Lucas County Arrest Records

An arrest record is a document that shows an individual was arrested, taken into police custody, and booked for a criminal offense. Arrests are made when law enforcement has probable cause to believe that a suspect has violated federal or state criminal laws (Title 29, Crimes-Procedure Code). Probable cause may be obtained from witnessing the crime, filing for and receiving an arrest warrant, or having reasonable suspicion backed with evidence.

An arrest record contains all significant details about the person arrested, events leading up to the arrest, the location, date, and time of the arrest, the reason for the arrest, and other criminal and legal information. Once an arrest record is made, the arrestee’s journey with the Ohio Criminal Justice System begins. If the state prosecutor files official charges against the defendant, additional information will be available in the Lucas County court record.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lucas County?

Yes. In line with the Ohio Public Public Records Law (Section 149.43, Ohio Revised Code), public records are records kept by any state, county, city, district, or municipal public office in the exercise of official duty. For this reason, arrest records in the custody of state or county law enforcement agencies in Lucas County, Ohio, are open for inspection and copying.

There are limitations to the category of information accessible in a public arrest record. In Lucas County, arrest records and any of the following documents or information filed in connection to an arrest may be exempt from disclosure:

• Medical history
• Records of probation and parole proceedings
• Pre-trial records
• Confidential law enforcement investigation records
• Information that may compromise the safety and security of individuals
• DNA records
• Juvenile offender records
• Records sealed by an order of court, state or federal law
• Information on minors involved in traffic accidents as passengers of a school bus
• Name, address, contact information, or personal information of victims and witnesses.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Information contained in an arrest record may be based on jurisdiction, laws, arresting agency, or custodian. Generally, public arrest information includes:

• Arrestee’s identity: Full name and aliases, date of birth, age
• Physical Description: Mugshot, race, sex, height, weight, hair and eye color, scars, tattoos.
• Location of arrest
• Date and time of arrest and booking
• Arresting agency
• Trial court Information
• Charges (count and description)
• Previous charges
• Bail and bond information
• Current Status (active, released)
• Date and time of release.

Lucas County Crime Rate

According to the 2022 Crime Data for Ohio, Lucas County recorded 1,790 offenses. These offenses included crimes against persons (549) and crimes against property (1,136). The most prevalent property crimes in Lucas County in 2022 were Larceny/theft offenses (574), motor vehicle theft (343), and purse snatching (134). The top-ranking crimes against persons were aggravated assault (524), simple assault (315), and vandalism (233). On the other hand, there were no recorded cases of homicide, murder, manslaughter, or human trafficking.

Lucas County Arrest Statistics

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer compiles and makes public information on arrest statistics in Ohio and other states in the US available online. In 2022, law enforcement agencies in Lucas County reported a total of 8895 arrests. The Toledo Police Department made 5792 arrests, which accounted for 65% of the arrests in Lucas County for that year. This is followed closely by 1187 arrests by the Oregon Police Department (13%), 583 arrests by the Muamee Police Department (6.5%), and 492 arrests by the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office (5.5%).

Find Lucas County Arrest Records

Arrest information may also be retrieved from the county courts, city police departments, and other state or federal law enforcement agencies. The Lucas County Sheriff manages a Booking Summary website on which interested persons can access basic information on offenders arrested and booked in the Lucas County Corrections Center in the past week. Searchers may also visit the Sheriff’s Office during business hours to find arrest records.

Lucas County Sheriff’s Office
Michael J. Navarre
1622 Spielbusch Avenue
Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: (419) 213-4900

Federal and state law enforcement agencies also have the authority to arrest offenders or other persons suspected of criminal conduct residing in Lucas County. To find such advanced arrest information:

• Identify and contact the respective state or federal authorities.
• Search online using the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Offender Search tool. The website offers multiple search criteria, such as search by first or last name, case status, or number.

The FBI’s federal inmate locator is also an important resource. Unlike some other search tools, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate locator has information from as far back as 1982 till the present. The BOP inmate locator allows users to find information by name, race, age, sex, or FBI, BOP, INS, or DCDC number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Lucas County

Lucas County residents can find arrest records for free through the Sheriff’s Office. The Office maintains online arrest information for individuals who have been recently arrested and booked in the County Correctional Center. The website is free and accessible to all members of the public residing within or outside Lucas County.

Researchers may also contact the Toledo Police Department or any other police department in Lucas County to find arrest information. If the service is available, interested persons can walk into the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office to request copies of arrest records. However, while inspecting records comes at no charge, requesting duplicate or reproducing copies of a public record is a paid service. The requester may be charged per page or document according to the custodians' ordinary fees.

An additional means of obtaining arrest records for free or at a lower cost is through third-party public records search platforms. Private individuals and companies own third-party sites; they are not affiliated with the government. These resources often compile information from multiple states and custodians to offer broader search categories and results for convenience.

Get Lucas County Criminal Records

Lucas County criminal records are documents generally prepared and kept by law enforcement agencies. A criminal record is an accurate history of an individual’s interaction with the criminal justice system. It contains details of every arrest, charge, conviction, warrant, sentencing, criminal penalties and fines, incarceration, up until parole and probation. It is also commonly known as a criminal history record or rap sheet (records of arrest and prosecution).

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is the central repository for criminal records throughout the state. Although criminal history records are in the custody of the BCI, individual requestors can only obtain such documents through the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office.

To get criminal records or perform a background check, the requester must first schedule an appointment for Fingerprinting Services at the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office. There, the fingerprints will be collected, scanned, and electronically sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, where they will be run through a state criminal database. The Sheriff’s Office also sends fingerprints to the FBI for a background check against the national criminal database.

BCI and FBI fingerprints performed at the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office cost $30 and $40, respectively, with an additional ink card fingerprinting which costs $5. All payments must be made in cash during appointments.

Lucas County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records and criminal records are both related to an individual's criminal history. However, they are significantly different. An arrest record simply records the details of a person's arrest and formal charges (if any). It is not an automatic indication of guilt. It does not mean that the arrestee indeed committed the crime or, if they did, was found guilty of the crime. It includes basic information about the subject, his physical features, the details of the arrest, and the arresting agency. Arrest records are public records and can often be accessed for free.

Criminal records, on the other hand, are created pursuant to a guilty verdict. They are proof that a person who was previously arrested and charged has now been convicted of the crime. Criminal records contain details about all the times the subject has been arrested, outstanding warrants, court proceedings, charges, fines, penalties, incarceration, parole, and in-depth information about the prosecution. Ohio criminal records are not public records. Some special requirements and conditions must be fulfilled to obtain them. Plus, it costs $22 to obtain criminal records in Lucas County.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. In Ohio, an arrest will remain on a person’s public record forever. There are no laws that provide for automatic expiration or deletion of arrest or criminal records. To expunge/delete a record, the record owner has to file an application at the court in the county where they were arrested or where the case was held.

Expunge Lucas County Arrest Records

In Ohio, sealing or expunging a record means the same thing. Persons who wish to expunge their arrest record must meet eligibility requirements per Section 2953.33 of the Ohio Revised Code. The following people may be eligible to apply to seal or expunge a Lucas County arrest record:

• Anyone who is found not guilty of an offense by a court or jury may file at any time after being declared not guilty.
• A defendant whose charge, complaint, or indictment has been dismissed may file after the dismissal is documented in the minutes of the court.
• Anyone for whom a grand jury enters a no-bill may apply two years after the grand jury decides not to indict them.
• Anyone who is pardoned by the governor, even if the person was convicted of the offense, may file an application at any time after they have received the pardon or fulfilled pre- or post-conditions for receiving the pardon.

Eligible persons may contact the clerk of the court where the charges were dismissed or pardoned convictions to begin the expungement process. Complete and file the application forms, along with the required copies. Filing an application to seal or expunge a conviction record costs $50, while a record of acquittal or discharge is free. The judge shall set a hearing date between 45 and 90 days after the application is filed.

The court will determine if the applicant was indeed found not guilty, dismissed, or pardoned by the state. The judge is likely to reject the application if the petitioner has any pending criminal charges. The court shall also consider the objections of the prosecutor and whether the government’s public interest outweighs the applicant’s private interest in having the record expunged. Where a person receives a pardon from the governor and they fail to complete the conditions precedent or subsequent, their petition is likely to fail.

If the petition is approved, the court will order all custodians of the record to remove it from all public and online terminals. There will be no record of the arrest, and the subject will no longer be required to disclose the arrest to employers or landlords. The arrest record will be sealed and will no longer be in the public domain, but it will not be permanently delayed. Law enforcement officers, the state prosecutor, and court staff can always access it.

Lucas County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is an order written and signed by a judge or magistrate authorizing the Lucas County Sheriff or a law enforcement officer to arrest a suspect and bring him present in court. The suspect must be named in the warrant, and a particularly identifiable description must be provided where his name is unknown.

An officer of the law may arrest a suspect without a warrant when the suspect is absconding, the officer witnessed the arrest, or they have probable cause to believe that the individual has committed a crime.

Arrest warrants typically contain the wanted person's full name and aliases, date of birth, physical description, charges, a brief description of the offense, the name and signature of the issuing judge or magistrate, the court, the date it was issued, authorization to arrest the named individual, and the date the warrant is to be returned.

Lucas County Arrest Warrant Search

Interested persons may contact the Toledo Municipal Court Clerk to find out if there is an outstanding warrant in their name. The court also issues bench warrants, and failure to show up at a scheduled court date may lead to a person being arrested and placed in custody until the next court hearing. It is advisable to call the Toledo Municipal Court Clerk at (419) 936-3650 and schedule a court hearing at an available date.

The Lucas County Sheriff’s Office Records Section also maintains warrants. Researchers can call the Records Office to ask questions and make inquiries. Additionally, the Toledo Police Department runs a ‘Most Wanted’ website where researchers can look up a list of high-risk criminals who have been declared wanted by local and federal law enforcement authorities.

Do Lucas County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants do not expire. It remains active for as long as possible until it is executed, recalled, or declared null and void. Statutes of limitations do not apply to warrants. What may affect the outcome of a warrant is if the defendant passes on, the charges are dropped, they present themselves before the court or turn themselves in at a police station, then the warrant will become inactive.