Searches for free Summit County public records can be conducted through local agencies online, in-person, over the phone, and by mail. These searches include information about marriages, divorces, warrants, probation status, arrests, criminal activity, court proceedings, property ownership, and more.
No matter what you’re looking for or why, this resource makes finding public information in Summit County, Ohio, quick and stress-free by outlining the appropriate agencies and the process to obtain records from each.
How To Look Up Free Arrest Records & Mugshots in Summit County Ohio
Local law enforcement agencies including the Sheriff’s office and local police departments allow citizens of Summit County to see if someone has been arrested or booked in a local jail. From free online search tools to phone numbers and addresses, the resource below will outline everything you need to know.
When attempting to locate an individual who was arrested or find out the reason for their arrest, the Sheriff’s Office has a free online jail roster of people who are currently detained in the County Jail. They also offer support at their office when more information is needed and police reports can be requested through their Records Department; the same lies true for police departments within the county.
See Who’s in the Summit County Jail Through the Sheriff’s Office
To find out if an individual was arrested in Summit County recently or to find someone’s mugshot, the Sheriff’s Office provides citizens with free jail records.1 Anyone can find and review the County Jail inmate roster on the Sheriff’s website.
While the jail roster doesn’t allow for name searches, it does contain a full list of individuals who are in a Summit County jail. Interested searchers can open it and review each name, taking their time to see if they can find the person they’re looking for.
Despite the lack of a search feature, it’s a useful resource, as it includes the inmate’s mugshots, list of offenses, date of booking, etc.. In addition, it’s always possible to contact the Summit County Sheriff’s Office for information and support.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is a considerably big department with many divisions.2 Their website is a useful tool that can effectively direct people to the department they must reach. However, they can be of assistance to anyone in person at the following address:
Summit County Sheriff’s Department
53 University Avenue
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2154
For Summit County bookings as well as records for incidents and accidents in the area, the Sheriff’s Office has a Records and ID Bureau dedicated to providing citizens with accurate information. As long as what’s being requested is public records (and as with any other place, there are some exceptions), they can be requested by phone, mail, or in person. Online requests are only available for accident reports.
Each report costs $0.10 per page, and this is where they can be obtained:
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Records and ID Bureau
205 East Crosier Street
Akron, OH 44311
Phone: 330-643-2176
Access Arrest Reports From Police Departments in Summit County Ohio
There are many local police departments throughout Summit County. They are part of a big county, and citizens must consider that, whenever they’re certain a particular incident took place under one of those agencies’ jurisdictions, reaching out to them may provide quicker arrest details.
These departments can offer detailed arrest reports – which are a summary of an arrest or incident. The local police departments are often able to provide valuable information, and below are the contact details for the major departments within Summit County:
| Departments | Address | Phone |
| Akron Police Department | 217 South High Street Akron, OH 44308 |
330-375-2552 |
| Cuyahoga Falls Police Department | 2310 2nd St Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 |
330-928-2181 |
| Stow Police Department | 3800 Darrow Rd Stow, OH 44224 |
330-689-5700 |
| Barberton Police Department | 576 West Park Avenue Basement, Room 1 Barberton, OH 44203 |
330-745-2181 |
| Hudson Police Department | 36 South Oviatt Street Hudson, OH 44236 |
330-342-1800 |
| Twinsburg Police Department | 10075 Ravenna Road Twinsburg, OH 44084 |
330-425-1234 |
| Fairlawn Police Department | 3487 South Smith Road Fairlawn, OH 44333 |
330-670-4300 |
| Northfield Police Department | 10455 Northfield Road Northfield, OH 44067 |
330-467-7139 |
| Macedonia Police Department | 9691 Valey View Road Macedonia, OH 44056 |
330-468-1234 |
| Richfield Police Department | 4450 West Streetsboro Road Richfield, OH 44286 |
330-659-9500 |
| Norton Police Department | 4060 Columbia Woods Dr Norton, OH 44203 |
330-825-2491 |
| New Franklin Police Department | 5611 Manchester Road New Franklin, OH 44319 |
330-882-3281 |
| Munroe Falls Police Department | 43 Munroe Falls Ave Munroe Falls, OH 44262 |
330-688-3555 |
| Peninsula Police Department | 1582 Main Street Peninsula, OH 44264 |
None available. |
| Lakemore Police Department | For mail only: P.O. Box 888 Lakemore, OH 44250 |
330-733-6125 Ext. 6 |
| Silver Lake Police Department | 3961 Kent Road Lower Level Silver Lake, OH 44224 |
330-929-8771 |
| Boston Heights Police Department | 45 East Boston Mills Road Boston Heights, OH 44236 |
330-650-4111 |
| Reminderville Police Department | 3602 Glenwood Blvd. Reminderville, OH 44202 |
330-425-7874 |
Of all of those law enforcement agencies, the Akron Police Department and Twinsburg Police Department are the only departments that offer a pathway for citizens to request reports online. Those platforms allow people to search for traffic and incident reports simply by clicking on the desired option and performing a search.
This search can be official or unofficial, depending on the request made, so it’s advisable to be informed ahead of time about which form of records would be relevant.
All the other police departments can also be very helpful, but they’d need to be contacted in person or via phone for records to be requested or information, in general, obtained.
How To Find Summit County Criminal History Information
In some cases, the information being sought isn’t about a recent arrest or incident and instead, the goal is to uncover if an individual has a criminal history at all. Even when, in the present, they seem to be law-abiding citizens, it may be relevant to find out if they’ve done anything in their past.
Summit County facilitates that citizens obtain information about any person’s criminal records, as those are public records. It’s possible to dig up and bring information to light with the help of the Summit County public records acquired from the Clerk’s Office and other government agencies.
Obtain Summit County Criminal Records Through the Clerk of Court
Summit County criminal records can be found with the Clerk of Courts.4 They are the official public records repository of all information regarding criminal cases in Summit County, and citizens shouldn’t hesitate to contact them when uncovering reports and court records is needed.
The Clerk’s Office allows individuals to order requests online using a tool available on their website.5 However, those looking for information should be aware that this isn’t an online tool – in other words, it won’t provide immediate information about any case.
Whenever using this tool to access Summit County arrest records, people should know it may take some time for the Clerk’s Office to respond, and it may not be possible to perform an anonymous search.
When ordering online isn’t what is needed, and speaking to the Clerk’s Office team in person is the way to go, this is how they can be reached:
Summit County Clerk of Courts
Records Division
205 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2205
See Criminal Case Information Through the Summit County & Ohio Courts
In Ohio, when someone decides to check public records, there’s no centralized source of information that allows people to search for information on a single platform. In Ohio, records are kept by each court based on the cases they tried or handled.
On one hand, it adds an extra step to any search that someone may try to perform. On the other hand, it likely makes it easier to find information at each separate court since there’s less accumulation and concentration of records.
For criminal cases within the county, use the following links to run a search through the county court or municipal courts within Summit County. These search tools and databases can help residents conduct a free criminal record check:
- Summit County Court of Common Pleas (General Division)6
- Akron Municipal Court Search
- Search Stow Municipal Court Records
- City of Barberton Municipal Court: As they don’t have an online search feature, you must visit them in person or contact the Clerk of Court for specific case information; the Clerk also assists with court documents originating in Green, Norton, Copley, New Franklin, Coventry and Clinton.
- Summit County Domestic Relations Court: This site can’t be searched but if it revolves around a domestic relationship, they may be able to provide more information.
Note, for the sites above that have search features, be sure to click ‘criminal’ to search for criminal records.
In addition, this list of Trial Courts in Ohio helps individuals find the contact information for each local court in the state. They do so by making a public index of courts available to concerned citizens. This is a tool that directs people to the best source for the records they need, making their pursuit of information slightly easier.
When the court that should be contacted is known, the Supreme Court website will provide detailed information about how to contact them. It’s straightforward and certainly effective.
In cases where visiting the Supreme Court in person (or calling them) is needed, this is how to reach out to them:
Supreme Court of Ohio
65 S. Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614)-387-9000
It should be mentioned, too, that the Supreme Court of Ohio has a search tool for public records and information connected to cases that were tried or argued there.7 Their search tool is limited to information about Supreme Court cases, but it’s good to know it exists if looking those cases up is ever needed.
How To View Warrant Details in Summit County Ohio
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office has a warrants department that handles their execution but can also serve as a source of information for interested or concerned individuals.
Summit County warrants, both current and outstanding, can be found with the help of that department via call. The phone number is 330-643-5457. If someone prefers to go in person, they are in the Sheriff’s Office building, located at the following address:
Summit County Sheriff’s Department
53 University Avenue
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2154
When it comes to warrants, it’s important to remember that if someone who may have a warrant against them reaches out to law enforcement directly, they may be found and arrested on the spot. It’s the law enforcement’s job to do so.
However, every individual has the right to defend themselves. For that reason, it’s more advisable to find and retain a defense attorney who is able to speak on this individual’s behalf – not only finding information about any warrants that may be out there but also offering legal advice on the options that an individual may have to fight them.
For those who have violated their parole or supervision conditions, it’s also possible to search for the Parole Violators List as it contains individuals who have warrants out for their arrest.8
However, this platform focuses on individuals who have been convicted and not the ones who may be wanted but haven’t yet been tried. In other words, this isn’t an extensive database.
How To Execute a Probation & Parole Search in Summit County Ohio
The Summit Court of Common Pleas is responsible for supervising the individuals on probation. They do that through the Adult Probation division, which offers an array of services to this group.
Interested individuals can obtain probation information by reaching out to this department directly using the following information:
Summit County Court of Common Pleas
Adult Probation Division
209 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2162
On the other hand, parole violators can be found through the Ohio Offender Search.9 This platform allows citizens to uncover who is on supervised release or if they’ve violated their parole.
This is a free public records search, and users should remember that when searching for this particular information, users should remember to click on “APA (Adult Parole Authority) Supervision” next to “Status.” This way, the obtained results will focus on this particular subgroup, yielding the desired information.
How To Perform a Background Check Report in Summit County Ohio
Background checks are an effective tool to look up someone’s criminal record. In their lives, most people have had a background check run on them at least once. Those checks can be used for professional purposes or to help determine if someone is creditworthy or should receive a business offer.
There are many ways of running a background check and many ways in which a search like this would be valuable. When used for personal reasons, background checks are a bit less strict than background checks run for professional purposes. Still, information is always relevant, and concerned individuals shouldn’t hesitate to run background checks when needed.
When running a professional background check, people must remember a few things. First, the search target must be aware and provide consent. Second, they can have a copy of the final report and dispute any incorrect information.
Background checks can be done using an individual’s name or fingerprints. When performed using only the name, the check is known as a level 1 background check, and when the fingerprints are used, it’s called a level 2 background check. In general, because fingerprints are unique, a background check based on that will yield more accurate results.
When a background check is run inappropriately, it’s possible to file a complaint. At the end of this resource, there are a few other options, but the primary agency to file a complaint with the EEOC (the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) when someone is discriminated against when applying for a job or during the background check process.
In Summit County, the Sheriff’s Office runs background checks. They also offer fingerprinting services by appointment for those who may be interested.
Requests for background checks can be done via phone, mail, or in person. Requests made by individuals not connected to governmental agencies cost $10. Requests made by government agencies cost $2, and law enforcement requests are run for free.
This is how to contact the Records & ID Bureau to order a background check:
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Records and ID Bureau
205 East Crosier Street
Akron, OH 44311
Phone: 330-643-2176
A background check performed at the county level will bring about information on incidents and events that took place in the county. Sometimes, however, a more detailed background check is needed, one that could potentially bring forth more information.
The Ohio Attorney General can be very useful in getting that accomplished. First, their website provides citizens with a good explanation of a background check. Second, it offers a clear pathway for those who need to obtain one.
For those who wish to learn more about the State of Ohio background check rules and regulations, reading through the Frequently Asked Questions section can be helpful. They also provide a list of authorized Webcheck locations who can take fingerprints and send it to the BCI.10
The list is quite complete and suggests locations all over the state. The places mentioned in it can provide citizens with an official background check. Also, most locations on the list perform both BCI and FBI background checks.
When in doubt, the difference between those two is that BCI background checks are performed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. In contrast, the FBI check is performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the individual making the request isn’t sure which one to order, they should ask the institution that will receive the background check which one they prefer.
Keep in mind that it’s often possible to order both types at a discounted rate. Here are two options in Summit County:
Summit County Clerk of Courts
205 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2211
Background checks start at $32
Barberton Police Department
576 West Park Avenue
Basement, Room 1
Barberton, OH 44203
Phone: 330-848-6701
Call to ask for fee schedule
How To Review Public Criminal Records Throughout Ohio Using State & Federal Resources
When searching for an offender throughout the state of Ohio is needed, the State Offender Search provides those seeking information with plenty of details about any inmate’s history.
Moreover, it includes current and past inmates (including those still on probation or parole), which can all be smoothly found if there’s a name to search for.
The results of this search will bring many details about each inmate, including their offenses and how long their sentence is, among other things.
It’s important to mention that victims who wish to get updates or information about their cases in Ohio have access to special services and privileged information. They don’t need to use the same tools as citizens seeking public records information, as the State of Ohio aims to protect victims and ensure they are fully supported.
For example, there’s the Office of Victim Services, which delivers services to individuals who, unfortunately, have been victims of any criminal activity. Any victim should reach out to them and access all services that may be available as they go through this journey.
Citizens can also count on the Ohio State Attorney to effortlessly find information about sex offenders in the state as these details are considered Ohio public records. They make a comprehensive public index of those individuals available for free, serving citizens with important information. This tool contains plenty of data regarding sex offenders, including mugshots, details about their cases, and information about those who aren’t compliant or are currently at large.
Nationally, the NSOPW (National Sex Offender Public Website) is a similar database, which citizens can use to search for sex offenders in the whole country, with extensive information about convicted individuals. This is also free and searchable by name or location (among other options).
For citizens interested in searching for federal inmates throughout the United States, the BOP inmate locator is quite useful. This tool by the Federal Bureau of Prisons helps everyone to look up an individual’s criminal record. This platform is free and contains information about current and past federal inmates alike.
Lastly, the FBI has a platform where citizens can request criminal record checks about themselves. This cannot be used to search a third party but helps those who would like to review the information that’s available about themselves and make sure nothing is incorrect.
How To Track Down Summit County Court Records
The Summit County public records official repository is the Clerk of Courts. They keep and provide (when required) all the Summit County court records of cases tried in the area, including criminal and civil cases.
Whenever a citizen needs information about a case, court dates, or documents, they are the ones who should be contacted to help.
The Clerk of Courts doesn’t offer an online directory where individuals can perform their searches. However, they offer a pathway for orders to be placed online, making it fairly effortless for anyone to make requests.
All users need to do to access Summit County judicial records is fill out the online form with as much information as possible and choose how they want those records to be delivered: in person, by mail, or by email. Individuals making requests should consider that each simple copy runs for $0.10 and each certified copy $1.
If anyone prefers to visit them in person (or to call them for information), this is the best way to do so:
Summit County Clerk of Courts
Records Division
205 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2205
Additionally, citizens can conduct a Summit County case search via the following courts; they can be visited or searched through their online search tools:
- Summit County — (General Division) Court of Common Pleas
- Akron — Municipal Court Search
- Stow — Municipal Court Records
- City of Barberton — Municipal Court
- Summit County — Domestic Relations Court
- Summit County Juvenile Court
- Summit County Court – Probate Division
The first three courts above can be searched online while the others must be contacted or visited in-person. These courts, including both Summit County and municipal courts within them, allow anyone to find information on civil, criminal, domestic relations and more.
How To Search Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death Records in Summit County Ohio
Vital records, including birth and death certificates, are considered public records in Summit County, Ohio. Simply put, it means that anyone who can provide basic information about vital records pertaining to any individual will be able to retrieve it (as well as the information connected to it).
Different agencies can assist interested citizens in obtaining a particular document: the Summit County Common Pleas Court can help people find marriage records, while the Summit County Clerk’s Office provides divorce records. Birth and death certificates can be obtained from the Summit County Health Department, for example.
View Marital Records (Marriage, Divorce & Dissolution of Marriage) via the Summit County Courts
If a citizen wants to find out if someone is married, they should know that the Summit County Common Pleas Court, and more specifically the Probate Division, is the records repository for marriages in this area.
There are two types of Summit County marriage records for those who wish to request them: citizens may obtain a record of the marriage license or proof of marriage. The responsibility to discover which form is needed is the searcher’s. So, everyone should double-check before requesting a record to avoid going twice or paying twice for any search.
People should keep in mind that a marriage license may not prove a marriage has indeed happened. Therefore, to check if someone is married, ordering proof of marriage is advisable.
Copies of marriage records can be requested in person or via mail for events that happened in 1980 or later. Each certified copy costs $2, and this is where interested individuals should go:
Summit County Probate Court
Records Room
209 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2352
For marriages that happened before 1980, the Probate Court recommends searching Ancestry.
The court is also the place to obtain Summit County divorce records. However, those should be requested from the Clerk’s Office directly, as it’d be with any other court record. Interested citizens can visit the location listed below:
Summit County Clerk of Courts
Records Division
205 South High Street
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 330-643-2205
Obtain Death & Birth Certificates via the Summit County Health Department
Death and birth certificates can be requested from the Summit County Health Department, following the instructions on the Records Request Information sheet.12
Orders can be placed online for a Certificate of Death or Birth when there’s no urgency. When citizens need to receive their certificates on the same day, visiting the department in person is the best option since they can help expedite the process.
Each certificate costs $22, and the Summit County Health Department can provide a certificate of birth for all individuals born in any county in the state of Ohio. A death certificate, however, can only be provided if the deceased passed away in Summit County.
This is the address to obtain those records in person:
Summit County Public Health
1867 West Market Street
Akron, OH 44313
Phone: 330-923-4891
When working with the Summit County Public Health isn’t productive, people can also reach out to the Ohio Department of Health to order birth and death certificates. They offer an online platform where everyone can order using a credit card and have their certificates delivered to their preferred address.
Certificates cost $21 each, and it’s possible to order them by mail or in person. To order by mail, applicants should use the following information:
Ohio Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
P.O. Box 15098
Columbus, OH 43215
For requests in person, the Bureau of Vital Statistics refers citizens to their local Public Health office – which, in this case, would be Summit County Public Health, mentioned previously in this resource.
How To Retrieve Property Ownership & Tax Information in Summit County Ohio
When information is needed about property in Summit County, the best source of information is the Fiscal Officer. They offer a property search database through which people can find detailed information about any property.14
Individuals can search these Summit County public records using Parcel, Route, Address, or Owner information. It’s unnecessary to have the full information: users can input whatever data they have, and the system will yield some results.
The results will be presented as a list, and to the left side, there will be a box with the parcel number. It’s possible to click on it and find detailed information about that particular property – including if there’s tax debt.
For in-person inquiries, the Fiscal Officer’s contact page and address may be of use:
Summit County Fiscal Officer
175 South Main Street
Akron, OH 44308
Phone: 888-388-5613
Utilizing Summit County Public Records Responsibly & Understanding Your Rights
Citizens need no particular reason to search public records in Summit County. Although there are many things that can motivate someone to look into public records (such as transparency and keeping county agencies accountable), no one needs to explain themselves when looking information up.
Public records should always be accessible to all. For example, someone may want to know a colleague or coworker better or make sure they go into a new relationship with a certain level of safety. All that is fine and permitted by law.
Public records should always be effortless to find, but should also always be used responsibly. For this reason, while we all want to know how to access information, we must consider a few things.
First and foremost, people’s privacy should be respected. With that in mind, no one should ever be exposed or embarrassed by others, even when not-so-good information about them is uncovered. Also, in general, public records should never be used for criminal activities: the information found must never be used to stalk, harass, or intimidate others.
When the information is used for professional purposes, a background check is run. It is also entirely allowed and legal, but it must follow some steps. If an individual’s background must be checked for an official purpose or when that background check will lead to a decision being made, there needs to be consent.
The individual who will be checked must know that it’ll happen, be aware of the process, and consent to it. Also, the individual is allowed to have a copy of the results, and they can dispute it if something is incorrect (and they have proof).
The same goes when the information disclosed will be used to determine creditworthiness, for example, or when it’s part of a job recruitment process or when a landlord is evaluating a tenant. For business affairs, background checks must follow the rules.
Professional background checks also must abide by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and other laws and agencies. Whenever one of those rules is not followed, the person who was checked is allowed (and encouraged) to file a complaint. Those who have reason to believe that they’ve been treated unfairly or have witnessed that happening to someone can report it to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) page by clicking on Report Now.
Likewise, if someone believes they’ve been discriminated against while being considered for a job, they can file a report with the EEOC (the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) through their website.15
Summit County public records are readily accessible once you know where to look and they should always be used with respect to an individual’s privacy, as well as abide by local and federal laws.
References
1Summit County Sheriff’s Office. (2023). Head Count With Photos Report. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://sheriff.summitoh.net/files/31565/file/activeoffenderreport.pdf>
2Summit County Sheriff’s Office. (n.d.). Phone List. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://sheriff.summitoh.net/pages/Contacts.html>
3Akron Police Department. (n.d.). Web Report Portal. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://online.akronohio.gov/APDWebPortal/search>
4Summit County Clerk of Courts. (n.d.). Public Records Requests. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://clerkweb.summitoh.net/PublicRecReq.asp>
5Summit County Clerk of Courts. (n.d.). Public Records Requests. Clerk Web. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://clerkweb.summitoh.net/prr/prr.aspx>
6Summit County Court of Common Pleas – General Division. (n.d.). Case Search By Name. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <http://search.summitcpcourt.net/schedule/p_CaseNameSearch.aspx>
7Supreme Court of Ohio. (n.d.). Search for Supreme Court of Ohio Cases. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/Clerk/ecms/#/search>
8Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction. (2023). Parole Violators at Large. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/PvalListing>
9Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction. (n.d.). Offender Search. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/>
10Ohio Attorney General. (n.d.). Webcheck Community Listing. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Business/Services-for-Business/WebCheck/Webcheck-Community-Listing>
11Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction. (2023). Offender Details. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/A680054>
12Summit County Public Health. (n.d.). Birth & Death Records. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://www.scph.org/birth-death-records>
13Ohio Department of Health. (n.d.). Ohio’s Online Certificate Application. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://odhgateway.odh.ohio.gov/OrderBirthCertificates/OrderBirthCertificate.aspx>
14Summit County Fiscal Office. (2023). Property Tax Search. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://fiscaloffice.summitoh.net/index.php/property-tax-search>
15U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Filing A Charge of Discrimination. Retrieved September 28, 2023, from <https://www.eeoc.gov/filing-charge-discrimination>