Arrest Records for Franklin County, Ohio

Franklin County arrest records live in two separate systems: court filings at the Franklin County Clerk of Courts, located at 373 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, and booking records held by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The Clerk’s online case search at Franklin County Clerk of Courts covers felony and civil filings; the Sheriff’s inmate lookup at Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Information Search shows current and recent booking data. The Clerk’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call the Franklin County Courthouse at (614) 525-3600 to confirm records-request fees before visiting.

If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Franklin County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.

Searching for records beyond Ohio

A Franklin County court search only returns cases filed in this jurisdiction. If the name you’re checking has ties to other states, federal courts, or counties outside Ohio, a nationwide database search may surface records that local portals don’t index — including cases that pre-date the portal’s online window. Run a preliminary scan below to see what may exist across multiple jurisdictions before deciding whether to request official certified copies.

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How to look up arrest records in Franklin County

Records sealed or expunged under Ohio law won’t appear in any of the searches below — those cases are hidden from public view by court order. If you believe a record exists but can’t find it, the expungement section further down explains why that happens and what it means for your search.

The Franklin County Clerk of Courts online case search is the primary source for felony and civil criminal docket entries. The Clerk’s office is at 373 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The General Division handles felony criminal cases; the Clerk’s General Civil/Criminal division page explains how to request certified copies and what fees apply. Confirm the current records-request fee by calling the Franklin County Courthouse at (614) 525-3600 before visiting. Parking near the courthouse is reported as difficult — the Fulton Street garage fills early on weekday mornings, so plan extra time.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office maintains a separate booking database for jail custody records. Use the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Information Search to look up current and recent bookings by name. Call the Sheriff’s Office at (614) 525-3333 for records requests that go beyond what the online portal shows. Phone lines at the Sheriff’s Office are known to carry significant hold times — visiting in person at weekday business hours is often faster. The Sheriff’s public records page at Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Public Records describes the formal written-request process for law enforcement records.

For state prison inmates — people sentenced to an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction facility rather than a county jail — use the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Offender Search. This statewide tool covers ODRC-managed facilities and is separate from the Franklin County Sheriff’s booking system. A person held at Camp Chase, the Franklin County Correctional Institution, or the Franklin County Corrections Center will appear in the Sheriff’s booking search, not the ODRC portal.

The Franklin County Clerk of Courts General Civil/Criminal page also references the Ohio Revised Code expungement statutes directly, which is useful if you’re researching whether a case qualifies for sealing. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation, linked from the Clerk’s external resources, handles statewide background checks that aggregate records across all 88 Ohio counties.

Are Franklin County arrest records public?

Roughly 88 Ohio counties each maintain their own public court records under the same state law — and Franklin County is no exception. Ohio’s Public Records Act, codified at ORC 149.43, establishes the default rule: government records, including arrest records, booking data, and court filings, are open to any person who requests them. No special credentials are required. Journalists, paralegals, researchers, and private individuals all have the same right of access under this statute.

Court filings at the Franklin County Clerk of Courts are public records under ORC 149.43 — sealed cases, juvenile records, and victim-protection redactions are the narrow exceptions. A sealed record has been hidden from public view by court order under ORC 2953.32; it will not appear in the Clerk’s online case search or in a Sheriff’s booking query. Expunged records, which under Senate Bill 288 are permanently destroyed rather than merely hidden, are similarly absent. If a search returns no results for a name you expected to find, a prior sealing or expungement is one possible explanation.

Juvenile records in Franklin County carry a higher default protection. Cases adjudicated in the Franklin County Juvenile Court are generally not public, though specific exceptions apply when a juvenile is tried as an adult or when the offense involves serious violence. The Franklin County Clerk of Courts handles juvenile division filings separately from the General Division criminal docket.

Victim-related information — home addresses, contact details, and identifying information for protected witnesses — is routinely redacted from public copies of court documents even when the underlying case is public. Booking photos (mugshots) are public records under ORC 149.43 in Ohio generally; for Franklin County’s specific mugshot release practice, call the Sheriff’s Office at (614) 525-3333 to confirm current policy.

Reporters and researchers making bulk or recurring requests should note that the Franklin County Clerk of Courts accepts written public records requests. The Commissioners’ Public Records Request process at Franklin County Commissioners’ Public Records Request covers county-level administrative records. For court records specifically, direct requests to the Clerk’s office at 373 South High Street.

What’s in a Franklin County arrest record?

A Franklin County booking record and a court docket entry contain overlapping but distinct sets of fields — and knowing which system holds which data saves time.

On the Sheriff’s booking side, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Information Search typically displays the subject’s full legal name, booking date and time, booking number, charges as entered at intake, and current custody status. The booking number is the Sheriff’s internal identifier — it differs from the court case number assigned by the Franklin County Clerk of Courts. Charges listed at booking reflect what law enforcement recorded at the time of arrest; they may change as the case moves through the court system.

On the court side, the Franklin County Clerk of Courts docket shows the case number, the formal charge or charges as filed by the prosecutor, all scheduled and completed hearing dates, the attorney of record (if one has appeared), bond information, and the case disposition — whether that’s a conviction, dismissal, acquittal, or other outcome. Disposition data is particularly important: an arrest record at the Sheriff’s level does not tell you whether the case resulted in a conviction. You need the Clerk’s docket for that.

Docket entries at the Franklin County Courthouse are generated as the case progresses. Early entries may show only the initial charge and arraignment date. Later entries add plea information, motions, and the final judgment. If you’re pulling records for a case that resolved years ago, the full docket history is still accessible through the Clerk’s online search or by requesting a certified copy in person at 373 South High Street.

The Franklin County Courthouse at (614) 525-3600 can direct you to the correct division — General Division for felonies, Municipal Court for misdemeanors — depending on the charge level. Cashiers for criminal and traffic division payments are located on the second floor of the Franklin County Courthouse, which is useful to know if you’re picking up certified copies in person.

How to expunge an arrest record in Franklin County

Petitioning to seal an arrest record in Franklin County is a routine legal procedure governed by ORC 2953.32, and many people pursue it without any prior criminal justice experience. The statute covers both sealing (hiding the record from public view) and, since Senate Bill 288, expungement (permanent destruction of eligible records). The distinction matters: a sealed record still exists and remains visible to law enforcement; an expunged record is destroyed.

Eligibility under ORC 2953.32 depends on the outcome of the case and, for convictions, a waiting period after the sentence is completed. Ohio law sets the timing requirements in ORC 2953.32; check the current statute text or ask the Clerk of Court for the exact waiting period that applies to your case type, as the legislature has amended these provisions in recent years and the specific durations are not reproduced here.

Dismissed and acquitted cases often have a streamlined path. If the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas dismissed your case or you were found not guilty, you may be eligible to petition immediately without a waiting period — but confirm this with the Clerk or a licensed attorney, because certain charge types carry restrictions even after dismissal. The controlling statute for ineligible offenses is ORC 2953.36, which lists categories that cannot be sealed regardless of outcome.

To petition, file a Petition to Seal (or Expunge) with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, which is the sentencing court for felony cases. The Clerk’s office at 373 South High Street handles these filings. The Franklin County Clerk of Courts General Civil/Criminal page explains the application process and references the relevant statutes directly. A filing fee applies; an indigency waiver is available if you cannot afford the fee — ask the Clerk’s office about the waiver process when you file.

You can self-petition without an attorney. The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas opens at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. Expungement payments at the Clerk’s office accept cash, money order, Discover, MasterCard, or VISA. If your case is complex — multiple charges, prior convictions, or uncertainty about eligibility — an attorney can assess the record and identify the strongest path. The Ohio State Bar Association lawyer search and the Ohio Public Defender county locator are both useful for finding representation in Franklin County.

After a record is sealed, the public — including anyone running a standard background check — will not see it. Law enforcement agencies and courts retain access. After expungement under Senate Bill 288, the record is destroyed and no longer exists in the system. Neither outcome affects your obligation to disclose the record in contexts where Ohio law specifically requires disclosure (certain professional licensing applications, for example); check the controlling statute or consult an attorney if that question applies to you.

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Frequently asked questions about Franklin County arrest records

How do I confirm what arrest record exists under my name in Franklin County?

Run your name through the Franklin County Clerk of Courts online case search for court-side filings, and separately through the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Information Search for booking records. These are two distinct systems — a name may appear in one but not the other depending on how far the case progressed. For a certified copy of your own record, visit the Clerk’s office at 373 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, during weekday business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and bring a government-issued ID. Call (614) 525-3600 to confirm the current fee before you go.

What is the process for sealing or expunging a Franklin County arrest record?

Petitioning to seal a Franklin County arrest record is governed by ORC 2953.32. File a Petition to Seal with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas at 373 South High Street. Dismissed or acquitted cases may qualify without a waiting period; conviction-based petitions require a waiting period after sentence completion — confirm the applicable duration with the Clerk or an attorney, as the statute has been amended in recent years. A filing fee applies, with an indigency waiver available. Expungement payments at the Clerk’s office accept cash, money order, Discover, MasterCard, or VISA. After sealing, the public cannot see the record; law enforcement retains access. After expungement under Senate Bill 288, the record is permanently destroyed. Use the Ohio State Bar Association lawyer search or the Ohio Public Defender county locator if you want attorney assistance.