documents that are created or filed during legal proceedings that occur within the county. Henry County court records are typically kept in the custody of the Henry County Clerk of Courts. However, these records can also be obtained from other custodians. Court records are important to legal professionals as they give insight into previous cases and inform future judgments.

These records are also important to citizens as they give insight into the workings of the judicial system, ensuring transparency in the Henry County judicial system. A court record can contain case information, information on warrants, pleadings, motions, decisions, evidence, transcripts of trials, etc.

Are Court Records Public in Henry County?

Yes, The Ohio Public Records Act describes public records as documents of different formats maintained by public offices, and by default, this includes court records. Like all other Henry County public records, individuals can request these records to be inspected or copied as long as it is open.

Restrictions on this access exist for certain records to protect the public interest and an individual’s privacy. Examples of these restricted records include juvenile records, adoption records, health information, expunged records, and ongoing investigation records. If an individual wants to contest a record being made restricted, they can get a court order authorizing their access to the record.

Henry County Court Records Search

Depending on the record custodian, there are different avenues for conducting a Henry County Court Records Search. Examples include paying an in-person visit to the record custodian's office, by writing and submitting a mail request, by making a phone request, or by using online search tools provided either by the government or third-party individuals.

Henry County Courts

The court systems in Henry County operate under the Third Judicial District of the Ohio Court of Appeals. The contact information of the courts in the county is as follows:

Henry County Court of Common Pleas
660 North Perry Street, Suite 302
Napoleon, OH 43545
Phone: (419) 592-5886

Henry County Probate Court
660 North Perry Street, Suite 301
Napoleon, OH 43545
Phone: (419) 592-5926

Henry County Criminal and Civil Records

The official custodian of Henry County criminal and civil records is the Henry County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk's office oversees the filing or creation of court records and ensures they are publicly available upon request. Types of civil court records include lawsuit documents, divorce records, child custody records, court orders, property disputes, motions, and pleadings.

To obtain any of these records, an individual can make an in-person visit, mail a request, or online search using the relevant case details based on the record they seek. Henry County arrest records are created when a person is taken into custody by law enforcement after they commit a crime. If the case makes it to trial, the Henry County arrest record will become a part of criminal records.

Henry County Marriage Records

Henry County marriage records are official documents of marriages performed within the county. Types of marriage records include marriage licenses, Henry County marriage certificates, and other documents that serve as legal proof of marriage. The Henry County probate court maintains records of family-related cases, including marriage records. A marriage record can be obtained by visiting the probate court, making a record request, or using the Marriage Records Request Form. The probate court houses records from 1847 to the present. It costs $5 to obtain certified copies of marriage licenses.

Henry County Divorce Records

The Henry County Clerk of Courts is the custodian of divorce records in Henry County. Henry County divorce records include divorce certificates and dissolution of marriage records. To request a person, the record requester can visit the clerk of courts' office during business hours, and provide details to facilitate a search, including the names of parties involved in the divorce, and the required fee for a certified copy of the record if desired. Mail requests can be written and submitted to the clerk's office in a self-addressed stamped envelope and should contain all relevant information for a search.

Henry County Birth Records

Henry County birth records are vital records kept in the custody of the Henry County Health Department and the Ohio Department of Health. To request a record, a person can visit the Henry County Health Department in person and provide relevant details of the record, like the name of the record owner, complete and submit a Vital Statistics Records Request Form to make a mail request, or make a request by phone. Birth records are useful tools for tracing family history, and applying for legal identification (passports, driver's licenses).

Henry County Death Records

The custodians of Henry County death records are the Henry County Health Department and the Ohio Department of Health's Bureau of Vital Statistics. Per Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.23, even though death records are accessible upon request, sensitive information about the deceased is restricted for five years after the death.

To request a death record, individuals can visit the Henry County Health Department to physically request a record or make an online request through the Ohio Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics. A mail request can also be made by completing and submitting a Vital Statistics Records Request Form along with applicable payment ($25 per certified copy) by check or money order. Death records have important functions, including helping with estate administrations, insurance claims, ancestry, and tracking public health trends.

Henry County Probate Court Records

The Henry County Probate Court is the custodian of records created or filed during probate cases. Probate matters include cases on legal disputes, inheritance issues, and family-related legal processes. Examples of probate records include birth and death records, Estate administration records, Marriage records, and Naturalization records. Trusts, conservatorships, will contests, name changes, birth and death records. Individuals who need to go to the probate court to make a request or mail a written request containing the necessary case information. Fees may apply to make copies of the records.

Henry County Property Records

Henry County property records are documents that provide information on property ownership and transactions in the county. They are an important resource for verifying the ownership of properties, searching for land titles, and knowing a property's sale and tax history. The Henry County Recorder's Office is the custodian of property records in the county. To retrieve a record, a person can visit the office to make an in-person request, send a mail request, or use the Recorder’s online services tool to assess documents online.

To use the online tool, requesters are required to create an account on the platform, but can also conduct a general public search for the type of record they need. To complete a search, individuals need a valid form of ID (in-person requests) and key details about the property, such as the parcel ID, owner name, or property address. Examples of property information contained in property records include the following:

• Deed
• Financing Statement
• Land Contract
• Lease
• Lien
• Mortgage
• Power Of Attorney.

Henry County Court Records Online

To complement online search results provided by state and local governments, individuals can use a third-party website as a means of obtaining Henry court records. Third-party websites such as Ohiocourtrecords.us are non-government affiliated websites that aggregate different types of Henry public records from various sources and make them available upon request. They provide a user-friendly keyword search field or form for individuals to find public records as long as they have basic search information on the case, like the names of parties involved in the case and the case number.

The advantage of third-party resources is that they shorten search time and make public records remotely available from any location. As they are not owned or controlled by government sources, information obtained from them may not be up to date. They may also only offer basic search results and may require payment of a fee or a subscription for full access to the records.