IN Court Case Search & Dockets

Indiana Judiciary • Public Case Search • Docket Records

IN Court Case Search & Dockets: Indiana MyCase Records Guide

Need to look up an Indiana criminal charge, traffic citation, civil lawsuit, divorce case, judgment or appeal? Indiana’s official MyCase service lets you search many court cases by name, case number or attorney—but knowing what to enter and what the results actually mean is essential.

MyCase includes public information from courts using Indiana’s Odyssey case-management system. Most Indiana courts participate, but it is not a complete historical archive of every court in every county. Many public documents are free online; other documents must be requested from the county clerk.

Before searching: MyCase is a public case-information system, not a statewide criminal-history certification or a guarantee that every public court document is online. The court or clerk maintains the official record.

Independent guide • Reviewed October 2026 • Confirm hearings, financial balances and certified-copy procedures with the court handling the case.

Identify the correct record source

Where Should You Search an Indiana Court Case?

The best official source depends on whether you need public case history, a document from your own case, an appellate opinion, a protection order or a certified record.

Trial and appellate cases Indiana MyCase

Public civil, criminal, family, traffic and appellate case information from participating Odyssey courts.

Open case search →
County records County Clerk of Courts

Official copies, certified judgments, older records, transcripts and records not available through MyCase.

Find clerk by county →
Higher court decisions Indiana Appellate Decisions

Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Tax Court opinions, orders and related case information.

Search appellate decisions →
Protection orders Protection Order Search

A separate public system. Protection-order cases are not searchable through ordinary MyCase public results.

Official protection-order guidance →
Fastest route: start with a cause or case number if you have one. If you only know a person’s name, search MyCase by Party and then narrow the result by county, court, case type and filing date.

Indiana Court Case Search by Name: Party, Business or Attorney

Indiana’s name-search fields have precise rules. Learning them avoids failed searches and incorrect person matches.

Individuals Party Search
  1. Select Party on MyCase.
  2. Enter the last name.
  3. Optionally narrow with first name, middle name or date of birth when known and supported.
  4. Choose the likely county and case category.
  5. Compare matches using more than a common name.
Businesses Business Name Search
  1. Select Party.
  2. Enter a business name in the Business field.
  3. Try a shorter name or supported wildcard if the exact version is unknown.
  4. Review the case type, parties and court.
  5. Save the correct case number for further review.
Lawyers Attorney Search
  1. Select Attorney.
  2. Enter an attorney number, or surname with first/middle name.
  3. Narrow by court or filing date as needed.
  4. Compare the listed attorney to the case details.
Spelling help Sounds-Like and Wildcards

The official search guide describes a Sounds-Like option for party and attorney searches. It can help find spelling variations.

Use the supported wildcard method when parts of a name are unknown; consult the official search tips for the field’s syntax.

Use one change at a time: if a name has no match, try a spelling variation, then an alternate county, then a wider filing-date range. Changing everything together makes it harder to identify why a search worked.
Cause-number search

How to Look Up an Indiana Court Case by Case, Citation or Cross-Reference Number

Indiana’s uniform cause-number system helps identify the court, filing year and case type. The structure is governed by Indiana Administrative Rule 8.

Formatting shortcut: official MyCase help says you do not have to type hyphens or leading zeroes when searching by case number. Keep the underlying digits and letters correct.
  1. Locate the number on your ticket, summons, court notice or judgment.
  2. Open MyCase and select Case.
  3. Enter one identifier: case number, citation number or cross-reference number.
  4. Choose the likely court if a broad search does not locate the case.
  5. Verify the county, party, case type and filing date.
  6. Open the chronological case summary for the docket history.

If a citation later becomes a court cause number, or a case moves to an appellate court, the docket may show a separate identifying number. Preserve both identifiers when requesting records.

Indiana Court Types and Which Dockets They Handle

Indiana court structure varies somewhat by county. Most local cases are filed in circuit or superior courts, while several jurisdictions have town, city or specialized courts.

Court or systemCommon casesSearch approach
Circuit CourtsCivil, felony criminal, probate, domestic and other matters within jurisdiction.MyCase if in Odyssey; contact the local clerk for official records.
Superior CourtsCivil, criminal, family, probate and other assigned cases, depending on county structure.MyCase or official local court instructions.
Small Claims Courts / DocketsLower-value civil disputes and some landlord-tenant matters under relevant rules.MyCase or local clerk; check county-specific procedures.
City and Town CourtsCertain ordinance, traffic and misdemeanor matters within assigned jurisdiction.Check MyCase participation and the official local court office.
Indiana Court of AppealsAppeals from Indiana trial-court decisions.MyCase and official appellate docket/decisions services.
Indiana Supreme CourtSupreme Court appeals, transfers and other matters within jurisdiction.MyCase and appellate decisions.
Indiana Tax CourtCertain state tax appeals.Indiana appellate case and decision resources.
Federal CourtsFederal civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases.PACER, not Indiana MyCase.
County-level tip: if the first two digits or court designation on a case document are unfamiliar, use the official Indiana Courts & Clerks Offices directory to identify the filing county and appropriate clerk.
Read the case history correctly

How to Understand Indiana Docket Entries and Case Status

MyCase displays a chronological case summary. Many entries are procedural rather than final outcomes. They can also include converted events imported from a previous court management system.

Cause NumberThe case identifier used by the court and clerk.
Case TypeA code identifying a criminal, civil, family, probate or other category.
Chronological Case Summary (CCS)The court’s event history of filings, hearings, notices, orders and other case activity.
Motion FiledA party requested court action. This does not mean the court granted the request.
Judgment or OrderAn official court ruling. Read its document if the precise terms matter.
DispositionThe recorded outcome of a charge, claim or case.
Hearing ScheduledAn event currently recorded for a date; verify the latest schedule when attendance matters.
Converted EventInformation migrated from an older electronic system; details may be less complete than newer entries.
Read the complete sequence: an arrest or filed charge is not a conviction; a motion is not a granted order; and a hearing appearing on the docket does not guarantee it went forward as originally scheduled.
Public documents and restrictions

Can You Download Indiana Court Documents on MyCase?

Yes, many publicly accessible documents can be viewed online without charge. However, the types available differ by case category, filing date and whether the viewer is an anonymous member of the public, a verified party or an attorney of record.

Record typePublic online availabilityWhat to do if missing
Civil collections and tort casesNonconfidential orders and other documents may be accessible.Check the document link and the public access chart.
Criminal felony or misdemeanorFinal/sentencing orders in many categories; ordinary filings are more restricted.Contact the clerk for public documents not online.
EvictionNonconfidential orders may be shown; other filings may not be publicly online.Ask the county clerk about inspection or copies.
Divorce / domestic relationsPublic case information may appear, but document images have significant remote-access limits.Use proper clerk or verified-party access.
Estate / probateSelected nonconfidential orders may be accessible online; other records may require inspection.Contact the probate clerk for copies.
AdoptionNot available to the ordinary public online or through routine public inspection.Use only an authorized access procedure.
Appellate casesOpinions, orders and many nonconfidential appellate filings may be accessible.Search the appellate docket or contact the Appellate Clerk.

For exact case-type codes and access rules, open the official Public Access to Court Documents lookup. Its comparison distinguishes public online access, public in-person access, party access and attorney access.

Unavailable does not mean deleted: Indiana Judiciary guidance says when a document is not linked in the chronological case summary, it simply may not be available online. If it is a public record, the local clerk can explain how to obtain a copy.
Access documents in your own case

How to Request Indiana MyCase Party Access

People named as parties in public Indiana court cases may be eligible to link those cases to their Indiana Courts account and view additional available documents. This does not authorize access to somebody else’s restricted records.

  1. Open Indiana Judiciary Party Access to MyCase.
  2. Create an Indiana Courts account if you do not already have one.
  3. Find your own public case at MyCase.
  4. Request the case-access code through the official process or contact the county clerk to verify identity.
  5. If visiting the clerk, bring valid identification and the case number if available.
  6. Use the code to connect the case to your account.
  7. Sign in and review documents made available to you as a party.
Up to 10 access codes dailyThe court currently limits access-code requests per day.
21-day code validityUse the issued code before it expires.
180-day case connectionActive access can renew when you continue viewing the case.
Restricted records remain restrictedEven a verified party may not have remote access to every document.
Technical account questions: the court lists mycasehelp@courts.in.gov for MyCase account and case-connection assistance. Questions about the actual case, filings or judicial orders belong with the local court.

Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals & Tax Court Docket Search

MyCase includes appellate case information, while Indiana Judiciary also maintains dedicated appellate docket and decision tools. A case may have both a trial-court number and an appellate number.

Search an appellate case or docket

  1. Open the official Indiana Appellate Docket Search guide.
  2. Use the linked appellate case-search service.
  3. Search by known appellate docket details, parties, or advanced criteria.
  4. Filter by appellate court, county of origin, trial court, case type, party or attorney where supported.
  5. Review filings, appellate orders and related cases.
  6. Use the lower-court number to research the original case when the trial history matters.

Search opinions and appellate decisions

  1. Open Indiana Appellate Decisions.
  2. Choose a court or case category.
  3. Search by party/business word, judge or decision date when available.
  4. Open the opinion to read the full decision.
  5. Use case-history or oral-argument links when offered.
Coverage detail: Indiana’s official decisions collection includes opinions dating to mid-2005, and the appellate docket help describes online orders issued on or after May 1, 2015. Older appellate material can require further research through the clerk or historical collections.
Tickets, fines and deadlines

Indiana Traffic Ticket Search and Court Payments

Some Indiana MyCase records display a Make a payment button when online payment is supported. That option is not available for every court or case.

  1. Open MyCase and select Case.
  2. Enter the citation number or court cause number.
  3. Open the matching case and verify the court, citation and charges.
  4. Read the case events and financial information.
  5. If a Make a payment button is available, review the official checkout terms before paying.
  6. If there is no payment button, contact the issuing court or clerk for accepted payment methods.
  7. Keep payment confirmation and verify compliance with any hearing or appearance requirement.
Balance warning: the court states MyCase financial data may not reflect the latest payments, interest or fees. The clerk can confirm the official amount owed. Restitution and interest cannot be paid through the MyCase online payment feature.

Local Indiana Courts: Finding the Correct County Clerk

Indiana has 92 counties, with multiple courts and divisions in many counties. A case filed in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville or another community must still be matched to its correct court.

Marion County / Indianapolis

Identify the Marion Superior Court division and the relevant case type before contacting the clerk.

Lake County

Circuit and Superior Court matters, including cases handled in different court locations, require the correct clerk or court contact.

Allen County / Fort Wayne

Circuit and Superior Court records should be matched to the court shown on the original document.

St. Joseph County / South Bend

Verify the local court and case category before requesting docket sheets or certified documents.

Vanderburgh County / Evansville

Use the court designation and county to locate the correct public search and records office.

All other Indiana counties

The state directory lists county courts, clerks, court contact details and local information.

  1. Open Indiana Courts & Clerks Offices.
  2. Select the county named on the notice or connected to the dispute.
  3. Identify the circuit, superior, city, town or other court handling the matter.
  4. Review the clerk contact details and any local case-information instructions.
  5. Ask that clerk for records not available online, certified copies or current hearing information.

No Case Found in Indiana MyCase? Diagnose the Problem

ProblemWhy it may happenRecommended action
Name not foundSpelling variation, first/middle name issue, incorrect court filters.Try supported Sounds-Like or wildcard searching and review filters.
Case number not recognizedIncorrect identifier or formatting.Try without hyphens/leading zeroes and verify the court.
More results expectedSearches are capped at 1,000 results.Add a county, case category, date range or status filter.
Very old case missingOdyssey and converted historical data are incomplete for some courts and years.Contact the original county clerk.
Protection order absentProtection-order cases are excluded from ordinary MyCase public search.Use the separate official Protection Order Search.
Expunged or sealed case absentRecord-access restrictions or court order.Follow authorized court access procedures, not workarounds.
Document absentPublic docket information does not guarantee every document is online.Use the county clerk’s public-document request process.
CAPTCHA does not loadOutdated browser or incompatible browser extension/settings.Try an up-to-date supported browser as judiciary help recommends.
Payment amount seems wrongBalance may not include recent transactions or accrued amounts.Confirm current balance with the clerk.
Confidentiality rule: do not treat a missing case as proof it was never filed. Sealed and expunged matters, certain juvenile proceedings and other legally protected information may be excluded from public online searches.
Official court documents

How to Get Indiana Court Records, Certified Copies and Transcripts

MyCase is a research tool, but the actual court record is maintained by the court and clerk. If you need an authenticated judgment, sentencing order, divorce decree, probate filing or hearing transcript, use the official records procedure.

✓
Record the county and court name.
✓
Write down the exact cause number.
✓
Identify the case title and parties.
✓
Specify the document and approximate date.
✓
State whether you require a certified copy.
✓
Ask about official fees and delivery options.

Request the record

  1. Open Indiana Judiciary — How to Request Public Records.
  2. Identify whether you need a local trial-court record, appellate record, or transcript.
  3. For trial court records, locate the county clerk through the official directory.
  4. For appellate records held by the Appellate Clerk, use its official records-request route.
  5. For a hearing transcript, ask about the court reporter or official transcript request procedure.
  6. Confirm copying, certification, transcript or delivery charges with the office before placing the request.
About fees: public MyCase searches and many viewable documents are free. Certified copies and transcripts are different services, and their permitted charges depend on the record and court. Do not assume one statewide copy price applies to every request.

MyCase Is Not the Same as a Criminal Background Check or the Indiana Courts Portal

MyCase

Public case information and available documents from participating courts.

Useful for case research; not a certified statewide criminal-history report.

Indiana Courts Portal

Professional and administrative services for lawyers, judges, mediators and eligible court personnel.

The judiciary explicitly states the Courts Portal is not the ordinary public site for accessing cases or filing documents.

E-Filing

A service for submitting court papers electronically.

A filing account is not necessary merely to search public MyCase results.

Criminal History

Separate criminal-history records and background-check services may be required for employment, licensing or official screening.

A name search in one court is not a comprehensive record of arrests or convictions statewide.

Official resources

Indiana Court Search Sources and Help Guides

These Indiana Judiciary resources support the search instructions, access limits and record-request processes described in this article.

Automated access: Indiana’s MyCase service uses CAPTCHA controls to prevent data mining. Bulk automated collection and circumventing access controls may violate court rules. This page explains ordinary public research, not scraping.
Frequently asked questions

10 FAQs About Indiana Court Case Search & Dockets

1. How do I search for a court case in Indiana?

Open the official Indiana MyCase website at mycase.in.gov. Select Case, Party or Attorney search, enter a supported identifier or name, and narrow by court, case category or filing date where needed. Open a matching case to review its chronological case summary and available documents.

2. Can I search Indiana court cases by a person’s name?

Yes. Select Party in MyCase and enter a last name, optionally narrowing with first name, middle name or date of birth when known and supported. Use court, county, case type and filing-date details to distinguish people with similar names.

3. Is Indiana MyCase free to use?

Indiana Judiciary says anyone may search public nonconfidential case information on MyCase, and many public court documents are available online without charge. Copy certification, transcript production and other official records services may have separate fees.

4. Can I look up an Indiana traffic ticket using a citation number?

Yes. MyCase Case Search supports citation-number searches. Enter the citation number, confirm the case and court, and check available financial and payment information. A Make a payment button appears only when online payment is supported for that case.

5. Why can’t I find an Indiana criminal case on MyCase?

The case may be outside the available court or historical coverage, entered under a different name or number, or restricted by sealing, expungement or confidentiality rules. Use the correct county and case filters, then contact the court of record if the result remains missing.

6. Are divorce, juvenile and protection-order cases public on Indiana MyCase?

Nonconfidential domestic case information may be searchable, but document access is restricted for many family matters. Confidential juvenile proceedings have special rules. Protection-order cases are not searchable through ordinary MyCase public search; Indiana provides a separate Protection Order Search.

7. Can I view Indiana court documents online?

Many public documents can be viewed without charge in the chronological case summary. Availability depends on case type, document type and access level. If a public document is not linked online, the local clerk can explain how to request a copy.

8. How do I get more documents from my own Indiana court case?

If your public case is available on MyCase, create an Indiana Courts account and use the official Party Access process to request and enter a unique case access code. The court currently allows up to 10 code requests daily, with issued codes valid for 21 days. Additional document access remains subject to court rules.

9. How do I search Indiana Court of Appeals or Supreme Court dockets?

Use MyCase or the Indiana Judiciary appellate docket search. Search by appellate case details, parties, court, county of origin or other supported criteria. The Appellate Decisions service separately provides opinions, orders and related case-history links.

10. How do I get a certified Indiana court record or transcript?

Contact the clerk of the county court that heard the case, providing the cause number, parties and requested document. Explain whether you need a certified copy. For a hearing transcript, ask the court or court reporter about transcript availability, procedures and permitted fees.

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