Section 109.57 | Duties of superintendent.
(A)(1) The superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation shall procure from wherever procurable and file for record photographs, pictures, descriptions, fingerprints, measurements, and other information that may be pertinent of all persons who have been convicted of committing within this state a felony, any crime constituting a misdemeanor on the first offense and a felony on subsequent offenses, or any misdemeanor described in division (A)(1)(a), (A)(5)(a) , or (A)(7)(a) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code, of all children under eighteen years of age who have been adjudicated delinquent children for committing within this state an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult or who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to committing within this state a felony or an offense of violence, and of all well-known and habitual criminals. The person in charge of any county, multicounty, municipal, municipal-county, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse, community-based correctional facility, halfway house, alternative residential facility, or state correctional institution and the person in charge of any state institution having custody of a person suspected of having committed a felony, any crime constituting a misdemeanor on the first offense and a felony on subsequent offenses, or any misdemeanor described in division (A)(1)(a), (A)(5)(a), or (A)(7)(a) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code or having custody of a child under eighteen years of age with respect to whom there is probable cause to believe that the child may have committed an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult shall furnish such material to the superintendent of the bureau. Fingerprints, photographs, or other descriptive information of a child who is under eighteen years of age, has not been arrested or otherwise taken into custody for committing an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence who is not in any other category of child specified in this division, if committed by an adult, has not been adjudicated a delinquent child for committing an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult, has not been convicted of or pleaded guilty to committing a felony or an offense of violence, and is not a child with respect to whom there is probable cause to believe that the child may have committed an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult shall not be procured by the superintendent or furnished by any person in charge of any county, multicounty, municipal, municipal-county, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse, community-based correctional facility, halfway house, alternative residential facility, or state correctional institution, except as authorized in section 2151.313 of the Revised Code.
(2) Every clerk of a court of record in this state, other than the supreme court or a court of appeals, shall send to the superintendent of the bureau a weekly report containing a summary of each case involving a felony, involving any crime constituting a misdemeanor on the first offense and a felony on subsequent offenses, involving a misdemeanor described in division (A)(1)(a), (A)(5)(a) , or (A)(7)(a) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code, or involving an adjudication in a case in which a child under eighteen years of age was alleged to be a delinquent child for committing an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult. The clerk of the court of common pleas shall include in the report and summary the clerk sends under this division all information described in divisions (A)(2)(a) to (f) of this section regarding a case before the court of appeals that is served by that clerk. The summary shall be written on the standard forms furnished by the superintendent pursuant to division (B) of this section and shall include the following information:
(a) The incident tracking number contained on the standard forms furnished by the superintendent pursuant to division (B) of this section;
(b) The style and number of the case;
(c) The date of arrest, offense, summons, or arraignment;
(d) The date that the person was convicted of or pleaded guilty to the offense, adjudicated a delinquent child for committing the act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult, found not guilty of the offense, or found not to be a delinquent child for committing an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult, the date of an entry dismissing the charge, an entry declaring a mistrial of the offense in which the person is discharged, an entry finding that the person or child is not competent to stand trial, or an entry of a nolle prosequi, or the date of any other determination that constitutes final resolution of the case;
(e) A statement of the original charge with the section of the Revised Code that was alleged to be violated;
(f) If the person or child was convicted, pleaded guilty, or was adjudicated a delinquent child, the sentence or terms of probation imposed or any other disposition of the offender or the delinquent child.
If the offense involved the disarming of a law enforcement officer or an attempt to disarm a law enforcement officer, the clerk shall clearly state that fact in the summary, and the superintendent shall ensure that a clear statement of that fact is placed in the bureau's records.
(3) The superintendent shall cooperate with and assist sheriffs, chiefs of police, and other law enforcement officers in the establishment of a complete system of criminal identification and in obtaining fingerprints and other means of identification of all persons arrested on a charge of a felony, any crime constituting a misdemeanor on the first offense and a felony on subsequent offenses, or a misdemeanor described in division (A)(1)(a), (A)(5)(a) , or (A)(7)(a) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code and of all children under eighteen years of age arrested or otherwise taken into custody for committing an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult. The superintendent also shall file for record the fingerprint impressions of all persons confined in a county, multicounty, municipal, municipal-county, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse, community-based correctional facility, halfway house, alternative residential facility, or state correctional institution for the violation of state laws and of all children under eighteen years of age who are confined in a county, multicounty, municipal, municipal-county, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse, community-based correctional facility, halfway house, alternative residential facility, or state correctional institution or in any facility for delinquent children for committing an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult, and any other information that the superintendent may receive from law enforcement officials of the state and its political subdivisions.
(4) The superintendent shall carry out Chapter 2950. of the Revised Code with respect to the registration of persons who are convicted of or plead guilty to a sexually oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense and with respect to all other duties imposed on the bureau under that chapter.
(5) The bureau shall perform centralized recordkeeping functions for criminal history records and services in this state for purposes of the national crime prevention and privacy compact set forth in section 109.571 of the Revised Code and is the criminal history record repository as defined in that section for purposes of that compact. The superintendent or the superintendent's designee is the compact officer for purposes of that compact and shall carry out the responsibilities of the compact officer specified in that compact.
(6) The superintendent shall, upon request, assist a county coroner in the identification of a deceased person through the use of fingerprint impressions obtained pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section or collected pursuant to section 109.572 or 311.41 of the Revised Code.
(B) The superintendent shall prepare and furnish to every county, multicounty, municipal, municipal-county, or multicounty-municipal jail or workhouse, community-based correctional facility, halfway house, alternative residential facility, or state correctional institution and to every clerk of a court in this state specified in division (A)(2) of this section standard forms for reporting the information required under division (A) of this section. The standard forms that the superintendent prepares pursuant to this division may be in a tangible format, in an electronic format, or in both tangible formats and electronic formats.
(C)(1) The superintendent may operate a center for electronic, automated, or other data processing for the storage and retrieval of information, data, and statistics pertaining to criminals and to children under eighteen years of age who are adjudicated delinquent children for committing an act that would be a felony or an offense of violence if committed by an adult, criminal activity, crime prevention, law enforcement, and criminal justice, and may establish and operate a statewide communications network to be known as the Ohio law enforcement gateway to gather and disseminate information, data, and statistics for the use of law enforcement agencies and for other uses specified in this division. The superintendent may gather, store, retrieve, and disseminate information, data, and statistics that pertain to children who are under eighteen years of age and that are gathered pursuant to sections 109.57 to 109.61 of the Revised Code together with information, data, and statistics that pertain to adults and that are gathered pursuant to those sections.
(2) The superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall gather information of the nature described in division (C)(1) of this section that pertains to the offense and delinquency history of a person who has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or been adjudicated a delinquent child for committing a sexually oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense for inclusion in the state registry of sex offenders and child-victim offenders maintained pursuant to division (A)(1) of section 2950.13 of the Revised Code and in the internet database operated pursuant to division (A)(13) of that section and for possible inclusion in the internet database operated pursuant to division (A)(11) of that section.
(3) In addition to any other authorized use of information, data, and statistics of the nature described in division (C)(1) of this section, the superintendent or the superintendent's designee may provide and exchange the information, data, and statistics pursuant to the national crime prevention and privacy compact as described in division (A)(5) of this section.
(4) The Ohio law enforcement gateway shall contain the name, confidential address, and telephone number of program participants in the address confidentiality program established under sections 111.41 to 111.47 of the Revised Code.
(5) The attorney general may adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code establishing guidelines for the operation of and participation in the Ohio law enforcement gateway. The rules may include criteria for granting and restricting access to information gathered and disseminated through the Ohio law enforcement gateway. The attorney general shall adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that grant access to information in the gateway regarding an address confidentiality program participant under sections 111.41 to 111.47 of the Revised Code to only chiefs of police, village marshals, county sheriffs, county prosecuting attorneys, and a designee of each of these individuals. The attorney general shall permit the state medical board and board of nursing to access and view, but not alter, information gathered and disseminated through the Ohio law enforcement gateway.
The attorney general may appoint a steering committee to advise the attorney general in the operation of the Ohio law enforcement gateway that is comprised of persons who are representatives of the criminal justice agencies in this state that use the Ohio law enforcement gateway and is chaired by the superintendent or the superintendent's designee.
(D)(1) The following are not public records under section 149.43 of the Revised Code:
(a) Information and materials furnished to the superintendent pursuant to division (A) of this section;
(b) Information, data, and statistics gathered or disseminated through the Ohio law enforcement gateway pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section;
(c) Information and materials furnished to any board or person under division (F) or (G) of this section.
(2) The superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall gather and retain information so furnished under division (A) of this section that pertains to the offense and delinquency history of a person who has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or been adjudicated a delinquent child for committing a sexually oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense for the purposes described in division (C)(2) of this section.
(E)(1) The attorney general shall adopt rules, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and subject to division (E)(2) of this section, setting forth the procedure by which a person may receive or release information gathered by the superintendent pursuant to division (A) of this section. A reasonable fee may be charged for this service. If a temporary employment service submits a request for a determination of whether a person the service plans to refer to an employment position has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to an offense listed or described in division (A)(1), (2), or (3) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code, the request shall be treated as a single request and only one fee shall be charged.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this division or division (E)(3) or (4) of this section, a rule adopted under division (E)(1) of this section may provide only for the release of information gathered pursuant to division (A) of this section that relates to the conviction of a person, or a person's plea of guilty to, a criminal offense or to the arrest of a person as provided in division (E)(3) of this section. The superintendent shall not release, and the attorney general shall not adopt any rule under division (E)(1) of this section that permits the release of, any information gathered pursuant to division (A) of this section that relates to an adjudication of a child as a delinquent child, or that relates to a criminal conviction of a person under eighteen years of age if the person's case was transferred back to a juvenile court under division (B)(2) or (3) of section 2152.121 of the Revised Code and the juvenile court imposed a disposition or serious youthful offender disposition upon the person under either division, unless either of the following applies with respect to the adjudication or conviction:
(a) The adjudication or conviction was for a violation of section 2903.01 or 2903.02 of the Revised Code.
(b) The adjudication or conviction was for a sexually oriented offense, the juvenile court was required to classify the child a juvenile offender registrant for that offense under section 2152.82, 2152.83, or 2152.86 of the Revised Code, that classification has not been removed, and the records of the adjudication or conviction have not been sealed or expunged pursuant to sections 2151.355 to 2151.358 or sealed pursuant to section 2952.32 of the Revised Code.
(3) A rule adopted under division (E)(1) of this section may provide for the release of information gathered pursuant to division (A) of this section that relates to the arrest of a person who is eighteen years of age or older when the person has not been convicted as a result of that arrest if any of the following applies:
(a) The arrest was made outside of this state.
(b) A criminal action resulting from the arrest is pending, and the superintendent confirms that the criminal action has not been resolved at the time the criminal records check is performed.
(c) The bureau cannot reasonably determine whether a criminal action resulting from the arrest is pending, and not more than one year has elapsed since the date of the arrest.
(4) A rule adopted under division (E)(1) of this section may provide for the release of information gathered pursuant to division (A) of this section that relates to an adjudication of a child as a delinquent child if not more than five years have elapsed since the date of the adjudication, the adjudication was for an act that would have been a felony if committed by an adult, the records of the adjudication have not been sealed or expunged pursuant to sections 2151.355 to 2151.358 of the Revised Code, and the request for information is made under division (F) of this section or under section 109.572 of the Revised Code. In the case of an adjudication for a violation of the terms of community control or supervised release, the five-year period shall be calculated from the date of the adjudication to which the community control or supervised release pertains.
(F)(1) As used in division (F)(2) of this section, "head start agency" means an entity in this state that has been approved to be an agency for purposes of subchapter II of the "Community Economic Development Act," 95 Stat. 489 (1981), 42 U.S.C.A. 9831, as amended.
(2)(a) In addition to or in conjunction with any request that is required to be made under section 109.572, 2151.86, 3301.32, 3301.541, division (C) of section 3310.58, or section 3319.39, 3319.391, 3327.10, 3740.11, 5104.013, 5123.081, or 5153.111 of the Revised Code or that is made under section 3314.41, 3319.392, 3326.25, or 3328.20 of the Revised Code, the board of education of any school district; the director of developmental disabilities; any county board of developmental disabilities; any provider or subcontractor as defined in section 5123.081 of the Revised Code; the chief administrator of any chartered nonpublic school; the chief administrator of a registered private provider that is not also a chartered nonpublic school; the chief administrator of any home health agency; the chief administrator of or person operating any child day-care center, type A family day-care home, or type B family day-care home licensed under Chapter 5104. of the Revised Code; the chief administrator of any head start agency; the executive director of a public children services agency; a private company described in section 3314.41, 3319.392, 3326.25, or 3328.20 of the Revised Code; or an employer described in division (J)(2) of section 3327.10 of the Revised Code may request that the superintendent of the bureau investigate and determine, with respect to any individual who has applied for employment in any position after October 2, 1989, or any individual wishing to apply for employment with a board of education may request, with regard to the individual, whether the bureau has any information gathered under division (A) of this section that pertains to that individual. On receipt of the request, subject to division (E)(2) of this section, the superintendent shall determine whether that information exists and, upon request of the person, board, or entity requesting information, also shall request from the federal bureau of investigation any criminal records it has pertaining to that individual. The superintendent or the superintendent's designee also may request criminal history records from other states or the federal government pursuant to the national crime prevention and privacy compact set forth in section 109.571 of the Revised Code. Within thirty days of the date that the superintendent receives a request, subject to division (E)(2) of this section, the superintendent shall send to the board, entity, or person a report of any information that the superintendent determines exists, including information contained in records that have been sealed under section 2953.32 of the Revised Code, and, within thirty days of its receipt, subject to division (E)(2) of this section, shall send the board, entity, or person a report of any information received from the federal bureau of investigation, other than information the dissemination of which is prohibited by federal law.
(b) When a board of education or a registered private provider is required to receive information under this section as a prerequisite to employment of an individual pursuant to division (C) of section 3310.58 or section 3319.39 of the Revised Code, it may accept a certified copy of records that were issued by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation and that are presented by an individual applying for employment with the district in lieu of requesting that information itself. In such a case, the board shall accept the certified copy issued by the bureau in order to make a photocopy of it for that individual's employment application documents and shall return the certified copy to the individual. In a case of that nature, a district or provider only shall accept a certified copy of records of that nature within one year after the date of their issuance by the bureau.
(c) Notwithstanding division (F)(2)(a) of this section, in the case of a request under section 3319.39, 3319.391, or 3327.10 of the Revised Code only for criminal records maintained by the federal bureau of investigation, the superintendent shall not determine whether any information gathered under division (A) of this section exists on the person for whom the request is made.
(3) The state board of education may request, with respect to any individual who has applied for employment after October 2, 1989, in any position with the state board or the department of education, any information that a school district board of education is authorized to request under division (F)(2) of this section, and the superintendent of the bureau shall proceed as if the request has been received from a school district board of education under division (F)(2) of this section.
(4) When the superintendent of the bureau receives a request for information under section 3319.291 of the Revised Code, the superintendent shall proceed as if the request has been received from a school district board of education and shall comply with divisions (F)(2)(a) and (c) of this section.
(G) In addition to or in conjunction with any request that is required to be made under section 3712.09, 3721.121, or 3740.11 of the Revised Code with respect to an individual who has applied for employment in a position that involves providing direct care to an older adult or adult resident, the chief administrator of a home health agency, hospice care program, home licensed under Chapter 3721. of the Revised Code, or adult day-care program operated pursuant to rules adopted under section 3721.04 of the Revised Code may request that the superintendent of the bureau investigate and determine, with respect to any individual who has applied after January 27, 1997, for employment in a position that does not involve providing direct care to an older adult or adult resident, whether the bureau has any information gathered under division (A) of this section that pertains to that individual.
In addition to or in conjunction with any request that is required to be made under section 173.27 of the Revised Code with respect to an individual who has applied for employment in a position that involves providing ombudsman services to residents of long-term care facilities or recipients of community-based long-term care services, the state long-term care ombudsman, the director of aging, a regional long-term care ombudsman program, or the designee of the ombudsman, director, or program may request that the superintendent investigate and determine, with respect to any individual who has applied for employment in a position that does not involve providing such ombudsman services, whether the bureau has any information gathered under division (A) of this section that pertains to that applicant.
In addition to or in conjunction with any request that is required to be made under section 173.38 of the Revised Code with respect to an individual who has applied for employment in a direct-care position, the chief administrator of a provider, as defined in section 173.39 of the Revised Code, may request that the superintendent investigate and determine, with respect to any individual who has applied for employment in a position that is not a direct-care position, whether the bureau has any information gathered under division (A) of this section that pertains to that applicant.
In addition to or in conjunction with any request that is required to be made under section 3712.09 of the Revised Code with respect to an individual who has applied for employment in a position that involves providing direct care to a pediatric respite care patient, the chief administrator of a pediatric respite care program may request that the superintendent of the bureau investigate and determine, with respect to any individual who has applied for employment in a position that does not involve providing direct care to a pediatric respite care patient, whether the bureau has any information gathered under division (A) of this section that pertains to that individual.
On receipt of a request under this division, the superintendent shall determine whether that information exists and, on request of the individual requesting information, shall also request from the federal bureau of investigation any criminal records it has pertaining to the applicant. The superintendent or the superintendent's designee also may request criminal history records from other states or the federal government pursuant to the national crime prevention and privacy compact set forth in section 109.571 of the Revised Code. Within thirty days of the date a request is received, subject to division (E)(2) of this section, the superintendent shall send to the requester a report of any information determined to exist, including information contained in records that have been sealed under section 2953.32 of the Revised Code, and, within thirty days of its receipt, shall send the requester a report of any information received from the federal bureau of investigation, other than information the dissemination of which is prohibited by federal law.
(H) Information obtained by a government entity or person under this section is confidential and shall not be released or disseminated.
(I) The superintendent may charge a reasonable fee for providing information or criminal records under division (F)(2) or (G) of this section.
(J) As used in this section:
(1) "Pediatric respite care program" and "pediatric care patient" have the same meanings as in section 3712.01 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Sexually oriented offense" and "child-victim oriented offense" have the same meanings as in section 2950.01 of the Revised Code.
(3) "Registered private provider" means a nonpublic school or entity registered with the superintendent of public instruction under section 3310.41 of the Revised Code to participate in the autism scholarship program or section 3310.58 of the Revised Code to participate in the Jon Peterson special needs scholarship program.
Last updated May 4, 2022 at 9:17 AM
Available Versions of this Section
- September 30, 2021 – Amended by House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly [ View September 30, 2021 Version ]
- April 4, 2023 – Amended by Senate Bill 288 (GA 134), House Bill 405 (GA 134) [ View April 4, 2023 Version ]
- October 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 3, 2023 Version ]
- October 24, 2024 – Amended by House Bill 147 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 24, 2024 Version ]