2026 state court fee data · Ohio

Ohio Legal Processes

Filing fees, waiting periods, and procedural requirements for 12 common civil processes routed through Ohio Courts. Plain-language reference, refreshed against state court fee schedules.

See all processes → Methodology

Fee rank is not wait rank

According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Ohio ranks #7 of 10 surveyed states by average maximum filing fee (highest avg max = #1). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 2 at $400 among 12 civil filings in Ohio; that is not the longest wait: Guardianship records 45 days on a $350 ceiling.

12
processes tracked
$400
highest fee · Civil Lawsuit
45 days
longest wait · Guardianship
2
free-to-file

Fee rank and wait-time rank are tracked separately: this page sorts by average maximum filing fee, not by waiting period. See how we rank states.

Ohio vs tracked states by average maximum filing fee

Where this state's average max filing fee sits among the 10 states on PlainCivil's civil-process schedule

$223 7th of 10 higher than 3 of 10 states

Tracked states, banded by average maximum civil filing fee

Each bar is a $0.001K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCivil compiled state court fee schedules · 2026

Ohio civil-process accessibility score

One verdict number from PlainCivil's own compiled filing-fee and waiting-period schedule across the 12 process types tracked for Ohio, benchmarked against every other state PlainCivil covers.

B 74/100
  • Average filing fee B+ $155 Averaged across 12 documented process types
  • Average waiting period C 10.9 days Mandatory waiting period, averaged across 12 process types
  • Longest single wait A 45 days The slowest mandatory waiting period among this state’s documented processes

Lower fees and shorter waits score higher. A dimension with no documented data for this state drops out and its weight redistributes across the rest - it never silently lowers the score. Full method: civil-process accessibility score.

A practical reading of the schedule · CLERK

What changes the cost of filing in Ohio

Start with the filing fee

This page covers 12 civil process types tracked for Ohio, all routed through the Ohio Courts. Across those processes, the average maximum filing fee is $223, and 2 can be filed at no cost. The highest listed fee is for civil lawsuit, which can reach $400 in complex cases.

Then allow for timing and local charges

Guardianship has the longest mandatory waiting period on this page at 45 days, so the court cannot issue a final order before that window expires. Actual resolution commonly takes longer because of court backlogs, response deadlines, and service requirements. County courthouses may also add charges for service of process, motions, certified copies, or a jury demand.

How Ohio compares

Peer states tracked on the same civil-process schedule

Ohio tracks 12 civil-process types with an average maximum filing fee of $223. Use the peer comparison to gauge whether Ohio courts run pricier or cheaper than neighboring jurisdictions, and whether procedural complexity (number of process types tracked) is broadly typical.

Selected

OH

Ohio

$223 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

GA

Georgia

$221 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

MI

Michigan

$210 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

All Legal Processes in Ohio

12 types 2 free

Fee profile

Maximum filing fees across Ohio processes

Highlighted bar is the highest recorded maximum on this state schedule (Civil Lawsuit, $400). Average maximum across tracked processes: $223.

Process Filing Fee Details
Civil Lawsuit
Court of Common Pleas General Division.
 $150–$400 Civil Lawsuit schedule details
Court Mediation
Mediation required before some hearings.
 $0–$300 Court Mediation schedule details
Divorce
Franklin County ~$200. Hamilton County ~$275. Affidavit of Indigency available.
 $150–$300 Divorce schedule details
Domestic Violence Protection
Free. Civil Protection Order through Domestic Relations Court.
 Free Domestic Violence Protection schedule details
Eviction
$100-$200 in Municipal Court. Service fee by bailiff ~$30-$60.
 $100–$200 Eviction schedule details
Guardianship
Probate Court. Inventory fee based on estate value.
 $175–$350 Guardianship schedule details
Name Change
Probate Court or Common Pleas. No publication required in most counties.
 $100–$200 Name Change schedule details
Probate
Probate Court of each county.
 $150–$400 Probate schedule details
Property Dispute
Court of Common Pleas, General Division.
 $150–$350 Property Dispute schedule details
Restraining Order
Civil Protection Orders free in Domestic Relations Court.
 Free Restraining Order schedule details
Small Claims
$35-$75 depending on county and claim amount.
 $35–$75 Small Claims schedule details
Tenant Rights
Security deposit in Municipal Court Small Claims.
 $35–$100 Tenant Rights schedule details

Take this with you

Where to go next from Ohio's civil filing fees.

Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. National civil trial-rate context also lives there.

According to published Ohio court schedules compiled in the PlainCivil state-process database. See our methodology for source categories and vintage.

Fee and timeline figures on PlainCivil are rendered from the portal's state-process database compiled from published court schedules, no fee is invented for a ranking. State hub aggregates process rows for Ohio from the portal database. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-01. PlainCivil does not rate, rank-recommend, or advise on legal strategy, it reports what published schedules and court materials contain.