Hancock County Court Records

Hancock County court records are created during litigation, starting when a case is filed and ending at its filing adjudication. They cover information about litigants, the events that made up the litigation, and the court's final decision. The court clerk oversees the record creation process and preserves these records in electronic and paper formats. Some examples of Hancock County court records include motions, orders, transcripts, petitions, and photographs.

Are Court Records Public in Hancock County?

Court records are public in Hancock County under the Access to Public Records Act (Indiana Code 5-14-3). The Public Records Act applies to all records maintained by public agencies in the state. According to this act, these records are divided into disclosable and non-disclosable. While disclosable records are subject to public viewing and copying, non-disclosable records are confidential and can only be accessed by select individuals.

Court records are typically classified as non-public if they are associated with certain sensitive case types (such as mental health proceedings), and their disclosure may warrant an unnecessary invasion of privacy or pose security threats. Parties privy to non-public court records include case litigants, their attorneys, law enforcement agencies, and other law-authorized agencies.

Examples of court documents/information that are non-disclosable are:

• Trade secrets or confidential financial information that may have been filed at the court as supporting documents in a case
• Sensitive personal information like social security numbers
• Records classified by federal or state laws, such as medical or adoption records
• Investigatory records kept by law enforcement agencies in association with an ongoing criminal case
• Court records containing information about juvenile offenders.

Where a requested court record contains both disclosable and non-disclosable information, the court clerk shall separate disclosable from non-disclosable materials before release. This may be done by blocking or redaction.

Hancock County Court Records Search

The primary way of obtaining court records in Hancock County is by querying the court at the courthouse where the case of interest was filed. Searches can also be done using the state judicial branch's website (Odyssey). Third-party aggregate websites also exist for this purpose. Some courts allow people to request records conveniently by mail, phone, or fax.

Hancock County Courts

Hancock County has two courts—a circuit and a superior court. The superior court is divided into two, with different presiding judges and the same magistrate. The addresses and contact information of the county's courts are as follows:

Hancock County Circuit Court
9 East Main Street
Suite 302
Greenfield, IN 46140
Phone: (317) 477-1107
Fax: (317) 477-1711

Hancock County Superior Court #1
9 East Main Street
Suite 303
Greenfield, IN 46140
Phone: (317) 477-1148
Fax: (317) 477-1174

Hancock County Superior Court #2
9 East Main Street
Suite 217
Greenfield, IN 46140
Phone: (317) 477-1115
Fax: (317) 477-1124

Hancock County Criminal Records

A person's criminal record covers information about offenses, arrests, convictions, and dispositions linked to them. These records are typically searched during background checks for employment, housing, etc.

The Indiana State Police (ISP) maintains a criminal history database for all counties, including Hancock County. This database only contains information about felonies and misdemeanors, is available online, and can be perused by record subjects and authorized third parties with sufficient information.

The record subject's name and date of birth are needed to perform a search. However, additional information like the record subject's gender, race, and social security number may help retrieve improved and more specific search results.

Furthermore, researchers may request records from the ISP by completing and submitting a request form. The form can be sent by mail alongside the required fee (payable by money order) to:

Indiana State Police
Criminal History Limited Check
P.O. Box 6188,
Indianapolis, IN, 46206-6188.

Get Hancock County Civil Court Records

Hancock County superior and circuit courts handle all civil cases in the county. The Hancock County Clerk of Courts keeps civil case records and allows researchers to peruse records. Record seekers are advised to contact the clerk's office ahead of their visit to verify record availability and applicable visitation guidelines. More importantly, requesting parties should possess case numbers, party names, citation numbers, and any other known information that may aid retrieval of the desired court records.

The court clerk's office charges a $1.00 fee per copy of record documents obtained. For certified copies, record seekers are required to pay an additional $1.00. Record seekers may also contact the Indiana State Library or the Indiana Supreme Court Law Library for assistance with statewide searches. For remote Hancock County court record searches, the Indiana Judicial Branch maintains the Odyssey website–a public online database for court cases filed in any county.

Records may be searched using case information (case number, citation number, or cross-reference number), party names, or attorney names. Access to records is free. For further inquiries, contact the Hancock County Clerk of Court at

9 East Main Street
Room 213
Greenfield, IN 46140
Phone: (317) 477-1109
Fax: (317) 477-1163

Hancock County Marriage Records

The Hancock County Clerk of Court records all marriages whose licenses were issued in the county. Other agencies, such as the county recorder's office, the county's vital records office, and the Indiana State Library, also maintain records of these marriages. Marriage records kept by the clerk's office may be viewed online or at their physical location. Online access to marriage records kept by the recorder's office may be achieved through the Doxpop website.

An online marriage license lookup maintained by the Indiana Judicial Branch may also be used to find records. This website covers statewide marriage records and uses marriage participants' first and last names as search criteria. Users may have to peruse through multiple search results to find a specific case. As such, researchers are allowed to narrow down search results by specifying the year range when the marriage happened and the county where the license was issued.

Hancock County Divorce Records

The Hancock County Clerk of Court keeps divorce records and may be released to eligible parties upon request. They contain information about divorce decrees granted by the county's circuit court, such as the names of participants, the date of divorce, the grounds for the divorce, and the marriage date.

Hancock Birth and Death Records

The Hancock County Vital Records Department keeps birth and death records, which may be obtained by interested members of the public when they submit a request. Birth and death records kept at this office date back to 1882 and may be obtained for $15.00. The request should be written and accompanied by a valid means of identification and the required fee. Payment methods include checks, cash, and money orders. Depending on the sought-after records, a requester should complete any of the following:

• A Hancock County death certificate application
• A Hancock County birth certificate application.

The Indiana State Library also maintains a repository of birth and death records for Hancock County. Birth and death indexes are available online, courtesy of the library. People search these records mainly for genealogical and historical research.

Hancock County Probate Court Records

The Hancock County Circuit Court presides over probate cases. The county clerk of court files maintains probate court records, processes record requests, and facilitates public searches. Public probate case records are accessible on the Odyssey website provided by the Indiana Judicial Branch.

For searches at the court clerk's office, visitors should possess sufficient information about the case of interest, such as party names, citation numbers, attorney names, and case numbers, to aid identification and retrieval of the sought record. Specific federal and state laws prohibit electronic dissemination of probate court records. As such, information available on search websites may be limited.

Hancock County Property Records

The Hancock County Recorder's Office keeps property records. These records are public and include various kinds of land and house documents, such as deeds, plats, liens, mortgages, and tax paperwork. The county recorder's office assists interested parties in retrieving the county's property records.

Public records are requested at the recorder's office using the Doxpop website. Inquirers should open accounts on this website to search for records. Although specific fees are required, a few searches can be done for free. Individuals requesting record copies should include a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope and a check or money order for the applicable fee (payable to the Hancock County Recorder).

Many third-party websites exist for property record searches. To use them, a researcher should possess the owner's name, the property address, or the parcel number. Certain fees may apply.

Hancock County Court Records Online

Like many third-party aggregate websites, indianacourtrecords.us facilitates remote access to Hancock court records, removing the need for often inconvenient in-person visits. A searcher only needs to know the names of the case parties and the county where the case was filed to find public records on this site.

Search fees may be required to access court records on many third-party websites. In addition, information obtained may be incomplete or outdated, especially if the case of interest is ongoing. As such, record seekers are advised to only use these websites for research purposes. Contact the clerk's office for official copies where necessary.