Local Government Records Program

Local Government Records (LGR) Program

Ohio Public Records Laws and Legislation

Recent Updates

HB 204 COUNTY RECORDS COMMISSIONS - Requires that County Records Commissions (149.38 ORC) provide notice to county historical societies and other local entities that county records are being sent to the Ohio Historical Society for potential distribution. Effective November 5, 2004

HB 148 TOWNSHIP CLERKS - Requires that the township clerk personally attend meetings of the board of township trustees, sets a minimum amount for the township clerk's bond, and requires that township records be kept at the township hall or the board's meeting place. Effective November 5, 2004

HB 53 COUNTY RECORDERS - Allows a county recorder to maintain registered land records by the use of photographic, magnetic, electronic, or certain other processes, means, or displays. Effective October 29, 2003

SB 258 FIREFIGHTERS & EMT/PUBLIC RECORDS - Requires background checks on firefighters and exempts from the Public Records Law (149.43) specified residential and familial information about an EMT or a member of a fire department and certain security-related information. Effective April 9, 2003

HB 247 JUVENILE RECORDS - Ensures that prior delinquent child adjudication and disposition records are available for use in preparing presentence investigation reports for persons convicted of a criminal offense. Effective May 30, 2002

SB 184 TERRORISM - Exempts certain security-related information from the Public Records Law and revises the Open Meetings Law provision regarding executive sessions to consider security matters. Effective May 15, 2002

HB 412 MENACING/PUBLIC RECORDS - Increases penalties for assaulting or menacing personnel of public children services agencies and private child placing agencies and declares their residential addresses to be confidential information that is not subject to disclosure by specified persons or obtainable as a part of a public record. Effective: April 10, 2001

HB 701 DOG REGISTRATION - Authorizes county auditors to allow for the registration of dogs via the Internet and accept the payment of dog registration fees by financial transaction devices. Effective: April 9, 2001

HB 196 ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS - Adds additional language involving alternative school services to the definition of a "public record" in 149.43 ORC. Effective November 20, 2001

HB 499 AUTOPSY RECORDS - Authorizes coroners, deputy coroners, or their representatives to request medical and psychiatric records in connection with an autopsy, protects those records from disclosure as public records, and requires coroners to complete continuing education requirements. Effective: February 13, 2001

HB 389 LIBRARY RECORDS - Provides that library records and patron information are confidential except if the parent, guardian, or custodian of a minor child requests a library record or patron information pertaining to that child and in certain other situations. Effective: October 5, 2000

HB 488 ELECTRONIC RECORDS - Enacts the Electronic Transactions Act by providing for regulation of electronic records and signatures, provides for consumer electronic transactions and security procedures between parties, and provides for the use of electronic records and signatures by state agencies. Effective: September 14, 2000

HB 539 PUBLIC RECORDS - Excludes from the Public Records Law information pertaining to the recreational activities of a person under 18 years of age, to exclude from the exception to the definition of a "public record" certain peace officer residential and familial information, includes the Superintendent and troopers of the State Highway Patrol within the definition of a peace officer for purposes of the peace officer residential and familial information exception, and declares an emergency. Effective: June 21, 2000

SB 78 PUBLIC RECORDS - Generally grants members of the public the option of choosing the medium in which they will receive copies of public records, requires a public office to transmit copies of a public record through the United States mail if so requested, and generally excludes peace officer residential and familial information from the scope of the Open Records Law. Effective: December 16, 1999