Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 1901 | Municipal Court
Section 1901.02 | Jurisdiction of Municipal Courts.

Effective: September 23, 2022
Latest Legislation: House Bill 518 - 134th General Assembly
(A) The municipal courts established by section 1901.01 of the Revised Code have jurisdiction within the corporate limits of their respective municipal corporations, or, for the Clermont county municipal court, and, effective January 1, 2008, the Erie county municipal court, within the municipal corporation or unincorporated territory in which they are established, and are courts of record. Each of the courts shall be styled "__________________________________ municipal court," inserting the name of the municipal corporation, except the following courts, which shall be styled as set forth below:
(1) The municipal court established in Chesapeake that shall be styled and known as the "Lawrence county municipal court";
(2) The municipal court established in Cincinnati that shall be styled and known as the "Hamilton county municipal court";
(3) The municipal court established in Ravenna that shall be styled and known as the "Portage county municipal court";
(4) The municipal court established in Athens that shall be styled and known as the "Athens county municipal court";
(5) The municipal court established in Columbus that shall be styled and known as the "Franklin county municipal court";
(6) The municipal court established in London that shall be styled and known as the "Madison county municipal court";
(7) The municipal court established in Newark that shall be styled and known as the "Licking county municipal court";
(8) The municipal court established in Wooster that shall be styled and known as the "Wayne county municipal court";
(9) The municipal court established in Wapakoneta that shall be styled and known as the "Auglaize county municipal court";
(10) The municipal court established in Troy that shall be styled and known as the "Miami county municipal court";
(11) The municipal court established in Bucyrus that shall be styled and known as the "Crawford county municipal court";
(12) The municipal court established in Logan that shall be styled and known as the "Hocking county municipal court";
(13) The municipal court established in Urbana that shall be styled and known as the "Champaign county municipal court";
(14) The municipal court established in Jackson that shall be styled and known as the "Jackson county municipal court";
(15) The municipal court established in Springfield that shall be styled and known as the "Clark county municipal court";
(16) The municipal court established in Kenton that shall be styled and known as the "Hardin county municipal court";
(17) The municipal court established within Clermont county in Batavia or in any other municipal corporation or unincorporated territory within Clermont county that is selected by the legislative authority of that court that shall be styled and known as the "Clermont county municipal court";
(18) The municipal court established in Wilmington that, beginning July 1, 1992, shall be styled and known as the "Clinton county municipal court";
(19) The municipal court established in Port Clinton that shall be styled and known as the "Ottawa county municipal court";
(20) The municipal court established in Lancaster that, beginning January 2, 2000, shall be styled and known as the "Fairfield county municipal court";
(21) The municipal court established within Columbiana county in Lisbon or in any other municipal corporation or unincorporated territory selected pursuant to division (I) of section 1901.021 of the Revised Code, that shall be styled and known as the "Columbiana county municipal court";
(22) The municipal court established in Georgetown that, beginning February 9, 2003, shall be styled and known as the "Brown county municipal court";
(23) The municipal court established in Mount Gilead that, beginning January 1, 2003, shall be styled and known as the "Morrow county municipal court";
(24) The municipal court established in Greenville that, beginning January 1, 2005, shall be styled and known as the "Darke county municipal court";
(25) The municipal court established in Millersburg that, beginning January 1, 2007, shall be styled and known as the "Holmes county municipal court";
(26) The municipal court established in Carrollton that, beginning January 1, 2007, shall be styled and known as the "Carroll county municipal court";
(27) The municipal court established within Erie county in Milan or established in any other municipal corporation or unincorporated territory that is within Erie county, is within the territorial jurisdiction of that court, and is selected by the legislative authority of that court that, beginning January 1, 2008, shall be styled and known as the "Erie county municipal court";
(28) The municipal court established in Ottawa that, beginning January 1, 2011, shall be styled and known as the "Putnam county municipal court";
(29) The municipal court established within Montgomery county in any municipal corporation or unincorporated territory within Montgomery county, except the municipal corporations of Centerville, Clayton, Dayton, Englewood, Germantown, Kettering, Miamisburg, Moraine, Oakwood, Union, Vandalia, and West Carrollton and Butler, German, Harrison, Miami, and Washington townships, that is selected by the legislative authority of that court and that, beginning July 1, 2010, shall be styled and known as the "Montgomery county municipal court";
(30) The municipal court established within Sandusky county in any municipal corporation or unincorporated territory within Sandusky county, except the municipal corporations of Bellevue and Fremont and Ballville, Sandusky, and York townships, that is selected by the legislative authority of that court and that, beginning January 1, 2013, shall be styled and known as the "Sandusky county municipal court";
(31) The municipal court established in Tiffin that, beginning January 1, 2014, shall be styled and known as the "Tiffin-Fostoria municipal court";
(32) The municipal court established in New Lexington that, beginning January 1, 2018, shall be styled and known as the "Perry county municipal court";
(33) The municipal court established in Paulding that, beginning January 1, 2020, shall be styled and known as the "Paulding county municipal court";
(34) The municipal court established in Wauseon that, beginning January 1, 2024, shall be styled and known as the "Fulton county municipal court."
(B) In addition to the jurisdiction set forth in division (A) of this section, the municipal courts established by section 1901.01 of the Revised Code have jurisdiction as follows:
The Akron municipal court has jurisdiction within Bath, Richfield, and Springfield townships, and within the municipal corporations of Fairlawn, Lakemore, and Mogadore, in Summit county.
The Alliance municipal court has jurisdiction within Lexington, Marlboro, Paris, and Washington townships in Stark county.
The Ashland municipal court has jurisdiction within Ashland county.
The Ashtabula municipal court has jurisdiction within Ashtabula, Plymouth, and Saybrook townships in Ashtabula county.
The Athens county municipal court has jurisdiction within Athens county.
The Auglaize county municipal court has jurisdiction within Auglaize county.
The Avon Lake municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Avon and Sheffield in Lorain county.
The Barberton municipal court has jurisdiction within Coventry, Franklin, and Green townships, within all of Copley township except within the municipal corporation of Fairlawn, and within the municipal corporations of Clinton and Norton, in Summit county.
The Bedford municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Bedford Heights, Oakwood, Glenwillow, Solon, Bentleyville, Chagrin Falls, Moreland Hills, Orange, Warrensville Heights, North Randall, and Woodmere, and within Warrensville and Chagrin Falls townships, in Cuyahoga county.
The Bellefontaine municipal court has jurisdiction within Logan county.
The Bellevue municipal court has jurisdiction within Lyme and Sherman townships in Huron county and within York township in Sandusky county.
The Berea municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Strongsville, Middleburgh Heights, Brook Park, Westview, and Olmsted Falls, and within Olmsted township, in Cuyahoga county.
The Bowling Green municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Bairdstown, Bloomdale, Bradner, Custar, Cygnet, Grand Rapids, Haskins, Hoytville, Jerry City, Milton Center, North Baltimore, Pemberville, Portage, Rising Sun, Tontogany, Wayne, West Millgrove, and Weston, and within Bloom, Center, Freedom, Grand Rapids, Henry, Jackson, Liberty, Middleton, Milton, Montgomery, Plain, Portage, Washington, Webster, and Weston townships in Wood county.
Beginning February 9, 2003, the Brown county municipal court has jurisdiction within Brown county.
The Bryan municipal court has jurisdiction within Williams county.
The Cambridge municipal court has jurisdiction within Guernsey county.
The Campbell municipal court has jurisdiction within Coitsville township in Mahoning county.
The Canton municipal court has jurisdiction within Canton, Lake, Nimishillen, Osnaburg, Pike, Plain, and Sandy townships in Stark county.
The Carroll county municipal court has jurisdiction within Carroll county.
The Celina municipal court has jurisdiction within Mercer county.
The Champaign county municipal court has jurisdiction within Champaign county.
The Chardon municipal court has jurisdiction within Geauga county.
The Chillicothe municipal court has jurisdiction within Ross county.
The Circleville municipal court has jurisdiction within Pickaway county.
The Clark county municipal court has jurisdiction within Clark county.
The Clermont county municipal court has jurisdiction within Clermont county.
The Cleveland municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporation of Bratenahl in Cuyahoga county.
Beginning July 1, 1992, the Clinton county municipal court has jurisdiction within Clinton county.
The Columbiana county municipal court has jurisdiction within Columbiana county.
The Coshocton municipal court has jurisdiction within Coshocton county.
The Crawford county municipal court has jurisdiction within Crawford county.
Until December 31, 2008, the Cuyahoga Falls municipal court has jurisdiction within Boston, Hudson, Northfield Center, Sagamore Hills, and Twinsburg townships, and within the municipal corporations of Boston Heights, Hudson, Munroe Falls, Northfield, Peninsula, Reminderville, Silver Lake, Stow, Tallmadge, Twinsburg, and Macedonia, in Summit county.
Beginning January 1, 2005, the Darke county municipal court has jurisdiction within Darke county except within the municipal corporation of Bradford.
The Defiance municipal court has jurisdiction within Defiance county.
The Delaware municipal court has jurisdiction within Delaware county.
The Eaton municipal court has jurisdiction within Preble county.
The Elyria municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Grafton, LaGrange, and North Ridgeville, and within Elyria, Carlisle, Eaton, Columbia, Grafton, and LaGrange townships, in Lorain county.
Beginning January 1, 2008, the Erie county municipal court has jurisdiction within Erie county except within the townships of Florence, Huron, Perkins, and Vermilion and the municipal corporations of Bay View, Castalia, Huron, Sandusky, and Vermilion.
The Fairborn municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporation of Beavercreek and within Bath and Beavercreek townships in Greene county.
Beginning January 2, 2000, the Fairfield county municipal court has jurisdiction within Fairfield county.
The Findlay municipal court has jurisdiction within all of Hancock county except within Washington township.
The Franklin municipal court has jurisdiction within Franklin township in Warren county.
The Franklin county municipal court has jurisdiction within Franklin county.
The Fremont municipal court has jurisdiction within Ballville and Sandusky townships in Sandusky county.
Beginning January 1, 2024, the Fulton county municipal court has jurisdiction within Fulton county.
The Gallipolis municipal court has jurisdiction within Gallia county.
The Garfield Heights municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Maple Heights, Walton Hills, Valley View, Cuyahoga Heights, Newburgh Heights, Independence, and Brecksville in Cuyahoga county.
The Girard municipal court has jurisdiction within Liberty, Vienna, and Hubbard townships in Trumbull county.
The Hamilton municipal court has jurisdiction within Ross and St. Clair townships in Butler county.
The Hamilton county municipal court has jurisdiction within Hamilton county.
The Hardin county municipal court has jurisdiction within Hardin county.
The Hillsboro municipal court has jurisdiction within all of Highland county except within Madison township.
The Hocking county municipal court has jurisdiction within Hocking county.
The Holmes county municipal court has jurisdiction within Holmes county.
The Huron municipal court has jurisdiction within all of Huron township in Erie county except within the municipal corporation of Sandusky.
The Ironton municipal court has jurisdiction within Aid, Decatur, Elizabeth, Hamilton, Lawrence, Upper, and Washington townships in Lawrence county.
The Jackson county municipal court has jurisdiction within Jackson county.
The Kettering municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Centerville and Moraine, and within Washington township, in Montgomery county.
Until January 2, 2000, the Lancaster municipal court has jurisdiction within Fairfield county.
The Lawrence county municipal court has jurisdiction within the townships of Fayette, Mason, Perry, Rome, Symmes, Union, and Windsor in Lawrence county.
The Lebanon municipal court has jurisdiction within Turtlecreek township in Warren county.
The Licking county municipal court has jurisdiction within Licking county.
The Lima municipal court has jurisdiction within Allen county.
The Lorain municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporation of Sheffield Lake, and within Sheffield township, in Lorain county.
The Lyndhurst municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Mayfield Heights, Gates Mills, Mayfield, Highland Heights, and Richmond Heights in Cuyahoga county.
The Madison county municipal court has jurisdiction within Madison county.
The Mansfield municipal court has jurisdiction within Madison, Springfield, Sandusky, Franklin, Weller, Mifflin, Troy, Washington, Monroe, Perry, Jefferson, and Worthington townships, and within sections 35-36-31 and 32 of Butler township, in Richland county.
The Marietta municipal court has jurisdiction within Washington county.
The Marion municipal court has jurisdiction within Marion county.
The Marysville municipal court has jurisdiction within Union county.
The Mason municipal court has jurisdiction within Deerfield township in Warren county.
The Massillon municipal court has jurisdiction within Bethlehem, Perry, Sugar Creek, Tuscarawas, Lawrence, and Jackson townships in Stark county.
The Maumee municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Waterville and Whitehouse, within Waterville and Providence townships, and within those portions of Springfield, Monclova, and Swanton townships lying south of the northerly boundary line of the Ohio turnpike, in Lucas county.
The Medina municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Briarwood Beach, Brunswick, Chippewa-on-the-Lake, and Spencer and within the townships of Brunswick Hills, Chatham, Granger, Hinckley, Lafayette, Litchfield, Liverpool, Medina, Montville, Spencer, and York townships, in Medina county.
The Mentor municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporation of Mentor-on-the-Lake in Lake county.
The Miami county municipal court has jurisdiction within Miami county and within the part of the municipal corporation of Bradford that is located in Darke county.
The Miamisburg municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Germantown and West Carrollton, and within German and Miami townships in Montgomery county.
The Middletown municipal court has jurisdiction within Madison township, and within all of Lemon township, except within the municipal corporation of Monroe, in Butler county.
Beginning July 1, 2010, the Montgomery county municipal court has jurisdiction within all of Montgomery county except for the municipal corporations of Centerville, Clayton, Dayton, Englewood, Germantown, Kettering, Miamisburg, Moraine, Oakwood, Union, Vandalia, and West Carrollton and Butler, German, Harrison, Miami, and Washington townships.
Beginning January 1, 2003, the Morrow county municipal court has jurisdiction within Morrow county.
The Mount Vernon municipal court has jurisdiction within Knox county.
The Napoleon municipal court has jurisdiction within Henry county.
The New Philadelphia municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporation of Dover, and within Auburn, Bucks, Fairfield, Goshen, Jefferson, Warren, York, Dover, Franklin, Lawrence, Sandy, Sugarcreek, and Wayne townships in Tuscarawas county.
The Newton Falls municipal court has jurisdiction within Bristol, Bloomfield, Lordstown, Newton, Braceville, Southington, Farmington, and Mesopotamia townships in Trumbull county.
The Niles municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporation of McDonald, and within Weathersfield township in Trumbull county.
The Norwalk municipal court has jurisdiction within all of Huron county except within the municipal corporation of Bellevue and except within Lyme and Sherman townships.
The Oberlin municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Amherst, Kipton, Rochester, South Amherst, and Wellington, and within Henrietta, Russia, Camden, Pittsfield, Brighton, Wellington, Penfield, Rochester, and Huntington townships, and within all of Amherst township except within the municipal corporation of Lorain, in Lorain county.
The Oregon municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporation of Harbor View, and within Jerusalem township, in Lucas county, and north within Maumee Bay and Lake Erie to the boundary line between Ohio and Michigan between the easterly boundary of the court and the easterly boundary of the Toledo municipal court.
The Ottawa county municipal court has jurisdiction within Ottawa county.
The Painesville municipal court has jurisdiction within Painesville, Perry, Leroy, Concord, and Madison townships in Lake county.
The Parma municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Parma Heights, Brooklyn, Linndale, North Royalton, Broadview Heights, Seven Hills, and Brooklyn Heights in Cuyahoga county.
Beginning January 1, 2018, the Perry county municipal court has jurisdiction within Perry county.
Beginning January 1, 2020, the Paulding county municipal court has jurisdiction within Paulding county.
The Perrysburg municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Luckey, Millbury, Northwood, Rossford, and Walbridge, and within Perrysburg, Lake, and Troy townships, in Wood county.
The Portage county municipal court has jurisdiction within Portage county.
The Portsmouth municipal court has jurisdiction within Scioto county.
The Putnam county municipal court has jurisdiction within Putnam county.
The Rocky River municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Bay Village, Westlake, Fairview Park, and North Olmsted, and within Riveredge township, in Cuyahoga county.
The Sandusky municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Castalia and Bay View, and within Perkins township, in Erie county.
Beginning January 1, 2013, the Sandusky county municipal court has jurisdiction within all of Sandusky county except within the municipal corporations of Bellevue and Fremont and Ballville, Sandusky, and York townships.
The Shaker Heights municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of University Heights, Beachwood, Pepper Pike, and Hunting Valley in Cuyahoga county.
The Shelby municipal court has jurisdiction within Sharon, Jackson, Cass, Plymouth, and Blooming Grove townships, and within all of Butler township except sections 35-36-31 and 32, in Richland county.
The Sidney municipal court has jurisdiction within Shelby county.
Beginning January 1, 2009, the Stow municipal court has jurisdiction within Boston, Hudson, Northfield Center, Sagamore Hills, and Twinsburg townships, and within the municipal corporations of Boston Heights, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Munroe Falls, Northfield, Peninsula, Reminderville, Silver Lake, Stow, Tallmadge, Twinsburg, and Macedonia, in Summit county.
The Struthers municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Lowellville, New Middleton, and Poland, and within Poland and Springfield townships in Mahoning county.
The Sylvania municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Berkey and Holland, and within Sylvania, Richfield, Spencer, and Harding townships, and within those portions of Swanton, Monclova, and Springfield townships lying north of the northerly boundary line of the Ohio turnpike, in Lucas county.
Beginning January 1, 2014, the Tiffin-Fostoria municipal court has jurisdiction within Adams, Big Spring, Bloom, Clinton, Eden, Hopewell, Jackson, Liberty, Loudon, Pleasant, Reed, Scipio, Seneca, Thompson, and Venice townships in Seneca county, within Washington township in Hancock county, and within Perry township, except within the municipal corporation of West Millgrove, in Wood county.
The Toledo municipal court has jurisdiction within Washington township, and within the municipal corporation of Ottawa Hills, in Lucas county.
The Upper Sandusky municipal court has jurisdiction within Wyandot county.
The Vandalia municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Clayton, Englewood, and Union, and within Butler, Harrison, and Randolph townships, in Montgomery county.
The Van Wert municipal court has jurisdiction within Van Wert county.
The Vermilion municipal court has jurisdiction within the townships of Vermilion and Florence in Erie county and within all of Brownhelm township except within the municipal corporation of Lorain, in Lorain county.
The Wadsworth municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Gloria Glens Park, Lodi, Seville, and Westfield Center, and within Guilford, Harrisville, Homer, Sharon, Wadsworth, and Westfield townships in Medina county.
The Warren municipal court has jurisdiction within Warren and Champion townships, and within all of Howland township except within the municipal corporation of Niles, in Trumbull county.
The Washington Court House municipal court has jurisdiction within Fayette county.
The Wayne county municipal court has jurisdiction within Wayne county.
The Willoughby municipal court has jurisdiction within the municipal corporations of Eastlake, Wickliffe, Willowick, Willoughby Hills, Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, Waite Hill, Timberlake, and Lakeline, and within Kirtland township, in Lake county.
Through June 30, 1992, the Wilmington municipal court has jurisdiction within Clinton county.
The Xenia municipal court has jurisdiction within Caesarcreek, Cedarville, Jefferson, Miami, New Jasper, Ross, Silvercreek, Spring Valley, Sugarcreek, and Xenia townships in Greene county.
(C) As used in this section:
(1) "Within a township" includes all land, including, but not limited to, any part of any municipal corporation, that is physically located within the territorial boundaries of that township, whether or not that land or municipal corporation is governmentally a part of the township.
(2) "Within a municipal corporation" includes all land within the territorial boundaries of the municipal corporation and any townships that are coextensive with the municipal corporation.
Last updated July 8, 2022 at 10:27 AM

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