Where do I file an adoption in Muskingum County?

Adoptions are filed in the Muskingum County Probate Court at 401 Main Street, Zanesville, OH 43701. You can reach the Probate Court at (740) 455-7113, by fax at (740) 455-7173, or by email at probate@muskingumcounty.org.

Which forms do I need to adopt in Muskingum County?

Muskingum County uses the Ohio Supreme Court's standardized probate (adoption) forms. A minor adoption starts with Form 18.0 (Petition for Adoption of Minor) plus a Consent to Adoption (Form 18.3); an adult adoption uses Form 19.0; and a foreign adoption is recognized with Form 19.2. Download the current PDFs from the Supreme Court of Ohio probate forms page.

How does a stepparent adoption work in Muskingum County?

A stepparent adoption is filed as a minor adoption (Form 18.0). The court generally needs the consent of the child's other legal parent (Form 18.3) unless the law excuses it, addresses any home study or background check, holds a hearing, and then enters a final decree making the stepparent a legal parent.

Do I need the other parent's consent?

Usually yes. The other legal parent generally must consent (Form 18.3) unless the court finds consent is excused — for example, where a parent has failed without justifiable cause to communicate with or support the child for at least one year (R.C. 3107.07).

Is adoption the same as custody?

No. Adoption (Probate Court) is permanent and makes you the child's legal parent, ending a former parent's rights. Legal custody to a non-parent does not end anyone's parental rights — and in Muskingum County non-parent custody for unmarried parents is handled by the separate Domestic Relations Court, not the Probate or Juvenile Court.

Do I need a home study?

A stepparent adoption may be partly exempt from the assessment requirement by statute, but the court may still require a background check or report. Requirements vary by case, so confirm what applies to yours with the Probate Court.

How much does an adoption cost in Muskingum County?

Probate fees are set by the court, and the Muskingum County Probate Court does not publish its adoption fee online. Confirm the current deposit by calling (740) 455-7113 or emailing probate@muskingumcounty.org. Ask about a fee waiver if you cannot afford the deposit.

Do I need a lawyer to adopt in Muskingum County?

You are not required to hire a lawyer, and the standardized forms let you file on your own. Because contested consents and excused-consent findings (R.C. 3107.07) can be complex, many families choose to work with an Ohio family-law attorney to make sure the decree holds up.

Adoption in Muskingum County Probate Court

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 16, 2026

You file a Petition for Adoption in the Muskingum County Probate Court at 401 Main Street, Zanesville, OH 43701, (740) 455-7113. A minor adoption begins with Form 18.0 (Petition for Adoption of Minor); an adult adoption uses Form 19.0; and a foreign adoption is recognized with Form 19.2. You then address consent — obtain the other legal parent's consent (Form 18.3) or plead the legal basis to excuse it under R.C. 3107.07 — complete any required assessment or home study, and attend the final hearing. If the court finds the adoption is in the child's best interest, it issues the final decree of adoption and a new birth record is prepared.

Muskingum County Probate Court

401 Main Street, Zanesville, OH 43701. Phone (740) 455-7113. Fax (740) 455-7173. Email probate@muskingumcounty.org. Judge Eric D. Martin presides over the Probate and Juvenile divisions. Open Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Court website. Ohio Supreme Court probate forms.

Who this is for

You are a stepparent adopting your spouse's child and need the court to make it legal and permanent.
You are a relative or kinship caregiver who wants to adopt a child already living in your home.
You need to address the other legal parent's consent — or show the court why that consent should be excused.
You want to understand the difference between adoption (Probate Court) and legal custody to a non-parent.
You need to know exactly where and how to file an adoption in Zanesville, and what it will cost.

Official adoption forms

Adoption of a minor (18.x forms)

Muskingum County does not keep its own adoption-forms library — it uses the Ohio Supreme Court's standardized probate (adoption) forms. Download the current PDFs from the Supreme Court of Ohio probate forms page: https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/forms/all-forms/probate/5

Form 18.0 Petition for Adoption of Minor — The petition that opens a minor (stepparent or kinship) adoption case.
Form 18.1 Judgment Entry Setting Hearing and Ordering Notice
Form 18.2 Notice of Hearing on Petition for Adoption
Form 18.3 Consent to Adoption — Consent from a parent or party whose agreement the law requires.
Form 18.4 Judgment Entry Finding Consent Not Required — Used when the court excuses a parent's consent under R.C. 3107.07.
Form 18.5 Interlocutory Order of Adoption
Form 18.6 Final Decree of Adoption (After Interlocutory Order)
Form 18.7 Final Decree of Adoption (Without Interlocutory Order)
Form 18.8 Adoption Certificate for Parents
Form 18.9 Petitioner's Account

Adoption of an adult (19.x forms)

Adult adoptions use a shorter set of forms and are decided with a single final order.

Recognizing a foreign adoption (19.2–19.3)

Use these to have Ohio recognize an adoption completed in another country and to obtain an Ohio birth record.

Notice to the Child Support Enforcement Agency

When an adoption ends a parent's support obligation, the CSEA is notified.

Form 19.4 Notice to the Child Support Enforcement Agency

The Muskingum County Probate Court does not publish its adoption fee schedule online — probate fees are set by the court. Confirm the current adoption deposit by calling the Probate Court at (740) 455-7113, emailing probate@muskingumcounty.org, or visiting 401 Main Street, Zanesville, OH 43701. If you cannot afford the deposit, ask the office about an indigency affidavit or fee waiver.

Step by step

Confirm the Probate Court is the right court Adoption permanently makes you the child's legal parent and ends a former parent's rights — it is filed in the Probate Court. That is very different from legal custody to a relative, which in Muskingum County is a Domestic Relations Court case and does not end anyone's parental rights.
Choose the right petition A minor (stepparent or kinship) adoption starts with Form 18.0; an adult adoption uses Form 19.0; and a foreign adoption is recognized with Form 19.2. Identify your path first, because the forms and steps differ.
Address consent Obtain the other legal parent's consent (Form 18.3) or plead the legal basis to excuse it — for example, where a parent has failed without justifiable cause to communicate with or support the child for at least one year (R.C. 3107.07).
Complete any required assessment or home study A stepparent adoption may be partly exempt by statute, but the court may still require a background check or report. Confirm what your case needs before the hearing.
File the petition and pay the deposit File your petition and supporting forms in the Muskingum County Probate Court, 401 Main Street, Zanesville, OH 43701, and pay the filing deposit. Because the court does not publish a fee online, confirm the current amount by calling (740) 455-7113 or emailing probate@muskingumcounty.org first.
Attend the final hearing and receive the decree At the hearing the court reviews the petition, the consents, and any report and decides whether the adoption is in the child's best interest. If it is, the judge issues the final decree of adoption (Form 18.6 or 18.7) and a new birth record is prepared.

Good to know about Muskingum County

In Muskingum County, Judge Eric D. Martin presides over both the Probate and Juvenile Courts (Magistrates Erin Welch and Shawn Crawmer also hear probate matters), but each keeps its own office: file adoptions with the Probate Court at 401 Main Street, Zanesville, OH 43701, while abuse, neglect, and dependency cases are heard by the Juvenile Court at 1860 East Pike, Zanesville.
Custody for unmarried parents is not a Probate or Juvenile matter in Muskingum County — parentage, custody, parenting time, and support for unmarried parents are handled by the separate Domestic Relations Court at 22 N. 5th Street, Zanesville. Adoption (Probate Court) is the only path that permanently makes you the child's legal parent.
Muskingum County does not maintain its own adoption-forms library or publish an adoption fee online. Use the Ohio Supreme Court's standardized probate (adoption) forms and confirm the current deposit with the Probate Court at (740) 455-7113 or probate@muskingumcounty.org before you file.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I file an adoption in Muskingum County?: Adoptions are filed in the Muskingum County Probate Court at 401 Main Street, Zanesville, OH 43701. You can reach the Probate Court at (740) 455-7113, by fax at (740) 455-7173, or by email at probate@muskingumcounty.org.
Which forms do I need to adopt in Muskingum County?: Muskingum County uses the Ohio Supreme Court's standardized probate (adoption) forms. A minor adoption starts with Form 18.0 (Petition for Adoption of Minor) plus a Consent to Adoption (Form 18.3); an adult adoption uses Form 19.0; and a foreign adoption is recognized with Form 19.2. Download the current PDFs from the Supreme Court of Ohio probate forms page.
How does a stepparent adoption work in Muskingum County?: A stepparent adoption is filed as a minor adoption (Form 18.0). The court generally needs the consent of the child's other legal parent (Form 18.3) unless the law excuses it, addresses any home study or background check, holds a hearing, and then enters a final decree making the stepparent a legal parent.
Do I need the other parent's consent?: Usually yes. The other legal parent generally must consent (Form 18.3) unless the court finds consent is excused — for example, where a parent has failed without justifiable cause to communicate with or support the child for at least one year (R.C. 3107.07).
Is adoption the same as custody?: No. Adoption (Probate Court) is permanent and makes you the child's legal parent, ending a former parent's rights. Legal custody to a non-parent does not end anyone's parental rights — and in Muskingum County non-parent custody for unmarried parents is handled by the separate Domestic Relations Court, not the Probate or Juvenile Court.
Do I need a home study?: A stepparent adoption may be partly exempt from the assessment requirement by statute, but the court may still require a background check or report. Requirements vary by case, so confirm what applies to yours with the Probate Court.
How much does an adoption cost in Muskingum County?: Probate fees are set by the court, and the Muskingum County Probate Court does not publish its adoption fee online. Confirm the current deposit by calling (740) 455-7113 or emailing probate@muskingumcounty.org. Ask about a fee waiver if you cannot afford the deposit.
Do I need a lawyer to adopt in Muskingum County?: You are not required to hire a lawyer, and the standardized forms let you file on your own. Because contested consents and excused-consent findings (R.C. 3107.07) can be complex, many families choose to work with an Ohio family-law attorney to make sure the decree holds up.

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