Access free criminal and arrest records in Indiana now, or use the resources in this guide to search every county in IN.
The Freedom of Information act makes Indiana public records and criminal proceedings viewable, but they can be difficult to find due to various record custodians (keepers) and organizational differences between counties and states.
To streamline this process, Records Page offers step-by-step guides that makes finding someone’s criminal history as easy as following and clicking along.
By the end of this guide, searchers will have the tools, skills and knowledge to can gain insight into anyone’s past and understand how to:
- Check for recent arrests and mugshots in Indiana
- Determine why someone was arrested in IN and post bail
- See anyone’s criminal history, obtain copies, and seal and expunge criminal records in Indiana
- Check if someone has a warrant, or is on probation or parole in Indiana
- Run an Indiana background check for personal or professional reasons
- Locate someone in an Indiana state prison or federal prison
- Find and review Indiana laws surrounding criminal records and anti-discrimination
Are Criminal Records & Arrest Records Available To the Public in Indiana?
When searching Indiana criminal records, knowing the public records laws in the state helps narrow down what the searcher can access and what they cannot. According to the Indiana Access to Public Records Act, Code 5-14-3, all criminal records or arrest records are considered public except for the following:
- Records that fall under protection of state or federal laws,
- Law enforcement investigatory reports,
- Juvenile records, and
- Information pertaining to victims or witnesses.1
This same statute applies when searching arrest records in Indiana as well, since these are part of the overall criminal record and considered public domain.
Federal records that are generated by government agencies operating within Indiana, such as the Federal Bureau of Prisons, are governed by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which makes federal criminal records public.2
Disclosure of records must be in compliance with Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulations and guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regarding criminal records and arrest records when used for commercial purposes.
The amount of information received is also dependent upon the type of record and the agency that generated the record.
The Difference Between Criminal Records vs Arrest Records in Indiana & What Shows Up on Each
Many people refer to arrest records and criminal records as if they are the same; however, there are distinct differences between the two. An arrest record in Indiana contains the name of the subject, the date/time/location the person was arrested, charges that resulted in the arrest, and may contain a mugshot database and bond information. An arrest record is one of the first documents generated in a criminal case, but it does not tell the entire story.
A criminal record is a more comprehensive record of the charges filed against the subject, arrests, and court information or disposition. This includes when charges are dropped or dismissed, an acquittal has occurred, or when the person is found guilty. Criminal records also include sentencing information such as probation, incarceration or parole records.3
An arrest record should not be the only information used when making a decision regarding employment, licensure or housing since an arrest does not necessarily mean a conviction. When making official decisions based on criminal history, searchers should use official state resources to gather information.
How To Search Indiana Arrest Records, Find Recent Arrests & Determine Why Someone Is in Jail for Free
Searching local arrest records is how to find recent arrests at area detention centers, which are typically maintained by a local law enforcement agency, and these facilities can be county-wide or regional, covering many counties.
It is best to start with the local sheriff’s office as most jails are maintained by the county government, not city, and is the quickest way how to find out if someone is in jail. The following sections go into detail about how to search county and city law enforcement agencies to find recent arrest records or detainees.
Check County Arrest Records, Mugshots and Inmate Lookup Tools in Indiana
To find Indiana arrest records, start with the local police department or county sheriff’s office. Where the arrest occurred is an important factor in where the person will be jailed. For convenience, the table below lists all the county sheriff’s offices in Indiana along with a link to each department and a phone number for those sites that do not include an inmate search link and is how to find out what someone was arrested for:
*Sheriff’s Office uses VINELink for inmate searches
The steps below can also be used to find out who’s in jail:
- Google Indiana [county sheriff’s office] inmate search. For example, if someone wanted to find an inmate in Knox County they would Google Indiana Knox County Sheriff’s Office inmate search.
- Review the list of search returns to find the official agency website. Unlike most government agencies, sheriff’s office websites do not necessarily end in .gov. Make sure the site entered is the official webpage. For the example above, the search would take them to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office homepage at the top of the search results.
- Look on the page for a button labeled inmate search, inmate lookup, recent arrests, daily arrests or something similar. Knox County does make its inmate list public, and it can be reached by clicking the hyperlink for inmate information.
- If an online link is not available on the website, call the non-emergency number listed on the page to inquire about an inmate.
Check Recent Arrests of Indiana City Jails
City or municipal police departments can also have their own holding facilities; however, police departments in Indiana rely on the county holding facilities to house inmates arrested by city police departments. If someone is unsure of how to find out if someone was arrested by city police, they can do the following:
- Google Indiana [city police department] inmate search.
- Review the top 2 to 4 search results to find the official municipal law enforcement website and click that link.
- Look for the agency non-emergency number or a link to booking to find out how to get an arrest report from that agency.
For example, to search for someone arrested by the Indianapolis Police Department, the search would look like this:
- Google Indianapolis Police Department inmate search
- The first link in the search takes individuals to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office search portal.
- Click the button labeled get started and type in the person’s name to start the search for current arrests of that individual.
- Review the search results to match the results to the subject (this is especially important for subjects with a common name).
Run a Public Arrest Record Search in Indiana (Statewide Lookup)
While it is not a free, individuals can search felony and class A misdemeanor arrest records in Indiana for a fee of $15 per record by doing the following:
- Navigate to the Indiana State Police website.
- Review the online search portal notice, then click the button labeled start search to begin looking for arrest records.
- Create an account and add a payment method.
- After setting up the account, a name-based search can show if the person was arrested anywhere in Indiana.4
Using the Indianapolis State Police portal can save time if someone needs a statewide search, but for local searches only, it is quicker and easier to search the local sheriff’s department and is how to find out someone’s charges in jail for free rather than the paid search. Most people search jail records out of curiosity or to find out if a friend or loved one is in jail and needs to be bonded out.
Contacting an Indiana Jail Inmate and Posting Bail
One of the primary reasons a person may search local jail records is to post bond for a friend or loved one, but how does one go about doing this? The first step is locating the inmate using the steps listed above, and utilizing the table listing county sheriff’s office links.
From those same links, individuals can get information on how to contact an inmate, the jail’s visitation policies and what items an inmate can have while incarcerated. Many jails partner with third-party telephone providers that allow prepaid service to arrestees so they can reach out to someone regarding bail or other matters.
For example, if someone wanted to contact an inmate in Indiana’s largest county, Allen County, they would need to do the following to learn the Allen County Sheriff’s Office policies:
- Open a search engine on the computer such as Google.
- Type Indiana Allen County Sheriff’s Office inmate contact information.
- Review the search results for the official Allen County Sheriff’s Office website.5
- Click the link titled jail to learn about visitation, telephone contact and other important jail information.
In short, the same steps used to locate an inmate in jail can also be used to find out how to bail that person out, or how to contact them to find out if they have an attorney preference or need anything while in jail.
When conducting this type of search, it is important to note that many states have counties with the same name. Checking the contact information on the website will verify the department is located in Indiana and not another state with a county by that same name. In addition to an arrest record, many people need a complete criminal history, and information on how to complete this search appears next.
How To Search for Indiana Criminal Records
Once a matter has been investigated and processed through the local law enforcement agency, the next step is placing the matter on a docket (or seeking an indictment) by the district attorney’s office. This begins the process of building a court record which includes the initial charges, any reduced charges in plea bargains, disposition of cases, and sentencing when a person is found or pleads guilty to charges.
To search statewide Indiana criminal records through the court system, do the following steps:
- Open the Indiana Judicial Branch website.
- Select the start searching button to begin a criminal records search.
- Choose the first box on the next page labeled search cases.
- Select the name tab to do a name-based search.
- Enter, at minimum, the subject’s last name.
- Click the box beside criminal and citations to search just criminal cases, then click the search button.
- Match the records listed in the search results with the subject of the search.
Criminal justice information available through the state judicial system search portal includes:
- Case number’
- Courthouse’
- Type of case,
- Date filed,
- Case status,
- Parties in the case,
- Charges (along with the statute number), and
- Case summary in chronological order.6
Another way to access court records is to visit the local clerk of court’s office and use one of the public terminals made available. It is important to note, local clerk’s offices only have records of cases heard in that county, so if a local record is all that is needed, this would be an excellent source of data.
The table below lists the clerk of court’s offices in each county in Indiana along with a contact number to help individuals find Indiana criminal records:
| County Court Criminal Records Search | Courthouse Address | Phone Number |
| Adams County Clerk of Court | 112 South Second St, Rm A Decatur, Indiana 46733-1618 |
260-724-5309 |
| Allen County Clerk of Court | 715 S Calhoun St, Number 201 Ft Wayne, Indiana 46802 |
260-449-7245 |
| Bartholomew County Clerk of Court | POB 924 Columbus, Indiana 47202-0924 |
812-379-1600 |
| Benton County Clerk of Court | 706 East Fifth St Fowler, Indiana 47944 |
765-884-0930 |
| Blackford County Clerk of Court | 110 West Washington Hartford City, Indiana 47348 |
765-348-1130 |
| Boone County Clerk of Court | 212 Courthouse Sq Lebanon, Indiana 46052 |
765-482-3510 |
| Brown County Clerk of Court | 20 East Main St Nashville, Indiana 47448 |
812-988-5510 |
| Carroll County Clerk of Court | 101 West Main St Delphi, Indiana 46923 |
765-564-4485 |
| Cass County Clerk of Court | 200 Court Pk, Number 103 Logansport, Indiana 46947 |
574-753-7740 |
| Clark County Clerk of Court | 501 East Court Ave Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130 |
812-285-6244 |
| Clay County Clerk of Court | 609 East National Ave, Number 213 Brazil, Indiana 47834 |
812-448-9024 |
| Clinton County Clerk of Court | 265 Courthouse Sq Frankfort, Indiana 46041 |
765-659-6335 |
| Crawford County Clerk of Court | 715 Judicial Plaza Dr English, Indiana 47118 |
812-338-2565 |
| Daviess County Clerk of Court | 200 East Walnut St Washington, Indiana 47501 |
812-254-8669 |
| Dearborn County Clerk of Court | 165 Mary St Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025 |
812-537-8867 |
| Decatur County Clerk of Court | 150 Courthouse Sq, Number 244 Greensburg, Indiana 47240 |
812-663-8223 |
| DeKalb County Clerk of Court | 100 South Main St Auburn, Indiana 46706 |
260-925-0912 |
| Delaware County Clerk of Court | 3100 South Tillotson Ave Muncie, Indiana 47302 |
765-747-7726 |
| Dubois County Clerk of Court | 1 Courthouse Sq Jasper, Indiana 47546 |
812-481-7035 |
| Elkhart County Clerk of Court | 101 North Main St, Number 204 Goshen, Indiana 46526 |
574-535-6430 |
| Fayette County Clerk of Court | 401 North Central Ave Connersville, Indiana 47331 |
765-825-1813 |
| Floyd County Clerk of Court | 311 Hausa Sq, Number 235 New Albany, Indiana 47150 |
812-948-5415 |
| Fountain County Clerk of Court | POB 183 Covington, Indiana 27932 |
765-793-2192 |
| Franklin County Clerk of Court | 459 Main St Brookville, Indiana 47012 |
765-647-5111 |
| Fulton County Clerk of Court | 815 Main St Rochester, Indiana 46975 |
574-223-4824 |
| Gibson County Clerk of Court | 101 North Main St Princeton, Indiana 47670-1562 |
812-386-6474 |
| Grant County Clerk of Court | 101 East Fourth St Marion, Indiana 46952 |
765-668-8121 |
| Greene County Clerk of Court | POB 229 Bloomfield Indiana 47424 |
812-384-8532 |
| Hamilton County Clerk of Court | 1 Hamilton Sq, Number 106 Noblesville, Indiana 46060 |
317-776-9629 |
| Hancock County Clerk of Court | 9 E Main St, Room 213 Greenfield, Indiana46140 |
317-477-1109 |
| Harrison County Clerk of Court | 300 North Capitol Avenue Corydon, Indiana 47112 |
812-738-4289 |
| Hendricks County Clerk of Court | 51 West Main Street,Number 104 Danville, Indiana 46122 |
317-745-9231 |
| Henry County Clerk of Court | 1215 Race St, Ste 120 New Castle, Indiana 47362 |
765-529-6401 |
| Howard County Clerk of Court | 104 North Buckeye St, Number 202 Kokomo, Indiana 46901 |
765-456-2000 |
| Huntington County Clerk of Court | 201 North Jefferson St, Number 201 Huntington, Indiana 46750 |
260-358-4819 |
| Jackson County Clerk of Court | 109 South Sugar St Brownstown, Indiana 47220 |
812-358-6117 |
| Jasper County Clerk of Court | 115 West Washington St, Number 204 Rensselaer, Indiana 47978 |
219-866-4927 |
| Jay County Clerk of Court | 120 North Court St Portland, Indiana 47371 |
260-726-6915 |
| Jefferson County Clerk of Court | 300 E Main St, Number 203 Madison, Indiana 47250 |
812-265-8924 |
| Jennings County Clerk of Court | POB 385 Vernon, Indiana 47282 |
812-352-3070 |
| Johnson County Clerk of Court | 5 E Jefferson St Franklin, Indiana 46131 |
317-346-4450 |
| Knox County Clerk of Court | 111 N 7th St Vincennes, Indiana 47951 |
812-885-2521 |
| Kosciusko County Clerk of Court | 121 North Lake St Warsaw, Indiana 46580 |
574-372-2334 |
| LaGrange County Clerk of Court | 105 N Detroit Street LaGrange, Indiana 46761 |
260-499-6371 |
| Lake County Clerk of Court | 2293 North Main St Crown Point, Indiana 46307 |
219-755-3461 |
| LaPorte County Clerk of Court | 813 Lincolnway LaPorte, Indiana 46350 |
219-326-6808 |
| Lawrence County Clerk of Court | 916 Fifteenth St, Number 31 Bedford, Indiana 47421 |
812-275-7543 |
| Madison County Clerk of Court | 16 East 9th St, Number 213 Anderson, Indiana 46016 |
765-641-9443 |
| Marion County Clerk of Court | 675 Justice Wy Indianapolis, Indiana 46203 |
317-327-4740 |
| Marshall County Clerk of Court | 211 West Madison Street Plymouth, Indiana 46563 |
574-936-8922 |
| Martin County Clerk of Court | POB 120 Shoals, Indiana 47581 |
812-247-3651 |
| Miami County Clerk of Court | 25 N Broadway, Rm 208 Peru, Indiana 46970 |
765-472-3901 |
| Monroe County Clerk of Court | POB 547 Bloomington, Indiana 47402 |
812-349-2600 |
| Montgomery County Clerk of Court | POB 768 Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933 |
765-364-6430 |
| Morgan County Clerk of Court | POB 1556 Martinsville, Indiana 46151 |
765-342-1025 |
| Newton County Clerk of Court | POB 49 Kentland, Indiana 47951 |
219-474-6081 |
| Noble County Clerk of Court | 101 N Orange St Albion, Indiana 46701 |
260-636-2736 |
| Ohio County Clerk of Court | POB 185 Rising Sun, Indiana 47040 |
812-438-2610 |
| Orange County Clerk of Court | One Court St Paoli, Indiana 47454 |
812-723-2649 |
| Owen County Clerk of Court | POB 146 Spencer, Indiana 47460 |
812-829-5015 |
| Park County Clerk of Court | 116 W High St, Rm 204 Rockville, Indiana 47872 |
765-569-5132 |
| Perry County Clerk of Court | 2219 Payne St Tell City, Indiana 47586 |
812-547-3741 |
| Pike County Clerk of Court | POB 125 Petersburg, Indiana 47567 |
812-354-6025 |
| Porter County Clerk of Court | 16 Lincolnway, Number 209 Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 |
219-465-3450 |
| Posey County Clerk of Court | 300 Main St, Rm 115 Mt Vernon Indiana 47620 |
812-838-1306 |
| Pulaski County Clerk of Court | 112 E Main St, Number 230 Winamac, Indiana 46996 |
574-946-3313 |
| Putnam County Clerk of Court | 1 Courthouse Sq Greencastle, Indiana 46135 |
765-653-2648 |
| Randolph County Clerk of Court | 100 South Main St, Rm 201 Winchester, Indiana 47394 |
765-584-4214 |
| Ripley County Clerk of Court | POB 177 Versailles, Indiana 47042 |
812-689-6115 |
| Rush County Clerk of Court | 101 East 2nd St, Rm 209 Rushville Indiana 46173 |
765-932-2086 |
| St Joseph County Clerk of Court | 100 S Main St South Bend, Indiana 46601 |
574-235-9635 |
| Scott County Clerk of Court | 1 E McClain Ave Scottsburg, Indiana 47170 |
812-752-8420 |
| Shelby County Clerk of Court | 407 S Harrison St Shelbyville, Indiana 46176 |
317-392-6320 |
| Spencer County Clerk of Court | 200 Main St Rockport, Indiana 47635 |
812-649-6029 |
| Starke County Clerk of Court | 53 E Washington St Knoxt, Indiana 46534 |
574-772-9128 |
| Steuben County Clerk of Court | 55 S Public Sq Angola, Indiana 46703 |
260-668-1000 |
| Sullivan County Clerk of Court | 100 Courthouse Sq Sullivan, Indiana 47882 |
812-268-4657 |
| Switzerland County Clerk of Court | 212 W Main St Vevay, Indiana 47043 |
812-427-3175 |
| Tippecanoe County Clerk of Court | POB 1665 Lafayette, Indiana 47901 |
765-423-9326 |
| Tipton County Clerk of Court | 101 E Jefferson St Tipton, Indiana 46072 |
765-675-2795 |
| Union County Clerk of Court | 20 W Union St Liberty, Indiana 47353 |
765-458-6121 |
| Vanderburgh County Clerk of Court | POB 3356 Evansville, Indiana 47732-3356 |
812-435-5160 |
| Vermillion County Clerk of Court | 255 S Main Newport, Indiana 47966 |
765-492-3500 |
| Vigo County Clerk of Court | 33 S 3rd St, Courthouse Floor 1 Terre Haute, Indiana 47807 |
812-462-3211 |
| Wabash County Clerk of Court | 69 W Hill St Wabash, Indiana 46992 |
260-563-0661 |
| Warren County Clerk of Court | 125 N Monroe St, Number 11 Williamsport, Indiana 47993 |
765-762-3510 |
| Warrick County Clerk of Court | 1 County Sq, Number 200 Boonville, Indiana 47601 |
812-897-6160 |
| Washington County Clerk of Court | 801 South Jackson St, Ste 102 Salem Indiana 47167 |
812-883-5748 |
| Wayne County Clerk of Court | 301 E Main St Richmond, Indiana 47374-4200 |
765-973-9220 |
| Wells County Clerk of Court | 102 Market St, Number 201 Bluffton, Indiana 46714 |
260-824-6482 |
| White County Clerk of Court | 110 N Main St Monticello, Indiana 47960 |
574-583-7032 |
| Whitley County Clerk of Court | 101 W Van Buren St Columbia City, Indiana 46725 |
260-248-3102 |
The clerk of courts may also be able to help find Indiana arrest records, but this is usually something for the local sheriff’s office to provide since the sheriff’s department is open all the time and the clerk’s office has set business hours.
Step-by-Step Guide on How To Obtain a Copy of Indiana Criminal Records
Sometimes a person will need to get official Indiana criminal records, which can be obtained through the Indiana State Police. To request a copy of someone’s record, do the following:
- Open the Indiana State Police website.
- Click the menu link on the homepage and select criminal history services in the drop-down menu.
- Select Limited Criminal History Records in the middle window.
- Register for an account to search online by clicking the start search button, then click create new account and following the on-screen prompts.
- Log into the newly created account and set up a payment method
- Fill in the form to conduct a name-based search.
- Once the record populates, print it from any printer linked to the computer.
This is a statewide Indiana criminal record and does not include a nationwide search, also called an FBI rap sheet. It does contain felony and class A misdemeanor arrests, charges, convictions, and dispositions, and these records are kept on file for until the person reaches age 99 or passes away.4
What’s the Best Way To See If Someone Is on Probation or Parole in Indiana?
When a person is charged with a criminal offense in Indiana, one option the court has is to place the individual on probation either as a diversion to prosecution or as part of the sentencing phase.
Individuals can also call the county probation office regarding inquiries about someone’s probation status. The table below lists the phone number for each county probation office, located at the courthouse (address for the courthouse is in the table above for county clerk of court data):
To do an Indiana probation search, open the Indiana Judicial Branch website, navigate to the criminal records search section, and choose search cases. From there, searches can look up anyone by first and last name.
Probation is used in place of incarceration, which makes it very different from parole. Parole is granted to an inmate in a state prison, allowing that person to be released early on community supervision. To search a parolee database in Indiana, do the following:
- Navigate to the Indiana Department of Corrections Parole Services website.
- Searchers will notice there is no link to see who is currently on parole; however, there is a link to see upcoming parole hearings showing who may be early released.
- Click the date under the year to see which inmates were reviewed at the hearing for that month. For example, to see who will be up for parole in April 2023, click the April 2023 Parole Review link under the year 2023 on the left-hand side of the screen.
Probation and parole can appear on a criminal history report for the state of Indiana. The only way to keep an otherwise public record from being released is to have the matter expunged. How to seal or expunge a case in Indiana is outlined in more detail below.
Information on How To Seal or Expunge a Criminal Record in Indiana
Expunging a charge from a person’s record in Indiana removes it from the public criminal history, and is outlined in Indiana Code 38-39-9. The table below lists the five categories of expungement in Indiana, eligibility requirements, and how to expunge a case in that particular category:
| Category | Eligibility Requirements | Steps to Expunge Under This Category |
| 1 | Charges are dismissed in juvenile court and one year has passed with no additional charges or convictions. | Automatic expungement upon petition to the courts. |
| 2 | Misdemeanors convictions or Class D felonies or Level 6 felonies that were converted to misdemeanors. There is a five year waiting period for this category. | Petition the courts where the conviction occurred at any time after the waiting period and pay the filing fee. Petitioner must show there are no other convictions or pending charges. Successful completion of the sentencing for the matter to be expunged must also be met. The court can rule on the matter without a hearing if the district attorney does not file an objection to the petition. |
| 3 | Class D or Level 6 felonies with no bodily injury offenses, 8 years have passed since the conviction date. | Petition the courts where the conviction occurred at any time after the waiting period and pay the filing fee. Petitioner must show there are no other convictions or pending charges. Successful completion of the sentencing for the matter to be expunged must also be met. The court can rule on the matter without a hearing if the district attorney does not file an objection to the petition. |
| 4 | All other felonies with no bodily injury, 8 years have passed since conviction or 3 years since completion of sentencing. | Petition the courts where the conviction occurred at any time after the waiting period and pay the filing fee. Petitioner must show there are no other convictions or pending charges. Successful completion of the sentencing for the matter to be expunged must also be met. The court can rule on the matter without a hearing if the district attorney does not file an objection to the petition. In these cases the victim must also be notified and has the right to submit a statement in writing or orally to agree to or object to the expungement. |
| 5 | Additional felonies that did not result in the death of the victim, 10 years have passed since the date of conviction or 5 years from the completion of the sentence. | Petition the courts where the conviction occurred at any time after the waiting period and pay the filing fee. Petitioner must show there are no other convictions or pending charges. Successful completion of the sentencing for the matter to be expunged must also be met. The court can rule on the matter without a hearing if the district attorney does not file an objection to the petition. In these cases the victim must also be notified and has the right to submit a statement in writing or orally to agree to or object to the expungement. |
Offenders cannot seek expungement of misdemeanors when the misdemeanor or felony was a sex offense or a violent crime. Felony matters that are excluded from expungement eligibility include sex offenses, violent offenses, felonies that resulted in the death of another, official misconduct, or human trafficking.7
Steps To Locate Someone in a Federal Prison or Indiana State Prison
Another part of a person’s criminal history that is important is whether the person has served time in prison or not. People search inmate records to find out who is in prison in their state, or to locate a friend, relative, or acquaintance who was sentenced to active incarceration and may have been transferred from one facility to another.
Indiana is home to one federal prison and eighteen state correctional facilities with approximately 27,000 inmates in the state institutions and 1,333 in the federal facility.8
To search for a federal inmate at the US Prison Terre Haute location, do the following:
- Open the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website.
- Key in the subject’s first and last name and click the search button to reveal the search results.
- Scroll through the search returns to find out if the person is located at United States Prison Terre Haute.
Locating state prison inmates can be done by completing these steps:
- On the computer, open the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) inmate search page.
- Enter the person’s first and last name and click the search button.
- Click the DOC number in the list that populates to see details about the person’s incarceration.
Information in the IDOC online inmate record includes the offender’s name, date of birth, gender, race, facility where the person is incarcerated, earliest possible release date or date released from IDOC custody, and sentencing information including the offense the person was convicted of.9
Prison is usually the last stop for an individual in the criminal justice process which begins with an arrest or filing of charges, and many individuals wonder how to look up warrants in their state.
Run a Warrant Search To Find Out if You or Someone Else Has an Active Arrest Warrant
There are two primary ways to check if someone has a warrant out for their arrest. Many local police departments or county sheriff’s offices will publish a wanted list or a warrant list on the official website to encourage the individual to turn themselves in or to get the public’s help in locating particularly dangerous suspects. Searching warrants helps answer the question: how do I know if I have been charged with a crime?
For example, if someone wants to find out if there is a warrant for their arrest in Lake County, Indiana, they would do the following:
- Open Bing, Google or a search engine of the person’s choosing.
- Type Lake County Indiana + warrant list.
- Find the Lake County Sheriff’s Office official website in the search results.10
- Click the search active warrants link.
- Read the disclaimer and click on the accept link.
- Enter the person’s name and click the begin search button or select the zip code from the drop-down menu to see all the wanted people in that zip code and click the search button.
- Select the arrow in the row with the subject’s name to see details about the warrant.
The Indiana Judicial Branch also maintains an online directory for the courts that can be accessed using the steps listed in the section above. By doing a court record check, individuals can see if there is a bench warrant issued for a defendant. By clicking the defendant’s name, searchers can scroll to the chronological case summary to see if a warrant has been issued in the matter against the subject.6
An Brief Run-Down of Indiana Background Checks: Where To Get One and Who Requires Them
The reasons for obtaining a background check and the agencies that require them vary in Indiana. The table below outlines where records can be obtained or which agencies require a background check:
| Agency That Performs or Requires Background Checks | Screening Reasons |
| Indiana State Police |
|
| Indiana Professional Licensing Agency |
|
| Indiana Department of Education |
|
These agencies look for items on a person’s background report that act as a disqualifier. Disqualifiers are offenses that would automatically prevent someone from getting a certain position or license due to the nature of the offense. One category of disqualifying offenses are convictions for sex crimes.
Background checks include information obtained from the state’s sex offender registry and are how to check if someone has a criminal record.
How To Search for Sexual Predators Nearby Using the Indiana Sex Offender Registry
Indiana maintains a state sex offender registry that can be searched by anyone to find out if someone is a registered sex offender or to find out how many registered offenders are located in their area. To search the Indiana sex offender registry, do the following:
- Open the Indiana Sex & Violent Offender Registry website which is maintained by the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC).
- Read the disclaimer and click the link to go to the registry search page.
- Click on the county on the map that appears, or scroll down the page to click on the county name to search for offenders in that area.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to get to the search form for that county.
- Enter the subject’s name to conduct a name-based search of the registry.
- Review the search results to match the record to the subject. The registry includes a mugshot of the offender to help narrow the search.
In addition to sex offenders, the Indiana registry is also the felony registry for violent offenders in the state. Clicking on the offender’s name provides more details about the individual such as physical description, whether the offender is in compliance with the registry, location of offender, and a description of the offense.
An Overview of Indiana Laws Regarding Criminal Records & Arrest Records
Any Indiana criminal records are subject to state and federal laws regarding what can be disclosed for both commercial and personal background checks as outlined below.
Indiana Code 24-4-18-7 prohibits a commercial, people finder type background check provider from distributing information on a person’s criminal history if the record doesn’t display material changes in the record that happens 60 days or more before the report is delivered. This allows for a more accurate report, especially when the subject has worked to expunge or seal a record.
Regarding expunged records, Indiana Code 24-4-18-6 expressly prohibits the disclosure of any expunged or sealed record on a background check for employment, licensure, housing or for personal use by a background check agency or public records repository.
There is no ban the box law for private sector employers in Indiana per Code 22-2-17-3, but public sector (government) employees are subject to the governor’s Executive Order 17-15 which prohibits asking about criminal history on an application, moving the inquiries to later in the hiring process where otherwise qualified candidates have a better chance.
Background checks are also subject to federal statutes including the Fair Credit Reporting Act which prohibits disclosing non-convictions that are more than seven years old in addition to limiting credit history reports to seven years (10 for bankruptcies). Employers are also prohibited from using criminal history in a discriminatory manner, and guidance on how to remain in compliance is provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
These same laws apply to arrest records which must be requested and used in compliance with the statutes above.
Searching records on an individual in Indiana doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By using this free guide, searchers can locate arrest records in Indiana in just a few steps online. Readers will also possess the skills and tools necessary to find Indiana criminal records using various state and local resources.
References
1Access to Public Records Act. (n.d.). indy.gov. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <https://www.indy.gov/activity/access-to-public-records-act>
2FOIA. (n.d.). FOIA.gov – Freedom of Information Act. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <https://www.foia.gov/>
3McDuffey, T. (2022, September 7). Criminal Records Lawyers. LegalMatch. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/criminal-records-lawyers.html>
4Indiana State Police – Limited Criminal History Search. (n.d.). Indiana State Police – Limited Criminal History Search. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <http://www.in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch/faq.html>
5ACSD. (n.d.). Allen County Sheriff’s Department. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <https://www.allencountysheriff.org/>
6Indiana Courts Case Search – MyCase. (n.d.). Indiana public courts portal. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <https://public.courts.in.gov/MyCase#/vw/CaseSummary/eyJ2Ijp7IkNhc2VUb2tlbiI6InVmdG1zdko1VUpTTmxSQS1OUHZiWldfby1STDlJY2dpckdLMTdkSEk1WnMxIn19>
7Detailed Informaton on Criminal Case Expungement. (2023, January 1). IN.gov. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <https://www.in.gov/courts/iocs/files/pubs-trial-court-courtmgmt-expungement-detailed.pdf>
8Indiana 2019. (n.d.). National Institute of Corrections. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <https://nicic.gov/state-statistics/2019/indiana-2019>
9Inmate Info. (n.d.). IDOC Incarcerated Database. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <https://www.in.gov/apps/indcorrection/ofs/ofs?previous_page=1&detail=286549>
10LCSD. (n.d.). Lake County Sheriff – Lake County Sheriff. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from <http://lakecountysheriff.com/index.php>
11Vedova, Holly. “Fair Credit Reporting Act.” Federal Trade Commission. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/statutes/fair-credit-reporting-act>
12Lookup Current Inmates.” Hamilton County, IN. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://www.hamiltoncounty.in.gov/609/Lookup-Current-Inmates>
13Sheriff – Knox County.” Knox County Indiana. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://knoxcounty.in.gov/sheriff>
14Find a Person in Jail.” indy.gov. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://www.indy.gov/activity/find-a-person-in-jail>
15MyCase: Indiana Courts Case Search. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://public.courts.in.gov/MyCase#/vw/Search>
16Indiana State Police – Limited Criminal History Search.” IN.gov. Accessed 5 May 2023. <http://www.in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch/>
17Log In — Indiana Limited Criminal History Request Service.” IN.gov. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://secure.in.gov/apps/isp/lch2/>
18“IDOC: Parole Hearings.” IN.gov. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://www.in.gov/idoc/operations/parole/hearings/>
19BOP: Federal Inmates By Name.” Federal Bureau of Prisons. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://www.bop.gov/mobile/find_inmate/byname.jsp>
20Indiana Incarcerated Database Search.” IN.gov. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://www.in.gov/apps/indcorrection/ofs/ofs>
21PLA: Home.” IN.gov. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://www.in.gov/pla/>
22IDOC: Sex & Violent Offender Registry.” IN.gov. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://www.in.gov/idoc/sex-and-violent-offender-registry/>
23Indiana Code 2021.” Indiana Code 2021 – Indiana General Assembly, 2023 Session. Accessed 5 May 2023. <https://iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/2021/ic/titles/024#24-4-18>