New Matamoras, Ohio Public Records

The Washington County Court of Common Pleas, located at 205 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750, phone (740) 373-6623, is the county's general trial court with jurisdiction over felony criminal cases, civil lawsuits exceeding $15,000, domestic relations matters including divorce and custody, and appeals from municipal court. The Washington County Probate and Juvenile Court, at 205 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750, phone (740) 374-8559, handles probate of estates, guardianships, adoption, mental health commitments, and juvenile delinquency cases. Ohio has a statewide court records system accessible through the Supreme Court of Ohio's Public Access portal, but Washington County participates in its own online case docket search available through the county's common pleas court website, allowing the public to search civil and criminal cases by party name, case number, or attorney; however, full documents may require in-person access or certified copies. Filing fees vary by case type: certified copies of court documents typically cost $2.00 per page, exemplifications cost $3.00 per page, and case filing fees range from approximately $200-$350 for civil complaints depending on the claim amount. Marriage license applications are filed with the Probate Court at a fee of approximately $50-$60. Records requests for specific case files should be directed to the Clerk of Courts at (740) 373-6623, and copies can be obtained in person at the courthouse in Marietta or by mail with proper identification and payment.

The Auditor's website (washingtoncountyauditor.org) offers a free online property search tool where users can search by property address, owner name, or parcel number to view current ownership, taxable value, land use classification, acreage, building characteristics, tax payment history, and exemptions. The online parcel viewer includes interactive GIS mapping that displays property boundaries, adjacent parcels, and aerial imagery. The Washington County Recorder's Office, also at 205 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750, phone (740) 373-3402, is responsible for recording and maintaining official land documents including warranty deeds, quit claim deeds, mortgages, mortgage satisfactions, liens, easements, rights-of-way, and plats. The Recorder's Office has digitized many historical documents, and the county provides a free online document search system through the Auditor/Recorder website where users can search recorded instruments by grantor/grantee name, document type, date range, or legal description; scanned images of recorded documents are typically viewable online at no charge, though certified copies require a fee of $2.00 for the first page and $0.25 for each additional page. To conduct a property search for a New Matamoras property, residents can visit the Washington County Auditor's website and enter the property address or owner name; for chain of title research or recorded liens, the Recorder's document search allows searching by the current or previous owner's name to retrieve all recorded documents. Both offices are open to the public for in-person research and assistance at the Marietta courthouse during regular business hours, typically Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Major employers in and near New Matamoras include firms in the energy sector, small manufacturing, retail, and service businesses, as well as public employers like Frontier Local School District, which serves the village and surrounding areas. The median household income in New Matamoras is estimated below the Ohio state average, reflecting the village's rural character and limited commercial tax base; many residents commute to Marietta, Parkersburg (West Virginia), or other regional centers for employment. The local economy also includes small family-owned businesses, river-related commerce, and agriculture on the surrounding rural lands. Washington County as a whole has a mixed economy with oil and gas, manufacturing (including specialty metals and plastics), healthcare (Marietta Memorial Hospital is a major regional employer), education (Marietta College and Washington State Community College), and tourism related to the historic Marietta riverfront and recreational Ohio River activities. Recent economic developments include ongoing shale gas exploration investments, expansions of energy infrastructure such as pipelines and processing facilities, and efforts to diversify the economy through small business development and heritage tourism. New Matamoras retains its small-town character while facing challenges common to rural Appalachian Ohio communities, including population decline, aging infrastructure, and the need for economic diversification beyond extractive industries.

New Matamoras does not maintain its own municipal police department; law enforcement services for the village are provided by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 220 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750, phone (740) 376-7070. The Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over unincorporated areas and villages without dedicated police forces throughout Washington County, handling patrol, investigations, criminal complaints, and incident reports for New Matamoras residents. To request police reports or incident records involving New Matamoras, residents should contact the Sheriff's Office directly during business hours; requests must be made under Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43, Ohio's Public Records Act, which requires government agencies to make public records promptly available for inspection and copying, with limited exceptions for active criminal investigations, confidential law enforcement bulletins, and records that would endanger officers or witnesses. The Washington County Sheriff's Office website (washingtoncountysheriff.org) provides contact information and general guidance on records requests. For arrest and jail booking information, the Washington County Sheriff's Office maintains an online inmate roster accessible through the county website, searchable by name or booking date. The Washington County Detention Facility, located at the same Putnam Street address in Marietta, houses arrestees and inmates awaiting trial or serving sentences; the online inmate search typically displays current inmates' names, booking dates, charges, bond amounts, and projected release dates, though mugshots may not always be publicly viewable. For records of past arrests or criminal history not available through the online roster, requests must be submitted in writing to the Sheriff's Office, and Ohio BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation) background checks can be obtained through the Ohio Attorney General's office for comprehensive criminal history searches. All public records requests under ORC 149.43 must be fulfilled within a reasonable time, and agencies may charge actual copying costs but cannot deny access based solely on the requester's identity or intended use of the information.

Birth certificates cost $25.00 for a certified copy, and death certificates cost $25.00 for the first copy and $9.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time; online ordering is available through the VitalChek service on the ODH website with an additional processing fee, and typical processing time is 4-6 weeks for mail requests or expedited service available for extra fees. Birth records in Ohio are available only to the person named on the certificate (if 18 or older), parents listed on the certificate, legal guardian, or legal representative with proper documentation and government-issued photo ID; death certificates have fewer restrictions but require proof of relationship or legal interest for some purposes. The Washington County Probate Court, 205 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750, phone (740) 374-8559, can provide certified copies of birth and death records for events occurring in Washington County for a fee, typically faster than state requests. Marriage licenses are issued by the Washington County Probate Court; Ohio residents must apply in person at the Probate Court office, with both parties present, providing valid photo ID and Social Security numbers; the license fee is approximately $50-$60, and there is no waiting period to marry after the license is issued. Marriage records are public and searchable at the Probate Court, with certified copies available for $2.00 per page. Divorce records are maintained by the Washington County Clerk of Courts as part of the Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations Division case files, searchable by party name or case number; certified copies of divorce decrees cost $2.00 per page. Washington County has digitized many vital records dating back decades, though older records (pre-1950) may require more time to locate and may only be available on microfilm or in archived files.

Washington County does not generally require county-level business licenses for most operations, though specific activities like food service, alcohol sales, or building permits may require county health department or building department approvals. Fictitious name (DBA – "doing business as") registrations in Ohio are filed with the county where the business operates; for New Matamoras businesses, DBAs are registered with the Washington County Clerk of Courts, 205 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750, phone (740) 373-6623, at a fee of approximately $35-$50; these records are public and searchable at the Clerk's office. For state-level business entity searches, the Ohio Secretary of State maintains the official business entity database for corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and other registered business entities. The Ohio Business Gateway (business.ohio.gov) provides a free online search tool where users can look up any registered business entity by name, entity number, or registered agent to view status (active, dissolved, cancelled), formation date, registered agent and address, and sometimes officer or member names. UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) financing statements, which record security interests and liens on business assets, are filed with the Ohio Secretary of State and searchable through the UCC search portal on the Secretary of State's website; searches typically cost a small fee per search result. Business personal property tax in Ohio is assessed by the county auditor; commercial real estate is also assessed by the Washington County Auditor's Office, and assessments are searchable via the same online property search tools used for residential properties at washingtoncountyauditor.org. New Matamoras businesses engaged in sales must also register with the Ohio Department of Taxation for sales tax permits, and professional licenses (contractors, cosmetologists, healthcare providers, etc.) are typically issued by state licensing boards searchable through the respective Ohio professional licensing authority websites.

New Matamoras voters are served by the Washington County Board of Elections, located at 102 Maple Street, Marietta, OH 45750, phone (740) 376-7100, website www.co.washington.oh.us/board-of-elections.html. This office administers all federal, state, county, and local elections for New Matamoras residents, including voter registration, absentee ballots, early voting, polling place assignments, and official election results. Ohio residents can register to vote online through the Ohio Secretary of State's website at OhioSOS.gov or by submitting a paper application to the Washington County Board of Elections; the deadline to register for an election is 30 days before Election Day, and voters must provide their Ohio driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. New Matamoras is an incorporated village with an elected mayor and village council; municipal elections are held in odd-numbered years (most recently November 2023), with the next New Matamoras village elections scheduled for November 2027, when voters will elect the mayor and council members for four-year terms. Candidate filings and local ballot issues specific to New Matamoras are posted at the Washington County Board of Elections office and on the county elections website. To find their assigned polling place, New Matamoras residents can use the polling place lookup tool on the Ohio Secretary of State website (VoteOhio.gov) by entering their address, or by calling the Washington County Board of Elections. Ohio's public records law makes many election records accessible to the public, including voter registration lists (available for purchase or inspection with certain personal information redacted for non-election purposes), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political action committees (searchable on the Ohio Secretary of State's campaign finance portal), candidate petition filings, and precinct-level election results, all available through the Washington County Board of Elections or the state website. In the November 2024 presidential election, Washington County reported voter turnout of approximately 65-68% of registered voters, with strong participation in this traditionally conservative southeastern Ohio county. For the November 3, 2026 general election, New Matamoras and Washington County voters will decide several significant races: Ohio does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026, but voters will elect statewide offices including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor, and Treasurer; the Ohio General Assembly seats for the district covering New Matamoras (currently part of the 94th House District and 30th Senate District, subject to redistricting) will also be on the ballot, as will Washington County offices such as County Commissioner, Sheriff, Auditor, Recorder, Treasurer, and Prosecuting Attorney, depending on term cycles. Local races may include Washington County Common Pleas Judge, Probate/Juvenile Court Judge, and potentially New Matamoras village issues if special levies or ballot measures are placed before voters. Ohio voters can request an absentee ballot by mail or vote early in person; absentee ballot applications are available on the Ohio Secretary of State website or from the Washington County Board of Elections and must be received by the Saturday before Election Day for mail ballots (postmarked by the day before Election Day and received within 10 days after); early in-person voting begins four weeks before Election Day at the Board of Elections office in Marietta, with extended hours the final week including weekend hours.