Guide
Ohio Expungement Research Resources
Use the resources below to identify the agencies, courts, records, and related research tools that often matter when you are exploring expungement, sealing, or other record relief options in Ohio.
- Ohio Public Records Hub Start with the broader Ohio public record directory before narrowing to expungement or sealing research.
- Ohio Criminal Records Review related criminal record research resources that often intersect with expungement and sealing questions in Ohio.
- Ohio Court Records Look for court-level case information, docket access, or filing context connected to expungement matters in Ohio.
- Ohio Police Records Browse police-record and law enforcement resources that may help identify originating agencies in Ohio.
- Ohio Background Checks Compare how records may appear in background check workflows related to Ohio.
- Ohio Inmate Search Use inmate search and corrections links when expungement research overlaps with custody or supervision history in Ohio.
This directory is for informational and research use only. Expungement eligibility, waiting periods, filing fees, notice rules, and the effect on background checks can differ significantly depending on the state, offense level, case outcome, and later law changes.
Guide
Sealing a divorce or civil file in Ohio
Ohio closes the money documents in a divorce by rule and leaves the rest of the file to a motion. Sup.R. 11.09(C)(2)(h) of the Rules of Superintendence, formerly Sup.R. 44(C)(2)(h) before the rules were renumbered on July 1, 2026, and effective January 1, 2016, provides that in a court of common pleas or a division with domestic relations or juvenile jurisdiction, financial disclosure statements regarding property, debt, taxes, income and expenses, including collateral source documents attached to or filed with them, asset appraisals, health care documents, guardian ad litem reports and custody evaluations are not case documents open to the public. Sup.R. 11.13, formerly Sup.R. 45(D), also requires parties to keep personal identifiers such as Social Security and account numbers off filed documents and on a separate form that is not a case document.
For any other document, Sup.R. 11.14(A), formerly Sup.R. 45(E), applies. Any party, and any other person who is the subject of information in a case document, may move the court by written motion to restrict public access to the information or the entire document. The court restricts access only if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the presumption of allowing public access is outweighed by a higher interest, weighing public policy, statutory exemptions, risk of injury, privacy, proprietary business information, public safety and the fairness of the proceeding, and it must use the least restrictive means, redacting the information rather than withholding the document where that will do. Under Sup.R. 11.14(B), formerly Sup.R. 45(F), any person may later move to restore access. The Supreme Court's primer is at supremecourt.ohio.gov.
Guide
Research Notes
- Start with the court and the originating agency. Expungement or sealing requests are often handled through the court that heard the case, sometimes with supporting records from police, prosecutors, or corrections agencies.
- Terminology differs by state. Some jurisdictions use terms such as sealing, set-aside, vacatur, dismissal relief, or nondisclosure instead of expungement.
- Verify current law. Eligibility rules can change through legislation or court decisions, so always confirm the current process before relying on older instructions or third-party summaries.
- Understand downstream effects. Even after record relief, treatment of court, police, private-background check, and federal records may differ depending on the system involved.
By state