Free Erie County Public Records Lookup (Search Anyone)

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Free Erie County Public Records Search

Access Erie County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

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Learn how to conduct a free Erie County public records search so you can look into someone’s past or make sure that your own files are accurate.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Ohio Public Records Act allow anyone to request information maintained by state, county, and municipal government agencies; such information includes public records on warrants and arrests, probation sentences, and prisoner details.

This resource details how to look up criminal and civil court cases, property information, and vital records such as birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates. It also provide streamlined guidance on running background checks and requesting reports.

Through reading this article, citizens can discover exactly where to start searching for Erie County records and how to acquire them for free.

How To Find Arrest Records & Mugshots for Free in Erie County Ohio

The Ohio Public Records Act safeguards the public’s right to request access to records (unless exempted from law). In addition, requesters have no obligation to inform Ohio public records custodians of the purpose of their search.

That makes it safe and easy to look up someone’s criminal record — including arrest logs, jail records, and other information related to law enforcement agencies.

Searchers can find arrest records through the sheriff’s office, as well as from local police departments; knowing in which city or township someone may have been arrested — as well as their full name — can make a search of these Erie County public records quicker and more efficient.

Check Erie County Jail for Recent Bookings

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office operates the county jail and posts a handy online roster of current inmates.¹ All you have to do is scroll through the list to find the search subject. Inmates are listed in alphabetical order by last name, with male inmates listed first.

Each listing includes the inmate’s jail ID number, name, and charges along with the name of the court that sent them to the Erie County Jail, the case’s current disposition, projected release date, and total bail. The sheriff’s office also includes a booking photo for each inmate, making it easy to find someone’s mugshot.

Inmates in the Erie County Jail include arrestees awaiting trial, along with post-trial convicts serving short-term jail sentences and those awaiting transfer to a state-run jail for longer sentences.

It’s also worth noting that the Erie County Sheriff’s Office also allows the public to search arrest and investigation information using the Reports Lookup Tool on its website. Using this tool, you can search reports by number, party name, date range, or type.

After entering the search criteria and clicking the “Submit” button, researchers can see some basic information about reports, including the last names of involved parties, the report date, the location, and the type of offense investigated.

Clicking “Download PDF” will yield an incident report with more information, including a record of any arrests made at the time.

For more information about the jail and its inmates, contact the Erie County Sheriff’s Office at the following address:

Erie County Sheriff’s Office
2800 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870

The phone number for the Sheriff’s Office is 419.625.7951, and office hours are Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Erie County Jail shares the same address with the sheriff’s office. However, you can reach the Jail Administrator directly by dialing 410.627.7569, extension 6233. You can also email the Jail Division at [email protected] for more information.

Check out the Erie County arrest lookup tutorial for additional details and clear guidance.

View Arrest Records & Obtain Police Reports From Erie County’s Local Police Departments

If you’re unable to find the information on Erie County bookings you’re searching for from the sheriff’s office, the next recommended step is to check with the different law enforcement agencies located within the county.

Here’s a list of local police departments in Erie County, Ohio, along with contact information for each:

Local Police Department	Address	Phone Number
Sandusky Police Department5	222 Meigs St. Sandusky, OH 44870	419.627.5863 419.627.5797 (records)
Perkins Township Police Department	2610 Columbus Ave. Sandusky, OH 44870	419.627.0824
Huron Police Department	417 Main St. Huron, OH 44839	419.433.5568
Berlin Heights Police Department6	8 W. Main St. P.O. Box 30 Berlin Heights, OH 44824	419.588.2055
Village of Bay View Police Department	304 East Bayview Dr. Bay View, OH 44870	419.684.5990
Milan Police Department	11 South Main St. Milan, OH 44846	419.499.2001
Kelleys Island Police Department7	121 Addison St. Kelleys Island, OH 43438	419.746.2535

In addition, the cities of Bellevue and Vermilion are partly located in Erie County. Here’s the contact information for these municipalities’ police departments:

Local Police Department	Address	Phone Number
Bellevue Police Department	3000 Seneca Indl. Pkwy. Bellevue, OH 44811	419.483.4444
Vermilion Police Department8	5791 Liberty Ave. Vermilion, OH 44089	440.967.6116

How To Perform a Criminal Record Check in Erie County Ohio

You can learn a lot about someone else’s past by running a free criminal record check, which is easy to do in Erie County. You can look up and find information on criminal cases, arrest warrants, probation sentences, and more.

There are several custodians for Erie County criminal records. The court system is the best place to start a search.

Look Up Prior Charges & Criminal Convictions via the Erie County Clerk of Court

The Erie County Clerk of Courts is the official record custodian for the county’s Common Pleas Court, which tries felony cases, along with some civil cases. Luckily, the Clerk’s Public Information Case System makes it easy to track down criminal court records.

To use this tool, enter the party in question’s first and last names. You can also choose to search only criminal cases by selecting the relevant case type in the dropdown menu.

Clicking the “Search” button at the bottom will yield a public index of court records that match your criteria.

By clicking the hot-linked case number in the column on the left, researchers can learn more details about the defendant, the charges, the court proceedings, and any sentences handed down.

For more information on records kept by the Erie County Clerk of Courts — and to potentially order paper copies — contact the office using the following information:

Erie County Clerk of Courts
323 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870

Phone: 419.627.7706 / +1(888)399-6065 (toll-free)
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Determine if Someone Has a Criminal History via the Erie County Municipal Court Online Case Search Tool

The Erie County Municipal Court is responsible for trying cases related to criminal misdemeanors and traffic violations, as well as some civil cases. This court is also in charge of arraignments for felony cases (which are then handled in the Common Pleas Court).

Like the Clerk of Courts, the Municipal Court Clerk also maintains an Online Case Search Tool that allows users to check public records pertaining to criminal cases. You can use this tool to look up Erie County Municipal Court cases by the party’s first and last name, case number, case type, attorney information, or citation number.

After entering the desired criteria and clicking “Search,” researchers will see a list of relevant cases.

Clicking on a line will reveal more information about the case, including charges and penalties.

For more information about criminal cases heard by the Erie County Municipal Court, use the following:

Erie County Municipal Court
150 West Mason Rd.
Milan, OH 44846

Phone: 419.499.4689 or +1(888)399-6065 (toll-free)
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Obtain Erie County Criminal Records via the Municipal Courts

There are several Municipal Courts located in Erie County that also try criminal misdemeanors, traffic, and civil cases. Here’s the contact information for each:

Municipal Court	Address	Phone Number
Sandusky Municipal Court (Record Search)	222 Meigs St. Sandusky, OH 44870	419.627.5920
Huron Municipal Court (Record Search)	417 Main St. Huron, OH 44839	419.433.5430
Kelleys Island Mayor’s Court10	121 Addison St. P.O. Box 469 Kelleys Island, OH 43438	419.746.2536

In addition, there are municipal courts in both the cities of Bellevue and Vermilion, which are partly located in Erie County:

Municipal Court	Address	Phone Number
Bellevue Municipal Court (Records Search)	3000 Seneca Indl. Pkwy. Bellevue, OH 44811	419.483.5880
Vermilion Municipal Court (Records Search)	687 Decatur St. Vermilion, OH 44089	440.204.2430

How To See if You or Someone Else Has a Warrant Out for Arrest in Erie County OH

The sheriff’s office is the best place to start if you’re looking for information on Erie County warrants. However, tracking down the info is a little less than straightforward.

The department’s website contains a link for a “Warrant List.” Unfortunately, clicking on the link ends in a 404 “file not found” error message. In addition, the sheriff’s office website lists a menu link for “Most Wanted,” but it also comes up blank.

Therefore, the most efficient way to determine if someone has a warrant out for their arrest is by using the Sheriff’s Office’s Reports Lookup Tool. You can even choose to search reports by “Warrant Arrest” type to see a full list.

Clicking “Download PDF” will yield more information about the warrant, including the full name of the wanted person and details of the charge.

A few other area police departments have similar records lookup tools that you can use to find warrant information, including the Sandusky Police Department, the Perkins Township Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department.

In addition, researchers can use the Clerk of Courts’ Public Information Case System to look up information about felony cases and any warrants that may be issued in connection with them.

It’s also possible to phone or visit any of the law enforcement agency offices in Erie County to inquire about warrants. However, note that if you have an active warrant open against you and visit the Erie County Sheriff’s Office or County Circuit Court or any other police department in person, you may be arrested on the spot.

Erie County Sheriff’s Office
2800 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870

Phone: 419.625.7951
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Erie County Clerk of Courts
323 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870

Phone: 419.627.7706

How To Find Probation Information in Erie County

In Erie County, Ohio, the Adult Probation Department is in charge of services for offenders who have been given the opportunity to serve out all or part of their sentences at home.¹¹

Requesters can direct questions about the program to:

Erie County Adult Probation Department
503 West Washington St.
Sandusky, OH 44870

Phone: 419.627.7755 or +1(888)399-6065 (toll-free)O
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition, researchers may also be able to find information about probation sentences by using the Public Information Case System hosted by the Erie County Clerk of Courts. This search tool can look up information on felony cases heard by the county’s Common Pleas Court.

Follow the instructions for using this tool found in the section on criminal court cases earlier in this guide. You may be able to find a probation order by looking in the sentencing information.

Note: For probation records outside of Erie County, you can utilize the Ohio probationer information search instructions to look up supervised offenders throughout the state.

How To Complete a Background Check in Erie County Ohio

There are several reasons why someone might want to conduct a background check. For one thing, you can perform one on yourself to make sure there are no surprises and inaccuracies when you go to apply for a new job, lease, or license.

For another, you can conduct a background check on another person to find out more about their history. For example, you might want to run a background check to find out if someone is married before going out on a date with them. Or you might want to know more about a new next-door neighbor.

Checks conducted for reasons such as these are what’s known as a personal background check. They’re perfectly legal to do, and you don’t require the consent of the check’s subject.

In fact, you can easily conduct a personal background check by using this guide to look up Erie County public records.

However, background checks conducted for professional reasons — such as employee, volunteer, or tenant screenings, license checks, etc. — always require the written consent of the subject before they can be undertaken.

Read on to the end of this guide to find out what to do if you believe you’ve been the victim of an unlawful background check.

In Erie County, the Sheriff’s Office conducts professional background checks. These are what’s known as a Level 2 background check because they involve fingerprinting. (Another popular check type, Level 1 checks, are based only on the subject’s name.)

If your potential employer, volunteer coordinator, landlord, or anyone else requests a background check on your history, you will first need to contact the sheriff’s office to schedule a fingerprinting appointment. Call 419.625.7951 and use extension 6256.

The sheriff’s office books electronic fingerprinting sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.

The appointments are held in the Concealed Handgun Licensing department at the sheriff’s office:

Erie County Sheriff’s Office
2800 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870

Bring to your appointment a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport, along with a certified bank check or money order made out to “Erie County Sheriff’s Office.”

A background check that scans records of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) costs $34. To request a background check of records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the cost is $36. A check of both databases costs $70.

The office can also take ink fingerprints — without a background check — for free. However, an appointment is necessary. Call 419.625.7951 and dial extension 6256 for more information.

How To Obtain Ohio Criminal Records Through State & Federal Agencies

In addition to checking public records in Erie County, researchers can also find information about someone’s potential criminal past by using state and federal custodians. These include:

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction Offender Search: Look up information about inmates currently incarcerated in a state jail or who are under the supervision of the department. Only the search subject’s last name is required.

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Search Tool: Find out information about inmates currently incarcerated in BOP-run prisons. You must supply both the first and last names of the subject for a successful search.

Ohio Sex Offender Search: View the registry to find offenders throughout the state by name, address, phone number, and even email address.

U.S. Justice Department National Sex Offender Public Website:¹⁴ Look up offenders nationwide, either by name or location with a set radius.

How To Access Erie County Court Records

There are several different courts in Erie County, and they try all kinds of cases, from criminal felonies to divorces, to small claims.

At the top level is the state’s Supreme Court. This is Ohio’s “court of last resort” and focuses mainly on interpreting state laws and hearing appeals. You can search the Supreme Court Docket Database for cases filed since January 1, 1985.¹⁵

Ohio also has a series of Appeals Courts. Erie County comprises the Sixth District Court of Appeals for Ohio. The Erie County Clerk of Courts maintains records for this court; you can use the office’s Public Information Case System to pull up case records for both this Court of Appeals, as well as for the county’s Common Pleas Court.

As for the Common Pleas Court, it has several divisions, including the general division (tries most civil and criminal cases), the domestic relations division (handles divorces and custody disputes), the juvenile division (hears cases involving minors), and the probate division (issues marriage licenses and decides cases involving estates).

There are also several municipal courts in Erie County. These courts are involved mostly with misdemeanor and traffic offenses but also handle small claims and other civil matters as needed. Here’s contact information for requesting these Erie County judicial records:

Municipal Court	Address	Phone Number
Sandusky Municipal Court (Record Search)16	222 Meigs St. Sandusky, OH 44870	419.627.5920
Huron Municipal Court (Record Search)	417 Main St. Huron, OH 44839	419.433.5430
Kelleys Island Mayor’s Court	121 Addison St. P.O. Box 469 Kelleys Island, OH 43438	419.746.2536
Erie County Municipal Court (Record Search) (This court’s jurisdiction is those areas not served by the municipal courts above.)	150 West Mason Rd. Milan, OH 44846	419.499.4689

In addition, Bellevue and Vermilion (which are partly located in Erie County) also have their own municipal courts:

Municipal Court	Address	Phone Number
Bellevue Municipal Court (Records Search)17	3000 Seneca Indl. Pkwy. Bellevue, OH 44811	419.483.5880
Vermilion Municipal Court (Records Search)	687 Decatur St. Vermilion, OH 44089	440.204.2430

How To Retrieve Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death Records in Erie County Ohio

Erie County public records that pertain to major life events — including births, deaths, marriages, and divorces — can be considered vital records.

Requesting copies of these vital records can be helpful for anyone who wants to know more about someone else — whether you want to check if someone is married, get a copy of your birth certificate to apply for a passport, or simply want to do some genealogical research.

There are several custodians for these types of data. This guide will cover the easiest legal ways to find out this information.

Acquire Erie County Divorce or Marriage Records via the Probate Division of the Common Pleas Court

In Erie County, the Common Pleas Court should be the first place to look for both marriage and divorce records.

Request Marriage Records Through the Erie County Probate Court: The Probate Division of the Common Pleas Court is the official custodian for Erie County marriage records.

If you’re named as one of the registrants on a marriage license — or are an immediate family member or legal representative of one of the registrants — you can order a certified copy of the license for $2.

All you need to do is complete the Marriage License Certified Copy Order Form found online. You must supply the full names for both of the registrants on the license exactly as they appear on the license. You must also fill in an approximate date of the marriage and your own contact information.

You can submit the form by mail or hand it in in person. Whichever method you choose, be sure to put the completed form in an envelope along with cash or a check made out to “Erie County Probate Court,” along with a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Here’s the court’s address for mailing or visiting:

Erie County Probate Court
323 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870

For more information, you can call the court at 419.627.7750. Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Find Divorce Records Through the Erie County Clerk of Courts: Divorce cases in Erie County are heard by the Common Pleas Court. That makes the Clerk of Courts’ Public Information Case System the best place to look for Erie County divorce records.

To successfully use this tool, you must know both the first and last names of one of the parties listed in the case. You can narrow down your search of court records by selecting “Divorce” (or, if applicable, “Annulment” or “Dissolution”) from the drop-down menu.

Once researchers enter the desired criteria and click the “Search” button, they’ll see an online directory of potential case matches.

Clicking on the hot-linked case number will yield more information about the case, including a full writeup of events, including the court date on which the marriage was decreed to be over.

For more information about conducting a local case search for records of dissolved marriages, refer to the tutorial on tracking down Erie County divorce information or contact the Erie County Clerk at the following address or phone number:

Erie County Clerk of Courts
323 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870

Phone: 419.627.7706 or +1(888)399-6065 (toll-free)
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Order Birth & Death Records From the Erie County Health Department

The Erie County Health Department is the public records repository for birth and death certificates from December 1908 to the present.

Anyone can order a copy of a birth certificate or death certificate through the agency. Both requests use the same form, the Application for Certified Copies. To fill out the form, you must be able to supply the registrant’s full name, as well as their parents’ names and the place and date of the birth or death.

Copies cost $25 apiece and can be ordered in person, through the mail, or via email.

To order a certificate of birth or death, simply fill out the application and mail it or take it, along with payment via credit or debit card or money order, to:

Erie County Health Dept.
420 Superior St.
Sandusky, OH 44870

Or you can complete the form, scan it, and email it to [email protected]. If opting to order copies via email, be sure to fill in our credit or debit card details on the form.

For more information about ordering a certificate of death or birth, call the Erie County Health Department at 419.626.5623, extension 5122. Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Alternatively, if you’re unsure about which county the birth or death occurred in, you can order a copy of the record from the Ohio Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics. This office maintains birth records from December 20, 1908, until the present and death records dated after 1971.

Both certified birth and death records cost $21.50 when ordered from this custodian. Still, birth certificates are also available at no cost. Payment may be made via check or money order.

You can order a copy of a certificate using the Online Ordering Portal or by mailing a completed Application for Certified Copies using the following address:

Ohio Dept. of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, OH 43215

Or visit any of the Department of Health Offices throughout Ohio to drop the completed form off in person.

For more information on ordering records from the Ohio Department of Health, email [email protected].

How To Look Up Property Records & Tax Information in Erie County

There are two ways to easily search property records in Erie County, Ohio.

The first way is through using the Erie County Auditor’s Online Property Search Tool. Using this tool, interested parties can research properties by owner name, location address, parcel number, legal description, neighborhood, school or tax district, and even intersection locations.

Running a search will yield a list of properties matching your criteria.

Clicking on a hot-linked Parcel ID number in the left-hand column will show you more information about the property, including the owners’ names and mailing addresses, the appraised values, and basic details about any structures on the parcel.

For more information on using this property lookup tool, contact the Erie County Auditor’s Office using the following information:

Erie County Auditor’s Office
247 Columbus Ave., Ste 210
Sandusky, OH 44870

Phone: 419.627.7746
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Another way to look up property records is by running a search of documents maintained by the Erie County Recorder. This office archives all land records for the county and makes them easily accessible to the public through the Self-Service Search Tool.²¹

With this tool, you can find property records by looking up at least one of the owners’ names.

When you use this search tool, you’ll be able to see information on deeds, mortgages, and other Erie County court records pertaining to property ownership.

For more details, you can contact the Erie County Recorder using the following information:

Erie County Recorder
247 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870

Phone: 419.627.7686
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Understanding Rights & Responsibilities in Accessing Erie County Public Records

Thanks to Ohio’s Public Records Act — as well as the U.S. Freedom of Information Act — it’s relatively easy to locate information about past and present residents of Erie County.

However, although it’s perfectly legal to conduct a free public records search using the methods detailed in this guide, it’s important that all researchers take this freedom seriously.

It is against the law to use information derived from a public records search to harass, intimidate, or stalk anyone — or to use someone’s records to commit a crime such as identity theft.

In addition, it’s illegal to use any information found during a personal public record search for professional purposes, such as pre-employment or tenant screening.

Any businesses, nonprofits, or organizations that want to conduct a background check on someone else must have the written consent of the subject before it can be conducted.

These entities must also obey the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a law that dictates how consumer information can be used. According to FCRA, everyone in the U.S. is entitled to:²²

• Know what information is in their personal files
• Dispute inaccurate information
• Be notified if their personal information has been used against them
• Seek damages if their rights granted by FCRA have been violated

If you believe that you are the victim of an FCRA violation, report it right away to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Federal Trade Commission’s Fraud Department.^{23, 24}

In addition, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) is a resource dedicated to helping victims of discrimination.

That said, anyone who wants to find out more information about another person — or to make sure there are no inaccuracies in their own files — can use any or all of the methods described in this resource to conduct a free search of Erie County public records; the resource on conducting a free Ohio public information lookup can be used for a wider search.