Civil 
Franklin County Hall of Justice
369 South High Street, 3rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 462-3621
Civil Section - Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does it cost to file a complaint?
- I just found out I have a tax lien filed with the Clerk's office; what do I do?
- Why do I have to pay the Franklin County Clerk of Courts for a State of Ohio tax?
- How do I file a Satisfaction of Judgment Lien?
- What kinds of cases are filed in the Civil Section?
- I've been served with a complaint; how long do I have to respond?
- How do I set up a fax-filing account?
- Do you accept personal checks?
- Do you accept credit cards?
- Why wasn't I informed that there was a tax lien filed against me?
- Money has been deposited with the Clerk on a bank garnishment, or pursuant to a court entry. I feel this money is due and owing to me. How do I get this money?
- When is a case billed and who will receive the bill?
- Is my Jury Demand Deposit refundable if the case does not go to trial?
- How much does it cost to file a complaint?
- You can access a complete list of Security Deposits and Filing Fees on the
Civil Forms page.
Back to Top - I just found out I have a tax lien filed with the Clerk's office; what do I do?
- Please be aware that the Clerk of Court is only the record-keeper; we do not take payment
for the amount of tax owed. Contact the Ohio Department of Taxation at (614) 752-7541 to make
arrangements for tax payments.
Once these are paid, they will send you a release form. To release the lien filed at the Clerk of Court office, you must mail the original and one copy of the lien release to this office, along with a money order or cashier's check for the amount of the release fees (you will need to contact us at 614-462-3621 for a determination of the amount of your release fees) and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send payment to the Franklin County Clerk of Courts, Civil Section, 369 S. High Street, 3rd Floor, Columbus, OH 43215. We will mail back a copy of the lien release.
Or, stop by the Civil Section and pay the release fees. Remember to bring your release form.
Back to Top - Why do I have to pay the Franklin County Clerk of Courts for a State of Ohio tax?
- The State of Ohio uses the offices of the 88 county clerks to record, file and
maintain tax liens. Costs are incurred with filing, paperwork, computerization, etc.
These fees are set by the Ohio Revised Code.
Back to Top - How do I file a Satisfaction of Judgment Lien?
- You must send the original Satisfaction of Lien notice, along with court costs, to the
Franklin County Clerk of Courts, Civil Section, 369 S. High Street, 3rd Floor, Columbus, Ohio
43215. Call us at (614) 462-3621 to find out the amount of court costs. Please send a
self-addressed stamped envelope. The Clerk's office will send you back a copy
of the satisfied lien. Or, stop by the Civil Section and pay the court costs.
Remember to bring your original notice.
Back to Top - What kinds of cases are filed in the Civil Section?
-
- Civil lawsuits - damages over $15,000
- Judgment liens - includes State of Ohio tax liens, Worker's Compensation Liens, Foreign Court liens
- Executions - i.e. the County Sheriff confiscating property to satisfy a lien
- Miscellaneous - includes appointing a process server, discharge of a Mechanic's Lien, appointment of county officials, etc.
Back to Top - I've been served with a complaint; how long do I have to respond?
- You have 28 days from the date you signed for the certified mail informing you of
the complaint to file a response.
Back to Top - How do I set up a fax-filing account?
- The Clerk of Court offers convenient fax filing for civil actions. Contact the Office of
Budget and Management at (614) 462-6230 and they will send you an Authorization
Agreement for the Automatic Withdrawal form. You you can also download it here.
It will take 10 days to authorize the account after we receive your Authorization Agreement form.
Once the account is initialized, the Clerk's office will deduct the cost of the fax filing
from your account. For more information about our fax-filing service, call the number above,
or download our informational brochure.
Back to Top - Do you accept personal checks?
- Yes, we accept payment by personal check for the filing of civil actions. Payment for
release of tax liens and criminal actions must be submitted in cash or by certified check
or money order. Please make the check or money order payable to the Franklin County Clerk of Courts.
Back to Top - Do you accept credit cards?
- At this time we do not accept credit cards for payment of fees and/or deposits.
Back to Top - Why wasn't I informed that there was a tax lien filed against me?
- The Clerk of Court is the agency charged with receiving and accepting the filing of
state tax liens. You will need to contact the
Ohio Department of Taxation to address this issue.
Back to Top - Money has been deposited with the Clerk on a bank garnishment, or pursuant to a court entry. I feel this money is due and owing to me. How do I get this money?
- The Clerk of Court is authorized to disburse funds after we receive a time-stamped
court entry, specifically stating to whom the money has been awarded with current address
and phone number, and the amount. Your attorney must put together a legal document called
an Order For Disbursement, and the judge must sign this document. If you choose to put this
form together yourself, some legal research will be necessary; the Court is strict about the
proper format for these documents.
Attendants in the Law Library located on the 10th floor of the Hall of Justice should be able to guide you. Visit the Unclaimed Funds page for a list of cases on which the Clerk has funds held on deposit.
Back to Top - When is a case billed and who will receive the bill?
- A case is billed two weeks after the filing of the terminated entry. The bill will be mailed
to the party designated responsible for costs.
Back to Top - Is my Jury Demand Deposit refundable if the case does not go to trial?
- No, the Jury Demand deposit is non-refundable. A $25.00 filing fee is required
when a jury demand is requested. This fee is in accordance with
ORC 2303.20(E)
and made for the calling of a jury and not dependent on the actual swearing in of a panel of
jurors on a particular case. If a jury is impaneled, additional fees will accrue in accordance
with ORC 2335.28. However, the $300.00 deposit that is required to be submitted the Friday
before the actual trial will be refunded if the trial has been cancelled.
Back to Top
Other duties and services include:
Registration of Notary Public Commissions
The State of Ohio issues Notary Public Commissions; applications and instructions for taking the test to become a Notary Public may be obtained by contacting the Columbus Bar Association. Before performing any official duties, the Notary must record and file the commission with the Clerk of Court in his or her county of residence. In Franklin County, the commission may be recorded at the Civil Section office or at any of the Auto Title branches. Visit our Notary page for details.
Passport Agents
The Franklin County Clerk of Courts is authorized to process applications on behalf of the United States Passport Services. You can obtain a passport application from the Clerk's office. Return the completed form, along with proof of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate or an acceptable substitute), proof of identity (previous passport, driver's license) and two passport photographs.
If the proof of identity, citizenship evidence, and the two passport photographs are in order, upon payment of the fees, this office will forward the documents to Passport Services. You will receive your passport by mail from Passport Services. See our Passport Brochure for more information.
