Annulment in Scioto County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Scioto County, Ohio · Portsmouth

An annulment is a court declaration that a marriage was void or voidable from the start, available only on the limited statutory grounds in R.C. 3105.31 — such as underage marriage, bigamy, fraud, force, or incompetence. It is rarely the right tool and is not a substitute for divorce. In Scioto County, annulments are filed in the Domestic Relations Division.

How do I get an annulment in Scioto County, Ohio?

File a complaint for annulment in the Scioto County Domestic Relations Division, 602 7th St, Room 303, Portsmouth, stating the statutory ground under R.C. 3105.31 (underage marriage, bigamy, fraud, force, incompetence, or non-consummation). Ohio has no uniform annulment form, so the complaint is drafted to the facts — confirm the court's preferred pleading format with the Clerk. The deposit is $250. Most ground-specific time limits are short. If you don't qualify for annulment, a divorce or dissolution is the right path.

Ohio Divorce by the Numbers

6 months Ohio residency required before you can file Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.03
90 days Residency in the county of filing (venue) Source: Ohio Civ. R. 3
30–90 days Typical time to finalize an uncontested dissolution Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.64
1 year Living separate and apart that qualifies as no-fault grounds Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.01

Compare Your Options for Ending a Marriage in Ohio

Path	Ends the marriage?	Agreement required?	Best when
Dissolution	Yes	Yes — on every term before filing	Both spouses agree on everything and want the fastest, lowest-cost path
Divorce (contested)	Yes	No	Spouses disagree on property, support, or parenting and need a judge to decide
Divorce (uncontested / default)	Yes	No	One spouse will not respond or cannot be located
Legal separation	No — you stay married	Optional	You need court orders but must stay married (religion, insurance, or benefits)
Annulment	Treated as never valid	No	The marriage was never legally valid (fraud, bigamy, underage, or incapacity)

Where to File: Scioto County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

602 7th St, Room 303, Portsmouth, OH 45662, Portsmouth, OH 45662
Phone: (740) 355-8316
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM)
Website: sciotocountydrcourt.com

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Scioto County Juvenile Court
602 7th St #201, Portsmouth, OH 45662, Portsmouth, OH 45662
Phone: (740) 355-8306
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM)

Annulment is the right path if…

Your marriage fits a specific R.C. 3105.31 ground (underage, bigamy, fraud, force, incompetence, or non-consummation).
You're acting within the short time limit that applies to your ground.
You want the marriage declared invalid from the start rather than ended by divorce.
You understand annulment is narrow and rarely available.

If you don't fit an annulment ground, a divorce or dissolution is the correct path. Compare divorce.

Filing Fees

DR filing deposit $250 · no standard annulment form is posted (confirm the pleading format) · most grounds carry short time limits · confirm amounts with the Clerk's Legal Division.

Forms & Filing Packets

Annulment complaint — $250 DR deposit (plus $40 Mediation Fund)

Ohio has no standard annulment form — the complaint is drafted to your statutory ground. File with the local financial affidavit and confirm the pleading format with the Clerk.

Divorce complaint packet (Scioto County DR Court) — Scioto County Domestic Relations Division distributes its complaint, answer, and decree packets through its court site. Confirm with the Clerk whether the DR Court supplies its own packet or accepts the Ohio Supreme Court uniform forms (Form 6 / Form 7) before you file.
Financial Disclosure Affidavit (Scioto County DR Form 5) — Scioto County's local financial-disclosure affidavit listing income, expenses, assets, and debts. Mandatory disclosure is due within 60 days under DR Rule 2.01. Obtain the current form from the DR Court and confirm requirements with the Clerk.

How to File Annulment in Scioto County

Confirm you have a ground. Check whether your marriage fits an R.C. 3105.31 ground — underage, bigamy, incompetence, fraud, force, or non-consummation — and whether you're within the time limit.
Draft the complaint. Because there's no standard form, draft an annulment complaint to your facts; confirm the preferred pleading format with the Clerk.
Add the financial affidavit. Include the local Financial Disclosure Affidavit (DR Form 5).
File and pay the deposit. File in the Domestic Relations Division with the $250 deposit.
Serve and proceed. Serve your spouse and present your proof of the annulment ground at the hearing.

Scioto County Practice Notes

Annulment grounds are narrow. R.C. 3105.31 allows annulment only for specific defects: underage marriage, bigamy, mental incompetence, fraud, force, or a marriage never consummated. Most grounds carry short time limits. If none applies, file for divorce instead.
No standard form — confirm the pleading format. Ohio has no uniform annulment form, so the complaint is drafted to your facts. Confirm the Scioto County DR Court's preferred annulment pleading format and the deposit with the Clerk's Legal Division before filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the grounds for an annulment in Scioto County, Ohio?: R.C. 3105.31 allows annulment only on specific grounds: a marriage where a party was under the age of consent, bigamy (a prior living spouse), mental incompetence, consent obtained by fraud, consent obtained by force, or a marriage never consummated. Most grounds carry short time limits. The case is filed in the Scioto County Domestic Relations Division on the $250 deposit; there is no Ohio uniform annulment form, so confirm the preferred pleading format with the Clerk. If no ground fits, a divorce or dissolution is the correct path.
What is the difference between legal separation, annulment, and divorce in Scioto County?: A legal separation (R.C. 3105.17) resolves property, debt, support, and parenting issues but leaves you legally married — and, unlike divorce or dissolution, it has no 6-month Ohio residency requirement. An annulment (R.C. 3105.31) is a court declaration that the marriage was void or voidable on limited grounds such as bigamy, fraud, force, underage marriage, or incompetence. A divorce ends a valid marriage. All three are filed in the Scioto County Domestic Relations Division on the same $250 deposit; only the relief and grounds differ.
How much does it cost to file in the Scioto County Domestic Relations Division?: The deposit for a new divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment is $250, paid to the Clerk of Courts at filing (Clerk fee schedule, rev. 1/1/2024). A reopened case or post-decree motion is $130. The Mediation Fund adds $40 at filing for divorce/dissolution/legal separation/paternity ($50 for a modification) under DR Rule 8.13, and a Guardian ad Litem deposit, when one is appointed, is $800 (DR Rules 1.06(E)/3.07(B)). A Poverty Affidavit (DR Form 12) or Affidavit of Indigency waives the deposit if you can't afford it. Confirm current amounts with the Clerk's Legal Division (https://sciotoclerk.com/legal-division/) or the DR Division at (740) 355-8316 before filing.
Does Scioto County have a separate Domestic Relations court?: Yes. Scioto County has a standalone Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas at 602 7th St, Room 303, Portsmouth, before Judge Jerry L. Buckler and Magistrate Robert M. Johnson, (740) 355-8316. The DR Division hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, parentage under R.C. 3111, custody and support for both married and unmarried parents, post-decree matters, and domestic-violence civil protection orders. The Juvenile Division shares concurrent jurisdiction over unmarried custody, parentage, and support cases.

Free Local Resources in Scioto County

Scioto County Clerk of Courts — Legal Division. Provides the current Clerk fee schedule (rev. 1/1/2024), local forms, and filing instructions for divorce, dissolution, and custody cases. Visit https://sciotoclerk.com/legal-division/ before filing to confirm deposits and accepted payment methods.
Scioto County Domestic Relations Division. The standalone DR court (Judge Jerry L. Buckler; Magistrate Robert M. Johnson) at 602 7th St, Room 303, Portsmouth, (740) 355-8316 (fax (740) 355-8205). Hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, parentage, custody, and support, and distributes the DR packets and local forms. Hours Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM). https://sciotocountydrcourt.com
Scioto County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Scioto County's IV-D agency at 710 Court Street, Portsmouth, opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Confirm the agency's current direct phone. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.
"Successful Co-Parenting" Parenting Class — OSU Extension. The court-approved 3-hour parenting-education seminar for parents with minor children, taken online at https://scponline.osu.edu (registered via DR Form 11). Complete it within 60 days and file the Certificate of Attendance before the final hearing (DR Rule 6.02).

Related to your annulment case

Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.
Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on annulment and related Ohio family law topics.

Divorce vs. Dissolution in Ohio: Which Path Is Right for You? — Divorce and dissolution both end an Ohio marriage, but they work very differently. Dissolution is a no-fault, agreed process; divorce is a lawsuit for couples who can't agree. Here's how to choose.
How to File for Divorce in Ohio: A Step-by-Step Guide — Filing for divorce in Ohio follows a defined path: confirm residency, choose your grounds, file the complaint, serve your spouse, and work toward temporary orders and a final decree. Here is how each step works.

Keep exploring

Ohio Annulment guide — Statewide overview of annulment in Ohio.
Columbus family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Columbus metro.
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