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Fairborn Arrest Records

Are Arrest Records Public in Fairborn, Ohio?

Arrest records in Fairborn, Ohio are public documents accessible to all citizens pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Revised Code § 149.43). This legislation establishes that government records, including those documenting arrests, shall be made available for public inspection. The Ohio Public Records Act serves to maintain transparency in governmental operations and upholds the public's right to information regarding law enforcement activities within the jurisdiction.

Members of the public may access these records without providing identification or stating a purpose for their request. The Ohio Public Records Act specifically designates that public records shall be promptly prepared and made available for inspection to any person during regular business hours. Custodians of these records are required by law to provide copies at cost when requested.

How to Look Up Fairborn Arrest Records in 2025

Multiple official channels exist through which members of the public may obtain arrest records in Fairborn, Ohio:

In-Person Requests at the Fairborn Police Department: Citizens may submit requests directly to the Fairborn Police Records Department. Records requests must be submitted during regular business hours.

Fairborn Police Department
70 W. Hebble Avenue
Fairborn, OH 45324
(937) 754-3000
Official Website

Greene County Clerk of Courts: The county maintains records of arrests that resulted in court proceedings. These records may be accessed through the clerk's office.

Greene County Clerk of Courts
45 N. Detroit Street
Xenia, OH 45385
(937) 562-5290
Official Website

Fairborn Municipal Court: Court records related to arrests within the municipal jurisdiction may be obtained from the court clerk.

Fairborn Municipal Court
1148 Kauffman Avenue
Fairborn, OH 45324
(937) 754-3040
Official Website

Electronic Records Request: Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code § 149.43(B)(6), public offices that maintain records in an electronic format must provide copies in that format when specifically requested.

Contents of a Fairborn Arrest Record

Arrest records maintained by the Fairborn Police Department and other law enforcement agencies typically contain the following information as mandated by Ohio Administrative Code 4501:2-10:

Full legal name of the arrested individual and any documented aliases
Date, time, and specific location of the arrest
Statutory charges filed at the time of arrest
Name and badge number of the arresting officer(s)
Booking photographs (commonly referred to as "mugshots")
Fingerprint impressions collected during processing
Demographic information including:
- Date of birth
- Physical description (height, weight, identifying marks)
- Last known address
- Gender
- Race
Case disposition information
Booking number and facility information

Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code § 149.43(A)(1), certain information within arrest records may be redacted prior to public release, including Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and medical information.

Legal Framework for Public Access to Arrest Records

The legal foundation for public access to arrest records in Fairborn is established through multiple statutes and legal precedents:

Ohio Revised Code § 149.43 explicitly defines public records and establishes the presumption of openness. The statute states that all records kept by any public office are public records unless they fall under specific exemptions. Law enforcement records, including arrest records, are generally considered public with limited exceptions.

The Ohio Supreme Court has consistently upheld the public's right to access arrest records in cases such as State ex rel. Beacon Journal Publishing Co. v. Akron (1994) and State ex rel. Cincinnati Enquirer v. Hamilton County (1996), which established that arrest records are public documents subject to disclosure.

Fairborn Police Department policies regarding records retention and disclosure are governed by Ohio Administrative Code 4501:2-10, which establishes uniform standards for the maintenance and accessibility of law enforcement records throughout the state.

Limitations on Access to Arrest Records

While arrest records are generally public, certain limitations exist regarding their accessibility:

Sealed Records: Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code § 2953.32, records that have been ordered sealed by a court are not accessible to the general public. The sealing process removes these records from public view.
Juvenile Records: Under Ohio Revised Code § 2151.358, records pertaining to juvenile arrests are subject to different standards of accessibility and may not be available to the public without a court order.
Ongoing Investigations: Information related to ongoing investigations may be temporarily withheld under Ohio Revised Code § 149.43(A)(2)(a) if release would create a high probability of disclosure of specific investigatory work product.
Confidential Law Enforcement Investigatory Records: Certain sensitive information within arrest records may be redacted pursuant to Ohio Revised Code § 149.43(A)(1)(h) to protect confidential sources or specific investigative techniques.

Expungement of Arrest Records in Fairborn

The State of Ohio provides legal mechanisms for the expungement or sealing of arrest records under specific circumstances as outlined in Ohio Revised Code § 2953.31 through § 2953.36.

Eligibility criteria for expungement in Fairborn include:

First-time offenders may apply for expungement one year after the final discharge for misdemeanors and three years after final discharge for felonies.
Individuals must have no pending criminal proceedings.
The offense must not be among those ineligible for expungement under Ohio Revised Code § 2953.36, which includes certain violent offenses, sex offenses, and offenses against minors.

The expungement process requires:

Filing a petition with the court that handled the original case
Payment of a filing fee (currently $50 for misdemeanors and $100 for felonies)
Attendance at a hearing where a judge will determine if the applicant meets the statutory requirements
If granted, the court will issue an order to all relevant agencies to seal the records

Upon successful expungement, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code § 2953.32(C)(2), the proceedings in the case shall be considered not to have occurred, and the record shall be sealed and inaccessible to the public.