Harrison County Public Records Search

Harrison County public records are held at the courthouse in Cadiz and managed by the Clerk of Courts, Recorder, Common Pleas Court, and other offices. The county has solid online access for a rural area. The Recorder has digitized every document from 1789 to the present, and court records are searchable through the CaseLook system. Under R.C. 149.43, all public records in Harrison County are open for anyone to inspect and copy. You can search many of these records for free from home. For certified copies or documents not yet online, you can visit the courthouse at 100 West Market Street in Cadiz or make a request by mail or phone.

Harrison County Clerk of Courts

The Harrison County Clerk of Courts office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and closed on legal holidays. The office has two main divisions: Legal and Auto Title/BMV. The Legal Division breaks down further into Criminal, Civil, Domestic Relations, Court of Appeals (7th District), Civil Protection Orders, and Judgment Liens. The Auto Title/BMV Division handles vehicle titles and passport applications. Passports are issued Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM.

Court public records in Harrison County cover the same case types you find in any Ohio county. The Common Pleas Court handles felony criminal cases, civil suits, and domestic relations matters like divorce and custody. The County Court takes care of traffic tickets, misdemeanors, small claims up to $6,000, civil complaints up to $15,000, and eviction cases. All of these filings are public records. There is an important fee to know about: as of November 4, 2025, filing a Praecipe for Order of Sale in a civil foreclosure case costs $805. That increase comes from a jump in the RealAuction.com listing fee, which is now $500.

Search Harrison County Court Records

The Harrison County Common Pleas Court website gives you access to record search tools, online payments, eFiling, and court forms. The court record search portal runs on the CaseLook system. It pulls data from the court's computer records, but there is a delay of at least twenty-four hours between when something is filed and when it shows up online. The delay can be longer in some cases.

The legal disclaimer on the search page says the court and the Clerk take no responsibility for the accuracy of the data. If you need verified information, send a request to the Harrison County Common Pleas Court or visit during regular business hours. For most basic lookups, the online search works well. It covers Common Pleas cases including felonies, civil matters, and domestic relations filings.

The Harrison County Common Pleas Court provides online case search through the CaseLook system for looking up court filings.

Harrison County Court

The Harrison County Court is at 100 West Market Street, Cadiz, Ohio 43907. Judge T. Owen Beetham presides. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and closed on legal holidays including the day after Thanksgiving. Call 740-942-8865 for questions. The court covers all of Harrison County.

The clerk's office at the county court can help you understand how the court works, answer questions about procedures, help you find information about your case, tell you about money owed to the court, and point you to other agencies that can help. They cannot fill out forms for you, give legal advice, tell you what to say or write, or recommend lawyers or bonding agents. A public computer terminal at the court is available for credit checks or criminal record searches, though the clerks do not run those for you.

You can pay traffic tickets online through the court's payment system. Phone payments are also accepted by calling 866-895-0198 between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. The court takes cash, check, money order, or credit card.

Harrison County Property Records

The Harrison County Recorder's Office is at 100 West Market St., Cadiz, OH 43907. Phone is 740-942-8869. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with document recording cut off at 4:15 PM daily. Recorder Joshua Willis leads the office with a staff that includes a chief deputy and three deputy recorders.

Harrison County has an impressive online records system. Every document from 1789 to the present is now available online. You can search through two different portals. The CountyFusion records search is the main system. There is also a cloud-based search that offers a more modern interface. The county even has a Property Alert service that can notify you of any new filings against your property. This helps protect against fraud.

Under ORC 317.42(A), documents recorded in the Recorder's office are public records. The office reminds people to check their documents before recording and make sure no social security numbers are listed. Since September 26, 2006, no documents with SSN can be recorded unless mandated by law.

Harrison County Sheriff Records

The Harrison County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Matt Haley. The office maintains law enforcement records including incident reports, arrest records, and booking information. Public records requests for these types of documents can be submitted to the Sheriff's Office in accordance with R.C. 149.43.

The Sheriff's Office has also launched a camera registration program through Fusus. Residents can register their home or business security cameras to help deputies solve crimes faster. The program currently has 388 registered cameras. This is a voluntary program, and the Sheriff's Office does not have direct access to the cameras. They only get contact information so they can reach out if an incident happens nearby. It takes about 60 seconds to register and there is no cost.

How to Get Harrison County Public Records

Under R.C. 149.43, you can request public records from any Harrison County office in person, by phone, by email, or by mail. You do not need to say who you are or why you want the records. Just be clear about what you need. The office must respond promptly. Standard copies cost about $0.25 per page. Certified copies have higher fees that vary by office.

If an office denies your request, they must tell you why in writing and cite the specific law. Sealed records, juvenile case files, and active investigation materials are among the common exemptions. You can fight a denial by filing a complaint with the Ohio Court of Claims for $25 or by calling the Attorney General's mediation program at (800) 282-0515. The Ohio Attorney General's Sunshine Laws page has guides that explain public records rights in Ohio.

• Court records: search free online through CaseLook or visit the courthouse
• Property records: search all documents from 1789 to present online
• Vital records: contact the Health Department for birth and death certificates
• Sheriff records: submit a request to the Sheriff's Office
• Standard copies cost about $0.25 per page

Nearby Counties

If you need public records from areas near Harrison County, check these neighboring counties.