Crime Numbers
The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) of the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) collates and provides crime data for all the counties and major cities of the state. Its latest annual reports show that there were 1,176 violent crimes and 8,669 property crimes in Stark County in 2017. These figures represent a 13.1% rise in violent crime rate and a 16.5% drop in property crime rate between 2013 and 2017.
A closer look at the 2017 crime data for the county reveals that law enforcement agencies recorded 23 murders, 183 rapes, 264 robberies, and 706 aggravated assaults. Reported incidences of violent crimes include 1,904 burglaries, 6,311 larcenies, 454 motor vehicle thefts, and 41 arsons. Compared to 2013 crime figures for the county, murder (91.7%), rape (33.6%), aggravated assault (78.3%), and arson (13.9%) rates went up in 2017. The five-year crime trend for Stark County also shows declining robbery (44.7%), burglary (26.2%), larceny (11.5%), and motor vehicle theft (31.8%) rates.
Criminal Records
The Stark County Sheriff’s Office offers fingerprinting service and background checks for residents of the county. You need to call the Sheriff’s Office and make an appointment for fingerprinting. See the Sheriff’s contact details below:
4500 Atlantic Blvd., N.E.,
Canton, Ohio 44705
Phone: (330) 451-1383
Fingerprinting is only available from Tuesday to Thursday between 7:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Each fingerprint card costs $10.
To request for criminal history record from the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, complete and submit a Fingerprint Background Check Application. Mail this to the Stark County Sheriff at:
Stark County Safety Building
4500 Atlantic Blvd., N.E.,
Canton, Ohio 44705
Include a certified bank check, cashier’s check, or money order for background check fee payable to Stark County Treasurer. The fee for a State of Ohio background check is $40. A nationwide FBI background check also costs $40. You can order both background checks with the same application.
Note that while the Stark County Sheriff receives requests for criminal history records, the actual background check is performed by the office of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) in London, Ohio. For further information and questions and to check the status of your application, contact the BCI office by calling (877) 224-0043 or (740) 845-2000.
The Sheriff’s Office provides copies of incident and accident reports for Stark County. To obtain these criminal justice records, complete the Incident/Accident Report Request Form on the Sheriff’s website. You can also request for these records in person at the Sheriff’s Office at the address listed above.
The Office of the Ohio Attorney General provides a publicly accessible search tool for finding registered sex offenders living in different counties of the state. Visit the state’s Offender Search webpage to access the Ohio Sex Offender Registry. You can search for specific offenders by name, email address, and phone number. To find registered offenders living in Stark County, search the database by providing city names, zip codes, and street addresses in the county.
The Jail Division of the Sheriff’s Office oversees the operation of the Stark County Jail. This correctional facility is located at 4500 Atlantic Blvd N.E., Canton, Ohio 44705. Its contact phone number is (330) 451-1346.
Friends and family can fund inmates’ accounts by making cash and Mastercard/VISA debit/credit card deposits at the kiosk located in the jail lobby. This location is available from Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. They can also send money online from www.AccessCorrections.com or www.ICSolutions.com.
Court Records
The Judicial System in Stark County includes a Court of Common Pleas and three Municipal Courts. The Court of Common Pleas has a General Division; a Probate Division; and Domestic Relations and Juvenile Divisions that make up the Family Court. These are all located in the Stark County Courthouse. Below are the addresses and contact information of these Divisions as well as the Municipal Courts:
Stark County Court of Common Pleas - General Division
Stark County Courthouse
101 West Tuscarawas St.
Canton, Ohio 44702.
Phone: (330) 451-7801
Fax: (330) 451-7066
Stark County Family Court
110 Central Plaza South, Suite 601
Canton, Ohio 44702
Phone: (330) 451-7415
Fax: (330) 451-7837
Stark County Probate Court
110 Central Plaza South, Suite 501
Canton, Ohio 44702
Phone: (330) 451-7755
Alliance Municipal Court
470 E Market St, Room 16, Alliance, OH 44601
Phone: (330) 823-6600
Fax: (330) 829-2231
Canton Municipal Court
Canton City Hall
218 Cleveland Ave SW, P.O. Box 24218, Canton, OH 44701
Phone: (330) 489-3203 (Civil)
Fax: (330) 489-3075 (Civil)
Phone: (330) 489-3207 (Criminal/Traffic)
Fax: (330) 489-3372 (Criminal/Traffic)
Massillon Municipal Court
Municipal Government Center
2 James Duncan Plaza, P.O. Box 1040, Massillon, OH 44648
Phone: (330) 830-1730
Fax: (330) 830-3648
The records of the Divisions of the Court of Common Pleas and the Municipal Courts are available online on the Stark County Criminal Justice Information Systems. Note that access to most of the case records of the Family and Probate Courts is restricted to individuals involved and their legal representatives. The Stark County Probate Court also has a dedicated Case Search page.
To obtain copies of court documents, contact the Stark County Clerk of Courts. Visit the Clerk’s Office or send a mail request to:
Clerk of Courts
115 Central Plaza North
Suite 101
Canton, OH 44702
Provide the names of the parties involved and the year the case was filed in your mail request. The mail should also include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order for $5 payable to the Clerk of Courts.
Besides these courts, there are also six Mayor’s Courts in Stark County. Call or visit these courts to request access to their records. Below are their addresses and contact information:
East Canton Mayor's Court
East Canton Village Hall
130 S Cedar St, East Canton, OH 44730
Phone: (330) 488-0220
Hartville Mayor's Court
202 W Maple St, Hartville, OH 44632
Phone: (330) 877-9222
Fax: (330) 877-9778
Louisville Mayor's Court
215 S Mill St, Louisville, OH 44641
Phone: (330) 875-2871
Fax: (330) 875-1820
Minerva Mayor's Court
209 N Market St, Minerva, OH 44657
Phone: (330) 868-7705
North Canton Mayor's Court
145 N Main St, North Canton, OH 44720
Phone: (330) 499-5081
Waynesburg Mayor's Court
110 N Main St, P.O. Box 764, Waynesburg, OH 44688
Phone: (330) 866-2644
Vital Records
The Stark County Clerk of Courts maintains divorce records in the county. To obtain certified copies of your final Divorce/Dissolution of Marriage Decree, visit the Clerk’s Office at, or send a mail request to:
Clerk of Courts
115 Central Plaza North
Suite 101
Canton, OH 44702
If you opt for a mail request, make sure to provide details like the names of the parties involved in the divorce case and the year the case was filed. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope in your mail as well as a $5 check or money order payable to Clerk of Courts.
The Probate Court issues certified copies of marriage licenses in Stark County. You can obtain this record in person by visiting the court or by submitting a mail request. When submitting your request by mail, make sure include details like names of the applicants and date of marriage. Send the mail request, along with a self-addressed envelope and a $2 check or money order payable to The Stark County Probate Court, to:
Stark County Probate Court
110 Central Plaza South, Suite 501
Canton, Ohio, 44702-1413
The Vital Statistics office of the Ohio Department of Health provides certified copies of birth and death certificates for Stark County. You can apply for these vital records in person by visiting one of the local Vital Statistics offices in the county. Bring along a completed Application for Certified Copies when requesting for birth and death records at:
City of Canton Health Department
420 Market Ave., North
Canton, Ohio 44702
Phone: (330) 489-3231
City of Massillon Health Department
845 8th St. N.E. Suite 6
Massillon, OH 44646
Phone: (330) 830-1710
City of Alliance Health Department
537 East Market Street
Alliance, Ohio 44601
Phone: (330) 821-7373
Stark County Health Department
3951 Convenience Circle N.W.
Canton, Ohio 44718
Phone: (330) 493-9904
These offices charge $25 for each birth or death certificate. Alternatively, you can send the completed Application for Certified Copies by mail to:
Ohio Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, Ohio 43215-0098
Include a check or money order covering copy fees. Make it payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio. The fee for each birth or death certificate ordered by mail is $21.50. Send a completed Heirloom Certificate Application if you want to order a decorative heirloom birth certificate. Each heirloom birth record costs $25.
You can also order an Ohio birth or death record online from the Department of Health’s Online Certificates Application webpage.
