Decatur County Court Records

Under Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records (ACR) Rule 3, a "Court Record" can be either a Case Record (pleadings, motions, exhibits, orders, judgments, etc., in a particular lawsuit) or a Court Administrative Record (documents the Clerk keeps for running the court, such as calendars, statistical reports or financial ledgers). The rule defines a record as "any document, information, data, or other item created, collected, received, or maintained" by a court or Clerk.

In Decatur County, Indiana, the elected Clerk of the Circuit Court is the statutory "custodian" of those records. Court records are relied on to:

• Prove or disprove facts at trial;
• Track the status of a pending case;
• Document the outcome of a judgment or sentence and
• Provide a historical record for appeals, background checks, academic research, and more.

Are Court Records Public in Decatur County?

Yes. Court records are public under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (APRA) and the Indiana Access to Court Records Rule 4. The IC § 5-14-3-3 permits anyone to inspect and copy public court records during a Decatur County Court's business hours. The Indiana Rules of Court Rule 5 and the Public Access to Court Records Handbook highlight some court records that are excluded from members of the public. Examples of such records are:

• AIDs records
• Mental health cases
• Grand jury proceedings
• Attorney's work product
• Unexecuted search warrant
• Medical and paternity records
• Adoption and juvenile records
• Sealed and expunged records
• Drug or substance abuse records
• Residential addresses of court employees
• Any case opened under the wrong case type
• Personal information of litigants and children
• Criminal or juvenile records expungement orders
• Mediation and mini-trial proceedings and summary jury trials
• Investigative records not related to a pending criminal proceeding
• Pretrial release, supervision, and problem-solving court supervision records
• Examination data used in administering an employment or licensing examination.
• Drug tests and child abuse records not admitted into evidence during a public court proceeding.
• Jurors' and prospective jurors' personal information, except when needed by the case parties or attorneys.
• Account numbers, full Social Security Numbers of living persons, personal identification numbers, and passwords.
• Personal identifying information of witnesses or victims involved in criminal, domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, juvenile, or civil protection order proceedings.

Decatur County Court Records Search

The two common ways of finding Decatur County court records are online or in person at the Clerk's Office. The Case Search portal is a convenient option for online searches, but persons seeking copies may visit the courthouse during business hours.

Decatur County Courts

Decatur County has a Circuit, Superior, and Magistrate Courts, which are all located at the address below:

Decatur County Courthouse
150 Courthouse Square
Greensburg, IN 47240

Decatur County Criminal and Civil Records

Interested persons may obtain copies of Decatur County criminal records by making mail or in-person requests to the Sheriff's Department's Record Section. The office charges a small fee to make copies, and Decatur County arrest records are generally accessible from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at:

Decatur County Sheriff's Department
601 South Ireland Street
Greensburg, IN 47240
Phone: (812) 222-4911
Fax: (812) 663-6887

The Decatur County Clerk maintains civil records, including protective orders, torts, civil plenary cases, small claims, reciprocal support, domestic relations, mental health, and adoption. Inquirers may view public civil records at no cost via the Case Search portal. Confidential civil records are restricted to a select few who can obtain them in person at the Clerk's Office.

Decatur County Marriage Records

Record seekers may obtain Decatur County marriage records on the Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup. Requestors typically use the couple's names for the search and can provide a marriage year range and county to narrow the search. Inquirers may also visit the Decatur County Clerk's office during business hours to obtain copies of marriage records. While inspection of marriage records may be free, the staff charges a fee for copies.

Decatur County Divorce Records

Divorce records are part of Decatur County public records and are available to interested members of the public on request. The Indiana Case Search portal may be used for online divorce records searches. Users are required to provide a party/business name, case number, attorney's name, or bar number to conduct the search. They can streamline the search by selecting "Decatur" from the "Court" search area and "Family" from the "Limit search to" area. In-person customers can visit the Decatur County courthouse from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Decatur County Birth Records

The Decatur County Health Department (DCHD) Vital Records Division maintains birth records and issues certified copies to residents for insurance, school, marriage, and travel purposes. Individuals can request copies of Decatur County birth records by submitting a Birth Application Form by email at vitalrecords@decaturcounty.in.gov or wherd@decaturcounty.in.gov or by fax at (812) 663-4174. All requests require a valid ID or proof of relationship. The staff charges $25 for a standard or wallet-size birth certificate and $27 for a standard and wallet-size birth Certificate bundle. Customers can pay for a Decatur County birth certificate by cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card.

Decatur County Death Records

The Decatur County Health Department (DCHD) Vital Records Division issues death records after receiving a completed Application Form, a $25 fee, and a valid ID. Individuals can submit requests for this Decatur County vital record by fax at (812) 663-4174 or email at vitalrecords@decaturcounty.in.gov or wherd@decaturcounty.in.gov.

Decatur County Probate Court Records

The Decatur County Clerk is the custodian of probate records, including trusts, supervised and unsupervised estates, and guardianships. These records are available online, at no cost, through the Case Search portal. Users may click the Name tab to search by party name, the Case tab to search by case number, or the Attorney tab to search by name or bar number. While searching, scroll to the case type area and select Probate.

Decatur County Property Records

The Decatur County Auditor, Recorder, and Treasurer are responsible for property documents in Decatur county including deeds, mortgages, property taxes, and liens. They accept property records requests during business hours and expect customers to provide basic information that may help facilitate the search. The Decatur County Recorder charges $1 per page for copies of property documents whose size is 11″ x 17″ or smaller, but those whose size is larger than 11″ x 17″ cost $5. Certified copies of property documents cost $5. The Recorder and Treasurer have online portals where residents can view property information for free. Users need a name, document number, book or page, address, or parcel ID to search.

Decatur County Court Records Online

Third-party online portals like Indianacourtrecords.us provide a convenient way of accessing public Decatur County court records. Users may search these records using a name, date, or case number. They can view court records directly from the website for a fee, but such platforms may contain inaccurate or outdated information.