Frequently Asked Questions

Your personal information is protected by law in the petition process. The Clerk and Court will take all necessary steps to protect your Social Security number and other confidential information. Matters that are already public record will stay that way in the petition process.

No. The Clerk cannot give you legal advice. The Clerk can only provide you with a blank cover sheet to be filled out, and accept your completed paperwork for filing.

A Certificate for Qualification of Employment (CQE) is a document issued by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) after court approval. A CQE may remove certain barriers to employment for people who have committed felonies or misdemeanors and are finding it hard to get a government-issued occupational license or a job with an employer. A CQE does not guarantee a license or a job, but it may help make the process easier.

Any person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a felony or misdemeanor and lives in Hancock County may file a petition for a CQE. Someone guilty of a felony must wait one year after the end of their sentence or the end of community control or supervision. Someone guilty of a misdemeanor must wait six months after the end of their sentence or the end of community control or supervision.

No. Certain employment barriers (called collateral sanctions) cannot be removed. These include restrictions on sex offenders, some driver's license limitations, limits on who can become a law enforcement officer, and limits on who can be a health care professional or an employee of a pain clinic. The complete list is in Ohio Revised Code section 2953.25(C)(5).

The CQE process is based on where you live currently. If you reside in Hancock County, you would file for a CQE here, no matter where the prior convictions or guilty pleas occurred.

Anyone seeking a CQE must start by filling out a petition application online at the ODRC website. At that site, you can fill out the application form online, get an email account if you do not already have one, and submit your petition application for review by the ODRC. The ODRC will review your application to make sure it is legally complete with all the needed information. The ODRC does not make a decision on the application; they just make sure nothing legally required is left out. This will help you start the process correctly.

Once the ODRC has finished its review and your application is complete, they will notify you by email that it is ready for filing with the Common Pleas Court. You will then print the completed petition and go to the Clerk of Court's Office, located at 300 South Main Street, Findlay, Ohio. The Clerk will provide you with a blank cover sheet to fill out with your contact information. You attach your printed complete petition from the ODRC and the paperwork is ready to be filed.

Yes. The Clerk will require a $100 court cost deposit. There is no fee for the online application with the ODRC. If you cannot afford the filing fee, you may request that the Court approve your filing as an indigent litigant.

Once the CQE petition is filed, the Court gathers information about you from the court(s) where you were convicted or plead guilty, gets the input of the Prosecuting Attorney, checks your criminal record, and gets any other information about you that the Court considers important. If needed, the Court may ask you directly for additional information.

No. The CQE process is based on your history and your need for relief from collateral sanctions. There is no retrial or appeal of your past offenses. The Court may conduct a hearing on the petition if it feels that is necessary, but those hearings should be rare.

No. You do not need an attorney to petition for a CQE. You may have an attorney represent you at your expense if you want, but it is not required. Because a CQE petition is a civil case, there is no right to a court-appointed attorney.

The law requires the Court to make a decision within sixty (60) days after your case file is complete. Please remember that there will be some time after you file for your petition while the Court gathers information about you from several sources. The sixty (60) day limit does not start until the Court has all the data it needs.

You will be notified by regular mail of any decision of the Court. If the CQE is granted, the actual certificate will come from the ODRC, and can be downloaded and printed out. If the CQE is denied, you will be notified of the reasons. The Court may impose certain conditions (waiting a certain time, additional efforts at rehabilitation, etc.) on you refiling another petition after a denial.

The denial of a CQE is a final order and can be appealed to the Third District Court of Appeals.

No. A CQE only deals with employment or getting a government license for an occupation. If you were guilty of a felony, you still have important limits on your rights to have a gun, vote, or hold public office. A CQE does not change any legal requirements or penalties that come from your original conviction or plea of guilty.

No. Once you have been granted a CQE, you still need to apply to the Board or Agency that grants the government license. That Board or Agency will make a separate decision based on the law, their rules, your license application, and any standards that apply.

This publication is for information only and is not intended as legal advice. You may review the law in Ohio Revised Code section 2953.25 and/or consult with the legal counsel of your choice.