Richland County Clerk of Courts Mansfield: What Most People Get Wrong

You’re probably standing in a hallway at 50 Park Avenue East, looking at a directory, and wondering if you're in the right place. Or maybe you're sitting at your kitchen table in Mansfield, staring at a "Notice of Failure to Appear" and feeling your heart drop.

Honestly, the Richland County Clerk of Courts Mansfield is one of those offices everyone knows exists but nobody understands until they actually need it. Most people think it’s just a place where paper goes to die. It's not. It’s the gatekeeper of the entire legal record for the county, from that messy divorce filing to the title for your 2012 Chevy Silverado.

Where the Paperwork Lives

The Clerk of Courts isn't just one room. It’s a split personality situation. If you’re looking for the Legal Division, you’re headed to the second floor of the courthouse at 50 Park Avenue East. This is where the heavy lifting happens: criminal felonies, civil lawsuits over $15,000, and domestic relations cases.

If you’re there to deal with a car title, you’re actually in the wrong building. You need to head over to 77 North Mulberry Street. That’s the Auto Title Office. Don’t be the person who waits in line for forty minutes at the courthouse just to be told you need to drive three blocks over. It happens every day.

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The Cost of Doing Business

Let’s talk money. Government offices aren't free, and the Richland County Clerk of Courts Mansfield has a very specific "menu" of fees that changed as recently as late 2025.

If you’re filing a civil complaint (and it’s not a foreclosure), expect to drop a $450 deposit right out of the gate. Want a jury? That’s another $400. It’s expensive because the clerk has to guarantee the costs of the court.

• Criminal Case Fees: A felony conviction usually carries a $30 Victims of Crime fee and another $30 for the Indigent Defense Support Fund.
• Judgment Liens: Filing a certificate of judgment from another court will run you about $61.
• Divorce/Domestic: These fees are handled on the third floor, but the Clerk's office on the second floor still processes the initial paper trail.

One thing people constantly mess up? Notaries. The Clerk’s office is generally not permitted to notarize your private documents. If you’re filing a "Motion for Certificate of Title" because you bought a car without a paper trail, you better have that affidavit signed and stamped by a notary before you walk up to the counter.

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Why the Records Search Matters

You’ve probably heard people talk about "public records" like they’re some secret vault. In Richland County, they’re pretty transparent. You can go online to the Richland County Court of Common Pleas website and use the "Public Case Inquiry."

Why would you do this? Maybe you’re a landlord checking a background. Maybe you’re just curious about why your neighbor's house is in foreclosure. You can see every motion, every order, and every "failed to appear" notice. It’s all there.

But keep in mind, juvenile records and certain domestic relations documents are sealed. You can’t just go snooping into someone’s custody battle. The law protects that privacy for a reason.

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The "Auto Title" Headache

The Auto Title office at 77 North Mulberry Street is its own beast. If you're buying a car from a private seller, please, for the love of everything, make sure they sign the back of the title in front of a notary. If they just hand you a signed paper that wasn't notarized, the Clerk of Courts cannot and will not help you. You'll be stuck in "Title Memo" purgatory.

If you find yourself with a vehicle and no title, you have to file a "Motion for Certificate of Title" with the Legal Division back at the courthouse. It costs $175 just to file the motion, and there is zero guarantee the judge will grant it. It's a slow process. We're talking three to six months sometimes.

The Passport Confusion

Here is a weird one: people often call the Richland County Clerk of Courts Mansfield asking for a passport. Technically, the Clerk's office in some Ohio counties handles this, but in Mansfield, you're usually better off going to the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library or the Main Post Office on Diamond Street. The Clerk’s office primarily sticks to the legal and title side of things.

Practical Next Steps for Your Visit

If you have to visit the office this week, do these three things to save your sanity:

1. Check the floor: 2nd Floor for lawsuits/felonies, 3rd Floor for domestic relations/probate inquiries, Mulberry Street for cars.
2. Bring a Checkbook or Cash: While they do take cards now, there is often a convenience fee that will make you roll your eyes. A money order or cashier's check is safest for large deposits.
3. The 3:45 Rule: The office usually closes at 4:00 PM, but they often stop accepting new filings at 3:45 PM. If you show up at 3:55 with a stack of papers, you’re going to be coming back tomorrow.

The current Clerk of Courts and their staff are there to maintain the record, not to give you legal advice. Don't ask them "Should I file this?" They aren't allowed to tell you. They can only tell you if the form is filled out and if the fee is paid.

Actionable Insights for Richland County Residents

• Verify your filing fees on the official website before you leave the house; the 2025/2026 fee schedules are significantly higher than old PDFs you might find floating around from 2023.
• Use the Online Search to monitor your own case status. Don't wait for a letter in the mail; the "noted on the docket" date is often what the judge uses for deadlines.
• Title Transfers must be completed within 30 days of purchase to avoid a late fee. If you’re at day 29, get to Mulberry Street immediately.