Find Lancaster Criminal History

Lancaster criminal history records are held by the Fairfield County Clerk of Courts and the Lancaster Police Department. Lancaster is the county seat of Fairfield County in central Ohio, and the main courthouse is right in the city. Felony criminal cases are handled by the Common Pleas Court while misdemeanors go through the Fairfield Municipal Court. You can search criminal records online through the county's case inquiry portal, request police reports in person, or contact the clerk by phone or email. Ohio law gives you the right to access these records without giving a reason.

Fairfield County Court Criminal Records

The Fairfield County Clerk of Courts handles all felony criminal cases filed in the Common Pleas Court. The Legal Department is on the 2nd Floor of the Hall of Justice at 224 E. Main Street, Lancaster, Ohio 43130. Phone is 740-652-7360. Fax is 740-687-0158. Email requests go to ClerkRecords@fairfieldcountyclerk.com. The Records Division can also be reached at 740-652-7358. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The clerk maintains records for the Common Pleas Court and the 5th District Court of Appeals. The Case Information Records Search portal lets you look up cases online by name or case number. Court dockets from 1993 to the present are available online. Records from before 1993 require a direct request to the Records Division. The clerk's office maintains over 22 million pages of documents including felony case records, civil filings, and domestic relations cases.

Public records copies cost $0.10 per page. Certified copies carry an extra fee. Payment can be made online, by phone, by mail (payable to Fairfield County Clerk of Courts), or in person. Credit card transactions have a processing fee of $2.00 or 2.39%, whichever is greater. Public access terminals are available at the courthouse if you want to search records on site. E-filing is available for attorneys and pro-se parties.

Note: Bail bond payments must be made by cash or cashier's check only.

Lancaster Police Records

The Lancaster Police Department handles local criminal record requests for incidents within the city. For police reports, contact the department directly. Incident reports, arrest reports, and offense reports from Lancaster officers are available through the standard public records request process. Standard copy fees apply.

The Fairfield Municipal Court at 136 W. Main Street in Lancaster handles misdemeanor cases and traffic offenses. If your search is for a minor criminal charge or traffic violation, that court is the right place to check. Felony cases go through the Common Pleas Court at the Hall of Justice.

Background Checks in Lancaster

The Fairfield County Sheriff's Office at 345 Lincoln Avenue, Lancaster, OH 43130 offers fingerprint-based background checks. Call (740) 652-7320 for appointments. The main sheriff's number is (740) 652-7900. Fees break down like this:

• BCI check (Ohio only): $35
• FBI check (national): $35
• Both BCI and FBI: $55
• Manual fingerprinting per card: $5

You need a valid state ID or driver's license and your original social security card. You also need a BCI Webcheck form for electronic prints and the name, address, phone, and fax number of who should get the results. The Ohio Attorney General WebCheck page lists additional fingerprinting locations in the area.

The ODRC Offender Search is free and lets you look up Ohio state inmates or people on post-release control. It only covers state-level records. People in the Fairfield County Jail or on local probation will not appear in that database.

Lancaster Criminal Records and Ohio Law

Under ORC 149.43, Lancaster city offices and Fairfield County offices must make public records available on request. No identification is needed. You do not have to give a reason. Police reports, court filings, arrest records, and booking logs are all public. The office must respond within a reasonable time and must cite the specific law if they deny any part of the request.

Expungement requests in Lancaster are filed through the Fairfield County Clerk's Legal Division. Under ORC 2953.32, eligible people can apply to seal their criminal record. The filing fee is $50. The court evaluates the offense, time elapsed, and post-conviction behavior. Not all crimes qualify. Fairfield County also handles Certificate of Qualification for Employment applications. Felony case records are retained permanently for serious offenses and 50 years for most other felonies. Misdemeanor files are kept 5 to 25 years. DUI and OVI records are retained for 50 years.

The sex offender registry under ORC Chapter 2950 is searchable through the eSORN system. You can look up registered offenders in the Lancaster area by name or zip code. The Fairfield County Sheriff handles local compliance. The Ohio Sunshine Laws page explains your rights if any office refuses your public records request.

How to Search Lancaster Criminal Records

Start with the Fairfield County Case Information portal if you have a name or case number. It covers dockets from 1993 to today. For police reports, contact the Lancaster Police Department directly. For a formal background check, schedule an appointment with the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office at (740) 652-7320.

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation maintains the statewide criminal records database. Full BCI access requires fingerprints. The ODRC search tool and county court portals are free for basic lookups. For records older than 1993, contact the clerk's Records Division at 740-652-7358.

Nearby Cities

Criminal records from nearby cities are handled by their own police departments and court systems. Check these pages for more information.