LaPorte County Clerk Contact
LaPorte County has a unified Clerk of the Circuit Court rather than a split district clerk and county clerk model. The official clerk page names Heather Stevens as Circuit Court Clerk. The office is in the LaPorte County Courthouse at 813 Lincolnway Suite 105, La Porte, Indiana 46350. The local clerk source lists La Porte phone 219-326-6808 ext. 2471, Michigan City phone 219-874-5611 ext. 7729, email hstevens@laporteco.in.gov, and hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The county's own description says the clerk is a ministerial officer, custodian of the clerk's record and seal, and an officer of the court. The office issues process, accepts filings that start actions, enters judgments and orders, receives money in the clerk's official capacity, makes certified copies of records, issues miscellaneous licenses, and keeps records of wills and trust matters in probate proceedings.
LaPorte County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Clerk: Heather Stevens
813 Lincolnway Suite 105
La Porte, IN 46350
219-326-6808 ext. 2471
Michigan City: 219-874-5611 ext. 7729
hstevens@laporteco.in.gov
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
The official LaPorte County clerk page is the lead local source for clerk contacts, duties, marriage fees, and court-cost routing.
That source confirms the office name used across LaPorte County records work: Clerk of the Circuit Court.
LaPorte County Clerk Duties
The clerk's office sits at the point where filed court records, court money, certified copies, and public access meet. MyCase may let a person view public case information, but the clerk remains the practical source for official copies and for documents that are not available online. The clerk also supports court calendars under the judge's direction and issues process such as summonses and subpoenas.
- Accepts court filings and initial pleadings.
- Maintains clerk records, the court seal, judgments, and orders.
- Issues summonses, subpoenas, and other court process.
- Makes certified copies of court records.
- Receives court money, costs, and payments in the clerk's official capacity.
- Issues marriage licenses and records the license in the county of application.
- Keeps records of wills and trust matters in probate proceedings.
LaPorte County Clerk Record Channels
The clerk record channel depends on the document. Indiana MyCase is the online public search source for many civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, and other case records. It can show public case data and some documents. The Indiana Judicial Branch states that official court records are obtained from the court maintaining the record, and the local clerk can advise on documents that are not online.
| Channel | Use It For | LaPorte Detail |
|---|---|---|
| MyCase | Public case search and some documents. | Search by case number, name, attorney, citation, court, or county. |
| In person | Official copies, certified copies, filings, and counter questions. | 813 Lincolnway Suite 105, Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM. |
| Phone | Copy, payment, and record questions. | 219-326-6808 ext. 2471 or 219-874-5611 ext. 7729. |
| Clerk contact when appropriate. | hstevens@laporteco.in.gov. | |
| Copy requests when permitted by the clerk. | Use the courthouse clerk address; no separate mail-only address was located. | |
| E-filing | Case filings where Indiana e-filing applies. | Attorneys are required to e-file in LaPorte County; self-represented litigants are encouraged. |
The Indiana Judicial Branch LaPorte County page links local rules, MyCase, e-filing, court statistics, and county court contacts.
The state county page is a useful fallback when the county source points users back to MyCase or statewide e-filing tools.
Request LaPorte County Clerk Copies
Certified copies are used when a plain online display is not enough. A certified judgment, decree, order, marriage-license copy, or other court record carries the clerk or court certification needed for official use. MyCase is useful for finding the cause number and document date, but the certification comes from the office that maintains the record.
- Search MyCase by case number, party name, attorney, or citation to identify the record.
- Confirm the LaPorte County court, cause number, party names, and document type.
- Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court by counter, phone, email, or mail to request copy instructions.
- State whether the copy must be certified and how many copies are needed.
- Pay the required fee as directed by the clerk and arrange pickup or mailing if available.
Note: Online MyCase information is not treated as the official court record; certified records come from the maintaining court or clerk.
LaPorte County Clerk Request Fields
The assigned research did not locate a single countywide court-record request form with a published field list, so the request inventory below reflects the required information documented across LaPorte court and transcript instructions. More detail improves the chance that clerk staff can identify the exact record without confusing people with similar names or related cases.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number or cause number | Strongly recommended | Required for most precise court and transcript requests. |
| Party names or case caption | Yes | Use full names and former names if relevant. |
| Court or division | Recommended | Circuit Court, Superior Court 1, 2, 3, or 4 if known. |
| Document type | Yes | Judgment, decree, order, marriage license, probate filing, or other record. |
| Filing or hearing date | Conditional | Required for transcript requests; helpful for copies. |
| Certified or plain copy | Yes | State certification need before payment. |
| Requester contact information | Yes | Include phone, email, and mailing address if mail service is requested. |
LaPorte County Clerk Fees
The research identifies several local and state amounts tied to clerk services, marriage licenses, court costs, and Superior Court 3 filings. It did not locate a general per-page copy fee or certification fee for every court document. For certified copies other than the listed marriage-license copy, confirm the current amount with the clerk before mailing payment.
| Item | Amount | Source Note |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license, at least one LaPorte County or Indiana resident | $25.00 | Local clerk and marriage-license pages. |
| Marriage license, both applicants out of state | $65.00 | Local clerk and marriage-license pages. |
| Certified marriage license copy | $4.00 | Indiana Judicial Branch amount for certified copy used for name change. |
| Small claims under $10,000 in Superior Court 3 | $97 plus $10 service fee per defendant plus $28 sheriff service fee | Superior Court 3 proceedings. |
| Civil plenary in Superior Court 3 | $157 plus $10 service fee per defendant after the first plus $28 sheriff service fee | Superior Court 3 proceedings. |
| Misdemeanor criminal in Superior Court 3 | $185 plus fine | Superior Court 3 proceedings. |
| OWI criminal in Superior Court 3 | $385.50 plus fine | Superior Court 3 proceedings. |
| Transcript | Fee supplied by court reporter | Contact the official court reporter for per-page cost. |
LaPorte County Clerk Forms
LaPorte County court pages and Indiana Judicial Branch pages work together for forms and filings. Superior Court 3 publishes small-claims and eviction forms and notes e-filing availability. Superior Court 4 also publishes small-claims manuals, eviction forms, and an eviction self-help kiosk at the Michigan City Courthouse. The statewide forms page is the official source for court and record forms when a LaPorte-specific form is not listed.
- Small-claims manuals, notices, debt affidavits, and service-related forms through Superior Court 3.
- Eviction forms and self-help resources through Superior Court 4.
- Marriage-license application information through the clerk and Indiana marriage-license service.
- Divorce and family-law forms through Indiana self-service resources.
- Transcript requests through the specific court reporter, using caption, cause number, hearing date, and phone.
Restricted LaPorte County Clerk Records
The clerk can maintain a record without making every part of it public. Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records and specific statutes restrict or redact juvenile records, adoption records, mental-health proceedings, sealed or expunged cases, Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, protected addresses, minor details, and sensitive medical or safety information. Public MyCase access can therefore omit records or documents that still exist in the court file.
Juvenile records are especially important in LaPorte County because Circuit Court has juvenile court, CHINS, school court, Family Recovery Court, and Juvenile Wellness Court. Indiana Code Article 31-39 restricts many juvenile court and law-enforcement records to parties, attorneys, agencies, or court-authorized persons.
The Indiana juvenile records statute is the state source for those limits.
That statute explains why a clerk search may confirm the correct office but still withhold public access to juvenile case details.
LaPorte County Clerk Payments
The clerk receives money in the clerk's official capacity, and several LaPorte sources tie court costs, filing fees, and bond handling to either the clerk or the sheriff depending on time and context. The Sheriff's FAQ says bond or bail money is accepted between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM at the County Clerk's Office, while bonds are taken 24 hours a day at the Sheriff's Office lobby. That distinction matters after an arrest, warrant, or court order.
For court costs, use the case record, court order, or clerk instructions. For sheriff records, jail records, background checks, crash reports, or warrant information, use the Sheriff's Office or Jail channel unless the sheriff source directs a payment to the clerk. For court case records, certified copies, judgments, orders, probate wills and trusts, and marriage-license records, use the Clerk of the Circuit Court.