Jefferson County Court Records

Per Ohio R. Superi. Ct. Rule 44, a Jefferson County court record, refers to case and administrative documents. Case documents are documents or information in them, such as motions, dockets, exhibits, journals, pleadings, judgments, orders, and indices filed or prepared by the court in a judicial proceeding. Administrative documents are records or information that a court creates, receives, or maintains for administrative, fiscal, personnel, or management functions.

Jefferson County court records provide transparency in legal proceedings, which helps ensure that justice is served openly and fairly. Public access to these records allows residents to monitor the judicial process and hold courts accountable. This access enables members of the public to view the following information in a court record:

• Case title, number, action, and judge's name
• Case party's name and date of birth, party type, and address
• Party attorney's name, bar code, address, and phone
• Service records (issue date, party served, tracking number, method, status, and service date)
• Docket information (date, description, docket text, amount owed, file reference number, amount due, and image)
• Financial summary (cost type, amount owed, paid, adjusted, and outstanding, account, deposit and applied amounts, checks paid, balance, payment type, and amount)
• Check information (created date, payee name, description, amount, and check)
• Receipts (receipt number and date, name of the person it was received from, and payment amount)
• Party charge information (charge number, original and amended charge, offense location and date, officer)
• Sentencing information (jail, days, months, and years of probation, license suspension, and driving details)

Are Court Records Public in Jefferson County?

Yes. The Ohio Public Records Act and Superintendence for the Courts Rule 45 presumes court records to be open to public access. This means anyone can remotely or directly search, inspect, or copy court records online or at the courthouse. However, some court records maintained by Jefferson County courts are not available for public access. Examples of such records are:

• Medical records
• Genetic test results
• Juvenile court records
• Individual judge rulings
• Records pertaining to adoption proceedings
• The name and address of a criminal case victim
• A court order restricting access to records in an individual case
• Notes, recommendations, drafts, advice, and research of judicial officers and court staff.
• Computer programs, codes, filing systems, and other software owned by the Clerk of Courts.
• Personal identifiers such as:
• Employer and employee identification numbers
• Social security numbers, excluding the last four digits
• A sexual offense victim's name, except for their initials
• Financial account numbers such as charge card, debit card, and credit card numbers
• A juvenile's name in an abuse, neglect, or dependency case, except for their initials
• The juvenile's or defendant's name in a criminal conviction expungement order appeal or finding of delinquency, except for their initials

Jefferson County Court Records Search

Most courts in Jefferson County issue court records online and in person at their courthouses. Record seekers can visit their websites to find an online portal to view court records for free. Those who want to visit the courthouse should do so during business hours. Valid documentation and a fee are typically required to retrieve copies of records.

Jefferson County Courts

The Jefferson County judicial structure comprises the Court of Appeal, the Court of Common Pleas with general, domestic, juvenile, and probate divisions, and Municipal and County Courts. Below are the addresses of these courts:

Jefferson County Courthouse
301 Market Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: (740) 283-8543, (740) 283-8545

Jefferson County - Dillonvale Court
174 Smithfield St.
Dillonvale, OH 43917
Phone: (740) 769-2903
Fax: (740) 769-7640

Jefferson County - Toronto Court
1007 Franklin St.
Toronto, OH 43964
Phone: (740) 537-2020
Fax: (740) 537-1866

Jefferson County - Wintersville Court
512 Main St
Wintersville, OH 43953
Phone: (740) 264-7644
Fax: (740) 264-3909

City of Steubenville Municipal Court
123 S 3rd St,
Steubenville, OH 43952,

Jefferson County Criminal Records

The Sheriff's Office issues Jefferson County criminal records, also known as background checks, to members of the public in person. Customers can visit the office with a state-issued form of ID on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Before visiting the office, they should schedule an appointment over the phone at (740) 283-8600.

The Sheriff's Office Clerks can also conduct local/in-house background checks (also called Jefferson County arrest records searches) free of charge for members of the public. This check only includes the jail booking records. The office is located at:

Jefferson County Justice Center
16001 State Route 7
Steubenville, OH 43952

Get Jefferson County Civil Court Records

The Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas has original jurisdiction in all civil matters where the amount in controversy is over $5,000. Records of these matters can be viewed or copied online and in person at the courthouse. Online requests can be made using the Court Case Lookup tool. A search can be conducted by name, case type, case number, advanced attorney, or advanced case number. In-person requests can be made from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.at the Clerk of Courts. The recording staff will require a name or case number to retrieve the desired record and will only release copies after payments have been made.

Jefferson County Marriage Records

Record seekers can obtain copies of Jefferson County marriage records from the Probate Court. To make a request, call the court at (740) 283-8593 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during regular business days. A copy of the Jefferson County marriage certificate costs $3.

The Jefferson County Probate Court also issues marriage records online through the CourtView portal. A search can be conducted by last name and first name or business name. Afterward, scroll to the "Case Type" section and select "MARRIAGE LICENSE" to view only marriage records.

Jefferson County Divorce Records

The Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction over domestic divorce and dissolution cases. Individuals can find divorce records via the Court Case Lookup by entering a name, case type, case number, advanced attorney, or advanced case number in the appropriate search field. Alternatively, copies of divorce records can be retrieved in person at the Jefferson County Clerk of Courts. In-person requests should be made during business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Contact the Clerk at (740) 283-8509 to inquire about divorce records.

Jefferson County Birth and Death Records

The General Health District (GHD) manages all Jefferson County vital records for births and deaths. The GHD issues Jefferson County birth records from 1876 and death records from 1908 to members of the public. Birth and death certificates can be ordered through mail by submitting a completed Application for Certified Copies Form and paying the necessary fees. Individuals can also pick up a record by visiting the office on Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday, 8:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Both birth and death records cost $28 each. All in-person visits should be done at:

Jefferson County Health Department
Vital Statistics Division
500 Market Street
6th Floor
Steubenville, OH 43952

In-person customers can obtain their records on the same day, but mail requesters will receive theirs on the next business day. The District also partners with a third-party vendor to issue birth and death records online. However, online requests attract extra processing fees in addition to the standard fees.

Jefferson County Probate Court Records

The Probate Court is a division of the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas. It has exclusive jurisdiction over estates, adoptions, guardianships of incompetent persons and minors, and name changes. The court has an online portal where individuals can view probate court records for free. Users can search by name, case type, case number, attorney, or advanced attorney. The court also issues probate court records in person from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Individuals can get copies of probate court records for $1 and certified copies for $3.

Jefferson County Property Records

The Recorder's Office is the custodian of all property records in Jefferson County, including deeds, mortgages, easements, land contracts, plats, liens, and leases. The Property Search portal provides online access to these records. Users can conduct a quick or advanced search using a name, subdivision, document type, document number, recorded date range, or instrument date range. Records not available online can be requested by phone at (740) 283-8566. Businesses like realtors, title companies, and abstractors can request images of property records via email at jeffctyrecorder@jeffersoncountyoh.com. The email must contain the type and year of the document to be requested, the volume and page and/or instrument number, and either the grantor or grantee's name. Individuals can find scanned copies of the abstract books on the Recorder's Digitized Legacy Records website. Copies of property records depend on the pages, but payments can be made by cash, check, or credit cards (Visa, Master Card, and Discover).

The Jefferson County Treasurer's Office issues property tax records online and in person upon request. Click on the website's Make a Payment link to find records online using a parcel number or name. In-person requests can be made from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is advisable to call the office at (740) 283-8572 before visitation to know the information or documents required for the search.

Jefferson County Court Records Online

Court records can be viewed and downloaded online through reputable third-party sites like ohiocourtrecords.us. Users can visit their desired third-party website to locate the search feature and enter a case number or name. The search results can be filtered by court type or date range, depending on the options available on the site. After locating the desired record, users can view basic court information on the site for free or download a report for a small fee. Most third-party sites charge a one-time payment or a subscription for full access to court records. Verifying information obtained from third-party sites against the official court website or requesting physical copies from the appropriate Jefferson County court is essential. This is because some third-party databases may not be frequently updated.