Arrest Records for Dearborn County, Indiana

Dearborn County arrest records live in two separate systems: court case filings managed by the Dearborn County Circuit and Superior Courts, and booking records held by the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office. Court records for both misdemeanor and felony cases are searchable online through Indiana’s statewide MyCase portal, and the Indiana Judicial Branch: Dearborn County page links to clerk resources and e-filing. The Dearborn County Courthouse sits at 165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg — the Circuit Court Clerk’s office is on the second floor. Plan to arrive before 4:20 p.m.; the clerk’s window closes earlier than the posted 4:30 p.m. time.

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

Searching for records beyond Indiana

A Dearborn County court search covers cases filed in this county’s courts, but it won’t surface records from Ohio or Kentucky — both border Dearborn County — or from federal courts, or from earlier addresses in other states. A nationwide database search may help fill gaps that local portals often leave, including name variants and records that predate Indiana’s online window.

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How to look up arrest records in Dearborn County

Court case records in Dearborn County are public and searchable online. The MyCase portal covers both the Circuit Court and Superior Courts in Dearborn County. Enter a name, case number, or attorney to pull up criminal case filings, charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. MyCase reflects what the clerk has entered; there can be a short lag between a court event and its appearance online, so call to confirm if you need same-day accuracy.

The Indiana Judicial Branch: Dearborn County page provides direct links to clerk resources and the e-filing system at Efile. For in-person records requests, go to the Dearborn County Courthouse, 165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025. The Circuit Court Clerk’s office is on the second floor — courtroom locations are not always clearly marked, so ask staff when you arrive. The clerk’s window closes around 4:20 p.m. on weekdays, earlier than the posted time.

Booking records — the Sheriff’s side of an arrest — are separate from court filings. The Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office maintains jail and booking records at Dearborncountysheriff. Call (812) 537-3431 to ask about a specific booking record or to request a records release. The Sheriff’s Office in Lawrenceburg operates Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Some in-person services accept cash only, so confirm payment options before visiting.

When a person sentenced to state prison is transferred out of the Dearborn County Jail, the county booking record stays with the Sheriff, but the person’s location and custody status move to the Indiana Department of Correction. Use the IDOC Offender Search to locate anyone who has been transferred to a state facility. That tool searches by name or DOC number and shows current facility, sentence information, and projected release date.

Public record requests for Dearborn County can also be submitted through the Action Center Public Record Request Form on the county’s official website. Wait times vary depending on the scope of the request. For Aurora Police Department records specifically, that department operates Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and wait times depend on the type and volume of the request.

Are Dearborn County arrest records public?

Walk into the Dearborn County Courthouse and ask for a criminal case file — the clerk will hand it to you. Indiana’s open-records framework, Ind. Code § 5-14-3, establishes that booking records, court filings, and arrest documentation are public records by default. That default-public status applies to Dearborn County records the same as anywhere else in Indiana.

Other states operate under different access rules. Kentucky and Ohio — both adjacent to Dearborn County — have their own public-records statutes, and some categories of records that are freely accessible in Indiana may be restricted or require a formal request process in those states. If you are researching someone with ties to multiple states, you will need to check each state’s framework separately.

Indiana’s default-public rule has narrow exceptions. Juvenile records are confidential under Indiana law and are not accessible through MyCase or in-person clerk requests. Cases that have been expunged under Ind. Code § 35-38-9 are removed from public view — the court docket entry may still show that a case existed, but the details are sealed from public access. Victim-identifying information in certain cases (sexual offenses, domestic violence) is redacted before records are released. Active investigative records held by law enforcement may also be withheld while an investigation is ongoing.

Booking photos taken at the Dearborn County Jail are generally public under Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act. For the Sheriff’s current policy on releasing booking photos for specific individuals, contact the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office directly at (812) 537-3431.

What’s in a Dearborn County arrest record?

Pull up a Dearborn County criminal case on MyCase and you will see two distinct layers of information — the court-side docket and the Sheriff-side booking entry. They live in different systems and show different fields.

The court docket, accessible through MyCase and the Indiana Judicial Branch: Dearborn County records portal, typically includes: the case number, the filing date, the charges as formally filed by the prosecutor, all scheduled and completed hearing dates, the judge assigned, the attorney of record for the defendant, bond conditions set at the initial hearing, and the final disposition — guilty plea, acquittal, dismissal, or conviction with sentence. Felony cases filed in Dearborn County Circuit or Superior Court appear here. Misdemeanor cases filed in those same courts also appear.

The Sheriff-side booking record, held by the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office at Dearborncountysheriff, captures what happened at the jail: the booking date and time, the arresting agency, the charges as listed at booking (which may differ from what the prosecutor later files), physical descriptors, and the booking photo. The Sheriff’s record exists even if the prosecutor later declines to file charges — meaning a booking can appear in Sheriff records without any corresponding court case in MyCase.

When a case has been partially sealed under Indiana’s expungement statute, the visible fields change. In the Dearborn County Courthouse records, a sealed case typically shows that a case existed — the docket number and filing date may remain — but the case details, charges, and disposition are hidden from public view. Law enforcement agencies retain full access to sealed records; only public access is restricted. If you are reviewing your own record and see a docket entry with no accessible details, that case may have been expunged. The Dearborn County Circuit Court Clerk can confirm whether a sealing order is in place.

How to expunge an arrest record in Dearborn County

When a Dearborn County arrest did not result in a conviction — the case was dismissed, charges were never filed, or you were acquitted — the path to clearing that record is generally more straightforward than post-conviction sealing. Ind. Code § 35-38-9 (Indiana “Second Chance Law”) governs both tracks, but they work differently.

For a non-conviction arrest, you can petition to expunge the record one year after the arrest date. Indiana also provides that a dismissal or acquittal is eligible for automatic expungement — the order takes effect no sooner than 60 days after entry. In practice, you still file a verified petition in the Dearborn County court where the arrest occurred to trigger the process. The court must grant the petition if eligibility requirements are met; it is not discretionary for non-conviction cases.

Post-conviction sealing is a different matter. A misdemeanor conviction can be expunged five years after the conviction date, provided you meet the eligibility criteria — no subsequent convictions and a clean record during the waiting period. A Class D or Level 6 felony conviction requires an eight-year wait from the conviction date. The court must grant these petitions as well, once the waiting period and clean-record requirements are satisfied.

More serious felony convictions carry longer timelines and involve the court’s discretion. The court may expunge a more serious felony after the later of eight years from conviction or three years from completing the sentence. The most serious felonies — including violent offenses and sex offenses, which are excluded from expungement entirely — require the prosecutor’s written consent and a waiting period of the later of ten years from conviction or five years from completing the sentence. Sex offenses, violent offenses, and official-misconduct offenses are excluded from Indiana’s expungement law altogether.

Indiana’s Second Chance Law gives each person effectively one lifetime expungement petition per county. All cases in Dearborn County that you want expunged must be filed together in a single petition — you cannot file for one case now and return for another later. Getting the timing right before you file matters significantly. Confirm the current statute text or ask the Dearborn County Circuit Court Clerk before submitting your petition.

To file in Dearborn County, submit a verified petition at the Dearborn County Courthouse, 165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025. The filing fee varies by case type; ask the clerk for the current fee schedule. An indigency waiver may be available if you cannot afford the fee. You can self-petition without an attorney, though an attorney can help ensure all eligible cases are included and the petition is timed correctly. Find a licensed Indiana attorney through the Indiana Roll of Attorneys, or contact the Indiana Public Defender Council for guidance on low-cost options.

After a successful expungement, the public record is sealed — employers and members of the public cannot see the case through MyCase or a clerk records request. Law enforcement agencies retain access. The Dearborn County Circuit Court Clerk can confirm whether a prior expungement order is already on file for a specific case.

Quick-contacts for Dearborn County arrest records

Frequently asked questions about Dearborn County arrest records

How do I confirm what’s on my own Dearborn County arrest record?

Run your name through MyCase to see every criminal case filed against you in Dearborn County Circuit and Superior Courts. That search shows charges, hearing history, and dispositions. For the Sheriff-side booking record — which exists independently of any court case — contact the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 537-3431 and request your booking history. If you want a certified copy of a court record, visit the clerk’s office at 165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, before 4:20 p.m. on a weekday. Bring a photo ID. The clerk can also tell you whether any prior expungement order is already on file for your cases.

How do I get a Dearborn County arrest record expunged?

Under Ind. Code § 35-38-9, a Dearborn County arrest that did not result in a conviction can be petitioned for expungement one year after the arrest date; dismissals and acquittals may qualify for automatic expungement no sooner than 60 days after the order. A misdemeanor conviction requires a five-year wait from the conviction date; a Class D or Level 6 felony requires eight years. File a verified petition at the Dearborn County Courthouse, 165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg — Indiana requires all eligible cases in the county to be filed together in one petition, so list every case you want cleared. Confirm the current filing fee with the clerk before you go. You can self-petition, or find an attorney through the Indiana Roll of Attorneys.