What are Columbus Public Records?
According to the Ohio Public Records Act, Columbus public records refer to any information or data generated by any entity established by the state’s laws. Columbus public records may be in the form of handwritten or computer-generated documents, audiotapes, maps, pictures, or videos. However, public records may be deemed confidential if it satisfies the following criteria:
- Violates the personal privacy of the record bearer(s).
- Contains information on trial preparation for either civil or criminal cases.
- Impedes the progress or outcome of an ongoing law enforcement investigation.
Columbus Crime Statistics
The City of Columbus Division of Police records and regularly updates citywide statistics on arrests, crime trends, and traffic violations. It also provides a quarterly and annual report on all crimes reported in the city and the county in general. According to the Unified Crime Report for 2018, Columbus City reported a total of 4,416 violent crimes and 32,512 property crimes. Larceny was the most reported property crime at 21,323, while Robbery was the most reported violent crime at 1,922. Compared to 2016, Columbus experienced a 108% increase in violent crimes and a 27% increase in property crimes. The total number of homicides cases increased by 9%, while robberies decreased by 11%.
Are Columbus Criminal Records Public?
A majority of Columbus's criminal records are available for public view. For example, documents containing confidential personal information such as medical records are restricted from public view. Except for restricted records, interested persons can view and request Columbus criminal records from Ohio’s Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
How to Obtain Columbus Police Reports and Arrest Records
Interested persons may request to view and obtain police reports from the City of Columbus Division of Police via the online web platform. Requesters can carry out the online platform in three ways; by a list of locations, the victim’s last name, and the report number. More so, requesters can carry searches based on the arrest record’s year of documentation.
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Columbus
According to Megan’s law, all convicted sex offenders in Columbus, and the state, are mandated to register on the State’s Sex Offender Registry. Hence, the requester can search for sex offenders either through the statewide sex offender registry or the Franklin County Sheriff’s Sex Offender Registry. To get a precise search result, requesters may search for sex offenders by location-county, city, municipality, or name. In addition to this, requesters may opt to sign up for the sex offender notification system. The system enables requesters to get notified each time the sex offender list is updated.
How to Find Columbus Inmate Records
The Franklin County Sheriff Department provides access to inmate records via an online search platform. The search platform contains current inmates’ information, court case numbers, current charges, and court dates. Requesters can search for Columbus inmate information using the inmates’ first and last name, status, race, age, and sex.
How do I Visit an Inmate in Columbus Jail?
The Columbus County Jail schedules inmate visitation based on the inmates’ last names. The visitation schedule is as follows;
- A to C on Mondays
- D to G on Tuesdays
- H to L on Wednesdays
- M to Q on Thursdays
- Juveniles on Fridays
- R to S on Saturdays
- T to Z on Sundays
Families and friends who wish to must get approval from the jail administrator and the inmate before visitation. More so, inmate visitation duration is 15 minutes, and 30 minutes for juveniles.
Court Records
As part of the Ohio Tenth Judicial District, the Columbus Municipal Court grants interested persons access to various Columbus court records, such as traffic records, criminal records, administrative records, and probate records.
Location of Courts in the City of Columbus
The city is home to four Court of Common Pleas, one Municipal Court, and 20 Mayor’s Courts.
Franklin County Clerk of Courts
Franklin County Government Center
373 South High Street
23rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3600
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas - Domestic Relations Division and Juvenile Branch
Franklin County Government Center
373 South High Street
6th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3628
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas - General Division
Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse
345 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3453
Fax: (614) 525-4480
Franklin County Court of Common Pleas - Probate Court
Franklin County Government Center
373 South High Street
22nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525-3894
Fax: (614) 525-7422
Franklin County Municipal Court
Franklin County Government Center
375 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 645-8186
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Bexley Mayor's Court
2242 East Main Street
Bexley, OH 43209
Phone: (614) 559-4437
Fax: (614) 559-4201
Canal Winchester Mayor's Court
36 South High Street
Canal Winchester, OH 43110
Phone: (614) 837-7691
Fax: (614) 837-0145
City of Columbus Parking Violations Bureau
2700 Impound Lot
Columbus, OH 43207
Phone: (614) 645-6400
Fax: (614) 645-7357
Dublin Mayor's Court
Dublin Justice Center
6565 Commerce Parkway
Dublin, OH 43017
Phone: (614) 410-4920
Fax: (614) 761-6598
Gahanna Mayor's Court
Gahanna City Hall Building
200 South Hamilton Road
Gahanna, OH 43230
Phone: (614) 342-4080
Fax: (614) 342-4180
Grandview Heights Mayor's Court
City Hall
1016 Grandview Avenue
Grandview Heights, OH 43212
Phone: (614) 481-6205
Fax: (614) 481-6224
Grove City Mayor's Court
3360 Park Street
Grove City, OH 43123
Phone: (614) 277-1715
Fax: (614) 277-1793
Groveport Mayor's Court
Municipal Building
655 Blacklick Street
Groveport, OH 43125
Phone: (614) 830-2043
Harrisburg Mayor's Court
1092 High Street
Harrisburg, OH 43126
Phone: (614) 877-4053
Fax: (614) 877-0127
Hilliard Mayor's Court
Joint Safety Services Building
5171 Northwest Parkway
Hilliard, OH 43026
Phone: (614) 334-2348
Fax: (614) 529-6036
Marble Cliff Mayor's Court
Grandview Heights Municipal Building
1016 Grandview Avenue
Grandview Heights, OH 43212
Phone: (614) 486-6993
Minerva Park Mayor's Court
2829 Minerva Lake Road
Columbus, OH 43231
Phone: (614) 882-1408
Fax: (614) 899-1296
New Albany Mayor's Court
Village Hall
99 West Main Street
New Albany, OH 43054
Phone: (614) 855-8577
Fax: (614) 855-0082
Obetz Mayor's Court
4175 Alum Creek Drive
Obetz, OH 43207
Phone: (614) 491-3211
Reynoldsburg Mayor's Court
7232 East Main Street
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Phone: (614) 322-6804
Fax: (614) 322-6856
Upper Arlington Mayor's Court
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: (614) 583-5060
Fax: (614) 442-4044
Valley View Mayor's Court
6899 Hathaway Road
Valley View, OH 44125
Phone: (216) 524-9687
Westerville Mayor's Court
21 South State Street
Westerville, OH 43081
Phone: (614) 901-6419
Fax: (614) 776-6045
Whitehall Mayor's Court
Whitehall City Hall
360 South Yearling Road
Whitehall, OH 43213
Phone: (614) 338-3109
Worthington Mayor's Court
6550 North High Street
Worthington, OH 43085
Phone: (614) 786-7351
Fax: (614) 433-7915
Are Columbus Court Records Public?
Per the Ohio Open Records Law, a majority of Columbus court records are open to the public. However, some records are deemed confidential and exempt from public view. Court adoption cases and juvenile cases are examples of confidential court cases. Interested persons can also look up non-confidential Columbus court cases online. The Franklin County Clerk of Courts provides an online platform where record seekers can search for court records.
How to Obtain Columbus Civil and Criminal Court Case Records
Requesters can obtain Columbus’s civil court case records by accessing the Franklin County Clerk of Court’s online database. The online database enables people to search for court records by the record bearer’s last and first name and the case number and status. Interested persons can also lookup Columbus criminal court case records by utilizing the Franklin County Clerk of Court’s online database for court records.
What are Columbus Vital Records?
Columbus‘s vital records refer to all government-verified documents that contain data on the occurrence of life events within the city. Vital records include but are not limited to birth records, death records, marriage records, and divorce records. The Ohio Health Department’s Vital Statistics Division collates and dispenses birth and death records to interested and eligible persons. Alternatively, the Franklin County Probate Court is the repository for all marriage and divorce records for Columbus City.
Where and How to Obtain Columbus Divorce Records
Interested persons may request certified copies of Columbus divorce records from the Franklin County Probate Court. Requesters may obtain divorce records in person or via email. For in-person service, requesters must visit the County Probate Court at:
22nd Floor
373 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6311
Divorce records cost $1 per certified copy and $0.5 for non-certified copies. Requesters can also obtain divorce records via mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to:
22nd Floor
373 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6311
Where and How to Obtain Columbus Marriage Records
Requesters may obtain Columbus’s marriage records from the Franklin County Probate Court via online, email, or in-person requests. To request marriage records online, requesters must pay a $2 fee for each certified copy on the online platform. To obtain marriage records via mail-in requests, requesters should send a written request that contains the following; the applicant’s name, the year of the marriage, a $2 cash or money order for the divorce copy in a self-addressed envelope to the:
Franklin County Probate Court
ATTN: Marriage Records
373 South High Street
22nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6311
To obtain marriage records via in-person service, requesters may visit the Probate Marriage Court Department at:
373 South High Street
23rd floor
Columbus, OH
The Probate Office is open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where and How to Obtain Columbus Birth Records
The Ohio Department of Health via the Bureau of Vital Statistics collates and provides access to records of birth events in the state. Columbus’s birth records are open to the public, and interested persons may obtain birth records via online, mail, and in-person means. The Bureau of Vital Statistics provides access to birth records from December 10, 1908, to the present. Hence, record seekers can obtain birth records at the cost of $21.50 per certified copy. To get birth records via online means, requesters should place an order on the Bureau of Vital Statistics’s Official platform. To request birth records via email, requesters must fill out the application for birth records and send to the address below:
Ohio Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, OH 43215-0098
Requesters should not send credit or debit card information when requesting birth records via mail. Processing time for mail-in requests takes 4 to 6 weeks. Lastly, requesters can check for an update on their application after three weeks by sending an email to vs.issuance@odh.ohio.gov.
Where and How to Obtain Columbus Death Records
Interested persons may obtain certified copies of death records from the Bureau of Vital Statistics via mail-in, online, and in-person requests. The Bureau provides access to death records from 1964 to the present. Hence, record seekers can obtain death records for $21.50 per certified copy. To obtain death records via in-person requests, requesters should visit the:
Ohio Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, OH 43215-0098
To obtain death records via online requests, interested persons may place an order on the Bureau of Vital Statistics’s Official platform. Mail-in requests require interested persons to fill out the application for birth records and send it to the:
Ohio Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, OH 43215-0098
Requesters should not send credit or debit card information when requesting birth records via mail. Processing time for mail-in requests takes 4 to 6 weeks. Lastly, requesters can check for an update on their application after three weeks by sending an email to vs.issuance@odh.ohio.gov.
