Arrest Records Lookup: Hancock County, Indiana

Court filings and booking records for Hancock County sit across two distinct systems: the Hancock County Clerk of Courts holds docket entries for cases filed in the Circuit and Superior Courts, while the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office maintains booking-side records at the jail. The county’s Administration and Records portal on hancockin.gov is the county’s own records hub, and Indiana’s statewide MyCase portal covers court filings for nearly every county. The Courthouse main number is (317) 477-1109; the Clerk’s office closes at 4:00 PM on weekdays, so plan accordingly. Records-request fees are accepted by credit/debit card or cash — confirm the current fee schedule before visiting.

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

If your person has a history in other states

A Hancock County records search covers only what Indiana courts and the local Sheriff have on file. A nationwide search may help surface records from other states or federal cases that county portals never show, name variants across prior addresses, or records that predate Indiana’s online window. The preliminary scan is free; a full report requires creating an account.

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How to look up arrest records in Hancock County

“Public records are open to inspection and copying by any person,” reads Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act — and Hancock County’s systems reflect that default. You have four practical pathways to the records, and which one you need depends on whether you want court-side docket entries or booking-side Sheriff data.

MyCase — statewide court portal. Indiana’s MyCase portal is the fastest online route to Hancock County court filings. Search by name or case number. MyCase returns case numbers, charge descriptions, hearing dates, and disposition status for Circuit and Superior Court cases. It does not show booking photos or Sheriff-side booking data. Note that MyCase reflects what the court has entered; there can be a short lag between a filing and its appearance online.

Hancock County Clerk of Courts — county records portal. The Clerk of Courts office at Administration and Records on hancockin.gov is the county’s own records hub. You can search court records directly through the county’s court records search. The Clerk’s office is inside the Hancock County Courthouse in Greenfield; hours run Monday through Friday, closing at 4:00 PM. Parking around the Greenfield Courthouse Square is available — metered spots are nearby, so bring change. The Courthouse main line is (317) 477-1109. Phone lines have been reported as sometimes going unanswered during business hours; if you don’t reach someone, the online portal or an in-person visit is your best alternative. To submit a formal records request, download the Request for Information Form (PDF) from the county’s Public Records Request page. The county also accepts requests submitted via email — see the county’s FAQ for the email submission process.

Hancock County Sheriff — booking records. Booking records, including booking photos, are generally open to the public under Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act (Ind. Code § 5-14-3). The Hancock County Jail page at Hancock County Jail is the county’s official jail information hub. For current custody status, the Sheriff’s Office links to an inmate roster through the county directory. Booking-side records — arrest date, charges at booking, and booking photo — live here rather than in the court system. The Indiana Judicial Branch’s Hancock County court information page also provides a useful bridge between the two systems.

Indiana Department of Correction — post-conviction transfers. Once a person is sentenced to a state facility, the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) takes custody. Use the IDOC offender search to locate someone who has been transferred out of the Hancock County Jail to a state prison. The IDOC tool is the correct path for post-conviction transfers; the county jail roster will no longer show that person once they leave county custody.

Are Hancock County arrest records public?

A booking record exists the moment the Sheriff’s Office processes an arrest — and in Indiana, that record is presumptively open to anyone who asks. The tension between individual privacy and the public’s right to know is resolved, for most arrest records, squarely in favor of access under Ind. Code § 5-14-3, Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act. Booking photos, arrest dates, and charge descriptions are open records under that statute.

The exceptions are narrow but real. Juvenile records are not public — arrests involving persons under 18 are handled through a separate juvenile justice system, and those records are sealed by default. Victims’ personal identifying information is redacted from records that would otherwise be public, protecting addresses and contact details even when the underlying case is open. Records that have been expunged under Indiana’s Second Chance Law are removed from public access entirely; after a successful expungement, the court and law enforcement agencies are ordered not to disclose the record to the public, though law enforcement retains internal access.

Active investigations present a narrower carve-out. Investigative records compiled by law enforcement in the course of an ongoing investigation may be withheld if disclosure would harm the investigation. Once a case is charged and filed in court, however, the docket becomes a public court record accessible through MyCase and the Clerk’s office.

Hancock County’s Public Record Policy and Application (PDF) sets out the county’s specific procedures for requesting records under APRA. Requests that are denied must include a written explanation citing the specific statutory exemption. If you believe a denial is improper, Indiana’s Public Access Counselor can review the decision.

What’s in a Hancock County arrest record?

Arrest records in Hancock County contain two distinct layers of information depending on which system you’re reading — and the fields visible in each system differ in ways that matter for a records check.

The booking entry (Sheriff-side) is created at the Hancock County Jail when a person is processed into custody. It typically includes: the booking date and time, the arresting agency, the charges as written at arrest (which may differ from what is eventually filed in court), the booking photo, and basic identifying information. The booking entry does not reflect what happened in court — a dismissal, acquittal, or plea to a lesser charge will not automatically update the booking record.

The docket entry (court-side) lives in the Clerk of Courts system and on MyCase. This is where you find the procedural history of the case. Docket entries include: the case number, the formal charges as filed by the prosecutor, all hearing dates (initial hearing, pretrial conferences, trial date), sentencing dates and sentencing terms, probation terms and conditions, and the attorney of record on both sides. If a case was dismissed or the defendant was acquitted, the disposition appears here. Probation terms — including length, reporting requirements, and any special conditions — are part of the sentencing record and visible in the docket at the Hancock County Courthouse.

The gap between the two systems is worth understanding. A person arrested by the Hancock County Sheriff will have a booking entry immediately. The court docket only begins once the prosecutor files charges, which may take days. Conversely, a case filed in court may not have a corresponding booking entry if the defendant was summoned rather than arrested. For a complete picture, check both the county’s court records search and the jail-side records.

Regarding booking photos: the Hancock County Jail page is the official source for jail-related records. For the current mugshot release policy, call the Courthouse at (317) 477-1109 and ask to be directed to the Sheriff’s records division — the policy details are not posted online.

How to expunge an arrest record in Hancock County

One year after an arrest with no resulting conviction, a person may petition to have that Hancock County arrest record expunged — and for dismissals and acquittals, Indiana law makes the process even more direct. Understanding which track applies to your situation is the key to getting the timing right.

Non-conviction arrests (no charges filed, or charges dismissed/acquitted). Under Ind. Code § 35-38-9 (Indiana “Second Chance Law”), a person arrested but never convicted may petition to expunge the arrest record one year after the date of arrest. Dismissals and acquittals are eligible for automatic expungement — the order takes effect no sooner than 60 days after entry. This is the most straightforward path: no waiting period tied to a sentence, no prosecutor consent required, and the court must grant the petition if eligibility requirements are met. If your records check shows an arrest that never resulted in a conviction, this track likely applies.

Misdemeanor convictions. A misdemeanor conviction can be expunged five years after the date of conviction, provided the person has no other convictions in the interim and has satisfied all terms of the sentence. The court must grant the petition if the statutory requirements are met — it is not discretionary at this tier.

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

More serious felony convictions. 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 weighs the petition rather than being required to grant it.

Most serious felonies. These require both the passage of the later of ten years from conviction or five years from completing the sentence, and the written consent of the prosecutor. Sex offenses, violent offenses, and official-misconduct offenses are excluded from the Second Chance Law entirely.

Where and how to file in Hancock County. File a verified petition in the court where the conviction occurred — for non-conviction records, file in the county of arrest, which means the Hancock County Circuit or Superior Court. Indiana requires that all petitions in a given county be filed together in a single petition; you cannot file piecemeal across multiple cases. Bring the petition to the Clerk of Courts at the Hancock County Courthouse. The county’s Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Guides page includes self-help resources for legal processes including expungement. Filing fees apply; an indigency waiver path exists for those who cannot afford the fee — ask the Clerk about the waiver process when you file.

Self-petition vs. attorney-assisted. Indiana’s Second Chance Law was designed to be accessible without an attorney, and the DIY guides support self-filing. That said, the one-petition-per-lifetime rule makes timing critical. A petition filed too early — before all waiting periods are met — can be denied, and you may not get another chance. If your situation involves multiple cases, a felony conviction, or any uncertainty about eligibility, consulting an Indiana-licensed attorney before filing is worth the investment. The Indiana Roll of Attorneys search is at Indiana Roll of Attorneys attorney directory, and the Indiana Public Defender Commission locator is at Indiana Public Defender Council.

What remains accessible after expungement. Law enforcement agencies retain access to expunged records for internal purposes. The public — including background check services that draw from public court records — will not see the record after a successful expungement order. The Hancock County Clerk will note the expungement in the case file.

Quick-contacts: Hancock County arrest records at a glance

Frequently asked questions about Hancock County arrest records

What charges will show up on a Hancock County arrest record, and where do I find them?

A Hancock County arrest record may show charges at two different stages. The booking entry — held by the Hancock County Jail — reflects the charges written at the time of arrest. The court docket, searchable through MyCase or the county court records search, shows the formal charges filed by the prosecutor, which may differ from the booking charges. Hearing dates, sentencing dates, probation terms, and the final disposition all appear in the court docket. If the case was dismissed or resulted in an acquittal, that outcome is recorded in the docket — but the original booking entry at the jail is a separate record and does not automatically update to reflect the court outcome.

How do I get a Hancock County arrest record expunged under Indiana’s Second Chance Law?

Indiana’s Second Chance Law (Ind. Code § 35-38-9) sets the eligibility rules. An arrest that never led to a conviction can be petitioned for expungement one year after the arrest date; dismissals and acquittals are eligible 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 Hancock County Clerk of Courts — all petitions for cases in Hancock County must be filed together in a single petition. The county’s Do-It-Yourself Guides at hancockin.gov/188/Do-It-Yourself-DIY-Guides include self-help expungement resources. Because Indiana allows effectively one expungement petition per lifetime, confirm your eligibility against the current statute or ask the Clerk before filing.