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Ohio County
Seneca County, Ohio
Tiffin's glass heritage and Heidelberg University - from Tiffin's extraordinary glass manufacturing history (Tiffin Glass, operated by the United States Glass Company from 1888 to 1980, produced some of America's finest hand-crafted glassware - Tiffin glass is among the most collected American glassware, with a dedicated collector community and the Glass Museum documenting the company's 92-year production) to Heidelberg University's German Reformed heritage campus and Fostoria's railroad junction heritage, and a north-central Ohio county of genuine industrial and educational distinction.
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Notes: Tiffin sits on the Sandusky River, formed from the 1850 merger of rival settlements Tiffin and Fort Ball.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Seneca County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via senecacountyohio.gov.
Notes: Tiffin is genuinely, distinctively home to the legacy of the Tiffin Glass Company, one of America’s most collectible glassware manufacturers, operating from 1889 until 1980 (outlet closed 1984). Nearly 1,000 people were employed making, designing, and decorating glass at the height of production, and Tiffin stemware, cuttings, etchings, and colored art glass remain highly sought by collectors nationwide. The Tiffin Glass Museum, 27 S Washington St. (opened 1998, run by the Tiffin Glass Collectors Club), preserves over 1,000-2,000 pieces alongside company memorabilia and historic catalog archives. Tiffin was founded in 1821 by Josiah Hedges and named for Edward Tiffin, Ohio’s first governor; the rival settlement of Fort Ball (originally Oakley), which grew up around a War of 1812 military depot, merged into Tiffin in 1850. Seneca County was founded April 1, 1824 and named for the Seneca nation.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Seneca County Veterans Service Commission – 920 E. County Rd. 20, Tiffin, OH 44883 | (419) 447-2885 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4:30 PM; established 1886; provides VA medical transportation, benefits assistance, and scholarships for war orphans.
State: Ohio Department of Veterans Services – dvs.ohio.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Tiffin-Seneca Public Library – confirm current address/hours via tiffinsenecalibrary.org; maintains a Seneca County Veterans Photo Memorial (WWI/WWII servicemembers) and extensive genealogical/military records archives.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Tiffin Glass Museum and the Seneca County Museum (housed in the historic Shawhan House, part of the Fort Ball-Railroad Historic District) are the county’s signature cultural attractions.
Notes: The genuine Tiffin Glass Company heritage – one of America’s most collectible glassware brands – is a distinctive, checkable local fact.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Seneca County Auditor – confirm current phone via senecacountyauditoroh.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Seneca County Dog Warden – 3190 S SR 100 (also cited at 3140 S State Route 100), Tiffin, OH 44883 | (419) 448-5097 | Fax: (419) 448-4483 | [email protected]; Chief Dog Warden Kelly Marker.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Seneca County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via senecacountyohio.gov.
NOTES: Seneca County is the fourth county in this batch (Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit) of the Ohio v2 redo. The genuine Tiffin Glass Company heritage – one of America’s most collectible glassware brands – is a distinctive local fact. 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 Seneca County
Seneca County is north-central Ohio’s glass heritage and higher education county – a Sandusky River community whose glassmaking legacy and small university campus give it a cultural depth beyond its size.
Tiffin (the county seat, population ~17,000) was one of America’s most important glassmaking cities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tiffin Glass – particularly its elegant Depression-era stemware, hand-blown art glass, and etched patterns – is among the most actively collected American glassware today. The Seneca County Museum and Glass Museum preserve the heritage of an industry that employed thousands for nearly a century.
Heidelberg University (enrollment ~1,000, German Reformed founding 1850) anchors Tiffin’s cultural life with a historic campus and liberal arts education.
Fostoria (population ~13,000) developed as a significant railroad junction – the name came from Charles Foster, a local landowner, but the city’s growth came from its position at the crossing of multiple railroad lines.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Seneca County Auditor at 111 Madison Street, Suite 200, Tiffin, OH 44883, phone 419-447-0692. Appeal to County Board of Revision by April 1.
Courts & Legal
Seneca County Probate Court at 71 S. Washington Street, Suite 1111, Tiffin, OH 44883, phone 419-447-4550, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
81 Jefferson St, Tiffin, OH 44883
(419) 447-2444
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Seneca County Probate Court, Tiffin (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Seneca 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
Seneca County Probate Court 103 East Market Street, Tiffin, OH 44883 (419) 447-3121 Seneca County is in north-central Ohio, seated in Tiffin.
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 Seneca 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
81 Jefferson St, Tiffin, OH 44883
(419) 447-2444
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
108 Hopewell Ave, Tiffin, OH 44883
(419) 447-2323
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
139 East Market St, Tiffin, OH 44883
(419) 447-2424
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
General Health District
71 South Washington St, Tiffin, OH 44883
(419) 447-3691
Job and Family Services
3410 South Township Rd 151, Tiffin, OH 44883
(419) 447-5011
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Seneca County General Health District – 92 E. Perry Street, Tiffin, OH 44883 | (419) 447-3691 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Tiffin
Population: 55,000
Established: 1820
Tier: 3
Public Records
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