DeKalb County Public Records /DeKalb County Court Records

DeKalb County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in DeKalb County in 2026

DeKalbINRecords.us provides access to publicly available information related to court records in DeKalb County, Indiana. Members of the public seeking court records may find case-related data including docket entries, party names, case types, hearing dates, and disposition information, subject to applicable access rules and the availability of records within each court's system. Record categories that may be accessible through official channels include:

Civil court filings and judgments
Criminal case records and sentencing entries
Family law matters, including dissolution and custody proceedings
Probate filings and estate records
Traffic and infraction case records
Small claims court filings
Juvenile court records, where not restricted by law

Court records in DeKalb County may be searched through several official channels. The five primary methods are as follows:

Clerk of Court or Court Records Office — The DeKalb County Clerk of Courts maintains official case files and accepts in-person requests for records. Requesters should provide the case number, party name, or approximate filing date to assist staff in locating records. Fees may apply for copies.
Courthouse Public Access Terminals — Public terminals located within the courthouse allow members of the public to search case information at no charge during regular business hours. These terminals provide access to docket entries and case status information.
Online Court Search — The Indiana Courts' MyCase case search portal provides statewide online access to court records, including DeKalb County cases. Users may search by party name, case number, or attorney. Not all document images are available online; some records require in-person retrieval.
State-Level Judicial Search Tools — The Indiana Judicial Branch public records page provides guidance on locating court records statewide, including links to applicable rules and search tools.
Written or Mail Requests — Members of the public may submit written requests to the Clerk of Courts. Requests should identify the case as specifically as possible. Response times and applicable fees vary by request type and volume.

DeKalb County Clerk of Courts
100 S. Main Street
Auburn, IN 46706
Phone: (260) 925-0912
DeKalb County Courts – Indiana Judicial Branch

Are Court Records Public In DeKalb County

Court records in DeKalb County are subject to Indiana's public access framework, which presumes that court records are open to inspection by members of the public unless a specific exception applies. The Access to Public Records Act, codified at Indiana Code § 5-14-3, establishes the general right of public access to government records, including judicial records maintained by court clerks. The Indiana Rules for Access to Court Records further govern what is available for public inspection.

Records that are at present open to public inspection include:

Case dockets and docket entries
Party names and attorney information
Filing dates and case type designations
Court orders, judgments, and decrees
Hearing schedules and continuance entries
Sentencing entries and disposition records in criminal matters

Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted include:

Juvenile court records, which are restricted under Indiana law
Adoption records and related proceedings
Mental health commitment records
Records sealed by court order
Expunged criminal records
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and certain contact information
Certain exhibits and attachments designated as confidential

As noted in the Indiana Judicial Branch public records guidance, "Official records of court proceedings may only be obtained directly from the court maintaining a particular record." There is a distinction between courthouse inspection and online access: while docket information is available through the MyCase portal, full document images are not always accessible remotely and may require an in-person visit to the clerk's office.

Rule 5 of the Indiana Rules for Access to Court Records enumerates specific categories of records excluded from public access, including records containing information about victims of certain crimes, records of proceedings involving minors, and records sealed pursuant to statute or court order.

What Are Court Records in DeKalb County?

Court records are the official documentary record of proceedings conducted before a court of law. In practical terms, a court record encompasses all documents, filings, orders, and entries generated in connection with a case from the time of initial filing through final disposition and any subsequent appellate proceedings.

The distinction between a docket entry and a full case file is significant. A docket is a chronological index of all actions taken in a case, listing filings, hearings, orders, and status changes. A full case file includes the actual documents underlying those docket entries, such as complaints, motions, responses, exhibits, and judgments. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document the prosecution of offenses charged by the state. Filed pleadings initiate and frame the issues in a case, whereas final judgments resolve them.

Public filings are those submitted to the court without a confidentiality designation and accessible under applicable access rules. Sealed or restricted filings have been designated confidential by statute, court rule, or court order and are not available for public inspection. Trial court records are maintained by the clerk of the trial court in which the case was heard. Appellate records, including briefs and appellate court decisions, are maintained by the Indiana Court of Appeals or the Indiana Supreme Court, as applicable.

Court records are created when a party files an initial pleading with the clerk of court. The clerk assigns a case number, opens a file, and records each subsequent filing and court action as a docket entry. Records are updated throughout the life of the case and remain in the custody of the clerk following final disposition.

What's Included in a DeKalb County Court Record?

A court record in DeKalb County may include the following information, depending on case type and applicable public-access rules:

Case identification: Case number, court name and division, and filing date
Party information: Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel of record
Case classification: Case type designation and current case status
Docket entries: A chronological log of all filings, hearings, orders, and actions taken in the case
Hearing information: Scheduled and completed hearing dates, continuances, and minute entries
Filed documents: Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, responses, notices, stipulations, and similar pleadings
Court orders and judgments: Interlocutory orders, final judgments, decrees, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Outcome information: Dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, acquittals, and case dispositions
Administrative and financial data: Filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly shown

Records that are excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal identifiers, and certain exhibits or attachments designated as confidential under Rule 5 of the Indiana Rules for Access to Court Records. The presence of a docket entry does not guarantee that the underlying document is available for public inspection.

Types of Courts in DeKalb County

DeKalb County is served by the Indiana state court system, which is organized under the authority of the Indiana Supreme Court. The DeKalb County Courts page on the Indiana Judicial Branch website identifies the courts currently operating in the county.

DeKalb County at present has the following courts:

DeKalb Circuit Court — A court of general jurisdiction that hears felony criminal cases, civil matters, family law proceedings, probate matters, and juvenile cases. The Circuit Court also exercises appellate jurisdiction over certain lower court decisions.
DeKalb Superior Court — Also a court of general jurisdiction, the Superior Court hears criminal, civil, family, and other matters. DeKalb County has two Superior Courts, each presided over by an elected judge.

The Clerk of the DeKalb Circuit and Superior Courts maintains the official records for all cases filed in these courts. Small claims matters are heard within the Superior Court division. Traffic and infraction cases are filed in either the Circuit or Superior Court depending on the nature of the offense.

What Types of Cases Do DeKalb County Courts Hear

DeKalb County courts hear a broad range of case types across their general jurisdiction:

Criminal cases: Felonies and misdemeanors prosecuted by the State of Indiana
Civil cases: Contract disputes, personal injury actions, property matters, and other civil litigation
Family law: Dissolution of marriage, legal separation, paternity, child custody, and support proceedings
Probate: Estate administration, guardianship, and trust matters
Juvenile: Delinquency proceedings and child in need of services (CHINS) cases
Traffic and infractions: Moving violations, license matters, and related infractions
Small claims: Civil disputes involving amounts within the statutory small claims limit

The Circuit and Superior Courts are courts of general jurisdiction, meaning they have authority to hear cases across all of these categories. Limited-jurisdiction proceedings, such as small claims, are handled within the Superior Court structure rather than by a separate limited-jurisdiction court.

How to Search DeKalb County Court Records for Free?

Several methods for searching DeKalb County court records are available at no cost to members of the public.

Free search methods include:

In-person inspection at the Clerk's office: Members of the public may inspect court records in person at the DeKalb County Clerk of Courts during regular business hours at no charge. Staff assistance in locating records is provided without fee.
Courthouse public access terminals: Terminals located within the courthouse provide free access to case docket information and case status.
MyCase online portal: The Indiana Courts case search tool is available at no charge and allows searches by party name, case number, or attorney name statewide, including DeKalb County cases.

Fees apply for the following:

Service	Typical Fee
Standard paper copies	$1.00 per page
Certified copies	$1.00 per page + certification fee
Electronic copies (where available)	Varies by request
Research by clerk staff	May apply for extensive requests

Fee schedules are established under Indiana law and may be confirmed directly with the Clerk of Courts. Certified copies carry an additional certification charge beyond the per-page copy fee.

How Long Does DeKalb County Keep Court Records?

The retention of court records in DeKalb County is governed by the Indiana Commission on Public Records and applicable judicial retention schedules established under Indiana law. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.

Under current Indiana judicial records retention schedules:

Felony criminal records are retained permanently, including judgment entries and sentencing records.
Misdemeanor and infraction records are retained for a minimum period following case closure, with some categories subject to longer retention.
Civil judgment records are retained for extended periods given their potential legal effect on parties.
Probate records are retained permanently due to their significance in establishing property rights and family relationships.
Juvenile records are subject to separate retention rules and may be sealed or destroyed upon the subject reaching adulthood, depending on case type.
Traffic and minor infraction records may be subject to shorter retention schedules.

Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, or county archives rather than in electronic systems. The distinction between destruction, archival retention, sealing, and expungement is significant: destruction removes the physical record; archival retention transfers it to a repository; sealing restricts access without destroying the record; and expungement, available under Indiana Code § 35-38-9, removes certain criminal records from public access upon court order. Paper files may be destroyed following imaging or transfer to archival storage, provided the retention schedule has been satisfied.

How To Find a Court Docket in DeKalb County

A court docket is a chronological index of all actions, filings, and proceedings in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it records what happened and when, rather than containing the actual documents filed. A docket entry notes the filing of a motion, for example, but the docket itself does not reproduce the text of that motion.

Dockets for DeKalb County cases are accessible through the following channels:

MyCase online portal: The Indiana Courts MyCase case search system provides docket-level information for cases statewide, including DeKalb County. Users may search by party name or case number and view docket entries, hearing dates, and case status. Full document images are not available for all cases through this portal.
Courthouse public access terminals: Terminals at the DeKalb County Courthouse provide docket access during business hours.
In-person clerk request: The Clerk of Courts can provide docket sheets upon request, with copy fees applying if a printed copy is needed.

To locate a docket through MyCase, a user should navigate to the portal, select the search type (party name or case number), enter the available identifying information, and select the relevant case from the results. The docket view displays entries in chronological order with filing dates and action descriptions.

A docket entry may include hearing dates, continuances, motion filings, order entries, minute entries, and status updates. A docket does not include full document images for sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits restricted under Rule 5 of the Indiana Rules for Access to Court Records. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be available separately through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse.

As the Indiana Judicial Branch notes, members of the public seeking assistance with records may also contact the local library or the Indiana State Library for guidance on navigating court record systems.