Madison County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Madison County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Madison County, Ohio, may access publicly available case information through several official channels. MadisonCountyRecords.org provides a directory of resources and publicly available information related to court records maintained by county and state judicial offices. Records available through these sources may include information associated with the following case categories:
- Civil court filings and judgments
- Criminal case records and sentencing entries
- Probate matters, including estates and guardianships
- Domestic relations and family court proceedings
- Juvenile court records (subject to statutory restrictions)
- Traffic and minor misdemeanor cases
- Small claims filings
Court records in Madison County may be searched through five primary methods. Each method carries its own access conditions, applicable fees, and practical limitations.
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office. The Madison County Clerk of Courts maintains the official record for Common Pleas Court cases. Members of the public may submit requests in person or by mail. A case number, party name, or approximate filing date assists staff in locating the correct file.
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals. Public terminals located within the courthouse allow members of the public to search case indexes and view docket entries at no charge during regular business hours. Terminal access does not extend to sealed, expunged, or restricted filings.
3. Online Court Search. The Madison County government website provides access to court records through the Clerk of Courts portal, where users may search available case information by party name or case number.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools. The Supreme Court of Ohio Online Docket allows members of the public to search appellate and Supreme Court case records statewide. Entering a complete case number opens the docket view for that matter directly.
5. Written or Mail Requests. Requests submitted in writing to the Clerk of Courts must identify the case with sufficient specificity. Certified copies and research fees apply to written requests fulfilled by staff.
Madison County Clerk of Courts
1 N. Main Street, P.O. Box 557
London, Ohio 43140
Phone: (740) 852-9776
Madison County Clerk of Courts
Are Court Records Public In Madison County
Court records in Madison County are subject to Ohio's public records law, codified at Ohio Revised Code § 149.43, which establishes a presumption of public access to records maintained by public offices, including courts. Under current law, the following categories of court records are accessible to members of the public:
- Case dockets and docket entries
- Party names and case captions
- Scheduled hearing dates and continuances
- Filed pleadings, motions, and responses
- Court orders, judgments, and final decrees
- Sentencing entries and disposition records
Certain records are exempt from public disclosure or subject to restricted access under Ohio law and applicable court rules. These include:
- Juvenile court records, which are confidential pursuant to Ohio Revised Code § 2151.18
- Adoption records, which are sealed by operation of law
- Mental health commitment proceedings subject to statutory protection
- Records expunged or sealed by court order
- Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth in certain filings
- Exhibits and attachments designated confidential by court order
A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While the presumption of public access applies to in-person inspection at the clerk's office, not all records available for physical review are reproduced in online search portals. Sealed and expunged matters are excluded from both in-person and electronic access.
What Are Court Records in Madison County?
Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court or its clerk in connection with a judicial proceeding. In practical terms, a court record encompasses everything filed with or generated by the court from the initiation of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appellate proceedings.
A distinction exists between a docket entry and a full case file. A docket entry is a chronological notation of an event in a case, such as the filing of a complaint, the scheduling of a hearing, or the entry of a judgment. The full case file includes the underlying documents associated with those entries, such as the complaint itself, motions, exhibits, and orders.
Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the state against an individual charged with a criminal offense. Filed pleadings are the initial and responsive documents that frame the issues in a case, whereas final judgments are the court's conclusive rulings on those issues. Public filings are accessible to any member of the public, while sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public inspection by court order or statute.
Trial court records originate in courts of first instance, such as the Madison County Common Pleas Court, and are maintained by the clerk of that court. Appellate records are created when a party challenges a trial court ruling; those records are maintained by the appellate court clerk and, at the highest level, by the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Court records are created at the moment of filing and are updated continuously as the case progresses through hearings, motions, rulings, and final disposition. The Madison County Common Pleas Court and the Clerk of Courts jointly maintain the official record for general jurisdiction matters in the county.
What's Included in a Madison County Court Record?
A court record in Madison County may contain a range of documents and data entries depending on the case type, the court division, and applicable public-access rules. The following categories of information may appear within a court record:
- Case identification: Case number, court name and division, and filing date
- Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and other named parties
- Case classification: Case type (civil, criminal, probate, domestic relations, juvenile, traffic) and current case status
- Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, rulings, and administrative actions in the case
- Hearing information: Scheduled and completed hearing dates, continuances, and minute entries
- Filed documents: Complaints, petitions, answers, motions, responses, notices, stipulations, and similar pleadings
- Court orders and judgments: Interim orders, final judgments, decrees, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
- Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, acquittals, and case dispositions
- Financial and administrative data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly reflected in the record
Certain categories of information are excluded or restricted from public court records. Sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, and protected personal data are not available for public inspection. Exhibits admitted under seal, confidential attachments, and documents subject to protective orders are similarly withheld. The Probate Court record search for Madison County covers estates, guardianships, trusts, civil cases, and miscellaneous matters such as adult protective service proceedings and name changes, each subject to the access rules applicable to that case type.
Types of Courts in Madison County
Madison County is served by a court structure established under the Ohio Constitution and the Ohio Revised Code. The principal courts operating within the county at present are as follows:
Madison County Common Pleas Court is the court of general jurisdiction and handles felony criminal cases, civil matters exceeding the jurisdictional threshold, domestic relations cases, and appeals from lower courts. The court is presided over by Judge Eamon P. Costello. Official records for Common Pleas matters are maintained by the Clerk of Courts.
Madison County Common Pleas Court
1 N. Main Street, P.O. Box 527
London, Ohio 43140
Phone: (740) 845-1780
Common Pleas Court – Madison County
Probate and Juvenile Court operates as a division of the Common Pleas Court and handles probate matters (estates, guardianships, trusts, and wills), juvenile delinquency and dependency proceedings, and certain civil matters including name changes and adult protective service cases. Juvenile records are confidential under Ohio Revised Code § 2151.18.
London Municipal Court serves Madison County and exercises limited jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, civil cases up to the statutory monetary limit, and small claims matters. Records for Municipal Court proceedings are maintained by that court's clerk.
London Municipal Court
1 E. First Street
London, Ohio 43140
Phone: (740) 852-9714
The Twelfth District Court of Appeals hears appeals from Madison County trial courts. Appellate records are maintained by that court's clerk in Warren County, and Supreme Court matters are searchable through the Ohio Supreme Court Electronic Case Management System.
How to Search Madison County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may inspect court records at no charge through in-person review at the clerk's office or through courthouse public access terminals during regular business hours. The following methods are available at no cost:
- In-person inspection at the Madison County Clerk of Courts during office hours; no fee is assessed for viewing records on-site
- Courthouse public terminals allow free index searches and docket review within the courthouse
- Online case search through the Madison County government portal provides free access to available case index information
- State judicial search tools, including the Supreme Court of Ohio's online docket, are accessible at no charge
Fees apply when copies or certified copies are requested. Under the Ohio Revised Code and the clerk's fee schedule, standard paper copies are assessed at a per-page rate, and certified copies carry an additional certification fee. Research performed by clerk staff on behalf of a requestor may also be subject to a fee. At present, the Clerk of Courts charges fees consistent with Ohio Revised Code § 2303.20, which governs clerk of courts fees in common pleas proceedings.
| Access Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-person record inspection | Free |
| Courthouse public terminal search | Free |
| Online case index search | Free |
| Standard paper copies | Per-page fee (verify with clerk) |
| Certified copies | Certification fee plus per-page rate |
| Staff research | Fee may apply |
How Long Does Madison County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Madison County is governed by schedules established by the Ohio Supreme Court and the Ohio History Connection (formerly the Ohio Historical Society) under authority granted by the Ohio Revised Code. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
Under the Ohio Common Pleas Court Records Retention Schedule, the following retention periods apply as a general framework:
- Felony criminal case files are retained permanently or for extended periods given the severity of the underlying offense
- Civil case files are retained for varying periods depending on the nature of the judgment, with some judgment records kept for decades to support enforcement
- Probate records, including estate files and guardianship records, are retained for extended periods, and certain probate instruments such as wills are retained permanently
- Domestic relations decrees involving child custody or support are retained for extended periods tied to the age of the youngest child
- Traffic and minor misdemeanor records carry shorter retention schedules
- Docket books and minute records are retained permanently as the official chronological record of court activity
Paper files may be destroyed after imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage, provided the retention schedule has been satisfied and proper authorization obtained. Destruction of a record is distinct from sealing or expungement: a sealed record continues to exist but is withheld from public access, while an expunged record is removed from public view and, in some instances, physically destroyed pursuant to court order. Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, county archives, or the collections of the Ohio History Connection. Members of the public seeking records predating electronic filing systems should contact the Clerk of Courts directly regarding the format and location of archived materials.
How To Find a Court Docket in Madison County
A court docket is the official chronological log of all actions taken in a case, distinct from the full case file. While the case file contains the actual documents filed with the court, the docket is the index of those filings and events, recording dates, entry types, and case status updates. A docket does not reproduce the full text of filed documents but identifies what was filed, when it was filed, and what orders were entered.
Dockets for Madison County Common Pleas cases may be accessed through the following channels:
- Online clerk portal: The Madison County government website provides access to court records through the Clerk of Courts, where docket entries for available cases may be searched by party name or case number
- Courthouse public terminals: Terminals located within the courthouse display docket information for cases in the Common Pleas system
- In-person clerk request: Staff at the Clerk of Courts office can retrieve docket printouts for specific cases upon request; fees may apply for printed copies
- Supreme Court docket: For matters that have reached the appellate level, the Supreme Court of Ohio Electronic Case Management System provides docket access by case number
A typical docket entry includes the filing date, a description of the document or event (such as "Motion for Summary Judgment Filed" or "Judgment Entry"), and the name of the filing party or the judge entering the order. Dockets also reflect hearing dates, continuances, and status changes. A docket does not include the full text of sealed entries, confidential exhibits, or restricted attachments. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the court's administrative office and are not always reproduced within the case docket itself. Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code § 149.43, docket entries that are part of the public record are available for inspection without requiring a formal written request.