Local Ohio courts required to adopt plan for reporting information to law enforcement

By Kathleen Maloney 
Court News Ohio

The Supreme Court of Ohio has approved a rule requiring courts to adopt a local rule and a written compliance plan to ensure that specific information – fingerprints, case dispositions, mental health adjudications, protection orders and certain traffic convictions – is reported into law enforcement databases.

Administrative judges in local courts have a responsibility to work with their clerks and other criminal justice partners to ensure compliance with several reporting requirements in Rule 4.01(G) of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio. 

The newly adopted Rule 5(F) builds on this responsibility with the required adoption of a local rule and a written “Reporting to Law Enforcement & Compliance Plan.”

Rule 5(F) will take effect on Sept. 1, 2025. The court, or the appropriate court division, must adopt its initial reporting and compliance plan by July 1, 2026. 

The Supreme Court has compiled a collection of materials and training to educate local courts and clerks of courts about their reporting requirements.

For the Toolkit: Understanding BCI Reporting, go to https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/docs/JCS/courtSvcs/NICS/resources/BCI….

The effective collection of criminal background information is essential for administering many criminal justice functions, including arrests, prosecutions, sentencing and rehabilitation. 

Complete and timely reporting of fingerprints, case dispositions, mental health adjudications, and protection orders builds accurate criminal histories and improves public safety. Reliable criminal histories alert law enforcement officers about potential threats during traffic stops and determine whether a person can legally purchase or possess a firearm. 

Criminal histories are also used for employee and volunteer background checks and to assess eligibility for adoptions, guardianship appointments, and licenses in professions such as nursing, teaching, and social work. A person’s employment can be delayed or denied by inaccurate or incomplete records.

The new rule mandates that each local court develops its plan with the clerk of court and applicable justice system partners to:

• Establish procedures and timelines for obtaining and submitting fingerprints and for reporting information as required by federal and state law and Supreme Court of Ohio rules.

• Establish procedures and timelines for reporting mental health adjudications as required by federal and state law and Supreme Court rules.

• Establish procedures and timelines for reporting protection order information, as required by federal and state law and Supreme Court rules.

• Establish procedures and timelines for reporting required information to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

• Establish procedures to ensure the completeness and accuracy of records.

The court or division must update the plan at least once every three years.

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