| Clerk of Courts | Butler County Clerk of Courts — Locating Court Records |
|---|---|
| Probate Court | Butler County Probate Court — Record Search |
| Clerk address | Clerk of Courts: Government Services Center, 315 High St, Hamilton, OH 45011. Probate Court: 101 High St, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011. Area Courts: 345 High St, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011 (Area I/II); 9577 Beckett Rd #300, West Chester, OH 45069 (Area III) |
| Phone | Listed on the clerk website |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| Earliest records noted | 2000 |
| Plain copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy fee | $1.00 per page, including the certificate and seal, for Common Pleas Clerk of Courts records (Ohio Revised Code 2303.20(Z)) |
Butler County (county seat Hamilton, Ohio — not to be confused with Hamilton County) keeps Common Pleas records with the Butler County Clerk of Courts, covering the General Division, Domestic Relations Division, and Twelfth District Court of Appeals cases, with electronic case files from 2000 forward.
Misdemeanors, traffic tickets, and smaller civil cases are handled by three separate Area Courts — Area I and Area II in Hamilton, and Area III in West Chester — searchable together through the county's Area Courts record-search tool. The Butler County Probate Court is an independent office with its own online record search for wills, estates, and guardianships.
The most common mistake is assuming the Clerk of Courts' Common Pleas search also covers Area Court (misdemeanor/traffic) cases — it does not; those are a separate "CaseLook" system.
Search Butler County court records online
Clerk of Courts
Butler County Clerk of Courts — Locating Court Records
- Cost
- Free to search
- Coverage
- Common Pleas General Division, Domestic Relations Division, and Twelfth District Court of Appeals cases, with electronic files from 2000 forward
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Appeals
Older records before 2000 are held at the Butler County Records Center. Office phone (513) 887-3278.
Probate Court
Butler County Probate Court — Record Search
- Cost
- Free to search
- Coverage
- Wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage records
- Records
- Probate
Located at the Historic Butler County Courthouse, 101 High St, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011, phone (513) 607-4341.
Other courts
Butler County Area Courts — Record Search (CaseLook)
- Cost
- Free to search
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor, traffic, and civil cases from Area I and Area II Courts in Hamilton and Area III Court in West Chester
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Covers all three Area Courts from a single search tool, separate from the Common Pleas Clerk of Courts.
What is available online
The Clerk of Courts' Common Pleas search covers General Division, Domestic Relations, and appellate cases with electronic images from 2000 forward; older files are archived at the county Records Center. Area Courts I, II, and III (misdemeanor, traffic, and smaller civil cases) are searched together through a separate CaseLook system, and the Probate Court runs its own independent search — none of the three systems is combined with the others.
Which clerk has your record
In Ohio, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Ohio page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Courts of Common Pleas — General Division | Felony criminal cases; Civil suits over the county/municipal-court jurisdictional limit; Civil appeals from administrative agencies | Clerk of Courts of the Court of Common Pleas |
| Courts of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division | Divorce, dissolution, and legal separation; Child custody and support (non-juvenile); Spousal support | Clerk of Courts of the Court of Common Pleas (same office as the General Division in most counties) |
| Courts of Common Pleas — Probate Division | Estates and wills; Guardianships and conservatorships; Adoptions and name changes | Probate Court (the probate judge's office keeps its own records; not the Common Pleas Clerk of Courts) |
| Courts of Common Pleas — Juvenile Division | Delinquency and unruly-child cases; Abuse, neglect, and dependency; Some custody and support matters | Juvenile Court clerk (often combined with Probate in smaller counties, separate in larger ones) |
| Municipal Courts and County Courts | Misdemeanors; Traffic tickets; Civil claims up to $15,000 | Clerk of the individual Municipal or County Court |
| Mayor's Courts | Minor traffic and ordinance violations within some municipalities | Village or city fiscal officer / mayor's court clerk |
Request records in person or by mail
Butler County clerk offices
Clerk of Courts: Government Services Center, 315 High St, Hamilton, OH 45011. Probate Court: 101 High St, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011. Area Courts: 345 High St, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011 (Area I/II); 9577 Beckett Rd #300, West Chester, OH 45069 (Area III)
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Common Pleas records. Search online through the Clerk of Courts' locating-records page, or visit the Clerk of Courts at the Government Services Center, 315 High St, Hamilton. Records filed before 2000 may require a request to the Butler County Records Center.
Area Court records (misdemeanor, traffic, civil). Use the CaseLook record search, or contact the specific Area Court (Area I or II in Hamilton, Area III in West Chester) directly.
Probate records. Use the Probate Court's online Record Search, or visit or write to the Probate Court at 101 High St, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, for certified copies or older records.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Ohio |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy | $1.00 per page, including the certificate and seal, for Common Pleas Clerk of Courts records (Ohio Revised Code 2303.20(Z)) |
The $1-per-page certified-copy fee in R.C. 2303.20(Z) applies to Common Pleas clerks of courts. Municipal, County, and Probate Courts set their own copy fees by local rule or court cost schedule, and plain (uncertified) copy costs vary by county — some counties charge $0.10–$0.25 per page, others provide free online plain copies. Confirm the current fee with the specific clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Ohio court records are presumed open to the public under Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio, Rules 44–47 (the "Public Access Rules"), but several categories are removed from public view:
The Ohio guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Clerk of Courts search cover Butler County traffic tickets?
No. Misdemeanor, traffic, and smaller civil cases are handled by the county's Area I, II, and III Courts and searched through a separate CaseLook tool, not the Common Pleas Clerk of Courts site.
How far back are Butler County Common Pleas records available online?
Electronic case files are available from 2000 forward. Older records are held at the Butler County Records Center and may require an in-person or written request.
Where are Butler County probate and will records?
With the Butler County Probate Court, a separate office with its own online Record Search for wills, estates, and guardianships.
What is the difference between Area I, Area II, and Area III Courts?
Area I and Area II both sit in Hamilton and Area III is in West Chester; all three are searchable together through the county's Area Courts CaseLook tool, though the courts themselves are separate.
Sources
- Butler County Clerk of Courts — Locating Court Records — https://clerkofcourts.bcohio.gov/legal_division/locating_court_records.php
- Butler County Area Courts — Record Search — https://docket.bcohio.gov/
- Butler County Probate Court — Record Search — https://probatecourt.bcohio.gov/recordSearch.php
- Welcome to Area I, II, & III Courts — Butler County — https://areacourts.bcohio.gov/
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Judicial System Structure — https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/judicial-system/judicial-system-structure/
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Ohio Trial Courts & Local Rules — https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/judicial-system/ohio-trial-courts/
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Ohio Court of Appeals — https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/judicial-system/ohio-court-of-appeals/
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Reporter of Decisions Opinion Search — https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/
- re:SearchOH (Tyler Technologies) — https://researchoh.tylerhost.net/CourtRecordsSearch/Home/
- Ohio Attorney General — Background Checks / BCI WebCheck — https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/backgroundcheck
- Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio (Rules 44-47, Public Access) — https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/docs/LegalResources/Rules/superintendence/Superintendence.pdf
- Ohio Revised Code 2953.32 — Sealing of Conviction Record — https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2953.32
- Ohio Revised Code 2303.20 — Common Pleas Clerk Fees — https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2303.20
- Ohio Revised Code 149.43 — Public Records Act — https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-149.43
See also: all Ohio counties.