Franklin County, OH Public Records

Franklin County Municipal Court - Civil Division
375 S High St, 3rd Fl
Columbus, OH 43215 http://www.fcmcclerk.com
Hours: 8AM-5PM EST
P: 614-645-7220
F: 614-645-6919
Jurisdiction: Civil Actions under $15,000, Eviction, Small Claims
Restricted Records: No sealed or expunged records released
Franklin County Municipal Court - Criminal Division
375 S High St
Columbus, OH 43215 http://www.fcmcclerk.com/
Hours: 8AM-5PM EST
F: 614-645-6828
Jurisdiction: Misdemeanor, Traffic, Ordinances
Restricted Records: No sealed or expunged records released
Westerville City Mayor's Court
21 S State St
Westerville, OH 43081-2119 https://www.westerville.org/services/
Hours: 8:30AM-4:30PM EST
P: 614-901-6419
F: 614-776-6045
Jurisdiction: Misdemeanor, Traffic, Ordinance
Probate Court
373 S High St, 22nd Fl
Columbus, OH 43215-6311 http://probate.franklincountyohio.gov
Hours: 8AM-5PM EST
P: 614-525-3894
F: 614-525-7422
Jurisdiction: Probate, Guardianships, Commitment hearings
Search the probate and marriage indexes from the home page (the tab labeled search). This court issues approximately 8,800 marriage licenses per year.
Common Pleas Court
345 S High St, Fl 1B
Columbus, OH 43215-6311 http://clerk.franklincountyohio.gov/
Hours: 8AM-5PM EST
P: 614-525-3453
F: 614-525-6661
Jurisdiction: Felony, Civil usually over $15,000, Juvenile, Domestic Relations
Restricted Records: No sealed or expunged records released.
Franklin County Clerk of Courts is the official record keeper for Common Pleas Court. Organizations wishing to obtain data files from the Franklin County Clerk of Court's office should contact the appropriate records department.

Franklin County, OH Vital Records

Contact the Franklin County Office of the County Recorder if you would like to find vital records, such as birth, death, marriage, divorce, and real estate records.

Franklin County
County Recorder
373 S High St, 18th Fl
Columbus, OH 43215-6307 https://recorder.franklincountyohio.g
8AM-5PM EST
Phone: 614-525-3930
Fax: 614-525-4299
Recorded Documents

Franklin County Vital Certificates

If you would like to obtain a hard copy of a birth, death, marriage, divorce, or other vital record, you can do so by searching for and requesting a vital certificate. Vital certificates are hard copy documents, the same as those used by the United States government.

Get a vital certificate.

Franklin County Information

Located in central Ohio, Franklin County is perfectly all-American. The county was established in 1803, not even two months after Ohio became a state. It was immediately named for Benjamin Franklin, one of the nation's Founding Fathers. Though Ben Franklin had no direct ties to the area, he was one of the most respected, admired, and influential men in American history; thus, officials chose to honor him by naming the county after him. The county originally developed as an agricultural region, with the City of Columbus as an important hub even during its earliest days. In fact, not only is Columbus Franklin County's seat, it is also the state capital of Ohio and is presently one of the biggest cities in the Midwest.

Franklin County enjoys a very diverse range of development. From the tiny village of Harrisburg (population: 316) to the sprawling Columbus with nearly 750,000 residents, there is a unique blend of rural, suburban, and urban areas throughout the county. Ohio State University also calls Franklin County home. Commonly called OSU, the school was founded in 1870 and has over 50,000 students enrolled. The Buckeyes are a huge draw for the area, and thousands of OSU fans gather for the immensely popular sports, especially football and men's basketball. The City of Columbus, which is actually divided among three different counties, offers much for residents and visitors, including museums, theaters, sports, and more.

Franklin County Population Records

Total Land Area (2000): 539.87 sq mi
Population (2009): 1,150,122
  • Females: 51.1%
  • White: 74.1%
  • Black/African American: 19.8%
  • Asian: 3.9%
  • Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.1%
  • Hispanic or Latino Origin: 4.5%
  • White, Not Hispanic: 70.3%
Population Change (2000-2009): 81,250
Foreign-Born Population (2000): 6%
Language other than English spoken at home (2000): 9%
Persons Below Poverty Level (2008): 15.1%
High School Graduates (2000): 85.7%
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (2000): 31.8%
Persons per Household (2000): 2.39
Housing Units (2000): 471,016
Homeownership Rate (2000): 56.9%
Migration Flow to Franklin County, OH from (2007-2008):

Franklin County Records

Total Earnings by Industry, in thou. dol. (2007):
  • Total: $42,919,387
  • Construction: $2,083,944
  • Retail Trade: $2,719,066
  • Professional and Technical Services: $4,716,610
  • Healthcare: $4,220,251
  • Banking: $4,034,191
  • Retail Trade: $2,719,066
  • Accommodations and Food Services: $1,201,258
  • Manufacturing: $3,237,447
  • Farms: $10,325
  • Government: $7,347,462
Employed (2000): 559,129
Unemployed (2000): 24,594
Unemployment Rate (2009): 8.3%
Annual Payroll per Employee (2007): $38,556
Local Government Employment (2007): 50,087
Local Government Revenue (2007): $4,631,651 (thou. dol.)
Local Government Debt (2007): $5,013,480 (thou. dol.)

Franklin County Birth, Death Records

Births (2007): 18,202
  • Per 1,000 population: 16.2
Deaths (2007): 8,245
  • Per 1,000 population: 7.3
Infant Deaths (2007): 161
  • Per 1,000 population: 8.8

Franklin County Criminal Records

Violent Crimes (2008): 6,711
  • Murder and non-negligent manslaughter: 106
  • Forcible rape: 747
  • Robbery: 3,901
  • Aggravated Assault: 1,957
Property Crimes (2008): 59,452
  • Burglary: 16,590
  • Larceny-Theft: 37,032
  • Motor Vehicle Theft: 5,830

Franklin County Genealogy Records