Wood County Court Records

Wood County, Ohio, with its county seat in Bowling Green, runs a multi-tiered court system covering everything from serious felonies to small claims disputes. At the center of it all sits the Court of Common Pleas, which includes a General Division, Domestic Relations Division, Probate Division, and Juvenile Division. Two Municipal Courts serve different parts of the county, and a number of Mayors Courts operate locally — though those don't maintain formal court records. Douglas F. Cubberley, the Wood County Clerk of Courts, is the official custodian of records for the Common Pleas Court and the 6th District Court of Appeals, making that office your first stop for most record inquiries.

If you're searching for Ohio court records, you can start at the clerk's office, use public-access terminals at the courthouse during business hours, or search digitally through each court's own docket system. OhioCourts.us can also help you find publicly available court case information across the state and point you to the right local resources.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Wood County?

Wood County offers several ways to search court records — online portals, in-person visits, and written requests. The right method depends on which court handled the case.

Online Docket Search

Start with the online docket maintained by the Wood County Clerk of Courts if you're looking for a Common Pleas case. This system covers the General, Domestic Relations, and Criminal divisions. Here's how to use it:

Visit the docket page, review the terms of use, then click Continue.
Select the Name tab to search by party name, or the Case Number tab to search by case number.
Enter the full name of a party — typically the defendant — or a known case number.
Click Search to view results.

Results show the case number, case type, filing date, parties involved, and current status. Click a case number to see individual docket entries and filings.

For Bowling Green Municipal Court cases, use the court's GovRec portal to look up traffic tickets and criminal cases by name and date of birth, or by ticket number. The court's main website at bgcourt.org also links to case and record searches.

The Perrysburg Municipal Court has its own court records search. Keep in mind that posted data may lag actual filings by at least 24 hours — if you need verified information, submit a written request or visit in person.

The Wood County Probate Court maintains a separate online records search where you can search by case number, name, or other criteria. Records before 1994 may be incomplete in this system.

In-Person Access

All clerk offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM, except on legal holidays.

Office	Address	Phone
Wood County Clerk of Courts (Legal Office)	One Courthouse Square, 2nd Floor, Bowling Green, OH 43402	(419) 354-9280
Bowling Green Municipal Court	711 S. Dunbridge Road, Bowling Green, OH 43402	(419) 352-5263
Perrysburg Municipal Court	300 Walnut Street, Perrysburg, OH 43551	(419) 872-7900
Wood County Probate Court	One Courthouse Square, 2nd Floor (GPS: 200 E. Court St.), Bowling Green, OH 43402	(419) 354-9230

Mail and Email Requests

The Clerk of Courts accepts written record requests by mail. Download a Public Records Request Form from the Clerk's website and include the case number or party names, a description of what you need, and payment for copy fees. Send your request to:

Wood County Clerk of Courts
One Courthouse Square, Second Floor
Bowling Green, OH 43402
Email: clerkofcourts@woodcountyohio.gov
Fax: (419) 354-9241

The Clerk's Legal Office accepts cash, personal or certified checks, money orders, and credit cards (2.5% convenience fee, $2.00 minimum). You can also pay by credit card through the online payment portal. Note that bond payments cannot be made by credit card.

Are Court Records Public in Wood County?

Under the Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Revised Code 149.43), court records in Wood County are generally open to public inspection. Anyone — Ohio resident or not — may ask to view or obtain copies of public court records, and the Clerk of Courts is required by the Ohio Revised Code to provide access to legal records filed and maintained in the office.

That said, there are significant exceptions. Records containing sensitive personal information, or records that fall within specific statutory exemptions, are not publicly accessible. The following types of records are restricted or confidential in Wood County:

Sealed records — Cases sealed by court order, including certain expunged criminal records under R.C. 2953.32 and 2953.33
Juvenile records — Proceedings in the Juvenile Division are generally not publicly accessible
Adoption records — Files maintained by the Probate Court
Mental illness case records — Files ordered sealed by the Probate Court
Grand jury proceedings — Not available to the public
Victim identity information — Protected from disclosure
Personal identifiers — Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and similar data

Ohio Rules of Superintendence, Rule 45(D), places the responsibility on the filing party to redact protected personal identifiers before submitting documents to the Clerk's Office. The Clerk separately collects dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and financial account information on a confidential form kept within the case management system, accessible only by the court.

If you need access to sealed records, you'll have to obtain a court order first. Even when access is granted, the record custodian may still redact information that could violate privacy, compromise safety, or reveal proprietary details.

Copy Fees (Common Pleas Court)

Standard copies: $0.06 per page (civil cases, per Local Rule 3.03)
Copy fee per page (criminal division): $0.10

Probate Court Copy Fees

Marriage records — Certified: $2.00; Uncertified: $0.10 per page
Case records (estates, guardianships, wills) — Certified: $1.00 per page; Uncertified: $0.10 per page
Birth/death records (1867–1908) — Certified: $4.50 per certificate; Uncertified: $0.10 per page

Wood County Criminal Court Records

Felony criminal cases in Wood County start through grand jury indictment or bind-over from a lower court and are heard by the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Criminal Division of the Clerk of Courts processes all motions, pleadings, and judgment entries in these cases, and also handles issuing writs, warrants, and summons.

You can search criminal case records through the Clerk's online docket or by stopping in at the Clerk's office at One Courthouse Square, Second Floor, Bowling Green, OH 43402 — Phone: (419) 354-9280

Misdemeanor criminal cases and traffic offenses go to one of the two Municipal Courts:

Bowling Green Municipal Court
Address: 711 S. Dunbridge Road, Bowling Green, OH 43402
Phone: (419) 352-5263
Fax: (419) 352-9407

Perrysburg Municipal Court
Address: 300 Walnut Street, Perrysburg, OH 43551
Phone: (419) 872-7900
Fax: (419) 872-7905

Key Criminal Filing Fees (Common Pleas, per Local Rule 3.03)

Sealing of criminal conviction (R.C. 2953.32): $100.00
Sealing of dismissed records (R.C. 2953.33): $100.00
Expungement of criminal conviction: $175.00
Copy fee: $0.10 per page
Service of summons on non-resident defendant: $20.00

Downloadable forms for criminal matters are available on the Clerk's website:

Sheriff's Office Background Checks

The Wood County Sheriff's Office offers local background checks at no charge at the Wood County Jail, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM. These checks cover activity with the Sheriff's agency only — they don't include statewide BCI or nationwide FBI records, or court dispositions. You can save time by downloading the Records Check Form before you go. Requests may also be faxed to (419) 354-9139.

Contact: Deputy Angie Miesmer
Phone: (419) 354-7744
Email: amiesmer@woodcountyohio.gov
Address: 1960 E. Gypsy Lane Road, Bowling Green, OH 43402

For a statewide criminal history check through the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), you can schedule a fingerprinting appointment through the Sheriff's Office WebCheck service. Bring a valid state-issued photo ID and $32.00 in cash. This service is available only to the record subject or authorized individuals.

Wood County Civil Court Records

The Civil Division of the Clerk of Courts handles filings for a wide range of civil actions in the General Division of the Common Pleas Court — product liability, professional malpractice, personal injury, workers' compensation, foreclosures, administrative appeals, and more. Post-judgment proceedings such as garnishments, debtor examinations, executions, foreign judgments, and judgment liens are all processed here as well.

Civil records are searchable through the online docket or in person at the Clerk's Office. E-filing is available through the Clerk's e-Filing portal, though original complaints for new civil actions must be filed in person or by mail — not electronically — unless payment is submitted in advance through the Clerk's website.

Civil Filing Deposits (Common Pleas, per Local Rule 3.03)

Action	Deposit
Civil suit (excluding foreclosure)	$300.00 (includes $50 special project fee per R.C. 2303.201(E)(1))
Real estate foreclosure	$400.00 (plus $725 additional when Praecipe for Order of Sale is filed)
Administrative appeal	$180.00
Counterclaim, cross-complaint, or third-party complaint	$150.00
Motion to vacate, revive, or modify judgment	$100.00
Foreign judgment	$50.00
Judgment lien	$35.00
Service by publication (additional)	$500.00
Jury deposit	$300.00
Writ of possession or execution	$200.00
Copy fee	$0.06 per page

If you can't afford the filing deposit, ask the court about a fee waiver. An Affidavit of Indigency form (R.C. 2323.311) is available for download.

The Perrysburg Municipal Court handles civil claims up to $15,000 and small claims up to $6,000. Filing a standard civil complaint at Perrysburg costs $95.00 (up to two defendants); small claims run $55.00; eviction actions cost $105.00–$115.00. Civil Division forms, including the Complaint in Forcible Detention and Notice to Leave Premises, are downloadable from the court's website.

Additional civil forms from the Clerk's Office include:

The full deposit schedule is posted on the Clerk's fee schedule page. Local court rules governing all Common Pleas proceedings are available through the Wood County Law Library.

Wood County Family Court Records

Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, child custody, child support, and civil protection orders related to domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence all go through the Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Domestic Relations division of the Clerk's Office processes all filings, motions, and judgment entries in those cases.

Two magistrates appointed by the Common Pleas judges hear most domestic relations matters — dissolutions, divorces, legal separations, post-decree motions, and civil protection orders. The Domestic Relations Court shares jurisdiction over domestic violence cases with the Municipal Courts and the Common Pleas Criminal Division. The criminal side of a domestic violence case goes to Criminal Division or Municipal Court; the civil protection order side stays with Domestic Relations.

Domestic Relations Filing Deposits (per Local Rule 3.03)

Action	Deposit
Divorce or legal separation	$350.00
Dissolution of marriage	$300.00
Reopened domestic relations case	$200.00
Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)	$75.00
Consent judgment entry	$50.00
Filing of notice pursuant to final judgment	$40.00
Court-appointed attorney application fee	$25.00

If you can't afford filing deposits, you can file a motion to proceed in forma pauperis with supporting documentation. Applying for a court-appointed attorney requires completing an application and paying $25.00. Self-representation resources are available through Ohio Legal Help and Legal Aid of Western Ohio.

Many domestic relations forms required by the Ohio Supreme Court are available through the Clerk of Courts forms page, including financial schedules that must accompany any divorce complaint, legal separation filing, or dissolution petition. The Wood County Child Support Enforcement Agency handles support enforcement matters.

Marriage and Divorce Records

Marriage records are kept by the Probate Court. You can search for marriage information through the Probate Court's online records search or by submitting a records request application. Certified copies of marriage records cost $2.00; uncertified copies are $0.10 per page. Mail requests to:

Wood County Probate Court
Records Request
One Courthouse Square
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402

Divorce records — decrees and related filings — are kept by the Clerk of Courts. To request them by mail, complete the Public Records Request Form and send it with payment to the Clerk's address. In-person requests and online docket searches are also options. Standard dissolution copy fees are $0.10 per page.

Birth and Death Records

Birth and death records from 1908 onward are maintained by the Wood County Health Department. Certified copies cost $25.00 each. You can request them in person or by mail using the vital record application form, along with a certified check or money order and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Wood County Health Department
Address: 1840 East Gypsy Lane Road, Bowling Green, OH 43402
Phone: (419) 352-8402

Historical birth and death records from 1867 to 1908 are held by the Probate Court, at the copy fees noted in the rates section above.

Wood County Probate Court Records

The Wood County Probate Court handles estates of deceased residents, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, and adult protective services matters. It's located on the second floor of the Wood County Courthouse and presided over by Judge David Woessner.

Wood County Probate Court
Address: One Courthouse Square (GPS: 200 E. Court St.), 2nd Floor, Bowling Green, OH 43402
Phone: (419) 354-9230
Fax: (419) 354-9357
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (except legal holidays)

Searching Probate Records

The Probate Court keeps a Public Records Area on the second floor of the courthouse, with paper and electronic docket indexes, a public computer terminal, a microfilm reader and printer, and staff available to help answer questions. Most public records can be reviewed during business hours without an appointment. For mail requests, download the Public Records Request Form from the court's website. You don't need to identify yourself when submitting a records request.

Some older records are stored off-site at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center and the Center for Archival Collections at Bowling Green State University. Original off-site records are available on request; microfilm copies can be accessed at the courthouse.

Probate Court Filing Fees

Matter	Fee
Estate — Full administration	Varies (deposit required)
Deposit of will	$25.00
Adoption — Adult	$85.00
Adoption — Agency	$88.00
Adoption — Foreign	$45.00 ($70.00 if final decree requested)
Adoption — Private	$518.00
Publication fee (estimated)	$100.00
Civil adversary	$100.00
Guardianship/Conservatorship	Varies

The complete filing fee schedule is published on the Probate Court's website. Downloadable court forms for probate matters — including estate administration, guardianship, conservatorship, and adoption forms — are available there as well. Statewide standard probate forms are also posted on the Ohio Supreme Court forms page.

Adoption records and mental illness case records are confidential and not accessible to the general public. All other probate records — wills, estate inventories, guardianship filings, and related proceedings — are open for public inspection during business hours, subject to any specific sealing orders the court may have issued.

When submitting a mail request for probate records, include the case number or full names of the parties involved, a description of the documents you need, and a check or money order payable to Wood County Probate Court. It's worth calling the court at (419) 354-9230 first to confirm the exact amount — incorrect payments will be returned and will delay processing.