Ohio Public Records
State Level Information
Contained in Section 149.43 of the Ohio Revised Code is the Ohio Open Records Law. First enacted in 1963, it was predated by the state's open meetings law which was passed in 1954. The purpose behind Ohio's Right to Know laws was expressed in 1994 by an Ohio court when it said that "public records are the people's records, and officials in whose custody they happen to be are merely trustees for the people."
The records of any public office (including - but not limited to - state, county, city, village, township, and school district units) and records that pertain to educational services by alternative schools in the state of Ohio and kept by the nonprofit or for-profit entity operating the alternative school pursuant to section 3313.533 of the Revised Code is covered by ORC 149.43 and is considered a "public record."
State of Ohio Department of Public SafetyOhio Secretary of State
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Ohio Department of Real Estate and Professional Licensing
Ohio Department of Revenue
Ohio Department of Transportation
Ohio State Veterinary Medical Examining Board
Court Record Resources
Criminal history background checks are not offered by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services. These services may be obtained through one of the following two avenues:
Sherriff's Offices: Criminal records information for residents of the state of Ohio may be obtained through the Sherriff's Office of the county of residency. Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation or BCI&I: A department of the Ohio Attorney General's Office that offers an Internet based check system for civilian criminal history background checks. Many checks take as little as a few hours and results are returned via US Postal Service. This is a fee based service.
Ohio State ArchivesThe Ohio Judicial System
Ohio Office of Criminal Justice
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Ohio Department of Corrections