How do I file a complaint against a police officer in Ohio?

What should I do right after a bad police encounter?

The first hours matter most, because details fade and evidence gets lost.

• Write it all down now: the date, time and exact location, what was said, and the officers' names, badge numbers, patrol car numbers and agency.
• Save your video and photos: back them up somewhere other than your phone. Since October 6, 2026, it is a crime to approach or stay within 15 feet of an officer after a verbal warning to stay back, if you are interfering with the officer's duties or threatening harm (Ohio Revised Code 2921.31(C)). The law does not ban recording.
• Get witnesses: names, phone numbers and what each person saw.
• Document injuries: photograph them over several days, get medical care, and keep every record and bill.
• Keep your paperwork: any citation, property receipt, report number or business card an officer gave you.

Justice Sentinel lets you record these details as soon as possible after the encounter, so your notes, times and evidence are already in one place when you file.

Where do I file a complaint against an Ohio police officer?

You can file in more than one place. Many people start with the agency and add the others that fit.

1. The officer's own agency

Every police department and sheriff's office takes complaints about its own officers, usually through internal affairs or professional standards. Agencies certified under the Ohio Collaborative's misconduct standard must have a written policy that describes how and where to file, how complaints are investigated, and a timeline for resolving them, and must make it available to the public. That certification is voluntary, so ask your agency for its complaint policy.

2. A civilian oversight office

• Cleveland: the Office of Professional Standards takes complaints online, by email, by phone, by fax, in person, or at any district station, and an officer must give you a complaint form if you ask. Anyone can file, including anonymously or for someone else. Cases go to the Civilian Police Review Board.
• Columbus: the Department of the Inspector General takes complaints in person, by phone, by email, online or by mail, and works with the Civilian Police Review Board.
• Cincinnati: the Citizen Complaint Authority takes complaints online, by email, by phone, by mail or in person, and treats anonymous complaints with the same importance.
• Akron: you can file with the Office of the Independent Police Auditor, which the Citizens' Police Oversight Board oversees, or with the Akron Police Department. The city says complaints can be made in person, by phone, by mail or by email, and can be anonymous.

3. An officer's state certificate

The executive director of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission must revoke an officer's certificate after a felony guilty plea. After a felony conviction at trial, the certificate is suspended while any appeal is pending, then revoked if the conviction is upheld or no timely appeal is filed (Ohio Revised Code 109.77(F)). The Attorney General's public portal shows each officer's certificates, appointment history and training, and since 2023 the reason an officer left an agency, such as resignation under investigation or termination.

• Look up an officer: the Ohio Attorney General's peace officer public records portal.

4. Shootings and deaths

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) investigates officer-involved critical incidents, but only when a law enforcement agency or prosecutor asks it to. The public cannot request one, and BCI does not decide whether the officer acted lawfully. If you believe an officer committed a crime, contact the county prosecutor.

What happens after I file a police complaint?

The agency or oversight office investigates and reaches a finding. In Cincinnati, for example, the Citizen Complaint Authority's director decides which cases it investigates, and others go to the police department's internal investigations unit. Keep a copy of everything you send and the date you sent it.

Is it a crime to file a false police complaint in Ohio?

Ohio law makes it a misdemeanor to file a complaint against an officer that you know is false (Ohio Revised Code 2921.15). It applies only to allegations you know are untrue. An honest complaint, even one that is not sustained, is not a false complaint. Stick to what you saw and heard, and say when you are unsure.

Is there a deadline to file a police complaint in Ohio?

The city oversight pages covered here list no deadline for the complaint itself. Memories fade and video can be deleted, so filing sooner can make the complaint easier to investigate. If you face criminal charges from the encounter, consider talking to your defense lawyer before you file.

The deadlines for money damages:

• Assault, battery, false imprisonment (including false arrest) or malicious prosecution: usually within one year (Ohio Revised Code 2305.111 and 2305.11). Claims about excessive force are usually treated as assault or battery, even if they are described as an injury claim.
• Other bodily injury claims: within two years (Ohio Revised Code 2305.10).
• Lawsuit against a local government: within two years after the cause of action accrues, or sooner if a shorter deadline applies to the type of claim, such as the one-year deadlines above (Ohio Revised Code 2744.04).

Federal civil rights lawsuits follow different rules. A lawyer can tell you which deadlines apply to you.

How do I get police reports, records and body camera video?

Ask under the Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Revised Code 149.43). People often call it a FOIA request, but for Ohio agencies it is a public records request.

• Response time: records must be made available promptly, and copies provided within a reasonable time.
• Body and dash camera video: some parts can be withheld, such as images of children, nudity, or victims of sex offenses or domestic violence. Video of the inside of a home, or of private areas of a business, can also be withheld, unless an officer used force or had a confrontation there. A court can order release when the public interest substantially outweighs privacy.
• Video fees: an agency may charge up to $75 an hour of video produced and $750 in total, and must give you a cost estimate within five business days. Victims do not pay the fee.

Justice Sentinel can generate a records request letter asking for the incident and arrest reports, body and dash camera video, dispatch logs and use-of-force reports from your incident.

When should I talk to a lawyer?

Talk to a lawyer soon if you were injured, arrested or charged, had property taken or damaged, or lost a family member, or if you think you may want money damages. Some Ohio deadlines for claims about police conduct are only one year. If you face criminal charges from the encounter, consider talking to your defense lawyer before you file a complaint, because what you write could come up in your case. Legal aid offices, lawyer referral services and civil rights organizations can help you find one.

How does Justice Sentinel help you file a police complaint?

Justice Sentinel is a civil rights app that helps people document police encounters and turn what happened into a formal misconduct complaint, a public records request or a court declaration signed under penalty of perjury. You can start a draft for free; the filing-ready PDF, delivery and declaration review are paid options.

• Document the encounter: answer guided questions about what happened, and the app organizes your account, times, people and evidence.
• Misconduct complaint: a formal complaint about an officer or department, written in clear, official language, that puts your account on the record with the agency, oversight bodies or investigators.
• Public records request: a request for the incident and arrest reports, dispatch logs, use-of-force reports and messages about your incident, and body and dash camera video in states where it is a public record.
• Court declaration: a written statement of the facts that you sign under penalty of perjury. Our team reviews it for completeness and formatting and returns it to you, as a paid option. Courts have their own rules for declarations, so check them, or give it to your attorney, before you file it.
• File it yourself or have it sent: start free with a draft, then choose a paid option: download a filing-ready PDF and send it yourself, or have your complaint and records request delivered for you to the agency you choose, with tracking.
• Proof of delivery: when the agency's mail server confirms it received a complaint or records request we sent for you, you get a Certificate of Service recording when, where and what was sent, which your attorney can use as proof of delivery.
• Agency directory: look up thousands of US law enforcement agencies and start a complaint against the right one.
• Encrypted attorney messaging: if your attorney also uses Justice Sentinel, messages between the two of you in its end-to-end encrypted channel are sealed in your browser before they are sent, so Justice Sentinel can't read them.