Court filings for Delaware County cases live in two distinct systems: the Indiana Judicial Branch’s county-specific records portal at Indiana Judicial Branch: Delaware County, and the statewide MyCase public search at MyCase. Booking records — the Sheriff’s side of an arrest — are maintained separately by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. The Clerk of Court’s office, located at the Delaware Justice Center at 3100 S. Tillotson Ave. in Muncie, holds physical case files and can provide certified copies; the Clerk’s phone line does not always have voicemail, so plan to call during weekday business hours.
If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Delaware County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.
If your person has a history in other states
A Delaware County court search covers cases filed in Indiana — it won’t surface records from other states, federal district courts, or jurisdictions where the person may have lived under a different name. A nationwide database search may help fill gaps that local portals often leave, particularly for out-of-state filings that Indiana’s MyCase system never indexes. The preliminary scan is free; a full report requires creating an account.
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How to look up arrest records in Delaware County
Four distinct pathways exist for Delaware County arrest records — and the court-side record and the booking record are not the same document, even for the same arrest.
MyCase public search (court-side). Indiana’s statewide portal at MyCase covers Delaware County Circuit Court and Superior Court filings. Search by name or case number. MyCase shows charges, hearing dates, attorney of record, and dispositions once entered by court staff — but it reflects what the court has keyed in, which can lag behind actual hearings by a day or more. The Indiana Judicial Branch: Delaware County page links directly to the county’s court records and is the cleanest county-anchored entry point for docket lookups.
Sheriff’s booking records. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office maintains its own inmate lookup tool at Delaware County Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup. This is the booking-side record — it shows who is currently or recently held at the Delaware County jail, not the court docket. Booking photos are generally public under Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act (Ind. Code § 5-14-3); the Sheriff’s Office website is the primary place to check current custody status. For mugshot release policy specifics, contact the Sheriff’s Office directly — the policy details are not posted online.
Clerk of Court records request. Physical case files and certified copies of court documents are available through the Delaware County Clerk of Court. Records may be picked up at the Clerk’s Office inside the Delaware Justice Center at 3100 S. Tillotson Ave., Muncie. The Clerk’s office handles transactions quickly — most visits take only a few minutes — and staff near the entrance can direct you to the right window. Mail-in requests with check payment are accepted for document copies. The Clerk’s phone line does not always have voicemail; call during weekday business hours and be prepared to try more than once. Confirm the current per-page copy fee before visiting, as it is not published in the verified sources for this page.
Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) lookup. If the person you’re researching was sentenced to a state facility rather than held at the Delaware County jail, use the Indiana Department of Correction offender search. IDOC covers state prison placements; it does not show county jail bookings or court dockets.
Federal cases. Delaware County sits within the Southern District of Indiana for federal matters. Federal criminal cases do not appear in MyCase or the Sheriff’s booking system. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana maintains its own case search information — confirm access options through the court’s website directly.
Are Delaware County arrest records public?
Arrest records in Delaware County carry a default-public status under Indiana law — the distinction that matters is whether a record has been sealed or expunged.
Indiana’s open-records framework, Ind. Code § 5-14-3, makes booking records — including booking photos — available to the public. That means a Delaware County arrest record is accessible to anyone who asks, whether through the Sheriff’s Office, the Clerk, or MyCase, unless a court order has changed that status.
Sealed and expunged records are the primary exception. Once a Delaware County court grants an expungement petition under Indiana’s Second Chance Law, the record is no longer visible to the public. Law enforcement agencies retain access, but the record drops out of MyCase and cannot be disclosed in response to a public records request. The practical effect: a sealed arrest record will not appear in a standard MyCase name search.
Juvenile records are handled separately. Arrests and adjudications involving minors are not part of the public adult criminal record system. They are confidential by default and do not appear in MyCase or the Sheriff’s public booking records.
Victim-protection redactions apply in certain cases. Identifying information for victims — particularly in domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking cases — may be redacted from publicly accessible court documents even when the underlying case record is public. What you see in MyCase for those case types may be a partial record.
Pending charges are public. An arrest record exists from the moment of booking, regardless of whether charges are later filed, reduced, or dismissed. A dismissal or acquittal does not automatically remove the record from public view — that requires a separate expungement action, though Indiana law provides an automatic expungement path for dismissals and acquittals (the order takes effect no sooner than 60 days after entry).
What’s in a Delaware County arrest record?
Booking date, charges, and a case number — those are the fields you’ll see first, but the two systems that hold Delaware County arrest data show different things.
The Sheriff’s booking record is generated at the jail when someone is processed into custody. It typically includes: full legal name, date of birth, booking date and time, the charges as written at arrest (which may differ from what the prosecutor later files), bond amount if set, and current custody status. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup at Delaware County Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup reflects the jail’s live data. Booking photos are part of this record and are generally public under Ind. Code § 5-14-3.
The court docket is a separate document maintained by the Clerk of Court. It lives in MyCase and at the Delaware County Courthouse. The docket shows: case number, charges as formally filed by the prosecutor (which may be different from arrest charges), all hearing dates and outcomes, attorney of record, and — critically — the disposition. A disposition is the final outcome of the case: guilty plea, conviction after trial, dismissal, acquittal, or diversion completion. Disposition is the field that tells you how the case ended. It appears in the docket as a separate entry, usually after the final hearing date. If the case is still open, the disposition field will be blank or show a pending status.
The docket and the booking record are linked by case number, but they live in different systems and may show different charge language. The arrest charge is what the officer wrote; the filed charge is what the prosecutor chose to pursue. Those can differ significantly, and only the court docket reflects the filed charge and final outcome.
For cases handled at the Delaware Justice Center, physical copies of docket entries and filings are available through the Clerk’s Office. Certified copies carry a fee — confirm the current amount with the Clerk before visiting. The Indiana Judicial Branch: Delaware County records page is the online access point for docket entries without a trip to the courthouse.
One practical note: MyCase data for Delaware County may lag behind actual court activity. If a hearing occurred recently, allow time for court staff to enter the result before relying on what MyCase shows.
How to expunge an arrest record in Delaware County
Indiana’s Ind. Code § 35-38-9 (Indiana “Second Chance Law”) is the controlling statute for all expungement petitions in Delaware County — and the waiting period that applies depends entirely on how the case ended.
Petitioning to seal an arrest record in Delaware County is a routine legal procedure. Many people pursue it after a case is dismissed, after completing a sentence, or simply to ensure their record accurately reflects what happened. There is no stigma in the process itself.
Arrests without a conviction. If you were arrested in Delaware County but never convicted — the case was dismissed, you were acquitted, or charges were never filed — you can petition to expunge the arrest record one year after the date of arrest. Dismissals and acquittals also qualify for automatic expungement, with the order taking effect no sooner than 60 days after entry. You do not need to wait for the automatic process; you can file a petition at the one-year mark.
Misdemeanor convictions. A misdemeanor conviction can be expunged five years after the date of conviction, provided you meet the eligibility requirements. The court must grant the petition if you qualify — it is not discretionary.
Class D / Level 6 felony convictions. These can be expunged eight years after the conviction date. Again, the court must grant the petition if eligibility is met.
More serious felonies. The court may expunge after the later of eight years from conviction or three years from completing the sentence. This tier is discretionary — the court can deny it.
Most serious felonies. These require the prosecutor’s written consent in addition to the court’s approval, and the waiting period is 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 entirely.
Where to file. File a verified petition in the Delaware County court where the conviction occurred. For non-conviction records, file in the county where the arrest took place — which for most Delaware County arrests means the Circuit Court or a Superior Court at the Delaware Justice Center. Indiana requires that all petitions in a given county be filed together in a single filing. You effectively get one expungement petition per lifetime, so timing matters. Confirm the current statute text or ask the Clerk of Court before filing to make sure you have the right waiting period for your specific case type.
Self-petition vs. attorney-assisted. Self-help expungement forms are available from the Delaware County Clerk’s Office. Many people complete the process without an attorney, particularly for non-conviction records. More complex cases — especially felony tiers requiring prosecutorial consent — benefit from attorney review. The Indiana Roll of Attorneys search at Indiana Roll of Attorneys and the Indiana Public Defender Council at Indiana Public Defender Council are the official directories for finding representation.
After expungement. Once granted, the record is removed from public view in MyCase and cannot be disclosed in response to a public records request. Law enforcement agencies retain access. The record does not disappear entirely — it is sealed from public systems, not destroyed.
| Resource | What it confirms | What it cannot confirm | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyCase | Filed charges, hearing dates, dispositions, attorney of record for Delaware County court cases | Booking details, current custody status, sealed/expunged records, federal cases | Search by name or case number; allow time for recent hearings to be entered |
| Indiana Judicial Branch: Delaware County | County-anchored entry point for Delaware County court records and docket access | Booking records, Sheriff-side data, sealed records | Use as the county-specific portal before falling back to statewide MyCase |
| Delaware County Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup | Current and recent jail bookings, custody status, booking-side charge information | Court dispositions, case outcomes, records from other counties or state facilities | Check here for booking-side data; cross-reference with MyCase for court outcomes |
| Delaware County Clerk of Court — Delaware Justice Center, 3100 S. Tillotson Ave., Muncie | Certified copies of court filings, physical case files, expungement petition forms | Booking records, IDOC placements, sealed records (by definition) | Visit during weekday business hours; call ahead — phone line may not have voicemail |
| Indiana Department of Correction offender search | State prison placements, IDOC custody status | County jail bookings, court dockets, cases not resulting in state incarceration | Use when the person may have been sentenced to a state facility rather than county jail |
| Indiana Judicial Branch: Public Records | Statewide public records guidance, MyCase FAQ, expungement information | County-specific procedural details, certified copies | Use for general Indiana records-access questions; defer to county resources for Delaware County specifics |
Sources used for this page, verified 2026-07-21:
- Indiana Judicial Branch: Delaware County — county-anchored court records portal and docket access for Delaware County Circuit and Superior Courts.
- Indiana MyCase docket search — public docket search covering Delaware County filings; charges, hearings, dispositions, attorney of record.
- Delaware County Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup — booking-side records, current custody status, and booked-in reports maintained by the Delaware County Sheriff.
- Delaware County Sheriff’s Office — official Sheriff’s Office website; source for jail information, booking policy, and department contact details.
- Indiana Department of Correction offender search — state-level inmate lookup for persons housed in IDOC facilities.
- Indiana Judicial Branch: Public Records — statewide guidance on court records access, MyCase FAQ, and expungement information.
- Copies of Records — Delaware County, Indiana — Clerk of Court records-request procedures; pickup location at the Delaware Justice Center.
- DoxPop — Search Court Records — Delaware County, Indiana — online court records search service referenced by the Delaware County government website.
- Indiana Roll of Attorneys — official attorney directory for finding licensed Indiana counsel.
- Indiana Public Defender Council — public defender locator for Indiana counties.
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Frequently asked questions about Delaware County arrest records
What does a bond amount on a Delaware County arrest record mean, and where do I find it?
A bond amount is the dollar figure a court sets as the condition for release from the Delaware County jail while a case is pending. It appears on the booking record — not always on the court docket — so the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup is the place to check it. The court docket in MyCase may also show a bond entry once the initial hearing is recorded, but the Sheriff’s booking record is updated first. Bond amounts can change after hearings; if the figure matters for a decision, confirm the current amount directly with the Delaware County jail.
How do I get a Delaware County arrest record expunged under Indiana law?
Indiana’s Second Chance Law (Ind. Code § 35-38-9) governs expungement for all Delaware County cases. The waiting period depends on the outcome: one year after arrest for cases that never resulted in a conviction; five years after conviction for misdemeanors; eight years for Class D or Level 6 felonies. File a verified petition at the Delaware County court where the case was heard — the Clerk’s Office at the Delaware Justice Center, 3100 S. Tillotson Ave. in Muncie, has self-help forms. Indiana requires all petitions in a given county to be filed together, and you effectively get one petition per lifetime, so confirm the current statute or ask the Clerk before filing. After expungement, the record is removed from public systems like MyCase; law enforcement retains access.
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