Help with civic and government information

Looking for a lawyer?  The Columbus Bar Association maintains a searchable directory of lawyers practicing in Central Ohio.  They provide the option to search by the areas of law practiced, language options, and State/Court Licenses. Find lawyers, law firms, expert witnesses, mediators, attorney support providers, courts and more.

From the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, this toolkit offers guidance to Ohio and federal crime victims about their rights from the time of first report to a hospital or police through investigation, prosecution, incarceration and post-release control.

Maintained by the Delaware County Clerk of Courts, find helpful information on the procedures and logistics surrounding filing for divorce in Delaware County. 

Maintained by the Franklin County Clerk of Courts, find helpful information on domestic law as well as procedures and logistics surrounding filing for divorce in Franklin County.

From the Franklin County Law Library, this curated list displays local entities that provide free legal advice on a range of subjects.  The list provides descriptions of each entity’s specialty as well who might qualify for their assistance.

Maintained by the Franklin County Law Library, the LibGuides offer curated guides to a wide range of topics affected by law and the legal system. Find books held by the law library as well as links legal resources like state and national administrative codes or laws, news stories and helpful organizations.

Tying the knot? Use this resource from the Franklin County Probate Court to navigate acquiring marriage licenses and find an FAQ on applications.

Need legal information, forms or a lawyer? Use this website for a step-by-step guide to getting the help you need. The website is provided by a nonprofit organization with content written by expert private and legal aid lawyers.

The Columbus Public Health Office of Vital Statistics assists with issuing certified copies of certificates for births (occurring in Ohio only) and deaths (occurring in Franklin County, Ohio only) from 1908 to present; registering births, deaths and fetal deaths occurring in Franklin County; issuing burial permits; assisting single parents with completing "Acknowledgment of Paternity Affidavits;" and assisting with correcting birth and death certificates issued in Franklin County.

The Case Information Online (CIO) System was created and is maintained by the Franklin County Clerk of Courts and the Franklin County Data Center, and offers public record information for Franklin County Criminal and Civil cases filed in the General Division of the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations cases filed in the Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas, and Appellate cases filed in the 10th District Court of Appeals.

The Franklin County Municipal Courts provides this searchable database of public records for Franklin County civil cases, collections, misdemeanors and traffic violations.

Find the full text of the Ohio Residential Code here, as well as the Codified Ordinances of Worthington, Ohio.

The Columbus Division of Police allows you to search and browse police reports by report number, name of the victim, or location, date and crime type.

Have a furry friend in need of a dog license?  The Franklin County Auditor provides services to help you license a new dog, renew your license or update your information.

This site, maintained by the Office of the Franklin County Recorder, provides information about and forms needed for Living Wills and Healthcare Power of Attorney.

This site provides data on offenders who are currently incarcerated in an Ohio prison, currently under supervision, judicially released, or who died of natural causes while incarcerated.

Search by owner, address, parcel ID, map and more. Includes the year built (dates prior to 1920 may be inaccurate), as well as transfers of ownership, improvements made to the property and a recent photograph of the property. Be sure to click the “Transfers” link along the lefthand column, then click “Historical Parcel Sheets (PDF)” to see older transfers.

Access documents recorded in the Franklin County Recorder’s Office. To search by a known owner, select “Search Index & Full Text (OCR).” Deeds provide the name of the grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer), date of transfer, lot number and physical description including boundaries and size. Index coverage began January 2, 1914 for deeds and January 2, 1970 for mortgages. You can also access the deed index books from 1804-1913.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office offers this site, which allows you to enter any local address to view a list of all registered Ohio sex offenders living within a one-mile radius within the boundaries of your county. It will also allow you to search and view information about a particular sex offender registered in the state of Ohio.

The Salvation Army in Central Ohio provides clothing, furniture, food, utility bill assistance, job training, after school tutoring, and more.

This site promotes a range of housing assistance services, including homelessness prevention programs, emergency shelters and permanent affordable housing with supportive services.

The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a nationwide service that connects older Americans and their caregivers with information on senior services.

This resource provides a Senior Housing Directory which helps seniors who can live independently with finding subsidized, market rate senior citizen apartments.  Also find links to state resources that assist seniors who need access to assisted living or nursing facilities.

The Columbus Coalition for the Homeless provides a list of locations and contact information to support unhoused persons with shelter, free meals, veteran services, employment assistance and more.

Supporting the Central Ohio Community since 1908, Jewish Family Services helps people find good jobs and companies find the right talent; supports seniors and caregivers in navigating the challenges of aging; connects people to community resources; empowers family self-sufficiency through financial counseling. Services are available for all faiths, races, ages, economic circumstances, sexual orientation and gender identities.

Formerly known as HandsOn Central Ohio, LSS 211 Central Ohio connects residents of Franklin County with comprehensive and up-to-date information about social, health and government services.  Find information about peer support, healthcare, mental health, housing and utility assistance, and more.

The Mid-Ohio Food Collective site connects people to food access resources in their area.

Directory of community service providers, including help with addiction recovery and re-entry after incarceration.

Caring for an aging loved one? Senior Options is administered by the Franklin County Office on Aging and provides community-based services like home-delivered meals, personal care, adult day care and more.

6700 Huntley Road
Columbus, OH 43229
614-985-1766

The Worthington Resource Pantry provides food assistance, serving eight zip codes in northern Franklin and southern Delaware counties (43016, 43035, 43065, 43081, 43085, 43229, 43235, 43240) and whose income falls at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Their site also connects people to clothing assistance, healthcare resources and utility bill assistance.

Search for early care and education programs. View programs’ licensing status, Step Up To Quality rating and inspection reports as well.

Information about gas and electric energy, as well as a comparison tool for energy providers.

Administered by the Ohio Department of Development, HEAP is designed to help eligible low-income Ohioans meet the high costs of home heating.

OCRC, which enforces Ohio’s laws against discrimination, maintains this website to help users file charges, understand the commission’s process and learn about trainings and events.

The Ohio Legislature website provides information about the members and business of the State Senate and House. Search legislation, view session schedules, track bills and set up alerts for legislation of interest. The site also includes a search function that lets users find information about the individuals representing them.

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) is the state agency that empowers Ohioans with disabilities by supporting employment, disability determinations, and independence. Find information as well as resources for individuals with disabilities, care providers and employers.

Maintained by the Office of Citizenship, this website offers resources for those hoping to become citizens, educators, and organizations that help with citizenship efforts.

From USA.gov, learn the steps for becoming a U.S. citizen including how to apply, sample test questions and what is the naturalization process. Also, find information on dual citizenship, how to get proof of your U.S. citizenship if you were born abroad or replace your lost or stolen citizenship certificate.

A successor to CFDA.gov, provides detailed, public descriptions of Federal assistance listings available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); Federally recognized Indian tribal governments, Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi- public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups, and individuals.

USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal employment opportunities across the United States and around the world.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides this searchable database of anyone incarcerated in a federal prison any time since 1982.

Established under the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare.gov site helps individuals explore their health care coverage options.

The FAQ on the Social Security website details the process of changing your name on your social security card if you legally changed your name because of marriage, divorce, court order or any other reason.

From the U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET online is a powerful tool for researching occupations and jobs. Use the O*NET Interest Profiler to explore career options that are good fits for your interests. There's also a feature that allows users to identify "in-demand" job sectors.

This site, managed by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, provides a hub for consumers to learn about the latest recalls on products and report product safety concerns.

A subject-based portal to Federal services and resources online.  A Spanish site is also available.

Ben's Guide provides information about the U.S. Government, tailored for students in all grades K-12.

Issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Budget of the United States Government is a collection of documents that contains the budget message of the President, information about the President's budget proposals for a given fiscal year, and other budgetary publications that have been issued throughout the fiscal year.

The CGP is the finding tool for federal publications that includes descriptive records for historical and current publications and provides direct links to those that are available online.

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) annual edition is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

The Compilation of Presidential Documents collection consists of the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents and the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents which are the official publications of materials released by the White House Press Secretary.

Provides information about legislation activities, publications, and other related materials for members of Congress and the public.

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session.

This version of the Constitution of the United States includes many additional pages interpretation and analysis in links to PDF documents.

Data.gov is the United States government’s open data website. It provides access to datasets published by agencies across the federal government.

Available from April 1995 forward, this monthly publication is prepared by the Council of Economic Advisers for the Joint Economic Committee. It provides economic information on gross domestic product, income, employment, production, business activity, prices, money, credit, security markets, Federal finance, and international statistics.

The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. Documents are available in plain text and PDF, with many of the tables also available for separate viewing and downloading as spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

A source for population, economic, housing, and geographic information and data about the United States, Puerto Rico and the Island areas.

Maintained by the United States Office of Personnel Management, this site lists the US federal holidays for the year and gives guidance for when they are celebrated.

Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.

A database providing free public access to official publications from all three branches of the U.S. Federal Government.

The Congressional Directory is the official directory of the U.S. Congress, prepared by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP). It offers short biographies of each member of the Senate and House, listed by state or district; committee memberships, terms of service, administrative assistants and/or secretaries, and room and telephone numbers for Members of Congress; and lists officials of the courts, military establishments, and other Federal departments and agencies, including D.C. government officials, governors of states and territories, foreign diplomats, and members of the press, radio, and television galleries.

Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, this website offers an official compilation of the Presidents' addresses, writings and remarks.

The Social Security Handbook provides a table of contents through which to navigate and understand the provisions of the Social Security Act.

The United States Code is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is divided by broad subjects into 51 titles and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Code was first published in 1926 with subsequent main editions have been published every six years since 1934. In between editions, annual cumulative supplements are published in order to present the most current information.

As the official handbook of the Federal Government, the United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies; international organizations in which the United States participates; and boards, commissions, and committees. The Manual begins with reprints of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

The United States Reports are the official record of the rulings, orders, case tables, and other proceedings of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Reports are often used for citing Supreme Court decisions.

The United States Statutes at Large, typically referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. Online volumes cover 1951 to the present. The Statutes at Large is prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).