About New on Record
New on Record is a directory of where Ohio's governments post their public records online. It shows whether each source worked at its last check.
Who runs it
FBombMedia LLC owns New on Record. Frankie Cleary runs it. Write to him at frankie@newonrecord.com.
Why it exists
Ohio's counties, cities and state agencies post their records on their own websites. The 276 governments in the directory use 61 different systems to do it.
When an office changes systems, its pages move, and old links stop working.
People who use these records every week check each site by hand. Some pay someone to check for them, or buy the records from a data company.
The directory shows where each source is. The ones it can read are checked once a night. When a record isn't online, the directory shows what to do instead.
Who it's for
- People whose work starts from public records. A paving contractor watching for bids. A commercial roofer watching permits. A restaurant supplier watching liquor permits. A land broker watching zoning cases.
- Anyone who needs the right page and wants to know it works. Residents, reporters, researchers and clerks in other offices.
What it is not
- It is not a government website. No government runs it, pays for it or endorses it.
- It doesn't show records, and it shows no personal details about anyone.
- It can't get records for you. For a record that isn't online, ask the office that keeps it. Ohio law lets anyone ask an office for copies of its public records.
- It's free to use.
The checker
The program that visits government websites for the directory is called public-records-check. It names itself in every request it sends. The page for site owners says what it reads, how fast, and how to ask it to slow down or stay away.
Something wrong?
If an entry is wrong, a page has moved or a source is missing, write to frankie@newonrecord.com. To ask for a source, use the request form.