NOTICE: Thank you for visiting the Franklin County Auditor website. The office will be closed on Monday, November 11th, 2024 for Veteran’s Day. NOTICE: Due to system maintenance, BOR eFiling and Direct Download (FTP) will be periodically unavailable on Thursday, November 7, 2024, between 5 PM and 6 PM. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any questions or issues, please contact Michael.
Below are the answers to the most common questions asked about the work of the Franklin County Auditor’s Office. For additional information about a specific division of the office, please visit the webpage(s) of that division by clicking on the tabs above. You are also welcome to contact the office directly at 614-525-HOME (4663) or contact Michael.
If you feel that the Auditor’s appraised value of your property does not accurately reflect its true value, you may dispute the valuation by filing a complaint through the Franklin County Board of Revision (BOR). The BOR is comprised of the county auditor, treasurer, and president of the board of county commissioners or their representatives. Filing a complaint allows property owners to schedule a hearing before the BOR or participate the Auditor’s mediation program to share what you as the property owner feel the proper value should be. Through the BOR process, you may present information such as recent appraisals or current sales data for similar properties in your neighborhood to support your complaint. For additional information about the Board of Revision, please visit our BOR webpage here. A property owner can file a complaint with the Board of Revision by completing the Complaint Against the Valuation of Real Property (DTE 1) form and emailing it to [email protected], faxing it to 614-525-6252, or mailing it to Franklin County Auditor, Board of Revision, 373 S High St, 20th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215. Alternatively, you may electronically file your complaint through the online eFiling portal here: https://www.franklincountyauditor.com/real-estate/board-of-revision. Additional complaint forms related to the Board of Revision can also be obtained through the online Form Center. Complaints can be filed with the BOR between November 30 and March 31.
Mediation is a process by which property owners can settle Board of Revision (BOR) cases without a full BOR hearing. It involves the property owner participating in a conference call or in-person meeting with an independent mediator and a representative from the Franklin County Auditor’s Office (FCAO). Over the course of the conversation, the mediator facilitates negotiations between the property owner and the FCAO representative to help them reach a voluntary agreement regarding the disputed property value. The Board of Revision must then approve any agreement that is reached in mediation. For additional information about the mediation process, including whether you may qualify, please visit the meditation webpage here!
The Ohio Revised Code requires the county auditor to determine the taxable value of real property. As part of this duty, and in our effort to maintain accurate and up-to-date real estate records, you will see regular changes to your property’s appraised value. There are several reasons why your Auditor’s Office may have updated your appraised property value, including:
Your Franklin County Auditor's Office is pleased to provide speakers and presentations on a variety of topics, including the Homestead Exemption program, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the real estate taxation process, and any other aspect of the office. Additionally, the office participates in and provides information and community resources at events throughout Franklin County through the mobile office. Please call 614-525-HOME (4663), contact Michael, or contact us electronically for information about scheduling a presentation or participating in an upcoming community event.
There are several ways to obtain a dog license. Dog licenses can be obtained online, in person at the Franklin County Dog Shelter (4340 Tamarack Blvd, Columbus, OH 43229), or at various mobile office pop-up events throughout the county. In addition, you may call your Franklin County Auditor's Office Consumer Services Division directly at 614-525-3260 to request that an application be mailed to you. If you have any questions about the dog licensing process or the various fees associated with licensing your dog, please call 614-525-3260 or contact Michael. Licensing fees may be prorated if the license is issued after the statutory deadlines of any given year.
Your Franklin County Auditor’s website provides a levy estimator tool that estimates the annual cost of proposed property tax levies on any property’s tax bill. Please note that this tool only estimates the potential impact of property tax levies and does not account for any income tax levies on your ballot.
A vendor's license is required by state law whenever a business makes retail sales. Having a vendor's license enables the business owner to collect sales tax for the State of Ohio. The initial license is issued by the county auditor's office in the county where the business is located. Because there are different types of vendor's licenses, we recommend contacting your Franklin County Auditor's Office Consumer Services Division directly at 614-525-3260 or contact Michael to determine which license type you might need. You may also visit the Ohio Department of Taxation’s website to learn more about vendor’s licenses and Ohio’s sales tax.
If you suspect a problem with a measuring, weighing, or scanning device in Franklin County, please report the potential issue to your Franklin County Auditor's Office by calling 614-525-7380 or completing the online complaint form. When making a report, please provide the following information:
Your Franklin County Auditor’s Office does not levy or collect any taxes. The Franklin County Treasurer’s Office is responsible for issuing property tax bills and collecting tax payments. Generally, property taxes are due on a semi-annual basis in January and June. For information about your property tax bill or to pay the taxes owed, please contact the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office directly at 614-525-3438 or [email protected]. You may also visit the Treasurer’s website here.
Most businesses are to some degree affected by Ohio’s weights and measures law. Although the applicability of these regulations may vary, a business using any kind of weighing or measuring device (e.g., scale, gas pump, meter, UPC scanner system, timing device, etc.) is likely to be directly affected. Additionally, if your business is involved in packaging commodities, you will need to adhere to packaging, labeling and net quantity requirements. If you have any questions about how your business might be impacted by Ohio’s weights and measures law, please call 614-525-7380 or contact Michael.
Ohio Revised Code requires owners of residential rental property to register their property with the county auditor in the county where the property is located. The information required to be filed includes:
NOTE: An owner of residential rental property who resides outside of the State of Ohio must designate an individual who resides in the state to serve as the management or agent contact. Alternatively, an out-of-state business entity owner with an in-state statutory agent may file with the county auditor a certified copy of the designated agent on file with the Ohio Secretary of State. While out-of-state owners must provide an in-state management contact, an in-state owner may provide a management contact in addition to owner information. This information can be provided or updated via the online rental registration portal. All of the same information required for an owner contact is required for a management contact. The property owner can designate if owner information, management information, or both will be displayed on the property search website. Rental registration information must be filed within 60 days of a property transfer and failure to comply can result in a fine of $150. You may register a rental property through your Franklin County Auditor’s online rental registration management system or by completing the Franklin County Auditor’s rental registration form and mailing it to Franklin County Auditor, Rental Registration, 373 S High St, 19th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215 or emailing it to [email protected]. For additional information about the rental registration process, please visit the rental registration webpage here.
The Franklin County Treasurer’s Office is responsible for issuing property tax bills and collecting property tax payments. You may submit a request to update your tax bill mailing address directly to the Treasurer’s Office at 614-525-3438 or [email protected] or by completing the Treasurer’s online tax bill mailing address change request form here.
The standard Homestead Exemption is a property tax credit designed for lower income older adults and those who are permanently and totally disabled. To qualify, an individual must be age 65 or older as of December 31 of the year for which they apply or be totally and permanently disabled as of January 1 of the year for which they apply. The individual must also reside in their home as their primary residence as of January 1 of the year for which they apply and earn below a specified income limit. The maximum allowable income changes each year based on inflation and approved applicants will receive a property tax reduction equal to the taxes owed toward $26,200 of their property’s appraised value. You may apply for the standard Homestead Exemption by submitting an online application or completing the Homestead Exemption Application for Senior Citizens, Disabled Persons and Surviving Spouses (DTE 105A) and mailing it to Franklin County Auditor, Homestead, 373 S High St, 21st Floor, Columbus, OH 43215 or emailing it to [email protected]. An enhanced Homestead Exemption is also available for military veterans who are 100% disabled by or are receiving 100% compensation for service-connected injuries as well as surviving spouses of public service officers killed in the line of duty. There are no income requirements with the enhanced Homestead Exemption and approved applicants will receive a property tax reduction equal to the taxes owed toward $52,300 of their property’s appraised value. You may apply for the enhanced Homestead Exemption for disabled veterans by completing the Homestead Exemption Application for Disabled Veterans and Surviving Spouses (DTE 105I) and mailing to Franklin County Auditor, Homestead, 373 S High St, 21st Floor, Columbus, OH 43215 or emailing it to [email protected]. Alternatively, you may apply for the enhanced Homestead Exemption for the surviving spouses of public service officers killed in the line of duty by completing the Homestead Exemption Application for Surviving Spouses of Public Service Officers Killed in the Line of Duty (DTE 105K) and submitting it via mail or email at the addresses referenced above. For more information about the Homestead program and to access the various forms associated with it, please visit our Homestead webpage here.
Your public school district, vocational school district (if applicable), city/village/township, library, and county all receive a portion of the property tax dollars distributed by your Franklin County Auditor's Office. To receive a copy of the tax budget for a specific municipality or political subdivision, you may call or submit a written request to Kerri Ritchie, Budget Commission Clerk, at 614-525-3743 or [email protected]. Written requests may also be mailed to the following address: Franklin County Auditor Budget Commission Clerk 373 S High St, 21st Floor Columbus, OH 43215 When making such a request, please specify the agency and tax year for which you are requesting the tax budget.
Your Franklin County Auditor’s office takes the safety and security of the residents and businesses of Franklin County very seriously and is committed to mitigating and remedying any instances of fraudulent activity. With regard to transfers of property ownership, the office requires that all deeds and other relevant documents be notarized by a notary public registered with the Office of the Ohio Secretary of State. This notarization process is designed to safeguard against the activities of fraudulent actors and reduce the frequency of inaccurate information appearing on documents such as property deeds. The office also maintains the county’s most comprehensive source of real estate data, including property ownership information, which can be used to verify the owner(s) of any property by performing a search for it through the office’s online Property Search tool: https://property.franklincountyauditor.com/ If you suspect that the ownership of your property may have been impacted by fraudulent activity, please report the issue to the Auditor’s office by calling (614) 525-HOME (4663) or emailing [email protected]. The office will use this information to investigate your property record and, if appropriate, coordinate with the proper authorities to remedy any instance of fraudulent activity.