Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
When a name or case number is entered into a search tool on this website, the query is sent to the third-party provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and returns any available result. Ottawa County Court Docket does not retain or log the search terms entered through those tools.
Messages and Contact Submissions
If you email us, we retain the message in order to respond. Messages remain within our organization and are not disclosed outside it unless a legal requirement calls for disclosure.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, our servers may receive technical information associated with the visit, including:
- The IP address assigned to the device
- The browser and browser version in use
- Device type and operating system
- Pages viewed and the time spent on them
- The referring site, when one is available
- The date and time of page views
Cookies and Analytics
This website uses cookies, which are small files stored on a device. They help us understand site use, including traffic patterns and pages visitors leave. Analytics services aggregate that traffic information. Browser settings can be used to block cookies, although some parts of the website may then operate differently.
What We Do With This Data
We use technical and submitted information for the following purposes:
- Operating the website and maintaining page performance
- Sending search requests to the applicable partner service
- Evaluating which pages visitors use and which need improvement
- Identifying and resolving technical problems
- Displaying advertising that may be relevant to visitor interests
No Court-Record Data on File
Ottawa County Court Docket does not host, maintain, compile, or sell a database of court dockets or personal case-record information. The website provides general directions about where Ottawa County court records are kept and how to seek them from the Ottawa County Clerk of Courts, the court that holds the file, or the appropriate court counter. Ohio does not operate one public, unified trial-court case search. Ottawa County instead publishes separate local Common Pleas and Municipal Court search systems.
Ohio court-record access is governed by Section 11 of the Ohio Rules of Superintendence, including rules on public, direct, remote, and restricted access. That court-record framework does not make this website a court-record repository. We are not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and visitor information is not assembled into consumer reports or records about other people.
Third-Party Search Partners
Search boxes on this website are operated by outside providers. Information entered in those tools is handled under the provider’s privacy policy rather than this policy. Each provider determines its own retention and disclosure practices, which are outside our control. Review the applicable provider policy before submitting a query.
Links to Other Websites
The website links to Ottawa County Clerk pages, local court portals, Ohio court-rule materials, legal-aid resources, and third-party search tools. Selecting a link takes you to a different website governed by that website’s own privacy practices. Review those practices before providing personal information.
Some advertising partners may use their own systems to track activity across websites for advertising purposes. That activity occurs on the partner’s systems, not on ours.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Information may be shared with the following categories of recipients:
- Search partners that process queries submitted through the website
- Analytics services used to measure traffic and site performance
- Advertising networks that place advertisements on our pages
- Law-enforcement or government bodies when a valid legal order requires disclosure
How We Protect Your Data
We use standard security practices intended to protect collected information. Internet-connected systems cannot be guaranteed completely secure, however, and we cannot promise that a security incident will never occur.
Users Under 18
This website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from people under 18. If you believe that a minor has provided information to us, contact us so the information can be removed.
Your Data Rights
Depending on the circumstances and applicable Ohio law, you may have rights concerning personal information we hold. Section 11 of the Ohio Rules of Superintendence concerns access to court records and should not be read as a statewide trial-court case-search law. At a minimum, you may:
- Request a copy of information we have about you
- Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate
- Request deletion of your information
- Opt out of certain forms of data processing
Updates to This Policy
We may revise this privacy policy in the future. A revised version will appear here with an updated effective date. Review this page periodically if you want to monitor changes to these practices.
Effective date: August 31, 2026