Search Franklin County Phone Directory

The Franklin County phone directory puts all the key county office contacts in one spot. Columbus is the county seat, and most Franklin County departments sit in the same building on South High Street. You can use this page to find phone numbers, web links, and search tools for the Auditor, Recorder, Clerk of Courts, Sheriff, Probate Court, and Treasurer. Franklin County is the largest county in Ohio by population, so the public records system here handles a high volume of calls and requests each year. If you need a number for any Franklin County office, this directory page will help you get it fast.

Franklin County Auditor Phone Directory

Michael Stinziano is the Franklin County Auditor. His office is on the 20th floor at 373 S. High Street in Columbus, OH 43215. The main phone number is 614-525-4663. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Auditor keeps records on all 441,988 parcels in the county. That includes 392,408 residential parcels, 22,755 commercial parcels, and 26,825 other types. If you need to look up a property value or check a tax bill, this is the first office to call in the Franklin County phone directory.

The online search tool at property.franklincountyauditor.com is free and open to all. You can search by owner name, street address, parcel ID, subdivision, or even map location. The system supports wildcards, so typing "Smith*" will pull up all names that start with Smith. Up to 500 results come back per search. Under ORC 319.28, the Auditor must keep these records up to date and open to public view. That is why the search tool runs without any login or fee. Data is current as of the most recent update cycle, and the average home value in Franklin County sits around $250,450.

The Franklin County Auditor property search page is shown below.

This tool handles a large share of the phone directory lookups that would otherwise go through the office phone line. You can pull up owner names, tax data, and parcel details from home.

Franklin County Recorder Directory

Daniel J. O'Connor Jr. is the 30th Franklin County Recorder. His office is on the 18th floor at 373 S. High Street. The phone number is (614) 525-3930. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Recording stops at 3:45 PM. The Recorder files and stores deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, land contracts, and military discharges for all of Franklin County.

The digital index for deeds goes back to January 1914. Mortgage records start from January 1970. Older deed books date all the way to 1804 and are still on file. Over 1.1 million deed documents and 1.1 million mortgage documents sit in this system. Certified copies cost $2 per page with a $1 certification fee per document. Plain copies are just $0.10 per page. Under ORC 317.08, the Recorder must accept and file all land instruments brought to the office. That law is what keeps the Franklin County phone directory for recorded documents accessible to everyone. Staff at the customer service desk can help you find what you need if the online search does not turn up results right away.

You can search deeds and mortgages at the Franklin County Recorder website.

The Recorder's portal lets you search without calling the office. But the phone line is there for help with tricky lookups or to confirm a filing before you visit in person.

Note: Document recording stops at 3:45 PM each day, so plan to arrive early if you need to file something in person.

Clerk of Courts Phone Numbers

Maryellen O'Shaughnessy is the Franklin County Clerk of Courts. The main phone number is (614) 525-3600. For e-filing help, call (614) 525-3090. The office sits on the 23rd floor at 373 South High Street. This office handles criminal felonies, civil lawsuits over $15,000, divorce and dissolution cases, and Court of Appeals filings. It also runs the Auto Title Division with four branch locations across Franklin County.

Filing a civil case in Franklin County costs $225. Foreclosure cases run $300. A jury demand adds $300. Service by publication costs $500. These fees apply at the Clerk's office and are set by local court rules. Under ORC 2303.20, the Clerk must keep all case files and make them available for public inspection. That is a big part of why the Franklin County phone directory for court records stays open and searchable. The Clerk's website alone got 4.8 million views in 2020, so the online tools take a lot of pressure off the phone lines. Lawyers, journalists, and regular people all use the system.

The Case Information Online portal lets you search cases by name, number, or date range.

This search tool covers civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases. It is one of the most used parts of the Franklin County phone directory system. Results show case status, party names, and docket entries.

The main Clerk of Courts website has forms, filing guides, and division contacts.

Use this site to find the right division or get forms for your filing. The phone directory for each division is listed on the site as well.

Franklin County Sheriff Phone Contacts

Dallas Baldwin is the Franklin County Sheriff. The main office phone is (614) 525-3333. For public records, call (614) 525-6096 or email FCSOPublicRecords@franklincountyohio.gov. The Sheriff's office sits at 373 South High Street in Columbus. Copies cost just $0.05 per page. Accident reports are $4 each.

The civil process unit has its own number: (614) 525-3343. Service runs $15 per person, per address, per case. You need to send a cashier's check or money order with two copies of your documents and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The detective bureau is at (614) 525-3350. The warrants and extradition unit takes calls at (614) 525-3346. Under ORC 149.43, the Sheriff must make public records available during business hours. That means incident reports, arrest records, and other non-exempt files are open for you to request through the Franklin County phone directory contacts listed here.

Visit the Franklin County Sheriff website for more on services and records requests.

The Sheriff processes about 125 to 150 public records requests per week. The phone directory numbers above will connect you to the right unit for your request.

Note: For emergencies, always call 911 instead of the phone directory numbers on this page.

Franklin County Probate Court Phones

Judge Jeffrey D. Mackey runs the Franklin County Probate Court. The office is on the 22nd floor at 373 S. High Street. Call (614) 525-3894 to reach staff. The Marriage Department is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The rest of the court operates 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This court handles estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, name changes, and birth certificate corrections.

Online marriage license records start from January 3, 1995. In-person records go all the way back to 1803. You can search the General Case Index and Marriage License Index online for free. Certified copies cost $1 per page. Regular copies are $0.10 per page. Under ORC 2101.12, the Probate Court keeps all filings open for public review unless a judge seals them. Adoption records and mental health cases are confidential by law. But most estate, guardianship, and marriage records are available through the Franklin County phone directory or the court's online tools. Judge Mackey has 38 years of private probate practice and graduated from OSU College of Law in 1981.

The Franklin County Probate Court online search is shown here.

This portal covers case dockets, marriage records, and estate filings. For older records not yet in the digital system, call the office directly using the phone number above.

Franklin County Treasurer Phone Line

Cheryl Brooks Sullivan is the Franklin County Treasurer. Her office is on the 17th floor at 373 S. High Street. The phone number is (614) 525-3438. The Treasurer collects property taxes and manages over $1 billion in county revenue each year.

You can pay taxes online through the online payment portal. Search by parcel number, owner name, or property address. Credit card payments carry about a 2.95% processing fee. Electronic checks cost around $1.95. These fees go to the payment processor, not the county. Under ORC 321.24, the Treasurer must give a receipt for each tax payment and keep detailed records. If you fall behind on taxes, the Treasurer's office offers payment plans. Call the phone number above to set one up before the account goes to foreclosure. Online payments are available around the clock, but the office phone line is staffed during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

The Franklin County Treasurer website is shown below.

Use this site to check your balance, view past payments, or pay your tax bill. The Franklin County phone directory contact for tax questions is (614) 525-3438.

Public Records in Franklin County

Ohio has some of the strongest public records laws in the country. ORC 149.43 gives anyone the right to ask for records from any government office. You do not need to give your name. You do not need to state a reason. Franklin County offices must respond in a reasonable time frame.

Each office in the Franklin County phone directory has its own fee schedule and request process. The Recorder charges $2 per page for certified copies. The Sheriff charges $0.05 per page. The Probate Court charges $1 per page for certified copies. The Clerk's office runs $0.10 per page for standard copies. Knowing these details before you call can save a trip or a second phone call. Some offices let you search and view records online for free, while copies and certifications cost extra. The table below sums up the main Franklin County phone directory contacts in one spot.

Note: All Franklin County offices listed above are at 373 S. High Street in Columbus, each on a different floor.

Cities in Franklin County

Franklin County includes Columbus and several other cities. All of them use the Franklin County phone directory contacts listed above for county-level services like property records, court filings, and tax payments. City offices handle local matters, but county records go through Columbus.

Some of these cities, like Dublin and Westerville, cross into neighboring counties. But Franklin County handles the bulk of records for residents in these areas. Use the Franklin County phone directory numbers on this page to reach the right office.

Nearby Counties

If you need phone directory records from a county near Franklin County, check these pages for office contacts and search tools.