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Defiance County, Ohio Public Records

Find the right office in Defiance County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Defiance County records

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Vital records

Ohio Death Records

The Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics issues certified Ohio death records for a fee, ordered online, by mail or in person; local health districts also issue copies.

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Police & jail

Ohio Death Row

Information about Ohio death row inmates from the Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Corrections.

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Vital records

Ohio Marriage Search

Ohio marriage and divorce records are held by the probate court or clerk of courts in the county that issued the license; the state Bureau of Vital Statistics keeps only the index.

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Local record guide

About public records in Defiance County

County profile

Defiance County at a glance

State
Ohio
County seat
Defiance
Population
38,286
Area
414 sq mi
Founded
1845
Cities and towns
7

Defiance County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Defiance County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Defiance County.

Police Departments. Defiance County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Defiance County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments such as the Defiance Police Department and Hicksville Police Department. Each agency has jurisdiction over its respective area, with the Sheriff's Office covering unincorporated regions and the city departments focusing on urban areas.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Defiance County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 112 Biede Avenue in Defiance, Ohio 43512, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Defiance County and provides regional support services. Citizens can contact the Sheriff's Office for Inmate information and jail rosters can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office administrative line or by visiting the facility during business hours.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Defiance County are maintained by Defiance County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly, adhering to the guidelines set by the Ohio Public Records Act.

Jail & Inmate Records. Inmate lookup is available through the Sheriff's Office, allowing family members and attorneys to find information about detainees.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Defiance County are taken and retained by Defiance County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These images are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office or online databases.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Defiance County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Defiance County

Old mine sites
2
Past producers, now closed
2
Producing when recorded
1
Processing plants, not workings
1
Main minerals
construction sand and gravel
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
9
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
gravel pit, gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated
Maps surveyed
1959 to 1973

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 4 mine sites inside the county: 2 past producers, now closed, 1 site producing when the record was made, 1 processing plant, which is not a working; the old survey maps add 9 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is construction sand and gravel.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. Coverage is automatic in the 26 mandatory counties (Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Scioto, Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Washington) and optional in 11 more.

Defiance Hicksville Sherwood Brunersburg Ney N 10 miles
Defiance County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. The small open circles with a name are the towns and the pale shapes around the edge are the neighbouring counties, both from the Census Bureau. Hover a dot for its name.
Ohio mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Defiance County (4 shown, 9 unnamed on the map)

Ohio abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Labor Department file

Wage and hour cases in Defiance County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 33 investigations in Defiance County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $75,896 in back wages agreed for 191 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.

Investigations closed
33
Back wages agreed
$75,896
Workers due back wages
191
Civil money penalties
$1,361
Employers on the record
29
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
C.R. Hunt, Inc.Defiance1$43,16714
Americare Health Services, LLCDefiance2$9,75150
Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio, Inc.Defiance1$9,41835
The Bockelman Company, Inc.Defiance1$4,49215
Grandma's House Child Care Ctr., LLCDefiance1$3,95723
Brookview Healthcare CenterDefiance1$2,93929
Alight Petroleum, IncHicksville1$2,06714
M&M Medivan Ambulance, IncDefiance1$1,8371
Leaping & Learning Preschool & Daycare CtrIDefiance1$1,4608
A Place 4 Kids Childcare Center, LLCDefiance1$1,0876
Senior Gringo's, Inc.Defiance1$1,06812
Clemens Unlimited, LLCDefiance1$6886
Katie's Southtown Market, LLCDefiance1$6354
St. John Preschool & Child Care Ctr.Hicksville1$4611
Hickory Creek Healthcare Foundation, Inc.Hicksville1$2094
Metal Management, Inc.Defiance1$1901
R&E Pizza People IncDefiance1$1022
Polar Ridge Church of the Brothern, Inc.Defiance1$652
Bry-Pie, Inc.Defiance3$00
Bell ContractingEvansport1$00
Tots for TomorrowSherwood1$00
Interstate Brands CorporationDefiance1$00
A & P Tool, Inc.Hicksville1$00
Okuley's Pharmacy & Home Medical, IncDefiance1$00
The Vandehey CorporationDefiance1$00

The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 29 on the Defiance County record; 3 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 4 more with smaller records are on the Ohio wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.

Straight answers

Defiance County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Defiance County, Ohio?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Defiance County Sheriff's Office or a city police department in Defiance County. Ask that agency for its record. Under Ohio Revised Code 2927.22 no one who publishes criminal record information, booking photographs included, may ask for or accept a fee to remove, correct or stop publishing it; a violation is a first degree misdemeanor.

How do I get a criminal background check in Defiance County, Ohio?

The Ohio criminal history record comes from the Ohio Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Checks are fingerprint based: submit fingerprints electronically through a WebCheck location, or mail the BCI Civilian Background Check card with payment to P.O. Box 365, London, Ohio 43140. Fee: $22.00 for a BCI check.

How can I look up sex offenders in Defiance County, Ohio?

Search the Ohio Attorney General Electronic Sex Offender Registration and Notification (eSORN), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Defiance County, Ohio?

Register with the county board of elections or through the Ohio Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. Registration forms must be received or postmarked by the 30th day before the election.

How do I look up property records in Defiance County, Ohio?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Defiance County are kept by the Defiance County recorder. Property values are set by the county auditor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Defiance County, Ohio?

Certified birth and death certificates for Ohio come from the Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. More than 100 local vital statistics offices at local health departments in Ohio offer in person or other same day certified copies of Ohio vital records. Online through the Department of Health order portal with a credit card, by mail with check or money order to PO Box 15098, Columbus, Ohio 43215-0098, or in person at a local vital statistics office; the state office at 4200 Surface Road, Columbus serves same day birth record requests Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fee: $21.50 for each certified birth or death record.

How do I find business license records in Defiance County, Ohio?

Business entity filings are searched with the Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services Division. Ohio.gov says some licenses and permits come from the state and others come from your city or county.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.