History of the Office
The office of the Clerk of Court traces its origin from the medieval cleric who maintained the records, was responsible for correspondence, and had powers to issue writs and other processes ordered by the court. The cleric was generally one of the few educated persons in the community.
In creating a state judicial system, the 1802 Ohio State Constitution provided for the appointment of a Clerk of Court for each county. Originally, the judges of the court of common pleas appointed the Clerk of Court for a seven year term. Under the 1851 Constitution, the office became elective for a three year term that was extended to four years in 1936. William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States, was appointed Hamilton County Clerk of Court in May, 1836 and held the office when he was elected President in 1840.
The Courts of Common Pleas and the Court of Appeals
The Franklin County Clerk of Courts is the official record keeper for the Franklin County Common Pleas Courts and for the Tenth District Court of Appeals. These courts are the highest volume trial and appellate courts, respectively, in the State of Ohio.
The General Division of the Common Pleas Court hears civil cases in which the damages claimed or the amount in controversy exceeds $15,000, as well as serious criminal offenses categorized under state law as felonies. The General Division also decides qualifying appeals from administrative decisions and orders rendered by state and local government agencies. The Domestic Relations Division and its Juvenile Branch exercise jurisdiction over family law issues, including: divorce, dissolution, legal separation, child custody and support, paternity, delinquency, unruliness, truancy, dependency, neglect, and juvenile traffic offenses.
The Tenth District Court of Appeals hears appeals from final judgments rendered by the judges of either Division of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, the Franklin County Municipal Court and the Ohio Court of Claims. The Court of Appeals also has original jurisdiction to hear certain equitable actions such as petitions for mandamus or prohibition, in which a citizen seeks to require a public official or body to act in accordance with its statutory duty or to refrain from acting contrary to that duty.
What We Do
The primary responsibilities of the Clerk of Court include receiving, docketing, indexing, certifying and preserving the pleadings, court orders and other legal documents that are filed with the courts served by the Clerk.
The Clerk of Court also serves court papers as required by law and as directed by the parties, furnishes preliminary case schedules and notices of hearings, and issues such writs as summonses, subpoenas, warrants and executions. Deposits of money to cover court costs, fines, fees and restitution are received, accounted for and disbursed by the Clerk of Court according to statute and court order.
The Clerk of Court' other primary responsibility is the issuance of Certificates of Title for automobiles, boats, and trailers. Certificates of Title are the State's official proof of ownership. The Title Section operates four branch offices and two service centers throughout Franklin County.
See the Title Manual for more information about Title requirements and fees.
The Clerk of Court office is staffed by over 240 trained deputy clerks and is responsible for over $180 million in titling and legal fees each year.
The Title Section processes over 675,000 titles annually - more than any other county in the State of Ohio.
The public records maintained by the Clerk of Court are available for public inspection during normal business hours.