Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 109 | Attorney General
Section 109.578 | Criminal Records Check.

Effective: April 6, 2017
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 227 - 131st General Assembly
(A) On receipt of a request pursuant to section 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, or 4765.301 of the Revised Code, a completed form prescribed pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section, and a set of fingerprint impressions obtained in the manner described in division (C)(2) of this section, the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation shall conduct a criminal records check in the manner described in division (B) of this section to determine whether any information exists that indicates that the person who is the subject of the request previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any of the following:
(1) A felony;
(2) A violation of section 2909.03 of the Revised Code;
(3) A violation of an existing or former law of this state, any other state, or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any of the offenses listed in division (A)(1) or (2) of this section.
(B) Subject to division (E) of this section, the superintendent shall conduct any criminal records check pursuant to division (A) of this section as follows:
(1) The superintendent shall review or cause to be reviewed any relevant information gathered and compiled by the bureau under division (A) of section 109.57 of the Revised Code that relates to the person who is the subject of the request, including any relevant information contained in records that have been sealed under section 2953.32 of the Revised Code.
(2) If the request received by the superintendent asks for information from the federal bureau of investigation, the superintendent shall request from the federal bureau of investigation any information it has with respect to the person who is the subject of the request and shall review or cause to be reviewed any information the superintendent receives from that bureau.
(C)(1) The superintendent shall prescribe a form to obtain the information necessary to conduct a criminal records check from any person for whom a criminal records check is requested pursuant to section 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, or 4765.301 of the Revised Code. The form that the superintendent prescribes pursuant to this division may be in a tangible format, in an electronic format, or in both tangible and electronic formats.
(2) The superintendent shall prescribe standard impression sheets to obtain the fingerprint impressions of any person for whom a criminal records check is requested pursuant to section 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, or 4765.301 of the Revised Code. Any person for whom a records check is requested pursuant to any of those sections shall obtain the fingerprint impressions at a county sheriff's office, a municipal police department, or any other entity with the ability to make fingerprint impressions on the standard impression sheets prescribed by the superintendent. The office, department, or entity may charge the person a reasonable fee for making the impressions. The standard impression sheets the superintendent prescribes pursuant to this division may be in a tangible format, in an electronic format, or in both tangible and electronic formats.
(3) Subject to division (D) of this section, the superintendent shall prescribe and charge a reasonable fee for providing a criminal records check requested under section 505.381, 737.081, 737.221, or 4765.301 of the Revised Code. The person making the criminal records request shall pay the fee prescribed pursuant to this division.
(4) The superintendent may prescribe methods of forwarding fingerprint impressions and information necessary to conduct a criminal records check. The methods shall include, but are not limited to, an electronic method.
(D) A determination whether any information exists that indicates that a person previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any offense listed or described in division (A) of this section and that the superintendent made with respect to information considered in a criminal records check in accordance with this section is valid for the person who is the subject of the criminal records check for a period of one year from the date upon which the superintendent makes the determination. During the period in which the determination in regard to a person is valid, if another request under this section is made for a criminal records check for that person, the superintendent shall provide the information that is the basis for the superintendent's initial determination at a lower fee than the fee prescribed for the initial criminal records check.
(E)(1) Subject to division (E)(2) of this section, all information regarding the results of a criminal records check conducted under this section that the superintendent reports or sends under this section to the person, board, or entity that made the request for the criminal records check shall relate to the conviction of the subject person, or the subject person's plea of guilty to, a criminal offense.
(2) Division (E)(1) of this section does not limit, restrict, or preclude the superintendent's release of information that relates to the arrest of a person who is eighteen years of age or older, to an adjudication of a child as a delinquent child, or to a criminal conviction of a person under eighteen years of age in circumstances in which a release of that nature is authorized under division (E)(2), (3), or (4) of section 109.57 of the Revised Code pursuant to a rule adopted under division (E)(1) of that section.
(F) As used in this section, "criminal records check" means any criminal records check conducted by the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation in accordance with division (B) of this section.

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