Ohio Public Records Law
Records management not only makes good management sense, but it is also the law in the State of Ohio. Ohio law has long recognized the importance of records created by county government operations and the information these records contain. Chapter 149 of the Ohio Revised Code contains very specific and strong language regarding records retention and disposal by all levels of state and local government. Any employee with legal questions about the current status of this these laws should be referred to counsel in the Prosecuting Attorney's office.
Sections in the Ohio Revised Code applicable to counties include:
- 149.011 Definitions (A-G)
- 149.351 Prohibition against the destruction or damage of records (A-B)
- 149.38 County Records Commission (A-E)
- 149.40 Only necessary records to be made
- 149.43 Availability of public records
- 9.01 Official records - preserving and maintaining
- 307.80 - 307.806 County Microfilming Board
- 307.84 - 307.847 County Automatic Data Processing Board
- 1347 Personal Information Systems Act
All court records in Ohio are covered under the Ohio Supreme Court Rules of Superintendence. These rules supersede the Ohio Revised Code. Rule 26 dictates what court records are to be created, how long they are to be retained and in what format they are to be kept.