Search Franklin County Criminal History

Criminal history records in Franklin County are held by the Clerk of Courts, the Municipal Court Clerk, and the Sheriff's Office, all based in Columbus. Franklin County is one of the largest counties in Ohio and processes thousands of criminal cases each year. The Common Pleas Court handles felonies, while the Franklin County Municipal Court covers misdemeanors. Both offices have online tools and in-person services for searching criminal case records. Whether you need to pull up a specific case or run a broader search, Franklin County gives you several ways to access criminal history data through its court system and state databases.

Franklin County Clerk of Courts Criminal Records

The Franklin County Clerk of Courts is the main office for felony criminal case records. The office is at 373 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215. You can reach them by phone at 614-525-3600. All felony cases filed in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court pass through this office. The clerk maintains records of charges, pleas, motions, hearings, verdicts, and sentencing. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The clerk's office has an online case search portal. You can look up criminal cases by name or case number from any computer. This saves a trip to the courthouse. Results show case status, charges, and court dates. For copies of documents, you can request them online or in person. Copy fees reflect the actual cost of reproduction.

Under ORC 149.43, all public records must be made available on request. You do not need to give a reason for wanting the records. Franklin County follows this law and provides access to criminal case files unless a judge has ordered them sealed.

Franklin County Municipal Court Criminal Cases

The Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic offenses, and preliminary hearings on felonies. The office is at 375 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215, right next to the Common Pleas clerk. If you are looking for a misdemeanor case in Franklin County, this is where to search.

The municipal court clerk has its own online search tool separate from the Common Pleas system. You can look up cases by defendant name, case number, or filing date. The tool shows charges, court dates, and case outcomes. This court handles a large volume of cases given the size of Columbus and the surrounding area. If you are not sure whether a case is a felony or misdemeanor, try both the Common Pleas and municipal court searches.

Note: Municipal court records cover misdemeanors only, so felony records will not appear in this system.

Franklin County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office holds arrest records, booking data, warrants, and jail information. These are separate from court records. The sheriff handles law enforcement activity, while the clerks manage the court side. If you need to check on a recent arrest, an active warrant, or the county jail roster, the sheriff's office is the right contact.

The sheriff's website may have a jail roster and warrant lookup tool. For a full statewide background check, you can use the WebCheck system. Franklin County has many WebCheck locations where you can submit fingerprints for a BCI or FBI check. A BCI check runs $22 to $35, and the FBI portion adds to the cost. Check the community listing for providers near you.

How to Search Franklin County Criminal Cases

Franklin County offers several paths to find criminal history records. The online tools make it one of the easier Ohio counties to search from home. Here are the main options.

• Use the Clerk of Courts online search for Common Pleas felony cases
• Use the Municipal Court Clerk search for misdemeanor cases
• Visit either clerk's office in person at 373 or 375 S High St in Columbus
• Check the ODRC Offender Search for state prison inmates
• Get a WebCheck fingerprint check for a full BCI background report

The ODRC Offender Search is free and covers anyone in an Ohio state prison or under state supervision. You can search by name and filter by county. It shows conviction details and facility placement. But it does not include people in the Franklin County Jail or on local probation.

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation keeps the broadest criminal history database in Ohio. Access requires a fingerprint submission through WebCheck. This is the most thorough option for a background search that goes beyond what county court records alone can show.

Record Sealing in Franklin County

Some Franklin County criminal records can be sealed under ORC 2953.32. Eligible people file an application with the Common Pleas Court. The filing fee is $50. A judge reviews the request and decides if the record should be sealed. Not all convictions qualify. Violent crimes and sex offenses are generally excluded.

Once sealed, a criminal record no longer appears in public searches. It will not show up in the clerk's online case search tool. But sealed records are not destroyed. Law enforcement and certain agencies retain access. If you have a Franklin County case and want to explore sealing, talk to an attorney or contact the clerk for the required forms.

Ohio's Sunshine Laws protect your right to access public records. The Attorney General's office publishes a guide on how to make records requests. For criminal history in Franklin County, most files are public unless sealed by court order. The sex offender registry under ORC Chapter 2950 is always public and not subject to sealing.

The Ohio Clerk of Courts Association maintains a directory of all 88 county clerks if you need to reach other counties for related criminal history.

Cities in Franklin County

Franklin County includes Columbus, the state capital and largest city in Ohio. Criminal misdemeanor cases in Columbus are handled through the Franklin County Municipal Court. Here are the cities in Franklin County with their own criminal history pages.

Dublin also falls partly within Franklin County but is split across multiple counties.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

If a criminal case was filed outside Franklin County, contact the clerk in the county where it was heard. Records stay with the county of filing. Here are the counties that border Franklin County.