Search Dearborn County Court Records
Dearborn County court records are searched first through Indiana MyCase, the statewide public case portal tied to Odyssey. The Indiana Judicial Branch links Dearborn County users to MyCase for case information and some documents. The county court-system page also points public-access users toward the state court portal. That makes MyCase the main online channel for Circuit Court, Superior Court I, Superior Court II, and other participating Indiana courts.
MyCase is not the official record. It is a public access tool. If a document is missing, restricted, too old, or needed as a certified copy, the Dearborn County Clerk of Courts remains the local record office. The clerk advertises public access support for genealogy, archives, court records, and computer terminal access, which matters for older Dearborn County Court records as well as current case files.
- Open Indiana MyCase and choose case, party, or attorney search.
- Enter a case number, citation number, party name, business name, attorney number, or date range.
- Limit results by Dearborn County court, case type, status, or file date when the result set is too broad.
- Read the chronological case summary for filings, hearings, orders, payments, and disposition entries.
- Contact the Dearborn County Clerk of Courts for official copies, records not online, and terminal or archive help.
The official MyCase search tips explain why name spelling, wildcards, and case-number format matter. MyCase will not return more than 1,000 results, so common names need more filters.
The Indiana MyCase portal is shown in the public screenshot used for Dearborn County Court records access.
Use the portal for public case summaries, then use the clerk when the online view does not provide the document or legal copy needed.
Dearborn County Courts
Dearborn County's official court system consists of Dearborn Circuit Court, Dearborn Superior Court I, and Dearborn Superior Court II. The Indiana Judicial Branch places the county in Judicial District 22 with Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland Counties. Appeals generally move from local trial courts to the Court of Appeals of Indiana, with possible Indiana Supreme Court review. Tax-specific appeals use the Indiana Tax Court.
The local structure is important because the file name on this template stays `district-court.html`, but Dearborn County does not use a local district court. Civil cases, criminal cases, probate, juvenile matters, traffic tickets, small claims, and protective orders are handled through the Circuit and Superior Court system.
Case flow: local filing or citation > Dearborn Circuit or Superior Court > Court of Appeals of Indiana > Indiana Supreme Court review when accepted.
| Court or Office | Phone | Main Dearborn County role |
|---|---|---|
| Dearborn Circuit Court | (812) 537-8865 | Probate, juvenile, civil cases over $10,000, major felonies, adoptions, trusts, and guardianships. |
| Dearborn Superior Court I | (812) 537-8874 | General jurisdiction docket with criminal, civil, traffic, small claims, and protective-order matters. |
| Dearborn Superior Court II | (812) 537-8800 | Second statutory superior court, created effective January 1, 2006, with general trial-court work and JCAP materials. |
| Dearborn County Clerk of Courts | (812) 537-8867 | Clerk services for Circuit and Superior Courts, records access, marriage licenses, traffic payments, and small claims filing. |
The official Indiana Judicial Branch Dearborn County page collects links for local rules, e-filing, case search, statistics, and court directory information.
The Indiana public records hub connects court users to court records, traffic records, marriage records, driver records, DOC records, and other state-level search tools.
That state hub is useful when a Dearborn County search crosses into marriage, protection order, jail, driver, or state custody records.
Dearborn County Courthouse
The primary Dearborn County Court address is 165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025. Court-system administration lists phone (812) 537-1040 and weekday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Clerk of Courts uses the same building address, with Circuit clerk phone (812) 537-8867 and Superior clerk phone (812) 537-8877. Circuit Court says it is on the second floor of the historic Dearborn County Courthouse, while Superior Court I and II identify their offices and courtrooms on the second floor of the Government Center/Courthouse.
The official Dearborn County courthouse history page documents the courthouse's older public-square roots and the later courthouse construction in Lawrenceburg.
Historical record searches should allow for early gaps, especially because the 1826 courthouse fire destroyed or damaged many older records.
Dearborn County Court Record Types
Dearborn County Court records include civil, criminal, traffic, domestic relations, probate, guardianship, small claims, juvenile, protection-order, and infraction files. Circuit Court has exclusive probate and juvenile jurisdiction, including estates, guardianships, adoptions, trusts, and child-in-need-of-services matters. Superior Court I lists criminal, civil tort, civil plenary, traffic, small claims, and protective orders. The Clerk of Courts supports records and computer terminal access for these courts.
Each record type has different access limits. A civil collection case may show more public docket detail than an adoption. A traffic infraction may be searchable by citation number, while a divorce case may show case details but withhold many documents from public online access. Protection order cases are not found in MyCase because protected-person identifying information is excluded from online display by federal law.
- Civil records: complaints, summonses, motions, orders, judgments, settlement entries, garnishments, and collections.
- Criminal records: charges, bond orders, hearings, pleas, motions, sentencing orders, fines, costs, probation entries, and final judgments.
- Domestic records: divorce and family case entries, with online document limits for sensitive filings.
- Probate records: estate, will, guardianship, trust, and adoption-related filings handled through Circuit Court.
- Traffic records: citation, infraction, hearing, fine, payment, failure-to-appear, and disposition entries.
The Dearborn Circuit Court page describes probate, juvenile, major felony, and higher civil jurisdiction.
Circuit Court is the key local source when a Dearborn County Court record involves estates, guardianships, adoptions, trusts, juvenile matters, or major felony work.
Dearborn County MyCase Fields
MyCase supports several search modes. Case-number searches are the most exact when the number is known. Party searches are common for civil, criminal, probate, and domestic cases, but they need extra filters when a name is common. Attorney searches help when counsel is known. Citation searches are useful for traffic, but the citation number must usually match the Odyssey record exactly.
| Field | How it works | Dearborn County use |
|---|---|---|
| Case Number | Accepts Indiana case number with or without hyphens and leading zeroes. | Best for a known Circuit or Superior Court case. |
| Citation Number | Requires exact format in many cases. | Useful for traffic records and infractions. |
| Party Name | Uses last name, business name, first name, middle name, or DOB filters. | Common for civil, criminal, divorce, probate, and small claims searches. |
| Court | Limits results to selected court choices. | Use Dearborn Circuit Court, Superior Court I, or Superior Court II when known. |
| Status and File Date | Limits open or closed cases and filing date range. | Helps reduce broad name searches under the 1,000-result limit. |
Note: Date of birth can narrow some searches, but MyCase does not display DOB in public case details.
Dearborn County Public Access
Indiana court access is controlled by court rules as well as public-records law. Indiana Administrative Rule 9 makes publicly accessible court records available at the courthouse during regular business hours and governs remote access, compiled data, and vendor limits. Access to Court Records Rule 5 excludes certain records from public access. The Indiana Access to Public Records Act applies to many government records outside the court-file channel.
For Dearborn County Court records, the key point is simple: MyCase is the first public search, but the official file remains with the court and clerk. For sheriff, jail, prosecutor administrative records, accident reports, and non-court records, the request goes to the agency that holds the record. That split prevents a common mistake, which is asking the clerk for a jail record or asking the sheriff for a certified court judgment.
Access rules: Rule 9 covers courthouse and remote court-record access, Rule 5 lists excluded court records, Administrative Rule 8 explains Indiana case-number format, and IC 35-38-9 controls many expungement questions.
Restricted Dearborn County Records
Not every Dearborn County Court record is public online. Juvenile matters, adoptions, sealed cases, expunged cases, confidential mental-health records, protected-party information, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and many domestic-relations documents may be withheld or redacted. Protection order cases have a separate public search because protected-person names and identifying details are not shown through MyCase.
Expungement questions are especially fact-specific. Indiana Code chapter 35-38-9 sets eligibility and waiting periods for arrest-only records, misdemeanor convictions, Level 6 or Class D felonies, more serious felonies, and records that need prosecutor consent or court discretion. A granted expungement may remove an underlying case from public access, while a pending or denied expungement case may still appear online.
- Sealed record
- A record hidden from public access by law or court order.
- Expungement
- A legal process that restricts or removes public access to eligible arrest, charge, or conviction records.
- Chronological Case Summary
- Indiana's docket log showing filings, hearings, orders, payments, and case events.
- Disposition
- The outcome of a case or charge, such as dismissed, convicted, judgment entered, or closed.
Dearborn Criminal Case Records
Dearborn County criminal court records start after law enforcement or an investigation leads to filed charges. The Dearborn and Ohio County Prosecutor represents the State of Indiana in felony and misdemeanor criminal cases for both counties. Charge details may appear in MyCase as count number, offense name, Indiana Code citation, severity level, filed date, disposition by count, and sentence by count.
Arrest and booking information is not the same as the filed criminal court case. The sheriff's inmate roster may show current custody information, photos, and linked profile pages. The court record tracks the case after charges are filed, including initial hearings, bond orders, motions, pleas, trial settings, sentencing, probation, and financial obligations. Court Services, created from Superior Courts Probation and Southeast Regional Community Corrections, is part of the post-disposition system for some cases.
Dearborn County Sheriff Records
The Dearborn County Sheriff's Office is at 301 W High St in Lawrenceburg and lists phone (812) 537-3431. The official site identifies Sheriff Shane J. McHenry and links to Inmate Search, Jail Information, Most Wanted, Sex Offenders, Accident Report, and an OCV mobile app prompt. For current custody, use the county inmate search first, then use the statewide county jail locator, IDOC channels, or Indiana SAVIN when the person may be outside local custody.
The Sheriff's site also links jail service categories such as bail payments, bail bond information, commissary, inmate mail, phone cards, public visitations, medical division, and JCAP. The research did not locate full official schedules or vendor details in readable text, so visitors should confirm current policy before sending money or traveling to the jail.
The official Dearborn County Sheriff's Office site is a separate source from MyCase and the Clerk of Courts.
Sheriff records are useful for custody and warrant-related leads, but certified court outcomes still come from the court or clerk.
Dearborn Marriage Divorce Probate
Marriage licenses are processed by the Dearborn County Clerk of Courts. Indiana lets applicants start a pre-application online, but the state says applicants must still appear at the clerk's office to complete the process and receive the license. The fee is $25 when one or both applicants are Indiana residents and $65 when both applicants are out-of-state residents. Some offices charge an additional $4 document fee, and certified marriage license copies are $4 each.
Divorce decrees are court records. The Indiana Department of Health directs people who need certified marriage license copies or divorce decrees to the Clerk of Court in the county where the marriage or divorce was issued. Probate is also local, but in Dearborn County it is not a separate probate court. Circuit Court has exclusive jurisdiction over estates, guardianships, adoptions, and trusts.
| Record | First search channel | Official copy channel |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license | Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup or Clerk | Dearborn County Clerk of Courts |
| Divorce decree | MyCase by party or case number | Dearborn County Clerk of Courts |
| Estate or guardianship | MyCase limited to Circuit Court when possible | Clerk of Courts and Circuit Court |
Dearborn Traffic Court Records
Dearborn Superior Court I lists traffic as part of its general jurisdiction docket, and the Clerk of Courts lists traffic fine and fee payments under Superior Court services. Traffic court records should be searched in MyCase when a citation has been filed. Citation number search can work well, but the number must usually be entered exactly as recorded. If citation search fails, party name, case number, court, and file-date filters can help.
A Dearborn County traffic court record is not the same as an Indiana BMV driver record. The court file shows the citation case, charge, hearing, fine, disposition, and judgment or order. The BMV record shows driver history, license status, points, suspensions, and convictions as maintained by the state. DUI or OWI should be treated as a criminal case, not a routine traffic ticket.
| Fee or cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Traffic fine | Varies by citation, offense, and court order |
| Court costs | Varies by case |
| Online payment processing | Fee not located in official sources inspected |
| Certified court copy | Fee not located in official sources inspected |
Dearborn Specialty Courts
Dearborn Superior Court I hosts the A.C.C. Drug Court, short for Accountability, Change, and Community Court. The county says the program is certified by the Indiana Judicial Center and is designed for eligible Dearborn or Ohio County residents whose criminal offense was driven by drug addiction. The team includes the court, counselors, public defender, prosecutor, probation, law enforcement, and Southeast Regional Community Corrections.
Superior Court I also hosts Dearborn County Veterans Treatment Court, a certified program for United States veterans. The county describes goals tied to recovery, job skills, VA service connections, family and community ties, stable housing, and crime-free living. Both programs connect court records to treatment or supervision tracks, so docket entries may show court reviews, program status, or probation-related events when public.
The Dearborn Superior Court I page links the court's general jurisdiction and specialty court materials.
Superior Court I is a major source for Dearborn County Court records involving criminal, civil, traffic, small claims, protective orders, and specialty court tracks.
Dearborn Superior Court II Records
Dearborn Superior Court II was established by the Indiana legislature effective January 1, 2006. The official page identifies Judge Sally A. McLaughlin and states that the court office and courtroom are on the second floor of the Government Center/Courthouse. Useful links on the court page include JCAP materials, including a Superior Court II JCAP description and Women's JCAP brochure.
Records from Superior Court II may appear in MyCase like other Dearborn County Court records, subject to case type, confidentiality, and document-access rules. When the court field identifies Superior Court II, use that court for hearing questions and the Clerk of Courts for copies, traffic or probation payments, and official file access.
The Dearborn Superior Court II page provides the local court source for this part of the Dearborn County Court system.
This court is newer than the historic Circuit Court, but its records still use the same statewide case-search and clerk-copy path.
Dearborn Court History
Dearborn County has unusually detailed courthouse history. The first courthouse was built in 1810 on the public square in Lawrenceburg. It was a two-story brick building with a hipped roof and octagonal cupola. On March 5, 1826, a fire burned the courthouse to a shell. The county says arson was believed to be the cause. Some records were saved, but many were lost, and property owners were asked to bring deeds to the recorder so they could be copied again by hand.
The later courthouse plan came from growth in the county and from commissioners' interest in the Floyd County courthouse in New Albany. George H. Kyle of Vevay was selected as architect, plans were approved in 1870, and the cornerstone was laid April 13, 1871. The courthouse was completed in 1873 at a cost of $135,775. During construction, courthouse business operated from the Odd Fellows building at the southwest corner of High and Walnut streets.
Note: Older record searches may require archive help because early county records were affected by the 1826 courthouse fire.
Dearborn County Court FAQ
Where do Dearborn County Court records start online? Start with Indiana MyCase for public case summaries and some documents. Use the Clerk of Courts when the document is not online or when a certified copy is needed.
Does Dearborn County have a district court? No local district court was identified in the research. Dearborn County uses Circuit Court and Superior Courts for trial-level court work.
Who handles probate records? Dearborn Circuit Court has exclusive probate jurisdiction over estates, guardianships, adoptions, and trusts. Copies and archive help run through the Clerk of Courts.
Can MyCase show all court documents? No. MyCase may show some documents, but sealed, confidential, older, domestic, adoption, juvenile, and restricted records may be unavailable online.
Where are current inmates searched? Use the Dearborn County Sheriff's inmate search for current county jail custody, then use state jail, IDOC, or SAVIN tools when custody may have moved.
Where are traffic tickets paid? Search the citation in MyCase first, then use the Clerk's PayGov link or clerk instructions for payment, deadlines, and contested hearings.