Ohio Code § 2151.311

Ohio Code § 2151.311. Reproduced from the official Ohio Revised Code, with a citation summary, verification link, and related provisions.

§ 2151.311.

(A) A person taking a child into custody shall, with all reasonable speed and in accordance

with division (C) of this section, either: (1) Release the child to the child's parents, guardian, or other custodian, unless the

child's detention or shelter care appears to be warranted or required as provided

in section 2151.31 of the Revised Code ; (2) Bring the child to the court or deliver the child to a place of detention or shelter

care designated by the court and promptly give notice thereof, together with a statement

of the reason for taking the child into custody, to a parent, guardian, or other custodian

and to the court. (B) If a parent, guardian, or other custodian fails, when requested by the court, to

bring the child before the court as provided by this section, the court may issue

its warrant directing that the child be taken into custody and brought before the

court. (C)(1) Before taking any action required by division (A) of this section, a person taking

a child into custody may hold the child for processing purposes in a county, multicounty,

or municipal jail or workhouse, or other place where an adult convicted of crime,

under arrest, or charged with crime is held for either of the following periods of

time: (a) For a period not to exceed six hours, if all of the following apply: (i) The child is alleged to be a delinquent child for the commission of an act that would

be a felony if committed by an adult; (ii) The child remains beyond the range of touch of all adult detainees; (iii) The child is visually supervised by jail or workhouse personnel at all times during

the detention; (iv) The child is not handcuffed or otherwise physically secured to a stationary object

during the detention. (b) For a period not to exceed three hours, if all of the following apply: (i) The child is alleged to be a delinquent child for the commission of an act that would

be a misdemeanor if committed by an adult, is alleged to be a delinquent child for

violating a court order regarding the child's adjudication as an unruly child for

being an habitual truant, or is alleged to be an unruly child or a juvenile traffic

offender; (ii) The child remains beyond the range of touch of all adult detainees; (iii) The child is visually supervised by jail or workhouse personnel at all times during

the detention; (iv) The child is not handcuffed or otherwise physically secured to a stationary object

during the detention. (2) If a child has been transferred to an adult court for prosecution for the alleged

commission of a criminal offense, subsequent to the transfer, the child may be held

as described in division (F) of section 2152.26 or division (C) of section 5120.16 of the Revised Code . (D) If a person who is alleged to be or has been adjudicated a delinquent child or who

is in any other category of persons identified in this section is confined under authority

of this section in a place specified in division (C) of this section, the fact of

the person's admission to and confinement in that place is restricted as described

in division (G) of section 2152.26 of the Revised Code . (E) As used in division (C)(1) of this section, “ processing purposes ” means all of the following: (1) Fingerprinting, photographing, or fingerprinting and photographing the child in a

secure area of the facility; (2) Interrogating the child, contacting the child's parent or guardian, arranging for

placement of the child, or arranging for transfer or transferring the child, while

holding the child in a nonsecure area of the facility.

Source: official Ohio text · Last verified 2026-08-27

At a glance

  • Citation: Ohio Revised Code § 2151.311
  • Jurisdiction: Ohio
  • Code: Ohio Revised Code
  • Text: transcribed from the official source (verify below)

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Common questions

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