This guide provides resources for finding information about historical legal matters in Cincinnati.
Disclaimer: Hamilton County Law Library staff, as a service to its patrons, provides reference services and information, including these research guides. To protect the public interest, Ohio law requires that legal advice and services be rendered only by qualified attorneys who are subject to the guidelines of the courts. Library staff members do not interpret the law, provide legal advice, or explain court procedures. The information provided is not a substitute for legal advice from a licensed attorney. None of our services shall be construed as giving legal advice.
Due to the fire of the Courthouse in 1884 we do not have case materials until after April 1, 1884. The Clerk's office first case dockets were lost in the fire and they start at Book 14.
The Clerk's website only searches back to the 1980's. For older cases, Go to Clerk's paper room. They will need a case number which sometimes can be found it our Court Indexes (start @ 1880) or in the Cincinnati Enquirer at the Public Library. For more information contact the "Document Center" which is located in the Common Pleas Division, Room 315 at 513-946-5692
Probate Court Record: This is online access to handwritten and typed records that were previously kept in bound volumes. Archive Search includes records of estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, marriages, minister's license, birth records, birth registrations and corrections, death records, naturalizations, Probate Court journal entries, and physician certificates, with all categories having widely varied time periods. The earliest records date from 1791.
https://www.probatect.org/court-records/court-record-search
Unreported cases are now reported as of 2002. They can be found on the Supreme Court's website.
Case before 2002 are available. We have Hamilton County unreported cases in paper format (10/1/1980 - 6/25/2004) located in the file cabinets in the copy room.
You may request the cases directly from the Court of Appeals but will need a case number which can be retrieved from the Clerk of Courts website. Located on Microfiche from 1981-1992. Newer years can be obtained via Westlaw. Index volumes are available to look up Civil or Criminal cases by case name, subject or district. Once you find the entry, look for the fiche reference to retrieve the case. It will look like the following. 92-1-11d (year-fiche number-district)
For Ohio Statutes, see the the Legislation and Legislative history tabs on our Ohio Primary Law Research Guide.
For Ohio Administrative Materials, see the Administrative Materials tab on the Ohio Primary Law Research Guide.
Hamilton County Law Library (1960-2001 on Microfiche)
The United States Department of Justice: (1985-Present) https://www.justice.gov/osg/supreme-court-briefs
Findlaw (1999-2007) http://supreme.findlaw.com/supreme_court/briefs.html
Print Depositories https://www.supremecourt.gov/meritsbriefs/briefsource.aspx
The Hamilton County Genealogical Society had an extensive guide to finding historical marriage and divorce records.
Hamilton County Marriage Records-https://www.probatect.org/court-records/archive-categories/marriages
The Law Library is open Courthouse hours, Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:00.
For directions to the library, see: http://lawlibrary.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/about/.
We cannot provide research by phone or email, except for governmental officials and subscribers. Please come into the library for research guidance and self-help.
In person: Hamilton County Courthouse 1000 Main Street, 6th floor Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
By phone: 513.946.5300
On the web: http://lawlibrary.hamilton-co.org/
By fax: 513.946.5252
By email: reference@cms.hamilton-co.org
Hamilton County Municipal Court
1000 Main Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: 513.946.6464
http://www.hamilton-co.org/municipalcourt/
Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas (General Division)
1000 Main Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: 513.946.5800
http://www.hamilton-co.org/common_pleas/
Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas (Domestic Relations Division)
800 Broadway
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: 513.946.9000
http://www.hamilton-co.org/domestic/
Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas (Juvenile Division)
800 Broadway
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: 513.946.9200
http://www.hamilton-co.org/juvenilecourt/
Hamilton County Court of Common Please (Probate Division)
William Howard Taft Center
230 East Ninth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: 513.946.3580
http://www.probatect.org/about/index.htm
Ohio Court of Claims
The Ohio Judicial Center
65 South Front Street,
Third Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 800.824.8263
http://www.cco.state.oh.us/index.php/en/
Court of Appeals
First Appellate District
William Howard Taft Law Center
12th Floor
230 East Ninth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202-2138
Phone: 513.946.3500
Fax: 513.946.3412
http://www.hamilton-co.org/appealscourt/
Supreme Court of Ohio
65 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.387.9000
http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/