The Probate Court maintains records for all matters filed with the Court including Estates, Guardianships, Name Changes, Marriage Licenses, and various other actions. Some of the Court's records are confidential by law and are not open for public inspection, including records of Adoptions, Mental Illness, and Developmental Disabilities.
- The Court maintains records for review, copy, and certification in several formats - including hard copy original, microfilm, microfiche, electronic image - depending on the age of the document. Electronic images are available on most filings received on or after August 2, 1998.
- The Court also maintains birth and death records for Franklin County, Ohio, for the years of 1867 through 1908, Marriage Records from 1803 to present, and Estate, Guardianship, and Name Change records from 1898 to present.
- The State of Ohio did not maintain birth or death records prior to 1867.
- Death records from December 20, 1908 to 1944 are held with the Ohio History Connection.
- Birth records after 1908 and death records after 1944 are held with the Ohio Bureau of Vital Statistics/Department of Health.
Regular and Certified Copies of Court Documents
| Type of Copy |
Cost |
| Certified Copies |
$1.00 per page |
| Regular Copies on CD (CD can handle multiple cases/images) |
$1.00 per CD |
| Regular Copies on paper |
$0.10 per page |
Record Searches
Record searches may be requested by U.S. Mail or by email at probate@franklincountyohio.gov. A Deputy Clerk will contact you regarding the cost.
For requests submitted by U.S. Mail, please send a self addressed stamped envelope with your request and payment to the following address:
Franklin County Probate Court
ATTN: Certified Desk
373 South High Street, 22nd Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215-6311
Record searches may be conducted in person at the Court with an appointment.
CERTIFIED MARRIAGE ABSTRACTS (RECORD OF MARRIAGE)
- Before you order, please review the following information. We cannot issue refunds for orders once they are placed, even if the license was issued in another county. Please make sure you can answer “Yes” to the following:
- Was the marriage license issued in Franklin County, Ohio?
- If not, please contact the Probate Court in the county where the marriage license was issued.
- Have you verified that your officiant has returned the signed certification to Probate Court?
- To confirm this, please search for your names in the Marriage License Index. If there is no date listed under “Certif Returned” in your case entry, contact your officiant to see when they will return the Certification to Probate Court. The Court cannot issue a Marriage Abstract until the Certification has been signed by your officiant and returned.
- Certified marriage abstracts are $2.00 per copy and may be obtained in person without an appointment, or ordered online or via regular mail.
Order Online
Use your credit or debit card to order copies through Point & Pay. The cost is $2.00 for each certified copy, plus postage fees. There will also be a service fee charged by Point & Pay in the amount of $1.00 per transaction.
If you were issued your marriage license in Franklin County Ohio, the link below will take you to the Point & Pay website to process your request and make payment for your marriage abstract(s). If you did not get your marriage license in Franklin County Ohio, please contact the Probate Court of the county where your license was issued to obtain your marriage abstract.
By clicking SUBMIT to process an online order, you are agreeing to Ohio Revised Code Sections 301.28 and 2101.16 (A) that this is a service rendered and the funds in this transaction are nonrefundable.
Place Order & Make Payment
*Due to technical and procedural issues, the Franklin County Probate Court will no longer send certified marriage abstracts through an expedited mail delivery method. All certified marriage abstracts will be sent through standard U. S. Mail. We apologize for the inconvenience. The Probate Court will look into providing an expedited mail delivery method in the future.
Request by Mail
MAIL REQUESTS TO:
Franklin County Probate Court
ATTN: Marriage Records
373 S. High St., 22nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6311
IN YOUR REQUEST YOU NEED TO INCLUDE:
- APPLICANT 1 name (maiden or previous to this marriage, if applicable)
- APPLICANT 2 name (maiden or previous to this marriage, if applicable)
- The year of the marriage (the Court needs at least an approximate year to be able to search for the record)
- Daytime phone number where you can be reached
- $2.00 for each copy that you are requesting, payable by money order, cashier's check, attorney or personal check
- A self addressed stamped envelope so the Court can send the abstract back to you
Request in Person
Please request your marriage abstract via the online ordering system or by mail if possible. If it is necessary to request an abstract in person, please visit the marriage department at 373 S. High Street, Floor 23, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please visit the department no later than 4:00 p.m. to ensure timely service. The court is closed on all county holidays.
The cost for each certified copy is $2.00. payable by cash, money order, cashier's check, attorney or personal check, or credit/debit card. There is a 3% service fee for credit/debit card transactions.
YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
- APPLICANT 1 Name (maiden or previous to this marriage, if applicable)
- APPLICANT 2 Name (maiden or previous to this marriage, if applicable)
- The year of the marriage (as the court will need an approximate year to search for the record).