Indiana Public Records

There are many types of records specific to Indiana available to the general public. Indiana birth records and death records are restricted, however, from public access. These Indiana public records can be requested by authorized individuals from the Indiana State Department of Health. Indiana marriage records and divorce records are not restricted and can be requested from the county Clerk of Court that issued the record. Also available are Indiana court records, which can be searched from one online database to include civil and criminal court records, as well as Indiana divorce records. The Indiana State Police operate an online criminal records search tool available to the public for a fee. To research historic Indiana public records, visit the State Archives to access marriage records, court and military records. Also, the Allen County Public Library’s Genealogy Center is a source of Indiana military records, cemetery records and some vital records.

About Indiana Public Records

Most Indiana records are a matter of public record; however, there are some access restrictions. For instance, Indiana death records and birth records can only be requested by someone with a direct interest. This usually means the person of record, an immediate family member or a legal representative. However, these Indiana public records may be released for genealogy reasons, especially older records, upon request to the Department of Health. Indiana marriage records and divorce records are not protected and can be requested by anyone.

However, there is no state repository of marriage and divorce records, meaning that requests must be made to the Clerk of Court where the event occurred. Most Clerks of Court accept in-person and mailed requests, although this varies depending on the county. Indiana divorce records may be viewed online through the State Court Administration’s website.

Accessing Indiana Online Free Public Records

Indiana court records, including civil, criminal and family court records, are available online through the State Court Administration’s website’s Indiana Public Records Inquiry. This public access web portal allows anyone to search court records throughout the state in one place for free. These Indiana online free public records can be narrowed down by county and case type. For example, search for criminal records for any individual with a history in Allen County.

This method of researching Indiana online free public records is a way to search Indiana criminal records for free without paying to obtain conviction information from the State Police. Although not all criminal court records are listed online, pending and open criminal court records will be included in a court records search, while these records would be left out of a criminal records report from the State Police.

Historic Public Records Search in Indiana

Two fabulous resources for genealogy research in Indiana include the State Archives in Indianapolis and the Allen County Public Library’s Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne. The State Archives offers public access to a marriage index. Also available are Indiana military records pertaining to the Civil War, Indiana Militia, Black Hawks and the Mexican War, to name a few. A limited public records search of Indiana history is available through the Digital Archives online.

The Genealogy Center offers Indiana cemetery records, military records and some vital records. Many of these records are available online through searchable indexes and offers scanned images of the actual record. In person visits are also encouraged, and a staff of librarians who are also genealogists are available to assist. There is no fee to access either facility.