Search Franklin County Deed Records

Franklin County deed records are managed by the county recorder's office on the 18th floor at 373 South High Street in Columbus. The office stores deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land filings for all properties in Franklin County. You can search these records online through a cloud-based portal or visit the office in person. With deed records going back to 1794, Franklin County holds one of the most extensive collections of land documents in the state. Whether you need a current deed or want to trace a property's history, the recorder's office has the tools and staff to help you find what you need.

Franklin County Recorder's Office

The Franklin County Recorder's Office sits at 373 South High Street, 18th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215. You can reach staff by phone at (614) 525-3930 or by email at Recorder@FranklinCountyOhio.gov. The current recorder is Daniel J. O'Connor, Jr., who serves as the 30th person to hold the office. The mission of this office is to record, preserve, protect, and retrieve real estate and personal property records so the public's property interests stay safe. Staff in the Customer Service Department are available to help you search public records either in person or by phone.

Recording fees in Franklin County follow the state schedule. The cost is $34 for the first two pages and $8 for each page after that. Documents not meeting Ohio's format standards face an extra $20 charge under Section 317.114. Those rules require font size 10 or larger, paper sized 8.5 by 11 to 8.5 by 14 inches, black or blue ink, and specific margin widths. The preparer's name must appear on any deed that conveys title per ORC Chapter 317. The county auditor also collects a conveyance fee of $1 per $1,000 of property value and a $0.50 transfer fee per parcel.

Franklin County Deed Records Online

Franklin County offers one of the best online search systems for deed records in Ohio. The Franklin County Public Records Search Portal runs on a cloud-based platform called Vanguard by GovOS, which launched in November 2022. The system uses OCR technology to scan records for words or phrases found in the text of documents. You can search by name, address, document type, book and page number, and other criteria. Quick Search and Advanced Search options are both available.

The recorder's office provides helpful tips for getting the best search results. Use wild cards to find names spelled different ways. An asterisk replaces characters of any length, so Jo* matches both JOHN and JOYCE. A question mark replaces just one character, so Gonzale? matches GONZALEZ and GONZALES. You can add documents to a Cart feature for download and printing as PDF files. All images are free to download since they are public records.

The office has a Franklin County Recorder website where you can sign up for Property Alert. This free service sends email alerts when documents are filed using your name or legal description.

The Franklin County Recorder's main website provides access to recording services, search tools, and property alert registration.

The public records search portal lets you look up deeds, mortgages, and other recorded instruments by name or document details.

Historic Deed Records in Franklin County

Franklin County holds an enormous collection of historical land records. Deed Books A through 151 cover the years 1794 to 1851. Deed Books 153 through 854 span from 1851 to 1903. Index books from 1 to 4 cover 1794 to 1851, and books 5 through 47 cover 1851 to 1930. The office also stores mortgage records from 1794 to 1898, mortgage releases from 1794 to 1905, mechanic lien documents from 1794 to 1903, and lease documents from 1794 to 1901. Sundries indexes run from 1794 to 1969.

Beyond deed books, the Franklin County Recorder holds cemetery lot documents from 1794 to 1934, church and organization documents from 1794 to 1919, partnership documents from 1794 to 1934, power of attorney documents from 1794 to 1922, and veteran discharge records from 1794 to 1965. Genealogists and historians use these records to trace family land ownership and build property timelines. Under ORC Section 5301.25, all deeds must be recorded in the county where the property sits, so this collection covers every transfer that happened within Franklin County borders over more than two centuries.

The recorder's office also has Registered Land Images available online since November 2022. The office received a NACo Award in Information Technology in May 2023 for its search system.

Deed Records for Franklin County Cities

Franklin County is home to Columbus, the state capital and the largest city in Ohio. Property transfers in Columbus and other Franklin County cities are all recorded at the county recorder's office. If you are searching for deed records on a property in Columbus or Dublin, the Franklin County Recorder handles those filings. The Franklin County Auditor maintains property valuation and tax assessment records that pair well with the recorder's deed documents when you need the full picture on a property.

Get Franklin County Deed Copies

Anyone can get copies. These are public records under Section 317.42(A). You do not need to be a party to the deed. Staff copies cost about $2 per page. Self-service copies may be cheaper. The office is open during regular business hours.

You can also request copies by mail. Send a written request with the property details, a check or money order for fees, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. For certified copies that carry the recorder's official seal, expect to pay more. Certified copies are needed for court filings, title insurance claims, and some legal proceedings. The Franklin County Recorder FAQ page answers common questions about copy requests and search methods.

Protect Your Franklin County Property

Franklin County property owners should sign up for the Property Alert service through the recorder's website. This free tool sends an email any time a document is recorded under your name or legal description. With a county this large, deed fraud attempts do happen. Verify any notary through the Ohio Secretary of State's portal. Beware of scam letters from companies charging $83 to $89 for copies that cost $2 per page from the recorder. The Ohio State Bar Association can help you find a real estate attorney if you suspect fraud.

Nearby Ohio Counties

Franklin County sits in the center of the state. If you need deed records from properties near the county line, check the recorder in the adjacent county as well. Each county maintains its own separate deed records.