Search Indiana Recent Arrests
Indiana recent arrests are public records held by county sheriffs, city police departments, and the Indiana State Police. Each of the 92 counties maintains its own jail roster and booking database. You can look up recent arrests in Indiana online through county jail portals, the state court system, and several free public tools. This guide covers where to find arrest records statewide, what data they contain, and how Indiana law governs public access to booking information.
Indiana Recent Arrests Quick Facts
Indiana Law and Recent Arrest Records
Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, found at IC 5-14-3, gives any person the right to inspect and copy public records held by government agencies. This law covers arrest and booking records kept by county sheriffs and local police. You do not need to give a reason for your request. You do not have to be the person named in the record. The law applies statewide to all 92 counties in Indiana.
Under IC 5-14-3-5, law enforcement agencies must make certain arrest facts available. These include the name, age, and address of the arrested person, each charge filed, the date and time of the arrest, the location, the name of the arresting officer, and the agency investigating the matter. These are open records whether or not the case has reached court yet. The statute is clear: this basic booking data belongs in the public domain. Most county jail websites post this information on their online rosters in real time.
Some records stay protected. Under IC 5-14-3-4, agencies may withhold investigatory records when releasing them would harm an active investigation. Medical and mental health records are exempt. Personal security information is also shielded. But if someone is currently in custody, their booking data is almost always available. Charges, bond amounts, booking dates, and housing location are public under Indiana law.
Indiana also allows people to restrict access to certain arrest records. Under IC 35-38-8, a person may petition the court to expunge an arrest if charges were never filed, if the case was dismissed, or if they were acquitted. Once granted, the arrest is removed from public access databases. Certain misdemeanor convictions may also qualify after eight years with no further offenses.
Indiana State Police Criminal History Search
The Indiana State Police operates a Limited Criminal History (LCH) search at in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch2. This is a fee-based service that returns results the State of Indiana recognizes as official documents. The database covers felony and Class A misdemeanor arrests from Indiana courts statewide. Results cannot be saved or forwarded to another party. You must view them at the time of the search.
The LCH covers arrests for felonies and Class A misdemeanors less than one year old. It also includes records older than one year that have a court disposition on file. You can search online by name or submit a mail-in request. Contact the ISP Criminal History office at P.O. Box 6188, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6188, or call 317-233-5424 for mail requests. This is the most direct route to official Indiana arrest data backed by the state.
Keep in mind the LCH only covers Indiana. It does not pull records from other states. If you need a multi-state check, you would need a different service. But for searching Indiana recent arrests tied to the state criminal history system, this portal is the starting point.
The ISP criminal history search returns felony and Class A misdemeanor arrest records and is recognized as an official state document for each result returned.
Indiana Courts MyCase - Recent Arrests in Court Records
The Indiana Office of Judicial Administration runs the MyCase public access system at public.courts.in.gov/mycase. This Odyssey Public Access platform covers most courts across the state that use the Odyssey case management system. When a recent arrest leads to criminal charges, the case typically appears here. You can search by party name, case number, traffic citation number, or attorney. Wildcard and Soundex searching are both available when you are not sure of the exact spelling.
MyCase shows data pulled directly from court records at participating courthouses. Documents available to the public include orders in civil cases, non-confidential documents in miscellaneous criminal matters, final orders and judgments in criminal cases, and briefs or motions filed by attorneys in appellate matters. For recent arrests, look for criminal case filings created after the booking date. The system pulls live data from the courts.
Advanced search options let you filter by case status, file date range, and court location. The date of birth field helps when multiple people share the same name. Federal law excludes name information for protected persons in protection order cases. Note that information shown on MyCase is not considered an official court record and may contain errors. For certified copies, contact the clerk in the county where the case was filed.
MyCase covers most Indiana courts and lets you search by name, case number, or date range to find criminal cases tied to recent arrests across the state.
Indiana County Jail Portal - INjail Inmate Lookup
The state operates a multi-county jail portal at public.indianajail.gov. This free public tool lets you search inmates across participating Indiana counties from a single interface. The database provides real-time custody status, showing arrest details, booking dates, and charges as they are entered by each county. Participating counties include Brown, Carroll, Elkhart, Fountain, Grant, Hendricks, Jay, Randolph, Tipton, and others. The list of participating counties grows over time as more sheriffs join the system.
To search, enter a last name (required) along with optional fields for first name, birth date, and county selection. Results show current custody status along with charge information. Because county participation varies, check your specific county's own sheriff website if someone does not appear in the INjail results. Each non-participating county has its own online jail roster with the same basic booking data.
The INjail portal connects jail rosters from multiple counties into one search, making it easier to find recent arrests without visiting each county's separate system.
Indiana Department of Correction Offender Search
The Indiana Department of Correction runs an offender locator at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov. This tool covers people currently serving felony sentences in Indiana state prisons. It does not include county jail inmates unless they have been transferred to state custody after sentencing. Search by last name alone or by both first and last name. A DOC number search is also available for a precise match when you have that identifier.
Search results show the current prison location, sentence length, parole eligibility date, and expected release date. This is a separate system from county jail booking records and recent arrests. If someone was arrested recently but not yet convicted, they will not appear in the IDOC system. They would appear in the county jail roster while their case is pending in court. Use IDOC to find people who have already been sentenced to state prison, not those awaiting trial at the county level.
For county jail bookings and recent arrests still in pre-trial status, go directly to the county sheriff website rather than the IDOC system.
How to Request Indiana Arrest Records
Indiana courts maintain a public records overview at in.gov/courts/public-records. This page explains what court records are open and how to request them. It covers access to criminal case filings, judgment records, and related documents held by Indiana courts. The Access to Public Records Act gives you the right to inspect and copy these materials during regular business hours at no charge beyond reasonable copying fees.
For law enforcement records specifically, contact the county sheriff or city police department where the arrest took place. Most agencies accept written requests in person or by mail. You must describe the records with enough detail for staff to locate them. Include the full name of the person, the approximate arrest date, and the charge if known. Many agencies now accept requests through online portals. The Indiana State Police APRA portal at in.accessgov.com lets you submit requests digitally for ISP-held records.
Fort Wayne Police Department and Allen County Sheriff process all records requests through the NextRequest portal at cityoffortwayne.nextrequest.com. You must have a valid email address to submit. Police reports are not released at the desk while you wait. All requests go through a review process before release under IC 5-14-3. For crash reports specifically, most Indiana agencies use BuyCrash at buycrash.com, which charges $12 per report. Reports are typically available two to three days after the incident is filed.
Note: Indiana agencies must respond to public records requests within 24 hours of receipt, or within 7 days for requests that require more time to fulfill.
Accident Reports and Arrest-Related Records in Indiana
Accident reports from Indiana law enforcement are available online through BuyCrash, a LexisNexis service used statewide. The Indiana State Police, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department, Evansville Police Department, and dozens of county sheriffs use this system. Reports cost $12 each online. Some agencies offer in-person pickup for $8. Payment is accepted by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal.
Standard incident reports cost $5 each from most Indiana agencies. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department handles requests in person at Room E100, City-County Building, 50 N. Alabama Street, Indianapolis, or by mail to the same address with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Include the date, time, location of the incident, names involved, and case number or CAD number if you have it. Fort Wayne requires all requests through the NextRequest online portal. Check your local agency's website for their specific process.
BuyCrash provides online access to Indiana accident reports from most law enforcement agencies including the Indiana State Police and major city departments.
Accident reports purchased through BuyCrash are typically available 2 to 3 days after the incident, once the responding officer files the official report.
Tracking Custody Status After Indiana Arrests
The VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) system is used by most Indiana counties and is available free of charge. Any person can register to receive alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. You can call 1-866-959-VINE (8463) or register online at vinelink.com. Alerts arrive by phone, email, or text message. The system notifies you when someone is arrested, booked, transferred between facilities, released, or has a court date change. Allen County and St. Joseph County are among the many Indiana counties that use VINE.
VINE at vinelink.com provides free custody status notifications for most Indiana counties, alerting you when an inmate's status changes.
VINE is free and covers most of Indiana's 92 counties, making it one of the most useful tools for tracking custody status changes after a recent arrest.
Many Indiana jails use GettingOut by Telmate for inmate communications. This platform serves Marion County, Hamilton County, Vanderburgh County, Johnson County, Lake County, and others. It handles video visitation, phone calls, secure messaging, and photo sharing. On-site video visits at Vanderburgh County are free for up to two sessions per week, Monday through Friday 8 AM to 9 PM. Remote video visits cost around $9.90 for 30 minutes and can be scheduled at gettingout.com. Call 1-866-516-0115 for voicemail services.
GettingOut by Telmate handles inmate phone calls, video visitation, and secure messaging for many Indiana county jails statewide.
Contact the specific county jail to confirm which GettingOut services are active at that facility, as options vary by location across Indiana.
What Indiana Recent Arrest Records Show
Booking records created when someone is arrested in Indiana contain a standard set of fields. The detail level depends on the agency and the county's system. County jail rosters generally show the most complete data because they update in real time as each booking is processed. Knowing what to expect makes the search faster and more useful.
Most Indiana jail rosters display the person's full legal name, date of birth, race, gender, and booking photo. Custody records also include the booking number, booking date and time, arresting agency, current housing assignment, and custody status. The Hamilton County system, for example, shows the subject number, booking origin (arresting agency), total bond amount, bond number, housing facility, and demographic data all on one screen. The Madison County system adds scheduled release date and a multiple-bookings indicator. Monroe County's system shows the arrest date, arresting agency name, days in jail, and total bond amount.
Charge information lists each count with the relevant Indiana statute code, the charge description, and the severity level (misdemeanor or felony). Johnson County records show actual statute codes: 35-43-5-4 for fraud, 9-30-5-2(a) for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, 35-48-4-6.1 for possession of methamphetamine, and 35-44.1-2-4 for a false identity statement. Monroe County displays the warrant number, count total, statute citation, misdemeanor or felony flag, and the assigned court for each charge. This level of detail is typical for counties using modern jail management systems.
Bond information is usually included. It shows bond type (cash, surety, or personal recognizance), the dollar amount, and whether the bond has been posted or is still pending. Some systems show "No Bond Required" or "Bond Denied." Court date, judge assignment, and attorney name may also appear. Under IC 36-2-13-5, the sheriff is required to take fingerprints, photos, and identifying data for all persons taken into custody, which is why booking records are so detailed.
Note: An arrest is an accusation only. Indiana law, and the notice posted by many county jails including Vanderburgh County, states that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Indiana Court and Arrest Record Access Online
Indiana courts publish a public records information page at in.gov/courts/public-records. It explains what court records are open to the public and outlines the access rules under Indiana law. This is a good starting point for understanding how arrest-related court filings are organized and where to find them after a booking.
Each of Indiana's 92 county sheriffs maintains a separate jail roster and booking database. Some use outside vendors. Boone County uses JailTracker. Elkhart County uses InmateInfo.com. Monroe County uses InteropWeb at interopweb.com. Others, like Marion County, maintain their own systems at inmateinfo.indy.gov/IML and jail.marionso.com. When the state INjail portal does not show results for a specific person, go directly to that county's sheriff website. The county-level system will have the most current data.
Indiana courts public records page explains access rules and lists resources for finding recent arrests connected to court cases statewide.
County-level jail rosters update throughout the day as bookings occur, so the sheriff's website gives you the most current recent arrest data for any specific Indiana county.
Browse Indiana Recent Arrests by County
Each of Indiana's 92 counties has its own sheriff's office, jail, and booking database. Select a county below to find the local jail roster, sheriff contact information, and arrest record access for that area.
Recent Arrests in Indiana Cities
City police departments and county sheriffs both handle arrests in Indiana's major cities. Choose a city below to find arrest records, police department contacts, and local jail information.