Arrest Records for Howard County, Indiana

When you need to pull an arrest record in Howard County, the records live across two distinct systems: the Howard County Sheriff’s Office holds booking-side records, while court-side docket entries are maintained by the Howard County Clerk and searchable through Indiana’s statewide MyCase portal at Indiana MyCase docket search. Howard County has a Circuit Court and four Superior Courts, all of which generate case records accessible online. The Clerk’s office is located at the Howard County Courthouse, 220 N Main St, Kokomo, IN 46901, with weekday hours of Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Sheriff’s Office accepts public records requests through its dedicated online form at Howard County Sheriff’s Office Public Records Request; call to confirm the current fee before submitting.

If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Howard County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.

If you need records outside Howard County

A nationwide search may help fill gaps that local portals often leave — records from neighboring Indiana counties that don’t publish online, federal cases that never appear in MyCase, or entries under name variants from addresses in other states. The preliminary scan is free; a full report requires creating an account.

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How to look up arrest records in Howard County

Your path depends on whether the record you need is still at the jail, has moved to the courts, or has transferred to a state facility after sentencing. Each system is separate, and each requires a different query.

MyCase — court docket records. Indiana’s statewide portal, MyCase, covers all five Howard County courts: the Circuit Court and Superior Courts I through IV. Search by name or case number. MyCase shows charges filed, hearing dates, dispositions, and attorney of record. It does not show booking photos or pre-charge detention records — those live on the Sheriff’s side.

Howard County Sheriff’s Office — booking records and inmate information. The Howard County Sheriff’s Office maintains the county jail booking records. Use the Inmate Information lookup to search current detainees by name. For booking records on individuals no longer in custody, submit a formal public records request through the Sheriff’s Office Public Records Request form. Reach the jail directly at (765) 457-1105. Confirm numbers and hours before visiting or calling.

Howard County Clerk — court file copies. The Clerk’s office at the Howard County Courthouse (220 N Main St, Kokomo, IN 46901) holds physical court files and can produce certified copies of case documents. The Clerk accepts cash, money orders, credit cards, and debit cards. Parking around the courthouse is limited; plan to arrive early, and expect a security search at the entrance. The Clerk’s weekday hours are Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — call ahead to confirm, as hours can change. The Indiana Judicial Branch: Howard County page lists court contact information and links to the Clerk’s department.

Indiana Department of Correction — post-sentencing transfers. Once a person is sentenced to a state facility, the Howard County Sheriff’s inmate roster no longer tracks them. The Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) offender search at Indiana DOC Offender / Incarcerated Locator is the correct tool for locating anyone transferred out of the county jail to a state prison. Search by name or IDOC number. Howard County also has a Community Supervision department for individuals on probation or parole who remain in the county.

Bond information. If you need to confirm bond status or find licensed bondsmen, the Howard County Sheriff’s Office Bond Information page lists the county’s bail bond board and licensed bondsmen. Bond amounts are set at first appearance in Howard County Circuit or Superior Court.

Are Howard County arrest records public?

“Any person may inspect and copy the public records of any public agency,” reads the core command of Indiana’s open-records law — and Howard County arrest records fall squarely within that guarantee. Under Ind. Code § 5-14-3, booking records, including booking photos, are presumptively open to the public. The law places the burden on the agency to justify withholding, not on the requester to justify access.

Arrest records and conviction records are both public, but they are separately maintained. An arrest record originates with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office at the time of booking. A conviction record is generated by the court — the Howard County Circuit Court or one of the four Superior Courts — and maintained by the Clerk. MyCase shows the court side; the Sheriff’s public records portal shows the booking side. Neither system automatically links to the other.

Several categories of records are withheld or restricted even under Indiana’s open-records framework. Juvenile records are not public — they are handled separately under Indiana’s juvenile code and are generally sealed from public view. Victim-identifying information in certain cases (sexual offenses, domestic violence) may be redacted before release. Records that have been expunged under Ind. Code § 35-38-9 are removed from public access, though law enforcement retains internal access. An ongoing investigation may also justify temporary withholding of specific documents.

Practically speaking, a request to the Howard County Sheriff’s Office for a booking record on an adult arrestee will typically be fulfilled. Submit the request through the Sheriff’s Office Public Records Request form and specify the name, approximate date of arrest, and the type of record you need. For court-side documents, MyCase is the fastest path; certified copies require a visit or written request to the Clerk at the Howard County Courthouse.

What’s in a Howard County arrest record?

A booking sheet from the Howard County Jail lands on the desk of a records-checker with more fields than most people expect. The Sheriff’s booking entry and the court’s docket entry are two different documents — they overlap on some facts and diverge on others.

The Sheriff-side booking record typically contains: the subject’s full legal name, date of birth, and physical descriptors; the booking date and time; the arresting agency (Howard County Sheriff’s Office, Kokomo Police Department, or Indiana State Police); the charges as listed at booking (which may differ from charges formally filed by the prosecutor); bond amount set at initial hearing; and a booking photo. The Inmate Information portal shows current detainees; historical booking records require a formal public records request. For the Howard County Jail’s mugshot release policy, call (765) 457-1105 — the policy details are not posted online.

The court-side docket entry, accessible through MyCase or in person at the Howard County Courthouse, contains a different set of fields. You will see: the case number assigned by the Clerk; the formal charges as filed by the Howard County Prosecutor; all hearing dates, including initial hearings, pre-trial conferences, and trial dates; sentencing dates and the sentence imposed (jail time, probation terms, fines, or a combination); the attorney of record for both prosecution and defense; and the final disposition — guilty plea, conviction at trial, dismissal, or acquittal.

Probation terms are visible in the docket as part of the sentencing entry. If a person received a suspended sentence with probation, the docket will show the probation length and any conditions imposed by the court. Howard County’s Community Supervision department handles probation administration; the Howard County Community Supervision page has contact information for that office.

One practical note: MyCase docket entries are updated as events occur, but there can be a lag between a court event and its appearance online. If you need a same-day confirmation of a hearing outcome, call the Howard County Courthouse at (765) 457-1105 rather than relying solely on the portal.

How to expunge an arrest record in Howard County

Petitioning to seal an arrest record in Howard County is a routine legal procedure governed by a single statewide statute, and many people complete it without an attorney. Indiana’s Ind. Code § 35-38-9 (Indiana “Second Chance Law”) covers all expungement petitions in the state, including those filed in Howard County.

Juvenile records have separate — and typically more accessible — sealing procedures under Indiana’s juvenile code, which operates independently of the Second Chance Law. If the record you are addressing involves a juvenile adjudication rather than an adult arrest, ask the Howard County Clerk’s office about the juvenile sealing process specifically, as the timing and procedures differ from adult expungement.

Arrests that did not result in a conviction. An arrest where charges were never filed, or where the case was dismissed or resulted in an acquittal, is the most straightforward path. A dismissal or acquittal is expunged automatically under Indiana law — the order takes effect no sooner than 60 days after the dismissal or acquittal. For an arrest where no charges were ever filed, you may petition to expunge the arrest record one year after the date of arrest. No conviction is required to be on your record; the arrest record itself is the target.

Misdemeanor convictions. A misdemeanor conviction can be expunged five years after the date of conviction, and the court must grant the petition if eligibility requirements are met. The waiting period runs from the conviction date, not the arrest date.

Class D / Level 6 felony convictions. These can be expunged eight years after the conviction date, and the court must grant the petition if eligibility is satisfied.

More serious felonies. The court may expunge these after the later of eight years from conviction or three years from completing the sentence. The most serious felonies — and those involving official misconduct — require the Howard County Prosecutor’s written consent and are subject to a waiting period of the later of ten years from conviction or five years from completing the sentence. Sex offenses and violent offenses are excluded from expungement entirely.

Filing in Howard County. A verified petition must be filed in the court where the conviction occurred — for non-conviction records, in the county of arrest, which is Howard County. Indiana requires that all petitions in a given county be filed together in a single filing. You effectively have one expungement petition in a lifetime, so timing matters. Confirm the current filing fee and any indigency waiver options with the Howard County Clerk at the Howard County Courthouse (220 N Main St, Kokomo, IN 46901) before filing.

Self-represented petitioners can file without an attorney. The Indiana courts system provides self-help resources through the Indiana Judicial Branch: Howard County page. If you want attorney assistance, search the Indiana Roll of Attorneys at Indiana Roll of Attorneys attorney directory, or contact the Indiana Public Defender Council at Indiana Public Defender Council for guidance on whether you qualify for appointed counsel in an expungement proceeding.

After expungement is granted, the public record is removed from MyCase and from the Sheriff’s public-facing systems. Law enforcement agencies retain internal access to expunged records. The record will no longer appear in standard public records searches.

Frequently asked questions about Howard County arrest records

What is the bond process for a Howard County arrest, and where do I find bond information?

Bond in Howard County is set by a judge at the initial hearing, which typically occurs within 48 hours of booking at the Howard County Jail. The bond amount and any conditions appear in the MyCase docket entry for the case — search by the arrested person’s name at MyCase. The Howard County Sheriff’s Office Bond Information page lists licensed bail bondsmen in the county. To confirm current bond status by phone, call the Howard County Jail at (765) 457-1105. Note that inmates at the Howard County Criminal Justice Center are not permitted to have cash; commissary deposits and other financial transactions go through the Sheriff’s designated process, detailed at the Sheriff’s Office commissary page.

How do I get a Howard County arrest record expunged under Indiana law?

Indiana’s Second Chance Law (Ind. Code § 35-38-9) governs expungement for Howard County arrests and convictions. An arrest that did not result in a conviction can be petitioned one year after the arrest date; a dismissal or acquittal is expunged automatically no sooner than 60 days after the court’s order. A misdemeanor conviction becomes eligible five years after conviction; a Class D or Level 6 felony after eight years. More serious felonies have longer waiting periods and may require the Howard County Prosecutor’s written consent. File a verified petition at the Howard County Courthouse (220 N Main St, Kokomo, IN 46901) — all petitions in the county must be filed together in a single filing. Indiana effectively allows one expungement petition per lifetime, so confirm current eligibility and fees with the Clerk’s office before filing. Self-help resources are available through the Indiana Judicial Branch; attorney referrals are available at courtapps.in.gov/rollofattorneys/search.