About the Butler County Clerk of Courts
The Butler County Clerk of Courts is led by Mary L. Swain. The Legal Division sits at the Government Services Center, 315 High Street, 5th Floor, in Hamilton. The office can be reached at (513) 887-3278 or (513) 887-3282, and by email at clerkmail@butlercountyclerk.org. The Clerk provides public access to court records, receives and preserves official documents, and processes payments for traffic and criminal fines.
The Ohio Clerk of Courts Association directory lists the office and its contact details.
Butler County Clerk of Courts, Legal Division
315 High Street, 5th Floor, Suite 550
Hamilton, OH 45011
(513) 887-3278
clerkmail@butlercountyclerk.org
What the Clerk Keeps in Butler County
The Clerk's record set is specific. The office's own request form states that the records it retains are confined to cases filed in the Butler County Common Pleas Court, General and Domestic Relations Divisions, and Twelfth District Court of Appeals cases that originated in Butler County. That is a crucial limit, because it tells you what the office cannot help with.
Requests outside that set go elsewhere. Probate files go to Probate Court, juvenile files to Juvenile Court, area-court cases through the Area Courts, municipal cases to Hamilton or Middletown Municipal Court, and sheriff reports to the Sheriff's Central Records Unit. Sending a request to the wrong office is the most common reason a record search stalls, so confirm the custodian before you file. When you are unsure, the Clerk can usually tell you whether the case is one it holds or one that belongs to another court.
- The Clerk keeps: Common Pleas General Division and Domestic Relations case records.
- The Clerk keeps: Butler-originated Twelfth District Court of Appeals cases.
- The Clerk does not keep: probate, juvenile, area-court, or municipal records.
- The Clerk does not keep: sheriff incident, arrest, or jail records.
Paying Fines and Filing Civil Papers
Beyond records, the Clerk is where a lot of routine court business happens. People use the office to pay traffic and criminal fines and court costs tied to Common Pleas cases, and to file civil papers that start or move a case. The Clerk receives complaints, motions, and other documents, dockets them, and routes them to the right division. That intake role is why the Clerk is the natural starting point for a Common Pleas case search.
If you are filing on your own, bring the completed documents, any required copies, and the filing fee or a fee-waiver request if you cannot pay. Domestic Relations and General Division have their own local rules and forms, so check those before you file. Getting the paperwork right the first time avoids a rejected filing and a second trip downtown.
Online Search Through eServices
The Clerk runs a public online search at clerkservices.bcohio.gov for Common Pleas General, Domestic Relations, and Butler-originated appellate cases. The portal is a Java application that uses session data, so it needs a browser with cookies and JavaScript on. Public access is free at the entry point, with no paid subscription visible at the search. Full electronic document access may be limited by the portal, by redactions, and by the record type.
The portal commonly supports searches by name, case number, case type, party type, attorney, judge, and filing date, with the exact labels generated by the site's script. A case number returns the most precise result, while a broad name search can pull same-name false positives. Use the portal to find a case, then request a copy if you need the document itself. The Butler County court records page details the search fields and the kinds of cases the portal covers.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is the version agencies accept for employment, licensing, benefits, and legal filings. The Clerk issues certified copies from the Legal Division and File Room. The steps are simple when you bring the right information.
- Find the case using the online portal or the case number.
- Complete the Clerk Public Record Request Form, naming the records you need.
- Submit it in person, by mail, by email, or by fax to the Legal Division File Room.
- Say "certified copy" so staff issue the sealed version.
- Pay the applicable fee, then pick up or receive the copy by your chosen method.
For a divorce decree or a judgment entry, this is the path to an official copy, since an online docket view is not certified.
Records Request Form Fields
The Clerk's Public Record Request Form asks for contact details and a clear description of the records. Ohio law does not require a form for every request, but the form helps the File Room find the exact record.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requester name and address | Text | Often optional | Used if copies are mailed |
| Phone / email | Text | No | Used for clarification or electronic response |
| Case name / party name | Text | No | Provide exact names if known |
| Case number | Text | No | Best identifier for the record |
| Records requested | Multiline text | Yes in practice | Pleadings, docket, judgment entries, or transcripts |
| Delivery method | Checkbox | No | In person, mail, email, or fax |
Note: the form covers only Common Pleas General, Domestic Relations, and Butler-originated Twelfth District cases.
Butler County Clerk Fees
Clerk fees are set by statute, not by a private site. The fee authority for clerk services is in the Ohio Revised Code, and exact amounts should be confirmed at the counter, since schedules can change. Online docket views are free; charges apply to copies and certifications.
The fee statute sets the Clerk's authority to charge for services.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Online docket view | Free |
| Plain copy | Set under ORC 2303.20; confirm at the counter |
| Certified copy | Set under ORC 2303.20; confirm at the counter |
| Authenticated / exemplified copy | Set under ORC 2303.20; confirm with the Legal Division |
The fee authority is ORC 2303.20, which governs Clerk of Courts fees.
Domestic Relations and Appeals Records
Two parts of the Clerk's work deserve special note. The Clerk holds the legal record for Domestic Relations cases, which means divorce, dissolution, support, and custody files run through this office even though Domestic Relations is its own division. For a certified divorce decree, you search the Clerk portal and request the copy here, not from Probate.
The Clerk also holds Twelfth District Court of Appeals cases that originated in Butler County. When a Common Pleas case is appealed, the appellate record ties back through the Clerk. The marriage and divorce records page covers the family side, and the Court of Common Pleas page covers the trial court and its appeals path to the Twelfth District.
What to Bring to the Clerk Counter
A counter visit goes faster with the right items in hand. Bring the case number if you have it, the party names, the filing year, the document title, a photo ID, and a payment method for copies or certification. If you need a certified judgment, decree, or other entry, say "certified copy" so staff issue the sealed version rather than a plain print.
If you only need to look at a file, ask to inspect it first, since inspection is generally free. Older records may sit in archive or offsite storage, and sealed or restricted files may need review before any access, so the Clerk may need time to retrieve them. A quick call ahead can confirm whether the record is on hand before you make the trip.
Mail, Email, and Fax Requests
You do not have to visit in person. The Clerk's Legal Division File Room accepts requests by mail at 315 High Street, Suite 550, Hamilton, Ohio 45011, by email at clerkmail@butlercountyclerk.org, and by fax. Mailed requests should name the case and the documents and include contact details for the response. Ohio law does not require a special form for many requests, but using the Clerk's form helps the File Room identify the record.
For copies, include payment per the office's instructions, and state whether you want a plain or certified copy. Keep a dated copy of your request in case you need to follow up. A mailed request should also include a return address so the File Room can send the documents back without delay.