Arrest Records for Elkhart County, Indiana

Court filings for Elkhart County criminal cases live in two parallel systems: the Indiana Judicial Branch: Elkhart County records portal (which feeds into the statewide MyCase search at Indiana MyCase docket search), and the booking-side records held by the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office. The courthouse phone for the Elkhart County Clerk’s Office is (574) 294-5471. For Elkhart city police records, the Elkhart City Police Department records line is (574) 295-7070. Confirm hours before visiting, and bring valid photo ID — the Elkhart County Courthouse requires it at the door.

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

If your person has a history in other states

Elkhart County’s online portals cover Indiana cases only — records from other states, federal cases, and arrests that pre-date the portal’s online window won’t appear in MyCase or the Clerk’s local index. A nationwide search may help surface those gaps. The preliminary scan is free; a full report requires creating an account.

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How to look up arrest records in Elkhart County

“Access to public records shall be provided in accordance with” Indiana’s open-records framework — but in practice, Elkhart County records are spread across three distinct systems, and knowing which one holds what saves real time. The court-side record and the booking-side record are maintained separately and may show different fields for the same event.

MyCase / Indiana Judicial Branch portal. The Indiana Judicial Branch: Elkhart County records page links directly into the statewide case search. Run a name search at Indiana MyCase case records search to pull docket entries for Elkhart Circuit Court and the county’s Superior Courts. Elkhart County uses the Indiana Supreme Court’s statewide Odyssey case management system, so case numbers follow Indiana’s uniform format. MyCase shows charges, hearing dates, dispositions, and attorney of record — but it is a court-side view only. Booking photos and Sheriff-side booking data are not part of this portal. If you’re helping a family member prepare for a court appearance, this is where you’ll find the case number and next hearing date.

Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office inmate and booking records. The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office inmate services page is the county’s official resource for locating someone currently in custody. For booking records on a person who has already been released, contact the Sheriff’s Office directly — the non-emergency line is (574) 533-4151, and the facility address is 26861 County Road 26, Elkhart, Indiana. The Sheriff’s Office holds the booking-side record: booking date, charges at intake, and any booking photo. These records are separate from the court docket and may reflect charges before any amendment by the prosecutor.

Elkhart City Police Department records requests. If the arrest was made by Elkhart city police rather than the county Sheriff, the record originates with the Elkhart City Police Department. Submit a formal APRA request using the city’s online public record request form. The city police records department accepts cash, cashier’s check, debit cards, and credit cards (with additional fees) — confirm the current fee schedule when you submit. Call the city police records line at (574) 295-7070 with questions.

Elkhart County Clerk’s Office. Felony and misdemeanor court records filed at the county level are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Reach the Clerk at (574) 294-5471. A practical note: the Clerk’s phone lines can be difficult to reach during busy periods — if you don’t get through, visiting in person is often faster. Document submissions to the Clerk require payment by money order. If you’re a guardian or attorney of record pulling records on behalf of a family member, the Clerk can confirm what’s in the case file and whether any documents require a formal records request under Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act.

IDOC lookup for sentenced individuals. If the person you’re researching was convicted and sentenced to state prison rather than the county jail, check the Indiana Department of Correction offender search. IDOC records are separate from both the Clerk’s docket and the Sheriff’s booking system.

Are Elkhart County arrest records public?

Does it matter who’s asking — you, a family member, or a stranger? Under Indiana law, it generally doesn’t. Ind. Code § 5-14-3, Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act, makes booking records — including booking photos — open to any member of the public by default. You don’t need to be the subject of the record, an attorney, or a relative to request it. That default-public status is what allows third parties to access Elkhart County arrest records, though agencies may charge a records-request fee to cover copying or processing costs.

The default-public rule has narrow exceptions. Juvenile records are not public — arrests involving minors are handled through a separate system and are generally sealed from public view. Records that have been expunged under Indiana’s Second Chance Law are removed from public access; after a successful expungement, the Elkhart County Clerk is required to note the expungement in the case record, and the public version of the docket will no longer show the underlying arrest or conviction. Victim-identifying information — addresses, contact details, and certain case details in domestic violence or sexual offense cases — may be redacted before a record is released.

Active investigations are another practical limit. Incident reports tied to an open investigation may be withheld in full or in part while the case is pending. Once charges are filed and the case enters the court system, the docket becomes public through MyCase regardless of whether the case is still active.

A note on third-party access fees: the Elkhart City Police Department and the Elkhart County Clerk’s Office both process APRA requests, and both may charge per-page or per-record fees. The city’s online public record request form is the cleanest path for city police records. For Clerk records, call (574) 294-5471 to ask about the current fee before submitting a written request.

What’s in an Elkhart County arrest record?

Depending on which system you pull from, the fields you see will differ — the court-side docket and the Sheriff-side booking record are maintained independently and are not always synchronized in real time.

Sheriff-side booking record (held at the Elkhart County Corrections Center, 26861 County Road 26). The booking entry is created at intake and typically includes: full legal name and date of birth, booking date and time, arresting agency, charges as entered at booking (which may differ from charges later filed by the prosecutor), bail or bond amount if set, and a booking photo. The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office inmate services page is the county’s official resource for current custody status. For booking records on released individuals, contact the Sheriff’s Office directly. Regarding the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office’s mugshot release policy — booking photos are generally public under Ind. Code § 5-14-3, but specific release practices can vary; call the Sheriff’s Office to confirm current policy before making a formal request.

Court-side docket record (accessible via Indiana Judicial Branch: Elkhart County and the statewide MyCase portal). The docket is created when the prosecutor files charges and shows: Indiana uniform case number, charges as filed (which may be amended from the booking charges), all hearing dates and outcomes, bond conditions set by the court, attorney of record for both prosecution and defense, and the final disposition — guilty plea, conviction, acquittal, or dismissal. The Elkhart County Courthouse uses the Odyssey case management system, so the MyCase docket is generally current, though there can be a lag between a court event and its appearance online.

The gap between booking charges and filed charges matters practically. A person booked on a felony charge may have the prosecutor file a misdemeanor, or vice versa. The booking record at the Sheriff’s Office reflects the arrest; the court docket reflects what was actually charged and how the case resolved. If you’re reviewing a record for accuracy — your own or a family member’s — check both systems and note any discrepancies before a court appearance or other proceeding.

The Elkhart County Courthouse requires valid photo ID for entry. If you’re visiting in person to review a physical case file, bring ID and be prepared for the possibility that the Clerk’s phone lines may be busy — arriving in person is often more efficient than calling ahead.

How to expunge an arrest record in Elkhart County

One year after an arrest with no resulting conviction — that’s the waiting period that opens the door to expungement for many Elkhart County residents. Indiana’s expungement framework, Ind. Code § 35-38-9, is a single unified statute that covers everything from non-conviction arrests to serious felonies, with different eligibility rules and waiting periods for each tier.

Dismissed and acquitted cases — the streamlined path. If charges were dismissed or you were acquitted at trial, Indiana law provides an automatic expungement path. A dismissal or acquittal is expunged automatically by court order, with the order taking effect no sooner than 60 days after it’s entered. You don’t need to wait years — the one-year clock from the date of arrest applies to arrests that never resulted in a charge. For a case that was charged and then dismissed, the automatic path applies. This is the most common scenario for people who were arrested, had charges dropped, and now want the arrest off their public record.

Misdemeanor convictions. A misdemeanor conviction can be petitioned for expungement five years after the conviction date, provided you meet the eligibility criteria under Ind. Code § 35-38-9. The court must grant the petition if you qualify — it’s not discretionary at this tier.

Class D / Level 6 felony convictions. The waiting period is eight years from the conviction date. Like misdemeanors, the court must grant the petition if eligibility requirements are met.

More serious felonies. For felonies above Level 6, the court may grant expungement after the later of eight years from conviction or three years from completing the sentence. The most serious felonies — including those requiring the prosecutor’s written consent — have 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 expungement entirely under the Second Chance Law.

Where and how to file in Elkhart County. File a verified petition in the Elkhart County court where the conviction occurred. For non-conviction arrests, file in the county where the arrest took place — which for most Elkhart County arrests means filing at the Elkhart County Courthouse. Indiana requires that all petitions in a given county be filed together in a single filing; you cannot file piecemeal across multiple sessions. Bring a money order for the filing fee — the Elkhart County Clerk’s Office requires money order for document submissions. Call (574) 294-5471 to confirm the current filing fee before you go.

One petition, effectively, per lifetime. Indiana’s Second Chance Law limits each person to one expungement petition. Getting the timing right matters — filing before you’re eligible, or before all qualifying cases can be included, may foreclose future relief. If your situation involves multiple cases across different offense levels, consider consulting an attorney before filing. The Indiana public defender locator is at Indiana Public Defender Council, and the Indiana Roll of Attorneys search is at Indiana Roll of Attorneys attorney directory.

What expungement does and doesn’t do. After a successful expungement, the public version of the Elkhart County court docket will no longer show the arrest or conviction. Law enforcement agencies retain access to the sealed record — it doesn’t disappear from their systems. The Clerk notes the expungement in the case file. Background checks run through public court portals like MyCase will no longer return the expunged case.

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Frequently asked questions about Elkhart County arrest records

What charges will appear on an Elkhart County arrest record, and what happens next in the process?

An Elkhart County arrest record shows the charges entered at booking by the arresting agency — either the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office or the Elkhart City Police Department. Those booking charges may differ from what the prosecutor ultimately files in court. Once the prosecutor files, the court docket (visible on MyCase) becomes the authoritative record of what was charged. The next step after arrest is an initial hearing where bond is set; subsequent hearings, plea entries, and the final disposition all appear on the MyCase docket under the assigned case number. To see both the booking-side and court-side records for the same arrest, check the Sheriff’s inmate services page and MyCase separately.

How do I get an Elkhart County arrest record expunged or sealed?

Petitioning to seal an arrest record in Elkhart County is a routine legal procedure under Ind. Code § 35-38-9, Indiana’s Second Chance Law. For an arrest that never resulted in a conviction, you can petition one year after the arrest date. For a dismissed or acquitted case, expungement is automatic by court order (effective no sooner than 60 days after the order). Misdemeanor convictions are eligible five years after conviction; Class D or Level 6 felony convictions after eight years. File a verified petition at the Elkhart County Courthouse — call the Clerk at (574) 294-5471 to confirm the current filing fee and required documents. Indiana allows effectively one expungement petition per lifetime, so include all qualifying cases in a single filing. The Indiana Public Defender Commission at Indiana Public Defender Council can help you find representation if needed.