Fulton County
With a total land area of 406.8 square miles, Fulton County is among the last counties to be formed in Ohio. It is located to the west of Toledo and is named after Robert Fulton, the renowned inventor of the steamboat. The county seat, as well as the largest city, is Wauseon.
There are two levels of trial courts within the Fulton County court system, namely the Common Pleas Court and County Courts. The Fulton Common Pleas Court has countywide jurisdiction, as established by the Ohio Constitution. It handles cases involving personal injury claims, breaches of contract, felony cases, probate of estates, business disputes, and marital conflicts.
The Fulton Juvenile and Probate Courts are specialized divisions of the Common Pleas Court. The Juvenile Court has jurisdiction over juvenile matters, including delinquency, abuse and neglect, and paternity determination. Meanwhile, the Probate Court oversees the administration of estates, probate of wills, adoption proceedings, and the determination of mental competency.
The Fulton Eastern and Western District Courts preside over misdemeanor offenses, small claims cases involving the recovery of money damages up to $6,000, and civil lawsuits for amounts up to $15,000. These courts were established to enable people to represent themselves where the amount in controversy is not large.
The responsibilities of the Fulton County Clerk of Courts include maintaining records of the Common Pleas Court and providing them to interested parties promptly. Unless deemed confidential or sealed, these records—covering criminal, family law, probate, traffic, and civil cases—are available for review or copying during regular business hours at the Clerk's Office.
Alternatively, Fulton County residents can access court case information through the CaseLook portal. This online resource provides access to computerized case records for the Fulton County courts. Searches can be completed by entering details such as a ticket number, party name, birth date, hearing date, or case number.
