Crime Numbers
The Office of Criminal Justice Services of the Ohio Department of Public Safety collates crime data for all the counties in the state and publishes annual reports of crime trend in various counties of Ohio. Its latest reports show that law enforcement agencies recorded 672 violent crimes and 4,529 property crimes in Lorain County in 2017. These figures represent a 69.7% rise in violent crime rate and a 1.2% dip in property crime rate between 2013 and 2017.
A breakdown of the county’s 2017 crime data reveals that there 6 murders, 103 rapes, 167 robberies, and 396 aggravated assaults. Reported incidences of property crimes include 1,203 burglaries, 3,136 larcenies, 190 motor vehicle thefts, and 35 arsons. Compared to 2013 crime figures, murder rate remained the same in 2017. However, rape (87.3%), aggravated assault (182.9%), larceny (9.6%), and motor vehicle theft (58.3%) rates rose between 2013 and 2017. The five-year crime trend for Lorain County also reveals falling robbery (14.4%), burglary (26.2%), and arson (20.5%) rates.
Criminal Records
The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office provides local background checks and also state and national background checks through WebCheck, an electronic fingerprinting system. To request for these criminal history checks, visit the Sheriff’s Office at:
46268 Butternut Ridge Road
Oberlin, OH 44074
Phone: (440) 329-3709
Bring along a valid government-issued photo ID preferably an Ohio driver’s license. This Sheriff’s Office accepts requests for background checks every day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The fee for a local background check is $3. This provides arrest information for Lorain County. State or BCI (Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation) background check costs $27 while a national/FBI check costs $30. Citizens can request state and national checks for $57. All fees are payable with money order.
The Records Division of the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office maintains public records produced by this law enforcement agency. Members of the public can request offense and accident reports from this division. Visit the Records Division at the Sheriff’s Office address listed above between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from Monday through Friday to request for these police reports. When choosing to submit a mail request, make sure to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.
The Sheriff’s Office charges 50 cents per page for paper copies of offense reports and $1 per CD/DVD for electronic records stored on optical media. Each accident report costs $4.
The Sheriff’s Office provides a handy tool for finding registered sex offenders living and working in Lorain County. This Offender Search tool queries the central Ohio Sex Offender Registry to provide identifying information about sex offenders. Search is available for such individuals by name, email address, and phone number. Find offenders in Lorain County by entering zip codes, city names, and street addresses in the county.
The Corrections Division of the Sheriff’s Office runs the Lorain County Jail. This correctional facility is located at:
9896 Murray Ridge Road
Elyria, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 329-3770
To find an inmate in this facility, check the inmate bookings and jail rosters published on the Sheriff’s website. Contact the jail to enquire about sending money to an inmate in the facility.
Court Records
The highest trial court in Lorain County is the Court of Common Pleas. It has a General Division, a Probate Division, and a Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division. All of them occupy the Lorain County Justice Center. There are also five Municipal Court and six Mayor’s Court in the county. Listed below are the addresses and contact information of these courts:
Lorain County Court of Common Pleas - General Division
Lorain County Justice Center
225 Court Street, Elyria, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 329-5536 (Civil)
Fax: (440) 328-2416 (Civil)
Phone: (440) 329-5538 (Criminal)
Fax: (440) 329-5404 (Criminal)
Lorain County Court of Common Pleas - Domestic Relations and Juvenile Divisions
Lorain County Justice Center
225 Court Street, Elyria, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 329-5277 (Domestic Relations)
Fax: (440) 329-5506 (Domestic Relations)
Phone: (440) 329-5187 (Juvenile)
Fax: (440) 329-5271 (Juvenile)
Lorain County Courts of Common Pleas - Probate Division
Lorain County Justice Center
225 Court Street, 6th Floor, Elyria, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 329-5175
Phone: (440) 244-6261
Fax: (440) 328-2157
Avon Lake Municipal Court
32855 Walker Rd, Avon, Lake, OH 44012
Phone: (440) 930-4103
Fax: (440) 930-4128
Elyria Municipal Court
601 Broad St, Elyria, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 326-1800
Fax: (440) 326-1878 (Civil)
Fax: (440) 326-1877 (Criminal/Traffic)
Lorain Municipal Court
200 W Erie Ave, Lorain, OH 44052
Phone: (440) 204-2140
Fax: (440) 204-2146
Oberlin Municipal Court
85 S Main St, Oberlin, OH 44074
Phone: (440) 775-1751
Fax: (440) 775-0619
Vermilion Municipal Court
687 Decatur St, Vermilion, OH 44089
Phone: (440) 204-2430
Fax: (440) 204-2431
Avon Mayor's Court
38060 Chester Rd, Avon, OH 44011
Phone: (440) 937-7802
Fax: (440) 937-7824
Grafton Mayor's Court
Grafton Town Hall
960 Main St, Grafton, OH 44044
Phone: (440) 926-2401
Fax: (440) 926-9018
LaGrange Mayor's Court
355 S Center St, LaGrange, OH 44050
Phone: (440) 355-5555
North Ridgeville Mayor's Court
7307 Avon Belden Rd, North Ridgeville, OH 44039
Phone: (440) 353-0821
Fax: (440) 353-1521
Sheffield Lake Mayor's Court
609 Harris Rd, Sheffield Lake, OH 44054
Phone: (440) 949-6778
Sheffield Village Mayor's Court
Municipal Complex
4340 Colorado Ave, Sheffield Village, OH 44054
Phone: (440) 949-6324
Fax: (440) 949-6341
The Lorain County Clerk of Courts maintains the records of the General and Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas. This official also provides access to the records of the 9th District Court of Appeals (situated outside Lorain County but having jurisdiction over the county). Interested parties can access dockets, case index, and calendars for these courts online from the Case Docket portal on the Clerk’s website. To obtain copies of the records of these courts, contact the Lorain County Clerk of Courts at:
Lorain County Justice Center
225 Court Street, 1st Floor
Elyria, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 329-5000
The Clerk’s Office is available between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
For online access to open records of the Lorain County Probate Court, visit the Records Search page of the court’s website. Contact this court at the address listed above to request for its records. Similarly, you can enquire about the availability of the records of the Municipal and Mayor’s Courts in Lorain County by contacting them directly.
Vital Records
The Domestic Relations Division of the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas handles all divorce cases in the court and maintains divorce records. To request for copies of a divorce case records, contact the Records Department of the Office of the Clerk of Court by calling (440) 329-5511.
The Probate Court issues marriage licenses in Lorain County and provides copies of such records. Use the court’s Records Search tool to search online for a marriage license. Contact the court to enquire about obtaining copies. Visit the Probate Court at the address listed above or call (440) 329-5176.
The Lorain County Health Department provides copies of birth and death certificates. You can request for copies of these vital records by visiting the Health Department at:
Lorain County Public Health
9880 S. Murray Ridge Road
Elyria, OH 44035
It accepts walk-in requests for birth and death certificates from Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Each certified copy of a birth or death certificate costs $25. The Lorain County Health Department accepts cash, checks, and money orders as well as VISA, MasterCard, and Discover credit/debit cards.
This agency also accepts mail request. Download and fill out an Application for Certified Copies. Mail this to the Lorain County Public Health address listed above. Enclose a self addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order for copy fee.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Lorain County?
Lorain County property records are open to the members of the public in accordance with the Ohio Open Records Law, which stipulates that public records can be retrieved and inspected by members of the public without giving reasons for requests of such data. The Office of the Recorder, Lorrain county is responsible for storing and indexing these property records in a manner that is easy to access by members of the public. For further inquiries, persons interested can contact the recorder at:
Lorain County Recorder
Mike Doran
226 Middle Ave
Elyria, OH 44035
Email: lcrecorder@loraincounty.us
Phone: (440) 329-5148 - Recorder's Office
Phone: (440) 244-6261 - County Switchboard
Where and How to Find Property Records in Lorain County
The Lorain County office of the recorder is responsible for maintaining records for all properties contained within the county. The department houses the property records in a well-indexed and warehoused manner. Physical copies of property records can be retrieved by contacting the Lorain County recorder at:
Lorain County Recorder
Mike Doran
226 Middle Ave
Elyria, OH 44035
Email: lcrecorder@loraincounty.us
Phone: (440) 329-5148 - Recorder's Office
Phone: (440) 244-6261 - County Switchboard
How to Look Up Lorain County Property Records
The Lorain County Recorder’s Office maintains property records including deeds, mortgages, and miscellaneous documents. The county recorder maintains an online search portal for members of the public to access property records. For deeds issued between the years 1824 to 1901, there is a separate search portal on the online property search database, input the firm or owner name and the series type for results.
The fees for retrieving physical copies are $2.00 per page and an extra $2.00 for Certified Copy per page. For certifying without seal the charge is $1.00.
Location of Lorain County Property Assessor
Lorain County Auditor
Lorain County Admn. Building
226 Middle Ave., 2nd Floor
Elyria, OH 44035
Phone: (440) 329-5207
Email: auditor@LorainCounty.com
