Search Stark County Probate Court Records

Stark County probate court records are held at the Probate Court in Canton, Ohio, under Judge Curt Werren. The court handles estates, wills, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, name changes, trusts, and mental health cases for one of Ohio's larger counties. Stark County probate court records go back to 1809, making the collection one of the most extensive in the state. The court has an online case search that includes indexes, dockets, and images of pending public cases. Estate case files on microfilm go all the way back to 1810.

Where to Find Stark County Probate Court Records

The Stark County Probate Court is at 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 501, Canton, Ohio 44702-1413. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The main phone is (330) 451-7755. The Records Center can be reached at (330) 451-7753. For marriage licenses, call (330) 451-7752. The marriage license department is open until 4:15 PM.

The Stark County Probate Court website has general info about the court and its duties. The site has indexes, dockets, and images of pending cases that are public records. Keep in mind the website info does not count as the official record. Official records are kept at the court and can be viewed during normal hours.

The Stark County Probate Court website gives you access to case info and tells you how the court works.

Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2101.24, the court handles estates, guardianships, trusts, wills, name changes, adoptions, marriage licenses, and mental health matters. The court staff cannot give legal advice. They cannot tell you how to fill out forms or which forms to use. For legal help, contact the Stark County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at (330) 453-0686.

Search Stark County Probate Court Records Online

The Stark County Probate Court case search has the complete indexes of the court except for marriage indexes. Marriage indexes only go from April 23, 1986, to the present. You can search by case number. To view document images, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Some image files may be down from time to time.

The case search tool covers most Stark County probate court records and lets you look up cases by number.

The Stark County Courts probate page provides another way to find info about probate filings. You can search by case number, party name, filing date, or case type. This site gives a good overview of what the probate court does and how to use its search tools.

The Stark County Courts site offers search options and info about how the probate court handles cases.

One thing to know: the Stark County Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) does not include probate records. If you search CJIS, you will not find Stark County probate court records there. You must use the probate court search system or visit the Records Center in person. Most probate docket info is public, but sensitive data like Social Security numbers, financial account details, and info about minors gets redacted from what you can see online.

Stark County Probate Court Records History

Stark County has one of the deepest collections of probate records in Ohio. On January 11, 1988, the oldest records were transferred to the University of Akron and the Stark County District Library because the court lacked good storage space. The records sent to the University of Akron include original birth records from 1867 to 1908, criminal dockets from 1853 to 1932, death records from 1867 to 1908, marriage dockets from 1809 to 1901, naturalization records from 1861 to 1903, inventory records from 1880 to 1902, and court journals from 1852 to 1931.

The Stark County District Library holds administration records of accounts, estate files from the old and new series, marriage indexes from 1809 to 1972 on microfilm, marriage records from 1809 to 1916, a will index from 1811 to 1942, and will records from 1811 to the 1980s. Contact the library at (330) 452-0665 for access to these records. The University of Akron Archival Services can be reached at (330) 972-7670.

The court still keeps estate case files on microfilm going back to 1810. The Records Center has these available for viewing. The court is not staffed to do genealogy searches for you, but the Records Center staff will show you how to use the court indexes if you visit in person. This is a good option if you need to look through Stark County probate court records for family research.

Stark County Probate Court Records Fees

Certified marriage license copies cost $2.00. Marriage certificates are $1.00 per copy. To request marriage records by mail, include the names of both parties, the date of marriage, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check payable to "The Stark County Probate Court." Other filing fees range from $125 to $250 depending on the case type. Guardianship applications run $125 to $200. Estate administration can cost $150 to $250 to file.

The Ohio State Bar Association can help you find a lawyer if you need legal advice on Stark County probate matters. The Ohio Genealogical Society is useful for historical research through probate records.

Ohio Laws on Stark County Probate Court Records

Public access to Stark County probate court records falls under the Ohio Public Records Act, R.C. 149.43. Most records are public. You do not need to explain why you want a record. Adoption files are sealed. Mental health records have limits. But estate records, wills, marriage licenses, guardianship cases, and most other Stark County probate court records are open to anyone.

The Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics handles birth and death records from December 20, 1908, to the present. For earlier vital records in Stark County, check with the University of Akron archives or the Stark County District Library.

Stark County Cities

Canton is the county seat and largest city in Stark County. Residents in Canton file probate matters at the Stark County Probate Court on Central Plaza South. You can find more about probate court records in Canton on the city page.

Probate Court Records in Nearby Counties

If you need probate court records from areas near Stark County, these neighboring counties have their own probate courts: