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Ohio · Cleveland-Akron Metro · #343 Most Populous County in the US
Medina County, Ohio
Medina and Brunswick - one of the fastest-growing counties in northeast Ohio, where one of the finest Victorian village squares in the Midwest anchors a community that has drawn thousands of Cleveland and Akron families seeking excellent schools, lower costs, and genuine small-town character. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Medina County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Medina County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security – 5834 Heather Hedge Dr., Chippewa Lake, OH 44215 | (330) 722-9240; formed 1990 under ORC 5502.26; maintains the Medina County All Hazards Team (MCAHT) for HAZMAT, explosives, WMD, and technical rescue response, drawn from county fire, law enforcement, and EMS personnel; recently transitioned emergency notifications to the Regroup alert system (residents who registered under the old WENS system must re-register).
911: Medina County Sheriff’s Office Communications – Director Jonelle Meredith; (330) 764-3625.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-71 and SR-18/57 serve Medina, the county seat, roughly 33 miles south of Cleveland
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Medina’s historic town square anchors the county seat, home to the annual Medina County Fair each August.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Medina County Building Permits – 144 North Broadway Street, Medina, OH 44256 | (330) 723-3641 | TDD: (330) 725-9123 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM.
Notes: Medina, Ohio is genuinely, distinctively known in American beekeeping history as the home of the A.I. Root Company, founded in 1869 by Amos Ives Root – a former jeweler who became fascinated with a swarm of bees in 1865. Root pioneered a method for harvesting honey without destroying the hive, standardized beehive dimensions, and built his company into one of the largest beekeeping supply manufacturers in the world, at its peak shipping four railroad freight cars of equipment daily; the company still operates from Medina today (now Root Candles), run by the sixth generation of the Root family. The town earned the nickname “The Sweetest Town on Earth,” and the local high school mascot remains the “Battling Bees.” Root also wrote what’s considered the first eyewitness published account of the Wright Brothers’ flight, having witnessed one of their early 1904 test flights near Dayton.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Medina County Veterans Services – confirm current address/phone via medinaco.org.
State: Ohio Department of Veterans Services – dvs.ohio.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Medina County District Library – Medina (main) Library, 210 South Broadway Street, Medina, OH 44256 | (330) 725-0588 | Fax: (330) 725-2053 | Hours: Mon-Thu 10 AM-8 PM, Fri-Sat 10 AM-5 PM, closed Sunday; founded 1907 with funds donated by Franklin Sylvester, expanded in 1958, 1976, and 2008 to 75,000 sq. ft., the largest library in the county; roughly 316,850-volume collection circulating 2.9 million items annually. Branches: Brunswick, 3649 Center Road | (330) 273-4150; Buckeye, 6625 Wolff Road, Medina | (330) 725-4415; Highland, 4160 Ridge Road, Medina | (330) 239-2674; Lodi, 635 Wooster Street | (330) 948-1885; Seville, 45 N. Center Street | (330) 769-2852. Wadsworth’s Ella M. Everhard Public Library, 132 Broad Street | (330) 334-5761, is a separate system within the county.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The A.I. Root Company/Root Candles historic grounds, the Medina County Fairgrounds, and the historic Medina town square are the county’s signature attractions.
Notes: The genuine A.I. Root Company beekeeping heritage – including Root’s eyewitness account of the Wright Brothers’ flight – is one of the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Medina County Auditor – confirm current phone via medinaco.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Medina County Animal Shelter (Dog Shelter) – 6334 Deerview Lane, Medina, OH 44256 | (330) 725-9121 | Fax: (330) 723-9554 | Hours: Mon-Fri 10 AM-12 PM & 1-4 PM, Sat 10 AM-2 PM, closed Sunday; 100% self-funded through adoption fees, license revenue, and donations (no tax dollars); adoption fee $64 (includes dog license and spay/neuter voucher, required within 6 months); adopters must be 18+; cash/check only.
Nonprofit: Medina County SPCA – 8790 Guilford Rd, Seville, OH 44273 | operating since 1985; also Kitten Krazy (cat-specific), 930 Lafayette Road, Unit A, Medina.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Medina County Solid Waste District – confirm current contact via medinaco.org.
NOTES: Medina County is the third county in this batch (Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Mercer, Miami, Monroe) of the Ohio v2 redo. The genuine A.I. Root Company beekeeping heritage is one of the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Medina County
Heritage | Medina’s Public Square, ringed by Victorian storefronts and gazebos, is regularly cited as one of the most picturesque town squares in Ohio, drawing visitors for its holiday lighting displays each Christmas season; the county’s A.I. Root Company, founded in Medina in 1869, became one of the world’s leading beekeeping supply manufacturers, giving the small city an unusual claim to apiary industry fame Outdoors | The county’s parks system and nearby Hinckley Reservation, part of the Cleveland Metroparks, offer hiking and the annual return of buzzards each March, a beloved local tradition Notable | Medina’s Public Square draws visitors for its charm and seasonal events, and the county has grown steadily as a Cleveland-Akron suburban commuter destination while retaining rural character in its western reaches Library | Medina County District Library operates a large system serving the county’s growing suburban and rural communities
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
93 Public Sq, Medina, OH 44256
(330) 725-9703
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Medina County Probate Court, Medina (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Medina County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Medina County Probate Court 93 Public Square, Room 104, Medina, OH 44256 (330) 725-9703 Medina County is in northeastern Ohio, seated in Medina.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Ohio has not adopted the Uniform Probate Code, but has incorporated some streamlined concepts into its own system under Title 21 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC Chapters 2101-2131).
Summary Release from Administration (ORC § 2113.03) – available for very small estates valued at $5,000 or less. Lets the court release assets quickly, often to cover funeral expenses and support the surviving family, without a fiduciary being appointed.
Release from Administration (ORC § 2113.03) – Ohio’s broader small-estate shortcut. Available when the gross probate estate is $35,000 or less, OR up to $100,000 if the entire estate passes to a surviving spouse (by will or by Ohio’s intestacy law). No executor/administrator is appointed; the court releases the estate directly to the person(s) entitled to it.
Full Estate Administration – required when the estate exceeds these thresholds or the situation is otherwise contested or complex. The court appoints a fiduciary (Ohio’s term for executor/administrator), issues a Certificate of Appointment once any will is admitted, and the fiduciary inventories assets, publishes notice to creditors, pays debts, and distributes what remains under ongoing court supervision.
Step 2: filing for administration
File the will (if any) and an application with the Probate Court in the county where the decedent resided.
If pursuing Release from Administration or Summary Release, complete the applicable court forms (Form 5.0 for standard Release, Form 5.10 for Summary Release) along with a complete asset inventory and supporting documents.
For full administration, the court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration to the appointed fiduciary.
The fiduciary publishes notice to creditors; claims generally must be presented within 6 months of the date of death.
The fiduciary inventories and manages estate assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and distributes what remains according to the will or Ohio’s intestacy law, reporting to the court along the way.
The estate is closed once a final account is filed and approved by the court.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county – check with Medina County directly for current fees.
No state estate tax, no state inheritance tax (repealed effective January 1, 2013). Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates ($15,000,000 per individual as of 2026).
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
93 Public Sq, Medina, OH 44256
(330) 725-9703
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
850 East Washington St, Medina, OH 44256
(330) 725-6631
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
4800 Bowman St, Medina, OH 44256
(330) 723-9741
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
4800 Ledgewood Dr, Medina, OH 44256
(330) 723-9688
Job and Family Services
232 Northland Dr, Medina, OH 44256
(330) 722-9300
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Medina County Health Department – confirm current contact via medinaco.org.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Medina
Population: 185,000
Area: 422 mi²
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Medina County facilities via Amazon.
