Franklin County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Franklin County is a relatively large county in central Ohio, with a land area of 532 square miles and a population of over 1,320,000 residents. It is the most populous county in the state, and its county seat is Columbus. Ohio's most populous city. Despite its population, Franklin County operates a streamlined court system that comprises the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Courts. The Court of Common Pleas has different Divisions, each with its own jurisdiction, ensuring the Franklin County court system is well-equipped to handle a diverse caseload. The courts are essential to the county's governance and rule of law.

The Court of Common Pleas, located in Columbus, has jurisdiction over all civil cases involving over $15,000 and felony criminal cases. It handles these cases through its General Division. The court also, through its Probate Division, handles the administration of estate matters, adoptions, trusts, probate-related litigation, and related matters. Its Domestic and Juvenile Divisions have jurisdiction over divorces, annulments, domestic violence petitions, and all cases involving persons under 18 years old. The Municipal Court is located in Columbus, it handles civil cases involving $15,000 or less, traffic cases, and misdemeanor criminal cases.

Annually, over 100,000 new cases are filed in Franklin County, indicating an active legal system and busy court dockets. The streamlined structure of the court system also indicates that the Court of Common Pleas receives much of the caseload. In 2023, the court handled over 40,000 cases, which were mostly juvenile, civil, and criminal cases. Despite the recent spike in crime rates in the county, the county's relatively low crime rate reflects significant compliance with law and order. The cases decided by Franklin County courts, and all documents, filings, or applications submitted to the courts, are maintained by the respective Court Clerks. They constitute the Franklin County court records. The records are publicly accessible via the county's Case Information Online or Case Record Search portal, or at the respective Clerk's Office.

The Franklin County courts remain to be a core part of the county's governance and are dedicated to delivering justice on various issues and disputes. Committed to transparency through the online case records repository, easy access, and a judiciary well-equipped to handle a diverse caseload, the county's court system, structure, and organization, are factors that make it efficient and a model court system for other counties across Ohio.