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Van Wert County, Ohio Public Records

Find the right office in Van Wert 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 Van Wert County records

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Official

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 Van Wert County

County profile

Van Wert County at a glance

State
Ohio
County seat
Van Wert
Population
28,931
Area
410 sq mi
Founded
1820
Cities and towns
8

Van Wert County offices and records

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

Police Departments. In addition to Van Wert County Sheriff's Office, Van Wert County is served by several municipal police departments, including the Van Wert Police Department and the Delphos Police Department. They coordinate with the Sheriff's Office on major crimes and investigations, making sure of full coverage and public safety across Van Wert County.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Law enforcement in Van Wert County is primarily provided by Van Wert County Sheriff's Office, located at 1297 North Washington Street, Van Wert, OH 45891. Inmate information and jail roster details can be obtained by calling the jail directly at or by visiting the Sheriff's Office in person during business hours. Ohio public records law, codified in Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3599 and specifically ORC 149.43, guarantees public access to arrest records, booking logs, and incident reports with limited exceptions for ongoing investigations or juvenile records. Municipal law enforcement is provided by Van Wert Police Department serving the city of Van Wert area, located at 515 East Main Street, Van Wert, OH 45891 Smaller communities such as Middle Point and Convoy may contract with Van Wert County Sheriff's Office or maintain limited police services.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Van Wert County are maintained by Van Wert County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records through the Sheriff's Office, either in person or via written request.

Jail & Inmate Records. Inmate lookup is available through the Sheriff's Office, allowing the public to find information about current detainees.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Van Wert County are taken and retained by Van Wert County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These images are part of the arrest record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Van Wert County

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

From the old mine records

What is on record in Van Wert County

Producing when recorded
1
Processing plants, not workings
3
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
14
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
quarry, gravel pit, clay pit, gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated
Maps surveyed
1960 to 1982

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 4 mine sites inside the county: 1 site producing when the record was made, 3 processing plants, which are not workings; the old survey maps add 14 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels.

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.

Van Wert Scott Convoy Middle Point Ohio Willshire Wren Elgin Venedocia N 10 miles
Van Wert 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 Van Wert County (5 shown, 13 unnamed on the map)

Rows taken off the old survey maps open the USGS record of what sits at that spot, because no single feature on those maps has a page of its own. Rows from the mine records open their own USGS page.

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 Van Wert County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 9 investigations in Van Wert County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $223,251 in back wages agreed for 79 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
9
Back wages agreed
$223,251
Workers due back wages
79
Civil money penalties
$0
Employers on the record
8
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
El Mexico Antiguo IVan Wert1$142,71713
Ahorros, LTDVan Wert1$50,00013
Lee Kinstle Cheverolet Olds Inc.Van Wert1$10,54413
Plastic Recycling TechnologyVan Wert1$9,8282
Rambler's Roost Restaurant & Truck Stop, Inc.Middle Point2$5,07424
Sarah Jane Living Center, LLCConvoy1$2,9237
Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy, LLCVan Wert1$2,1657
Kam Manufacturing, Inc.Van Wert1$00

Every employer on the Van Wert County record, by back wages agreed; 4 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record in this row. The Ohio wage theft records page ranks the whole state.

Straight answers

Van Wert County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

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

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Van Wert County Sheriff or a city police department in Van Wert 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 Van Wert 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 Van Wert 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 Van Wert 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 Van Wert County, Ohio?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Van Wert County are kept by the Van Wert 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 Van Wert 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 Van Wert 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.