ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS

What are Allen County Public Records?

Allen county public records are official documents that provide information about a government agency's activities, including its functions, policies, operations, and procedures. In most cases, Allen County public records are open to the public. However, some information, including social security numbers, some medical information, and specific financial details, may be exempt from disclosure per state law. Other information restricted from public access includes:

• Adoption proceedings
• Intellectual property records from university or state college researchers that are not yet published or patented
• Trade secrets
• DNA records produced or maintained by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation
• Confidential investigatory techniques or procedures
• Information that could threaten the safety of a crime victim, witness, confidential informant, or law enforcement personnel
• All records where disclosure is prohibited by federal or state law

In addition to government agencies, some public records may also be accessible from third-party websites. These non-government platforms provide intuitive tools that allow for comprehensive searches. Record seekers may either use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. However, users will need to provide enough information to assist with the search, such as:

• The name of the subject involved in the record (subject must be older than 18 or not juvenile)
• The address of the requestor
• A case number or file number (if known)
• The location of the document or person involved
• The last known or current address of the registrant

Government agencies do not sponsor third-party sites. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.

Allen County Crime Statistics

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains uniform crime statistics from various law enforcement agencies. According to the 2018 report, Allen County had one murder, 15 robberies, and nine aggravated assaults, a total of 25 violent crimes. Also, there were 139 burglaries, 637 larceny-theft incidents, 27 motor vehicle thefts, and two arson cases, totaling 803 property crimes. The FBI's figures did not include reported rape cases.

Are Allen County Criminal Records Public?

Allen County criminal records may be made accessible to interested and eligible persons for reasons pertaining to employment and investigation. However, no restrictions apply to persons seeking personal criminal history information (that is, where the record being sought is their own).

Eligible persons may contact the Allen County Sheriff's Office to request criminal history information. The Records Bureau requires a signed waiver from the subject named on the record, and the subject's full name, date of birth, and social security number. Requestors may submit requests to the county sheriff's office at:

Allen County Sheriff's Office.
333 North Main Street
Lima, OH 45801
Phone: (419) 227-3535
Fax: (419) 227-2204

How to Obtain Allen County Police Reports and Arrest Records?

The Allen County Sheriff's Office manages arrest and police records and provides copies of these records to interested persons. However, the Sheriff's Office may limit public access to protect the record holder from an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The record may also be restricted if they contain information about ongoing investigations.

Allen County arrest records and police reports can be obtained online, by mail, or in person. Police reports and arrest records can be obtained by letter, personal visitation, or placing a request online.

Requestors should complete the form with the date and location of occurrence, name, date of birth, and address. Persons requesting by mail or in-person should also provide the required information and their submissions. All requests may be submitted to the county sheriff's office.

How to Find Allen County Sex Offender Information

In Allen County, sex offender information is maintained by the Sheriff's Office and open to members of the general public. Using the Sex Offender Search on the Sherriff's Office website, interested persons can search and view the names, physical descriptions, locations, and the nature of the sex offenses committed by registered sex offenders in their vicinity. Also, when a registered sex offender moves to a new location, the Sheriff's Office will notify all neighbors who live within 1,200 feet of the offender's address.

Where and How to Find Allen County Inmate Information?

The Corrections Division of the Sheriff's Office keeps a roster of all inmates housed in the jail facility, including inmates awaiting trial, sentencing, or both. Through the Allen County inmate search tool, record seekers may search through the jail's registry by the inmate's name, subject number, booking number, booking date range, and housing facility. Interested parties may also contact the county jail for more information on where an inmate is located:

Allen County Jail
333 North Main Street
Lima, OH 45801
Phone: (419) 227-3535

How Do I Visit an Inmate in Allen County Jail?

Members of the public may visit inmates at the Allen County Jail from Monday to Sunday, between 8:00 am to 6:00 am. All visitors must sign in at the jail 15 minutes before the scheduled time. Allen County Jail staff will deny entry under the following conditions:

• The visitor is not on the inmate visitation card
• The visitor is dressed inappropriately or appears to be intoxicated
• The visitor has not signed in at least 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment.
• The visitor is considered a danger to the inmate's mental health.
• The visitor is rude to the jail staff.

The Allen County Corrections Department provides on-site and off-site visitation options. While on-site allows visitors to communicate with convicts for free, off-site video visitation costs $0.39 per minute, paid for by the visitor.

Visitation hours at the Allen County Jail are subject to change without notice. Inmates must notify their visitors of any changes in their visitation status. In addition, all visitors must adhere to all stipulated rules or maybe deny scheduled visits. Interested persons may contact the jail.

Allen County Court Records

Court records contain details of court proceedings, including details about the litigants and judgment information. The Allen County court system comprises Courts of Common Pleas, Municipal Courts, and Mayor's Courts, allowing public access to non-confidential court records maintained according to each court's jurisdiction. The following are the addresses and contact details of Allen County courts:

Allen County Court of Common Pleas
Allen County Courthouse
301 North Main Street
Lima, OH 45802
Phone: (419) 223-8513
Fax: (419) 222-8427

Allen County Court of Common Pleas - Juvenile Division
1000 Ward Hill Avenue
Lima, OH 45805
Phone: (419) 227-5531
Fax: (419) 222-7403

Allen County Court of Common Pleas - Probate Division
Allen County Courthouse
301 North Main Street
Lima, OH 45802
Phone: (419) 223-8501
Fax: (419) 221-3432

Municipal Courts in Allen County
Lima Municipal Court
Hall of Justice Building
109 North Union Street
Lima, OH 45801
Phone: (419) 221-5275, (419) 221-5275
Fax: (419) 998-5517, (419) 998-5526

Bluffton Mayor's Court
154 N Main St, Bluffton, OH 45817
Phone: (419) 358-2961

Cairo Mayor's Court
519 Wall Street
Cairo, OH 45820
Phone: (419) 614-2471

Delphos Mayor's Court
608 North Canal Street
Delphos, OH 45833
Phone: (419) 695-4010
Fax: (419) 695-5102

Elida Mayor's Court
200 West Main Street
Elida, OH 45807
Phone: (419) 339-2811
Fax: (419) 339-3804

Spencerville Mayor's Court
116 South Broadway Street
Spencerville, OH 45887
Phone: (419) 647-4141
Fax: (419) 647-4513

Are Allen County Court Records Public?

Allen court records are open to all interested persons and are accessible from the courts that head the respective cases. However, not all court records are open to the general public as courts may seal records that contain confidential information. When sealed, records are not available to the public and are only accessible by persons involved and others authorized by the court.

How to Obtain Allen County Civil Court Case Records?

The Allen County Clerk of Court maintains Allen County civil court records. Unless a record is restricted, any county resident can request access to copies. To obtain civil records from the clerk's office, the requester has to either download the request form or go to the office to fill out a physical copy. Each copy costs $1 per page.

Interested persons may submit completed forms by mail, email, or in person. Records received by email cost an extra $2 transmission fee, but certified copies are only available by mail. Record seekers should submit requests using the following details:

Allen County Clerk's Office
301 North Main Street
Lima, OH 45802
Phone: (419) 223-8513
Fax: (419) 222-8427
Email: recordsrequest@allencountyohio.com

How to Obtain Allen County Criminal Court Records?

Allen County criminal court records are available at the Clerk of Court's Office.

Allen County criminal records are maintained by the Clerk of Court. These are records that were created at the beginning of a criminal trial. Criminal records are also public records, which means every resident of the county has a right to inspect or have a copy of any record of interest. All that is required of such an interested person is to make a request known to the office of clerks of courts.

In Allen County, the office of the clerks of courts has the responsibility of granting access or denying access to criminal records. However, the office takes such decisions based on the law or a court injunction. If a person requests access to public records, but the statutory limitation denies such access, the clerk has to explain the reasons why such a record is not opened. A certified copy of the document costs $1 per page, while it costs $2 for electronic transmission and $1 for each page sent via email.

Requests for criminal records can be made at the state level as well. The office clerks of court in Ohio also help the locals locate criminal records. It costs $1 per page of a certified copy and $0.10 per page for an uncertified copy. Getting criminal records online is the ideal way to obtain criminal records at the state level.

What are Allen County Vital Records?

Allen County vital records document county life events. The records include marriage records, divorce records, death records, and birth records. Some vital public records are regarded as public information and open for viewing and inspection. However, certified copies are only available to authorized parties such as immediate family members, owners of record, as well as parents/legal guardians. Any other person may view these records only by a court order.

The state of Ohio department of health maintains a central repository of vital records. Even so, in the Allen County department of health, vital records are created and maintained by the department.

Where and How to Get Allen County Divorce Records?

Allen County divorce records are kept by the clerk of the court of common pleas. Divorce records can be obtained in person, by mail, or online. Although divorce records in Allen County are public, requesters may not obtain sensitive information such as:

• financial account numbers
• social security numbers
• victims of domestic violence
• information about minors.

A request written by the requestor must be submitted to the appropriate court of common pleas' domestic relations division, and requests must include the following information:

• The full names of the parties
• The year that the divorce was finalized
• The reference number (if any)
• A return address, as well as any applicable fees.

A request sent by mail typically takes longer to process, and certified copies may be unavailable to unauthorized individuals.

Where and How to Get Allen County Marriage Records?

Marriage records in Allen County can be accessed through an online search or by making an in-person request to the relevant custodian. Requestors may visit the appropriate courthouse, send a mail-in request, or call (if applicable). In Allen county, the probate court maintains marriage records for licenses within their own administration.

By going to the marriage department of the Probate Court where the marriage license was issued, a requester can receive same-day service from Allen County Probate Courts. The cost of obtaining abstract marriage certificates ranges between $2 and $5. The requestor can also schedule a visit by contacting the appropriate department through the court directories. In addition, interested parties can obtain marriage records by mailing a written request to the relevant probate court. Requests must contain

• Names of the parties to the marriage
• The year of the marriage
• The year of the marriage
• A phone number
• A self-addressed, stamped envelope

The address of the probate court:

Allen County Probate Court
1000 Ward Hill Avenue
Lima, OH 45805
Phone: (419) 223-8501
Fax: (419) 221-0460
Email: probate@allencountyohio.com

Where and How to Get Allen County Birth Records?

Allen County birth records are public documents available to the general public upon request. Allen County Public Health (ACPH) maintains birth records in the county. To obtain birth records, an interested person can get birth records by:

• Phone orders: To make a phone order, an interested person must have a credit or debit card to place the order over the phone. Thereafter, such a person can call ACPH.
• Mail order: To place a mail order, a requester needs to download and fill out the vital record form. While submitting the form, the requester must include a money order of $27.
• Walk-in orders: The standard way of obtaining birth records is by walking into the office of the ACPH. The office is open from Monday to Friday from 8:am- 4:pm. It is advisable for the requester to go to the office with a copy of the form, which was downloaded and filled out. This will make the process faster.

Getting a certified copy of a birth record costs $27 per copy. However, before a person can obtain a birth record from Allen county, the recorder holder must be born in Ohio. Moreso, the record holder must have a birth date and the full name at birth. An interested person can visit or send a mail to the address below for birth records:

Allen County Public Health
219 East Market Street
Lima, OH 45801
Phone: (419) 228-4457

Where and How to Get Allen County Death Records?

Death records are open to the public. However, the deceased's social security number will not be made public for the first five years after death, that is, unless the requester is:

• the deceased's spouse
• their heir,
• their legal representative
• a member of law enforcement
• a private investigator,
• the funeral director,
• Authorized by a court order.

The Allen County Public Health Department can grant requestors access to death records dated as far back as 1908. A requester only needs to ensure that the record-holder was born in Ohio and died in Allen County.

Death records can be obtained the same way birth records are processed. Requestors can obtain birth records by:

• Calling the ACPH
• Sending mail to the ACPH
• Making a request online
• Going to the office of the ACPH

Except where otherwise stated, Allen County death records are open to the public. Through walk-in or mail-in requests, the public can inspect and copy abstract copies of death records. The requester is expected to visit the local health district department with the information required to facilitate the search, such as:

• The deceased's surname
• The date of death
• The location of the death
• Applicable fees.

The fees vary, but the typical certification fee is $27 per copy. To request a certified death abstract by mail, the requester will send a written request or print and complete the form found on the county public health website.

In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.