Search LaPorte County Court Records
Most public LaPorte County court records are searched through Indiana MyCase, the public side of the Odyssey case management system. The Indiana Judicial Branch describes public.courts.in.gov as the gateway for trial court cases, traffic tickets, protection order cases, guardianship cases, appellate records, and other public collections. LaPorte County's local court page also points users to MyCase for public case information and some documents.
MyCase is useful, but it is not the final source for every court record. The system displays public case information as a service under Indiana Supreme Court authority, and the state warns that online data may contain errors or omissions. Official court records, certified copies, sealed access requests, and documents not shown online must come from the court or clerk that maintains the file.
- Open MyCase from the Indiana court public-records page or the LaPorte County court page.
- Choose the search path that matches the known fact: case number, party name, attorney, or citation.
- Use LaPorte County or a specific court filter when it is available, since Odyssey searches can show records from other Indiana counties.
- Review the case number, court, filing date, case type, status, parties, attorney names, hearings, and chronological case summary entries.
- Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court or the listed court when a certified copy, transcript, restricted document, or missing filing is needed.
| MyCase Field | How It Helps | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Case | Searches by Indiana cause number when the number is known. | No |
| Name | Searches by party, person, or business name. | No |
| Attorney | Finds cases tied to an attorney record. | No |
| Citation | Routes traffic ticket and citation searches. | No |
| Court or County | Narrows broad statewide results to LaPorte County or one court. | No |
The LaPorte County Courts Services page is the local starting point for court division pages, clerk services, prosecutor information, marriage licensing, and court-specific instructions.
That county landing page is helpful because LaPorte County court records are not tied to one single courtroom or one single city.
Inside LaPorte County Court
Indiana does not use a county district court model for LaPorte County. The county's trial courts are the LaPorte Circuit Court and LaPorte Superior Courts. The Indiana Judicial Branch places LaPorte County in Judicial District 3 with Pulaski and Starke counties, and appeals from local trial courts move into the Indiana appellate system, mainly the Court of Appeals of Indiana.
Local court work is split between La Porte and Michigan City. The historic courthouse at 813 Lincolnway houses the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Circuit Court functions, probate and family functions, Superior Court 3, and several filing or payment counters. Superior Courts 1, 2, and 4 sit at 300 Washington Street in Michigan City. The summons, citation, MyCase entry, or hearing notice controls the correct place to appear.
| Court | Address | Main Work |
|---|---|---|
| LaPorte Circuit Court | 813 Lincolnway, La Porte | Felony, juvenile, CHINS, family recovery, juvenile wellness, family, and probate matters. |
| Superior Court 1 | 300 Washington Street, Michigan City | General civil, criminal, protection order, name change, and Zoom motion matters. |
| Superior Court 2 | 300 Washington Street, Michigan City | Public hearings and criminal call, with livestream access noted by the county. |
| Superior Court 3 | 813 Lincolnway, La Porte | Civil claims, misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic, and small claims extensions. |
| Superior Court 4 | 300 Washington Street, Michigan City | Small claims, evictions, probation, and dispositional alternatives. |
Case path: filing or arrest > Circuit or Superior Court docket > judgment, plea, dismissal, order, or sentence > Court of Appeals of Indiana when an appeal is filed.
LaPorte County Court Locations
The main LaPorte County courthouse is both a records office and a historic public building. The La Porte County Government website identifies county offices and links residents to courts, elected officials, sheriff functions, and public service pages.
For court users, the county government site is best used with the court division page or MyCase record because the same county system has offices in more than one building.
LaPorte County Courthouse
813 Lincolnway
La Porte, IN 46350
Clerk: 219-326-6808 ext. 2471
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Michigan City Courthouse
300 Washington Street
Michigan City, IN 46360
219-874-5611
Superior Courts 1, 2, and 4
Sheriff and Jail Complex
809 State Street
La Porte, IN 46350
Jail: 219-326-7700
Jail facility operates 24/7
The Indiana Historical Bureau's LaPorte County Courthouse marker places the historic marker at Lincolnway and Michigan Avenue on the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn.
The marker confirms why so many older and current LaPorte County court records point back to the same downtown courthouse site.
LaPorte County Court Record Types
LaPorte County court records include civil, small claims, eviction, criminal, traffic, family, divorce, probate, juvenile, and protection order matters. Civil and small claims records can show complaints, appearances, summonses, motions, service, judgments, collection steps, and eviction orders. Superior Courts 3 and 4 are especially important for small claims and eviction material because those pages publish local forms, manuals, and a Michigan City eviction self-help kiosk.
Criminal court records show the court file after a charge is filed. The record may include a probable cause filing, charging document, bond, arraignment, motions, hearings, plea, disposition, sentence, costs, and probation. Jail or sheriff records can show current custody details before the full court record is complete, while LaPorte County criminal court records show the case path and outcome once the court file exists.
- Civil records show disputes, claims, motions, orders, and judgments.
- Traffic records show citations, violations, pleas, judgments, fines, costs, and possible failure-to-appear entries.
- Marriage records are issued and recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
- Probate records include wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, inventories, accountings, and orders.
- Juvenile records are usually restricted under Indiana law and court access rules.
What LaPorte Court Records Show
A public case record usually starts with the cause number, court, case type, filing date, parties, attorneys, and case status. Indiana dockets are often called chronological case summaries, or CCS entries. A CCS can show each event in the case, including complaint filed, appearance filed, summons issued, hearing scheduled, continuance granted, order entered, plea, sentencing, payment, or judgment.
Some document images are available online at no cost. Others must be requested from the maintaining court. Transcript requests are separate. Circuit Court, Superior Court 1, and Superior Court 2 and 3 pages instruct requesters to provide the person's name or caption, cause number, hearing date, and a contact phone number to the court reporter or court staff.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The Indiana cause number used for lookup, copy requests, and transcript requests. |
| Court | The Circuit Court, Superior Court division, or other Indiana court maintaining the file. |
| Parties | Names such as plaintiff and defendant, petitioner and respondent, state and defendant, or estate and ward. |
| CCS Entries | The docket history, including filings, hearings, orders, pleas, judgments, sentencing, payments, and continuances. |
| Financial Fields | Costs, fines, fees, bonds, service fees, payments, and balances when public. |
| Redactions | SSNs, account numbers, minor data, protected addresses, sealed records, and confidential case types may be withheld. |
LaPorte Court Public Access
Indiana public access for LaPorte County court records is shaped by both public-records law and court-record rules. Administrative agency records fall under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act. Court case access is also governed by the Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records, which define which records are public, which records are excluded, and which details must be redacted.
Key access rules:
Indiana Code IC 5-14-3 generally opens public agency records unless a law, rule, or court order restricts them.
Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records control court case access, confidential case types, excluded documents, and redactions.
Indiana Code IC 35-38-9 governs eligible expungement and sealing of arrest, charge, and conviction records.
The official Indiana public court records page links MyCase, traffic tickets, protection order cases, guardianship cases, Department of Correction tools, BMV records, and sex offender registry resources.
State-level links matter because LaPorte County records sometimes lead to Indiana appellate courts, BMV driver records, IDOC custody tools, or federal PACER records rather than a local clerk counter.
Restricted LaPorte County Records
Not all LaPorte County court records are public. Juvenile court, CHINS, school court, Family Recovery Court, and Juvenile Wellness Court matters are restricted under Indiana juvenile law and access rules. Adoption, mental health, protected address, medical, financial account, and minor information can also be excluded or redacted. Sealed and expunged records may not appear in public portals even when an older record once existed.
Expungement and sealing under Indiana Code IC 35-38-9 depend on the outcome, offense level, waiting period, payment or restitution status, and case facts. A person usually needs the cause number, arrest or filing date, charge list, disposition, sentence completion information, and proof that statutory conditions are met. Public pages should not treat a missing MyCase result as proof that no record exists.
Note: For sealed, juvenile, expunged, or confidential files, the clerk can explain the request channel but may not release the record.
LaPorte County Specialty Dockets
Circuit Court records include specialty and juvenile-family docket names that should be read with care. Family Recovery Court meets on Tuesday beginning at 1:00 PM according to the court schedule, and Juvenile Wellness Court meets on Thursday beginning at 10:00 AM. Emily Back is listed as Director of Family Recovery and Juvenile Wellness Courts at extension 2651.
School Court and CHINS are also listed on the Circuit Court schedule. These programs show that not every LaPorte County court record is searched like an adult civil or criminal case. Some docket activity exists in public-facing schedules, but the underlying juvenile or family records may be restricted.
LaPorte Sheriff and Jail Records
The sheriff and jail channels handle custody, booking, warrants, reports, background checks, bonds, mail, visitation, and offender information. Sheriff Ron Heeg's county page lists the sheriff office at 809 State Street, Suite 202A, La Porte, and the separate jail suite is listed at 809 State Street, Suite 201A. The jail operates 24/7, while in-person office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The county sheriff department page is the local government bridge to sheriff services, while the sheriff's own website links JailTracker, the Automated Information System, VINE, OffenderWatch, Securus, and commissary services.
Jail and sheriff information often answers questions that a court docket cannot answer, such as current custody, bond amount, release date, mail rules, and video visitation access.
| Channel | Use | Contact or Source |
|---|---|---|
| JailTracker | Public roster and custody lookup. | Sheriff inmate information page. |
| AIS phone system | Name search for charges, bonds, court dates, release dates, and court locations. | 219-362-6548 or 219-878-9132. |
| Warrants Division | Official warrant information when staff can disclose it. | 219-326-7700 ext. 2664, 2427, or 2338. |
| VINE | Custody and case notification. | Indiana VINE. |
Marriage Divorce and Probate
Marriage licenses are issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. A couple usually starts online through the Indiana marriage license system, but both applicants must appear in person to complete the process. Local LaPorte County requirements include valid identification, residency rules, payment, and a certified divorce decree if either applicant was divorced within the prior six months.
Divorce records are court records, not health department records. They are searched through MyCase when public, and certified decrees come from the court or clerk. Probate records are handled through the Probate Division of the Circuit Court and the Clerk of the Circuit Court structure, including wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, inventories, accountings, and orders.
- CCS
- Indiana's chronological case summary, meaning the docket event log for a court case.
- Disposition
- The current or final result of a case or charge, such as dismissed, judgment entered, plea, or sentenced.
- Certified copy
- An official copy issued by the maintaining court or clerk for legal use.
- Probate
- The court process for estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, and related orders.
LaPorte County Record Fees
Research located several local and state fees, but not a complete plain-copy or certified-copy fee schedule for every record type. The Clerk of the Circuit Court publishes marriage license amounts, Superior Court 3 publishes selected filing and criminal costs, and the Indiana BMV publishes the certified Official Driver Record fee. When a transcript is needed, the court reporter supplies the cost per page.
| Item | Amount | Source Note |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license, Indiana resident connection | $25.00 | Local clerk and marriage page. |
| Marriage license, both applicants out of state | $65.00 | Local clerk and marriage page. |
| Certified marriage license copy | $4.00 | State Judicial Branch name-change copy note. |
| Superior Court 3 small claims under $10,000 | $97.00 plus service fees | Local Superior Court 3 proceedings table. |
| BMV certified Official Driver Record | $4.00 | Indiana BMV driver-record page. |
Federal Records Near LaPorte
Federal civil, federal criminal, bankruptcy, federal prisoner, and federal appeal records are not LaPorte County court records. LaPorte County sits in the Northern District of Indiana for federal district and bankruptcy matters. The U.S. District Court has divisional offices in Fort Wayne, Hammond, and South Bend, and federal bankruptcy cases are handled through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Federal docket and document access runs through PACER, not MyCase. Federal appeals from Indiana go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. A federal inmate search belongs with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator, while county jail custody belongs with LaPorte County JailTracker or AIS.
LaPorte County Court History
The courthouse site dates back to the county's formation period. The Indiana Historical Bureau marker states that LaPorte County was formed by the Indiana General Assembly, La Porte was selected as county seat in 1832, and three courthouses were built on the site. The first was built in 1833, the second in 1847 and 1848, and the current courthouse in 1892 through 1894.
The current courthouse is Lake Superior Red Sandstone in Richardsonian Romanesque style, designed by Brentwood S. Tolan of Fort Wayne. The building incorporated the cornerstone from the 1848 courthouse and includes stained glass transoms, wood paneling, gilded friezes, a Goddess of Justice stained-glass feature, a 272-piece skylight, and exterior gargoyles. The building is part of the Downtown La Porte Historic District and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
LaPorte County Court FAQ
Where do LaPorte County court record searches start?
Start with Indiana MyCase for public case information. Use the LaPorte County or court filter when possible. If the online record is incomplete, missing documents, sealed, or needed as a certified copy, contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court or the court listed on the case.
Which courthouse should I visit?
Check the summons, citation, MyCase entry, or court notice. The historic courthouse is at 813 Lincolnway in La Porte, but Superior Courts 1, 2, and 4 are at 300 Washington Street in Michigan City. Going to the wrong city can mean missing a hearing or counter deadline.
Are warrants searchable online?
No official online active warrant list was located in the research. The sheriff FAQ gives the Warrants Division phone channel at 219-326-7700 ext. 2664, 2427, or 2338. MyCase and JailTracker may show related case or custody information, but neither is a complete warrant list.
How are inmate records searched?
The sheriff uses JailTracker and also provides the AIS phone system. AIS supports name searches for charges, bonds, court dates, release dates, and court locations. For state prison custody, use the Indiana Department of Correction instead of the county jail roster.
How do divorce and marriage records differ?
Marriage licenses are issued and recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Divorce decrees are court records from a dissolution case. Search public divorce case information in MyCase, then request a certified decree from the court or clerk if a legal copy is needed.
Can online court records be used as official copies?
No. MyCase is public access to case information and some documents, but official records come from the court maintaining the file. Certified copies, transcripts, and documents not displayed online must be requested through the appropriate LaPorte County court or clerk channel.