Wayne County Court Records

Wayne County court records refer to both case and administrative records under State Rules of Court Rule 3. Case records mean any item, such as data, information, or document relating to a particular case, created, received, or kept by a court, clerk, or court agency. In contrast, administrative records refer to items relating to the administration of a court in the clerk's custody.

Access to court records provides the public with insight into how a case was handled. For example, the public would be able to view the following information as it pertains to a case:

• Case information (case number, type, and status, reference, filing date, and court)
• Party information (party type, address, description, and name)
• Charges (date, citation number, statute, and degree)
• Financial information (balance due date and transaction date, description, and amount)

Are Court Records Public in Wayne County?

Yes. The Indiana Access to Public Records Act (APRA) and Indiana Rules of Court Rule 4 govern public accessibility to court records. The public can inspect and copy most court records, including criminal, civil, and family court cases. However, the court can restrict or seal certain records due to privacy concerns. The following court records are confidential under the Indiana Rules of Court Rule 5 and Public Access to Court Records Handbook:

• Paternity records
• Adoption records
• Pre-sentence reports
• Juvenile proceedings
• Grand jury proceedings
• Medical, mental health, or tax records
• Social Security Numbers of living persons
• All Mental health cases pursuant to I.C. § 12- 26
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome records
• Jurors and prospective jurors’ personal information
• criminal or juvenile proceedings expungement orders
• Mediation and mini-trial proceedings and summary jury trials
• Personal notes like diaries or journals serving as the functional equivalent of a diary or journal
• Places of residence of clerks, judicial officers, and other employees of courts and clerks of court
• Arrest and search warrants, indictments, and information ordered confidential by the judge prior to the return of service
• Written petitions permitting marriages without consent and court orders directing the clerk to issue a marriage license to underage individuals.
• Child abuse, drug tests, and protection order records yet to be admitted into evidence during a public court proceeding
• Cases relating to investigative requests and processes unrelated to a pending criminal proceeding, such as subpoenas ad testificandum, search warrants, and subpoenas duces tecum.
• Personal identifying information like addresses, dates of birth, and phone numbers of victims or witnesses in domestic violence, criminal, stalking, juvenile, sexual assault, or civil protection order proceedings.

Wayne County Court Records Search

Most Wayne County Courts provide access to court records online, by email, or in person. Go to the Circuit and Superior Courts website to locate the online search tool and the form for the email request. These courts also allow in-person requests from Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and close for lunch from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Wayne County Courts

Wayne County has three trial courts: Circuit, Superior, and City/Town Courts. Below are the addresses of these courts:

Wayne County Courthouse
301 East Main Street
Richmond, IN 47374

Circuit Court
Phone: (765) 973-9266
Fax: (765) 973-9250

Superior Court I
Phone: (765) 973-9259
Fax: (765) 973-9250

Superior Court II
Phone: (765) 973-9260
Fax: (765) 973-9250

Superior Court III
Phone: (765) 973-9269
Fax: (765) 973-9423

Hagerstown Town Court
49 East College Street
Hagerstown, IN 47346
Phone: (765) 489-6219
Email: court@hagerstown.in.gov

Wayne County Criminal Records

The Sheriff’s Office does not issue criminal records online to the public. However, record seekers can find Wayne County arrest records online via the Sheriff's Inmate Search portal. Enter a date or name in the search field to locate the desired record. The office can process criminal record requests submitted in person from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All in-person requests should be made at:

Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
200 E Main Street,
Richmond, IN 47374
Phone: (765) 973-9393

Record seekers can get complete copies of Wayne County criminal records at the Indiana State Police (ISP). The ISP issues limited criminal history reports online or by mail. Orders placed online are more expensive than those mailed to the ISP. All searches conducted using the online service cost $15 per record for subscribers and $15.70 per record placed by credit cards. Mail requesters must submit a completed Request Form and a certified check or money order of $7 to:

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

Get Wayne County Civil Court Records

The Clerk of Courts handles all civil cases in Wayne County. These include torts, protective orders, juvenile paternity, small claims, adoption, civil plenary cases, guardianships, trusts, mental health, juvenile delinquency and status, and miscellaneous civil and reciprocal support. The Clerk disseminates civil court records:

• Online: The Clerk provides a Case search and approved third-party tools to help the public access court information easily. Users of the Case Search portal can conduct a search by name, case, or attorney. They can streamline their searches by selecting Civil in the “Limit search to” section. Users of the third-party site can search by case party, case number, and attorney.
• Email: Send an Electronic Request Form to the Clerk at clerk@co.wayne.in.us, wjacob@co.wayne.in.us, or tholland@co.wayne.in.us.
• In-person: Record seekers should visit the courthouse during business hours to request copies of civil court records. The record staff will require a name or case number to proceed with the request. Copies of civil court records attract a small fee that must be paid before the record will be released.

Wayne County Marriage Records

The Clerk of Courts issues Wayne County marriage records to subjects of records and interested residents by email or mail. Requesters must complete the Electronic Request Form and click the “E-mail” button to attach the form to the email that would be sent to the Clerk of Courts. Otherwise, they can manually attach the request form to an email and send it to clerk@co.wayne.in.us, wjacob@co.wayne.in.us, or tholland@co.wayne.in.us. Mail requesters must enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope in their mail package for the return of the desired copy.

Alternatively, record seekers can visit the Clerk’s office from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The marriage year or the groom or bride’s name will be required to process the request. The fee for obtaining a copy of a Wayne County marriage certificate is $1 per copy, while certified copies cost $4 per copy.

Wayne County Divorce Records

Copies of divorce records can be obtained from the Wayne County Clerk of Courts. Requests can be submitted in person at the courthouse during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). In-person requesters must provide the divorce date, case number, or case party name before the record staff will attend to them. Individuals who cannot travel to the courthouse can submit divorce records requests online or by emailing the Electronic Request Form to the Clerk. The Case Search tool provides divorce records online to public users. A search can be conducted by case, name, or attorney. Users should limit their searches by selecting the “Family” tab.

Wayne County Birth and Death Records

Wayne County vital records (births and deaths) are maintained by the Health Department and are available to members of the public. However, the record seeker must have a direct biological/marital relation to the record holder. The Department issues copies of birth or death records to the following individuals:

• The subject of record (this applies to only Wayne County birth records)
• Child, parent, sibling, and legal guardian
• Grandchild, grandparent, and step-parent
• Attorney, state or federal agencies, and social agency

The Department will give certified copies of birth and death records to distant relatives like aunts, uncles, and cousins when 75 years have elapsed after the birth or death date. Applicants can email or mail a completed Birth or Death Certificate Application Form with a fee of $15 per copy and a valid ID to the Department. Fees can be paid by check, money order, or online. The death certificate form can be emailed to janices@co.wayne.in.us, while individuals can email the Wayne County birth certificate application form to adawson@co.wayne.in.us. The processing time is 4 to 6 weeks. All mail requests should be sent to:

Wayne County Health Department
100 S. 5th Street
Richmond, IN 47374
Phone: (765) 973-9245

Wayne County Probate Court Records

The Wayne County Clerk of Courts is the official custodian of all probate cases, including supervised and unsupervised estates. The Clerk has a Case Search portal where members of the public can view non-confidential probate court records without charge. Users can access records by clicking the name, case, or attorney tab and entering the appropriate information in the search field. On each tab, go to the “Limit search to” section and select “Probate” to view only probate court records.

Interested persons can also email an Electronic Request Form to the Clerk at clerk@co.wayne.in.us, wjacob@co.wayne.in.us, or tholland@co.wayne.in.us to find probate court records. Alternatively, they can visit the courthouse from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to submit requests in person.

Wayne County Property Records

The Wayne County Recorder indexes property records such as deeds, assignments, liens, surveys, mortgages, plats, bonds, cemetery deeds, articles of incorporation, releases, and real estate contracts into its computer system. The Recorder partners with a third-party vendor to make these indexed records public. Requesters can also visit the office during business hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to view or copy property records. Copies of property records cost $1, larger copies cost $5, and certified copies cost $5.

The Wayne County Treasurer also issues residents' property records online and in person. To locate property tax information online, click the Tax View Application link on the website and conduct a search by parcel number, owner name, street number, street name, city, or Zip. In-person requests can be made on the second floor of the Wayne County Annex Building during business hours.

Wayne County Court Records Online

Inquirers may also obtain Wayne County court records online using third-party platforms such as indianacourtrecords.us. When users enter a name or case number into the search field, these sites provide quick access to court records across multiple jurisdictions. Third-party databases compile federal, Indiana, and Wayne County court information. However, they may not always provide complete or fully reliable data compared to Wayne County's official government sources. Therefore, cross-checking all information retrieved from third-party sites is necessary for legal purposes.