Clerk of Courts

 Special Note: Our holdings for the Licking Clerk of Courts Office are listed below, for more recent County Court records (1992-present) and/or to obtain a certified copy of any Clerk of Courts records please contact the Clerk of Courts. Their contact information can be found under the Agency contact page. (The Licking County Records & Archives Center does not have the power to certify records.)

A Brief History:

Ohio was the first state carved out of the Northwest Territory and admitted to the Union as the 17^th state in 1803. To apply for statehood, the Ohio territory had to first draft and ratify a state constitution, which they did in 1802. The judicial system created by the 1802 constitution stipulated that a clerk of courts would be appointed by the judges of the court of common pleas for a 7 year term for each county. Licking County was founded in 1808, and was quick to establish their courts and supporting county offices in accordance with the 1802 constitution. After several years it became clear that Ohio had out grown the 1802 constitution, so a new constitutional convention was held and on June 17^th 1851 voters ratified a new governing document. The 1851 constitution, which is still in effect, changed the clerk of courts to an elective position with a 3 year term. In 1936, the clerk of courts term was extend to 4 years.

Clerk of Courts Function:

The clerk of courts maintains the records of the court of common pleas and various courts which have exercised appellate jurisdiction on the county level in accordance with state laws regarding records retention. The records associated with the court of common pleas include all civil cases in which the amount or matter in dispute exceeds that statutory jurisdiction of county or municipal courts, and all criminal cases expect those misdemeanors which are vested by statute in an inferior court. Additionally, the clerk of courts records also include the various filing responsibilities it has acquired throughout its history.

Licking County Records & Archives Center Holdings:

Today the historical and necessary permanent records prior to 1992 associated with the Clerk of Courts are being maintained by the Licking County Records & Archives Center. For more recent County Court records (1992-present) and/or certified records please contact the Licking County Clerk of Courts' Office (Civil/Criminal Phone: 740-670-5791; Domestic Relations Phone: 740-670-5392; Newark Title Office Phone: 740-670-5447; Pataskala Title Office Phone: 740-670-7757; New Albany Title Office Phone: 740-670-5490).

How to Search Court Cases:

Court cases can provide a wealth of information about individual and criminal disputes as well as details about the lives and relationships of the people involved. Researching court cases can be difficult depending on how much information you have to start with, which is why it is generally best to start with the index books. The index books, also referred to as index volumes, will provide the case number and names of the individual or individuals involved in a given dispute. With the information from the index books, you will be able to more easily identify and locate the actual court files and related documents.

There are many ways to research court cases, so please feel free to contact the Licking County Records & Archives Center for additional assistance. Provided in the FQA & Research Tools page is a basic worksheet to assist you in gathering information regarding court cases as well as a list of common legal terms and their definitions.