Search Free Lake County Records: Warrants, Arrests, Court

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Free Lake County Public Records Search

Access Lake County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

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Free Lake County public records are made accessible for anyone who wants to conduct a search or make a request, thanks to the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

This article offers help in gathering these sources, making them readily available to anyone who seeks to view, at no cost, or request for arrests, warrants, criminal, probation, and court records; prisoner information; background check reports; marital, divorce, birth, and death records; and property ownership and taxes.

Knowing the respective custodians and tools needed to obtain these records effectively through this resource, you can confidently start your search for public information in Lake County, Indiana.

How To Look Up Free Arrest Records & Mugshots in Lake County Indiana

When looking for Lake County arrest records, interested individuals can check in with the county sheriff’s office. However, it is worth noting that they don’t have an online option.

Citizens can also visit the local police departments of cities and towns under its jurisdiction.¹ Some have an online public index for viewing, but you can also choose to request records in person.

Instructions on obtaining arrest records from the mentioned departments will be discussed further below.

Search Arrests via the Lake County Sheriff’s Office

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office does not offer any online means to view arrest records or any online record request.² However, they can be contacted by anyone who seeks jail booking information at 219.648.6300.

If you would rather visit the office, this is where they are located:

Lake County Sheriff’s Office
2293 North Main St.,
Crown Point, Indiana 46307-185

In addition, interested individuals can also turn to the Lake County Corrections Division or Community Corrections for inquiries:

Lake County Community Corrections
2600 West, 93rd Avenue,
Crown Point, Indiana 46307

Phone: (219.755.3850)
Fax: (219.755.3871)

Perform a Police Records Lookup & Find Recent Bookings Through Police Departments in Lake County Indiana

Depending on the city or town, arrest records from local police departments can be obtained online, through request, by phone, or walk-ins. The following information which will be discussed first is from the respective police departments which explicitly stated how these records can be obtained.

City of Crown Point: Arrest reports in Crown Point are held by their Police Records Department. Such records can be requested for a fee of $0.10 per page. The records department accepts walk-ins for this service from Mondays to Saturdays, 8 AM – 8 PM; and Sundays, 8 AM – 4 PM.

Crown Point Police Department
124 North East St.,
Crown Point, Indiana 46307

Phone: 219.663.2131 ext. 2
Email: [email protected]

City of East Chicago: Copy of arrest reports can be obtained from the city police department with a fee of $10 for East Chicago residents and $15 for non-residents. It is worthy to note that cash payments are not accepted. The East Chicago Police Department can be reached through 219.660.0000.

East Chicago Police Department
2301 Columbus Dr.
East Chicago, Indiana 46312

City of Hobart: While there are no direct ways to look up arrest records in the city, it can still be done through obtaining your limited criminal history for $20.00 at the Hobart Police Records Department.³ To note, only arrests made by the city’s police department will appear in the history. The department also disclaims that there is no assurance that the record is actually that of the person requested for checks by name or birthdate.

The process usually takes 3 business days. Walk-ins for limited criminal history checks are accepted Mondays to Fridays from 7 AM to 7 PM, and Saturdays from 7 AM to 2 PM.

Hobart Police Department
Records Division
705 East 4th St.
Hobart, IN

Phone: 942-1125 (option 1)

Town of St. John: The St. John Police Department participates in the Police Data Initiative (PDI) and keeps an online record of arrests from 2014 to 2024 as of writing. The public can view the date and time of arrest, age, sex, and race of the individual, city, state, statute, offense, and incident number. The names, however, are not disclosed.

St. John Police Department
Administrative Office
11033 West 93rd Ave.,
St. John, Indiana 46373

Phone: 219.365.6032

Town of Griffith: The Griffith Police Department also participated in the PDI and has an open data of arrests from 2013 to 2024. Likewise, the demographics, time, date, and details of arrest are available but the names are not posted. Police reports may also be obtained from their records division for a fee.

The division is open from 8 AM to 4 PM, Mondays to Fridays.

Griffith Police Department
Records Division
115 North Broad St.,
Griffith, IN 46319

Phone: 219.924.7503 (option 2)

Town of Cedar Lake: In participation in the PDI as well, Cedar Lake Police Department holds arrest demographics from 2006 to present online. For further they can be found and contacted at:

Cedar Lake Police Department
7408 Constitution Avenue,
Cedar Lake, Indiana 46303

Phone: (219)374-5416
Fax: (219)374-9231

The data provided by the towns of St. John, Griffith, and Cedar Lake also cover other locations. However, you may also inquire at the respective local police departments of the rest of towns and cities in Lake County.¹ Searching “[city name] [state] arrest records” can also be done to look for recent Lake County bookings.

How To Run a Lake County Criminal Record Search

Like other Lake County public records, criminal records are also searchable. This information is often used for a variety of reasons, including ensuring personal and public safety.

Criminal records come in different types, like charges and conviction records, warrants, probation, background check reports, and sex offender registries among others. Knowing these types is important in understanding an individual’s criminal history.

In Lake County, searchers can turn to the following custodians: the sheriff’s department, respective town and city police departments and courts, and the Indiana State Police (ISP).

These custodians can assist in learning more about the criminal history or current situation of another individual. With that said, a more in-depth discussion will be provided below.

See Prior Charges or Criminal Convictions Through County & State Agencies

Viewing charges and convictions can be done through a Lake County case search using Indiana Court’s Case Management System.⁵ Court records, including Lake County judicial records, can be looked up by the public with case number, name, or attorney, whichever information is available.

To narrow down the search, do not skip selecting “Lake County” from the ‘court’ drop down menu and tick the box for “Criminal & Citation.” This will give more accurate results that will display the case number, title, and type, court, filing date, status, charges, and name of parties. Selecting a case title will open a case summary.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office on the other hand offers the Offender Watch tool. However, this only allows people to search for the sex offenders registered in the county. Offenders can be looked up using any of the following:

• Specific Address
• Name
• City
• Internet Names or Email
• Phone Number

This can be convenient especially when not a lot of information is known about the person being searched. Results will display the offender’s mugshot, name, offense level, complete address, and alerts if there are any. Furthermore, clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the last column opens more details about the case.

There are three tabs: the ‘details’ tab where the offender’s registration number, physical description, link to the map of address, and offenses are displayed; the ‘other known addresses’ tab; and the ‘warrants’ tab.

Non-compliant offenders can also be searched through this tool.

On the other hand, interested parties can also inquire about jail records at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office by calling 219.755.3421.

Execute a Public Criminal Record Check in Lake County Indiana

The best agency an interested party can go to look up someone’s criminal record is the sheriff’s department. This is because Lake County criminal records are mainly held and maintained by the sheriff’s department’s Bureau Of Identification Office.⁷

With that said, requests for records check can be done so in person or through mail with a fee of $7.00 in cash or money order. For in-person requests, the office is available for record checks Monday to Friday, from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

A valid driver’s license or state ID card are required for people running a check on themselves. On the other hand, individuals named in the record must provide a signed and notarized release form for mailed-in requests.

This method of request also requires a copy of the social security card aside from the valid driver’s license or state ID card. It is also advised to include a self-addressed stamped envelope in the mail.

Requests can be made and mailed to:

Bureau of Identification
Lake County Sheriff’s Department
2293 North Main St.
Crown Point, IN 46307

Phone: 219.755.3316
Fax: 219.755.3323

Moreover, most of the cities and towns in Lake County also offer criminal record checks under their local police departments or city courts. For those without clear information online, you may contact or visit them at their respective locations.

City/Town	Address	Contact Information
Crown Point City	124 North East St., Crown Point, Indiana 46307	Phone: (219)663.2131
Town of Cedar Lake	7408 Constitution Avenue Cedar Lake, Indiana 46303	Phone: (219)374.5416 Fax: (219)374.9231
Town of Dyer	2150 Hart St., Dyer, IN 46311	Phone: (219)865.1163 Fax: (219)865.4221 Email: [email protected]
East Chicago City	2301 Columbus Drive East Chicago, IN 46312	Phone: (219)660.0000
Gary City	401 Brdwy, Suite 104 Gary, IN 46402	Phone: (219)881.1400 Fax: (219)881.1362
Town of Griffith	115 North Broad St., Griffith, IN 46319	Phone: (219)924.7503 Fax: (219)922.3076
Hammond City	5925 Calumet Ave. Hammond, Indiana 46320	Phone: (219)853.6381 Fax: (219)853.6641
Town of Highland	3315 Ridge Rd., Highland, Indiana 46322	HPD Admin: (219)838-3184 Fax: (219)972-5095
Hobart City	705 East 4th Street Hobart, Indiana 46342	Phone: (219)942.1125
Lake Station City	1969 Central Ave., Lake Station, Indiana 46405	Non-Emergency: (219)660.0000 Clerical Questions: (219)962.1186 Fax: (219)962.8023
Town of Lowell	1333 East Commercial Avenue, Lowell, Indiana 46356	Business: (219)696.0411
Town of Merrillville	7820 Bdwy. Merrillville, Indiana 46410	Admin: 219.769.3727
Town of Munster	1001 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana 46321	Phone: (219)836.6630 Fax: (219)836.8134 [email protected]
Town of New Chicago	122 Huber Boulevard, Hobart, Indiana 46342	Police Clerk: (219)836.8134
Town of Schererville	25 E. Joliet St., Schererville, IN 46375	Phone : (219)322-5000 Fax : (219)865-5529 Records\FOIA request: [email protected]
Town of St. John	11033 West 93rd Ave., St. John, Indiana 46373	Phone: (219)365.6032
City of Whiting	1914 Schrage Ave., Whiting, Indiana 46394	Phone: (219)659.2131 Fax: (219)473.4442
Town of Winfield	10645 Randolph St. Suite C Winfield, IN 46307	Phone: (219)779.9326 Fax: (219)663.2431

How To Conduct a Lake County Arrest Warrant Search

There are instances when people might want to look for warrant information regarding themselves or someone else. May it be for safety, to confirm someone’s wanted status, or determine if they have been issued a warrant.

When looking for Lake County warrants of arrest, interested individuals can go to the county’s sheriff’s office, since most towns and cities link back to this department. It would be convenient to make it the first stop for searching warrants.

The sheriff department offers a county-wide warrant search where any interested individual can perform either a name or zip code search.⁸

For name searches, only the last name is required but of course, adding a first name can narrow down the results. When a search is made, a list will be shown displaying the name, age, race, and sex of the wanted person.

Searchers can view more details by selecting the arrow icon under the last column. A new window will pop out also containing the individual’s address and charge information.

On the other hand, aside from warrant information, citizens can also find someone’s mugshot through Lake County’s most wanted people posted by the sheriff’s department on their page. More information can be obtained after clicking the photo.

Anyone who seeks to obtain or share more information about any of the listed persons can contact the department at 219.755.3057 or send an email to [email protected].

In addition, interested individuals can also search for warrant information using the Indiana Courts MyCase search tool.⁵ Although this search is mainly about court records and not specifically for warrants. However, when a defendant has been issued a warrant, it will reflect in the case summary, unless the information is confidential.

The public can view non-confidential court information by running a search either through the case number, attorney, or name. Make sure to select ‘Lake County’ under the ‘Court’ drop down menu to narrow the results of cases.

Returns will list a brief overview of cases displaying the title, case number, filing date, court, case type, names of parties, and status. An orange ‘W’ icon will also appear if the defendant has an active warrant. Opening a case will display charges and the case summary as well.

Note: Towns and cities in Lake county either link back to the sheriff’s department warrant division or do not mention any warrant search at all but it will still be helpful to inquire at their respective police departments.

How To Determine if a Lake County Resident Is on Probation

Running a probation search is another way of revealing individuals with a criminal record.

The Lake County Superior Court County Probation Department is where offenders under such community supervision in the county are monitored. All calls, questions, and reports by the defendants themselves are directed to this department.

While there is no explicit information whether they provide probation records, it is still best to reach out to them and inquire when seeking to look up such information. This can be done by filling the contact form provided in the county website or calling them at (219)755.3589.

On the other hand, the chief probation officers for adult probation and juvenile probation in Lake County can also be contacted through the following information:

Lake County Adult Probation
2293 N. Main St.,
Crown Point, IN 46307-1896

Phone: (219)755.3535
Email: [email protected]

Lake County Juvenile Probation
3000 West 93rd Ave.,
Crown Point, IN 46307-1854

Phone: (219)660.6900
Email: [email protected]

On a state level, probationers are handled by the Indiana Department of Corrections’ Community Corrections Division.¹¹ They don’t provide a search tool that reveals individuals under probation nor explicitly state they give out such information. However, they can still be reached through the information provided in their online directory as they are the primary custodian responsible for the supervision program.

Overall, probation records in state are considered confidential according to the Indiana Probation Standards 1.4, and can only be disclosed in compliance with the state rules on court records access, state and federal laws and regulations, and Judicial Conference of Indiana policy. That’s why the most reasonable way of getting such information is through direct contacts with the custodians mentioned above.

How To Run a Criminal Background Check in Lake County IN

Background checks are an important tool for evaluating someone’s background in a number of contexts.

They can be done for oneself or another person, either for personal or professional purposes. Learning about the individual’s criminal histories, bankruptcies, and other relevant information through background checks can be helpful in knowing more about the person and making more informed decisions.

Personal Background Checks: Anyone can conduct personal background checks on another individual for any reason as part of the public’s right to record access.

Individuals can conduct a free public records search through the agencies mentioned in the previous sections, which allow a direct look at available information. On the other hand, searchers can also utilize third-party providers offered by various companies for background checks, although these services usually come with a fee.

With personal background checks, consent and reason are not necessarily required, but it is best to keep in mind that even though these public records are made accessible, they shouldn’t be used irresponsibly or for any illegal purposes, such as stalking, intimidating, or harassing another person.

Professional Background Checks: Official background checks are often required for employment, licensing, permit issuance, and other circumstances where there is a need for an official decision. This involves a more comprehensive search than what individuals can conduct using public records.

As also mentioned in a previous section, background checks in Lake County are done by the sheriff’s department’s Bureau of Identification,⁷ which offers two levels:

• Name-Based Background Check: A basic check for criminal history in Lake County. The process is the same as detailed under the “Execute a Free Public Criminal Record Check in Lake County, Indiana” section.

Requests can be made and mailed to:

Bureau of Identification
Lake County Sheriff’s Department
2293 North Main St.
Crown Point, IN 46307

Phone: 219.755.3316
Fax: 219.755.3323

• Fingerprint Background Check: A more in-depth check that uses fingerprints to search national criminal databases. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Bureau of Identification advises searchers that fingerprinting is not performed on-site anymore and should contact the following instead:

L1 Solutions
6166 Harrison Street
Merrillville, Indiana 46410

Phone: +1.877.472.6917

Local background checks are also available in some of the towns and cities in Lake County:

City/Town	Address	Contact Information
Crown Point City	124 North East St., Crown Point, Indiana 46307	Phone: (219)663.2131
Town of Cedar Lake	7408 Constitution Avenue Cedar Lake, Indiana 46303	Phone: (219)374.5416 Fax: (219)374.9231
East Chicago City	2301 Columbus Drive East Chicago, IN 46312	Phone: (219)660.0000
Town of Griffith	115 North Broad St., Griffith, IN 46319	Phone: (219)924.7503 Fax: (219)922.3076
Hobart City	705 East 4th Street Hobart, Indiana 46342	Phone: (219)942.1125
Town of Merrillville	7820 Bdwy. Merrillville, Indiana 46410	Admin: 219.769.3727

For statewide background checks, the Indiana State Police (ISP) is the department responsible. They offer a limited criminal history check that can be done online or through a mail request that can be sent to the address below:¹²

Indiana State Police (ISP)
Criminal History Limited Check
PO Box 6188
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46206-6188

To conduct an online limited criminal history check, you first need to be registered. Once logged in, you can then start a new request. The following information will be asked:

• Requestor’s Information
• Reason for Request
• Subject of Request

After filling out the required fields, you will then be redirected to the payment section for checkout. The online fees per record vary depending on the type of requester.

Note: When using their ISP number, schools and other eligible non-profit organizations are free from fees with an ISP Waiver from Fee Exemption.

For a more complete history report, the ISP advises citizens to get a fingerprint-based National Criminal History check instead.¹⁴ This produces a full report that contains all documented arrests, charges, and judgments from all federal and state jurisdictions in the United States.

The individual needs to register online and schedule an appointment by providing their name, reason for fingerprinting, and zip code. Accepted forms of payment are debit or credit card at the time of scheduling, or cashier’s checks and money orders at the fingerprinting service facility. A transcript copy or letter of no record will be issued once the check is done.

Above all these, background check providers and employers must observe the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which regulates the reports’ accuracy and fairness.¹⁵ These reports also cannot be used to discriminate against candidates based on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Furthermore, individuals have the right to dispute any inaccurate information found in their background check report. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can provide assistance if a background check was conducted without your written consent.

Note: Indiana is an “at-will” employment state, which means there is no “ban the box” law requiring employers to wait until later in the hiring process to ask about criminal history. However, local ordinances or employer policies may offer additional protections.

How To View All Criminal Records in Indiana via State Agencies

Indiana public records are made accessible, including criminal records. While there is no one-stop shop to view all these records, they can be accessed through different state agencies based on the type of crime being sought.

Indiana State Police (ISP): The police department of Indiana offers a limited criminal history check that contains records of felonies and misdemeanors in the state.¹² It is worthy of note that it does not include criminal history records from other states. They also offer a fingerprint-based National Criminal History check for a more in-depth and complete report.¹⁴

The processes for both levels of background checks are detailed in the section above. For further questions, citizens can reach out to the Indiana State Police (ISP):

Indiana Government Center North
100 North Senate Ave., Ste. N302 (east elevators)
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Phone: 317.232.8262
Email: [email protected]

Indiana Courts: The state of Indiana offers an Odyssey Case Management System that can act as a free criminal record check as it lets the public search for court case information online.⁵ All cases that are made available to the public can be looked up using the case number, name of parties, or attorney.

For criminal records, make sure to select “Criminal & Citation” to access more desired results. The court drop-down menu can be left with “All Odyssey Courts” for a statewide search; otherwise, select the desired county. A chronological case summary would be displayed when a case is selected from the results.

Furthermore, each county court in the state maintains its own records. With that said, interested parties may reach the respective counties directly to inquire and request the records being sought.

Similarly, individuals seeking for criminal records in Indiana may go to these sources:

• Indiana Department of Corrections Incarcerated Search: A search tool that shows records of incarcerated individuals including their previous sentence information.
• Indiana Statewide Automated Victim Information & Notification (SAVIN): A service where victims can search for their offender’s information and be kept updated about the changes by registering for alert notifications.
• Indiana Sex & Violent Offender Registry: A public resource holding the data of sex and violent offenders in the state of Indiana.
• National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW): A national resource for public safety that makes sex offender data accessible to the public.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons: Keeps records of federal inmates from 1982 onwards.

How To Search Lake County Court Records by Name

Indiana is one of the states where the law leans towards public access to court records such as dockets, court dates, pleadings and motions, decisions and orders, evidence, and transcripts. However, like any other, there are limitations, and certain information may be redacted from public view to protect privacy or safety, like sealed or juvenile records.

These court records contain different types of information that can be retrieved through different types of courts. With that said, here are the different courts you might encounter when searching for Lake County public records:

Superior Court: Has divisions dedicated to civil, domestic relations, traffic and criminal, small claims, probation, and juvenile cases.

Circuit Court: A trial court that shares jurisdiction with the Lake County Superior Court but only handles civil cases, including domestic relations, magistrate, and probate cases.

City & Town Courts: Mostly handle civil, traffic, criminal misdemeanors, and city or town ordinance violations.

Community Transition Court: Oversees and helps individuals return to their communities, under supervision, after being released from the Indiana Department of Correction.

The Odyssey case management system acts as the state’s online public records repository. Most courts across Indiana utilize this, and the courts in Lake County are no exception. With that said, the most convenient way to look up Lake County court records is through the Indiana Judicial Branch’s MyCase.⁵

This allows users to search for criminal and citation, civil, family, probate, appellate, and commercial cases either by party name, attorney, or case number. To get more specific returns, select “Lake County” in the ‘Court’ drop-down menu or any of the specific courts available under the county.

Furthermore, individuals may also reach out to Lake County Courts or the Clerk’s Office.

At the state and federal levels, searchers can also utilize Indiana’s MyCase and the U.S. Courts’ Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service, respectively.

How To View Lake County Vital Records (Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death)

Records of significant life events such as birth, death, marriage, and divorce are called vital records. In Lake County, birth and death certificates are held and managed by the county health department.¹⁷ While marriage licenses and divorce are under the Lake County Clerk’s Office.

These records are useful when a person needs proof of the events and identity verification. They are also used for genealogical research and public health programs. Aside from general use, vital records are also instrumental to legal matters like the probate process where they play an important role in verifying information.

In the following sections, it will be discussed how to locate and access these records.

Locate Marriage & Divorce Records or Certificates via the Lake County Clerk or Indiana State Department of Health

The marriage licenses and divorce records in Lake County are under the county clerk’s office.

Citizens can request for copies of records through the clerk’s office but cannot directly see these records online through it because they don’t have their own search feature. Instead, they link to the statewide online service by the Indiana Supreme Court where they can likewise conduct a county-wide search for both marriage and divorce records.

For finding Lake county marriage records, a license copy can be requested through the Clerk’s Marriage Office by accomplishing the Marriage License Copy Request Application. A certified license and certified copies of marriage application costs the same at $4.00 per page. Genealogy copies are $1.00 per page.

The request should be mailed to:

Lake County Clerk
Attn: Marriage Division
2293 North Main St.
Crown Point, Indiana – 46307

Phone: 219-648-6996 / 219.755.3466

The office is open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.

On a state level, citizens can also request a copy of marriage records for $8.00 from the Indiana Department of Health by writing to:¹⁸

Indiana State Department of Health
Attn: Vital Records
PO Box – 7125
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-7125

On the other hand, citizens can also search through Indiana’s Marriage License Public Lookup to check if someone is married. Although still in the beta phase, the search tool is already functional and useful.

The interested party would need to know at least the last name of one applicant to start. The first name, year of marriage, and county are all optional. However, for this search, it is only reasonable to select “Lake” from the options,

As with many search applications, more information will mean more specific results.

Once a search is run, a list of results will appear displaying the names of both applicants, the marriage date, and issuing county. There is also a small magnifying glass icon beside the word “view” in the last column. When clicked, more information will be displayed such as the license number, marriage officiant, corresponding official title, and the clerk of the Lake Circuit Court at the time.

For searching divorce records in Lake County, citizens may contact the County Clerk’s Office at 219.755.3460 to request for copies.

Since there are no county-level look up tools for divorce as well, citizens can use the Indiana MyCase Search.⁵ As mentioned in the previous sections, there are three ways to conduct a search: by case, name, and attorney. Since the name is the most readily available information most of the time, it will be convenient to start with it.

Only the last name is required while the first and middle names can also be filled only with initials or left alone. The searcher can enter other information like birth and file dates if available.

To come up with Lake County divorce records for the results, it is advised to limit the search to “Family.” Don’t forget to select “Lake County” from the ‘Court’ drop down menu as well. The cases about divorce are marked either as “DC” for domestic relations with children or “DN” for those without.

Search results will yield a list showing the case title, number, and type, court, filing date, status, parties, and attorneys. Clicking the case title will open the case summary containing other details like description of the parties, case chronology, and financial information.

Both records, marriage and divorce, are updated to present and the public can search and view these records for free. Although it is noted that the oldest marriage licenses available are from 1993.

Older records for marriage and divorce may be accessible through the Indiana State Library. There are records available through 1958 to 2021 and through 1850.²¹ Marriage records can also be printed from the Genealogy Division or viewed from the indexes of Family Search.

In addition, the Lake County Recorder’s Office notes that their records do not generally include decrees, judgements, and marriage licenses. However, if you search through their document search, there are divorce decrees and marriage certificates that will appear.

Just input the words “divorce,” “marriage,” “dissolution of marriage,” or other variants to reveal relevant results. Although not guaranteed that all records are there, it is still another way to find them. This website also has an ‘add to cart’ feature which means you can order the records.

However, since the office has a disclaimer, it is best to inquire first if they do release such documents by calling 219.755.3730 or through their online contact form.

Access or Request Birth & Death Records in Lake County Through the Health Department

Birth and death certificates in Lake County are held by their county health department.¹⁷ Anyone who would want to request such records should turn to this department, aside from those who were born or died within the cities of Gary and East Chicago.

There are two ways to obtain birth and death records: by visiting Lake County Government Complex in person or by mailing an application in a self-addressed, stamped envelope containing a photocopy of ID and the cash or money order for the processing fee. Personal checks, however, are not accepted.

Copies of birth certificates cost $10.00 each while $11.00 for the death certificates.

Interested individuals can access the application for Birth Certificate Issuance Request and Certified Certificate of Death through the Lake County Health Department and mail it to the following address:

Lake County Health Department
2900 West, 93rd Ave.,
Crown Point, Indiana 46307

Phone: 219.755.3655

People born or died within Gary and East Chicago cities may contact or drop by their city health departments:

East Chicago Health Department
Attention: Vital Records
100 W Chicago Avenue Ste. 100A
East Chicago, Indiana 46312

Phone: 219.391.8467

Gary Health Department
1145 W 5th Avenue
Gary, Indiana 46402

Phone: 219.882.1113, 219.882.1114

Statewide ordering options are also available for birth and death certificates. This is helpful not only for Lake County requests but also when the records are from other counties within the state. The Indiana Department of Health lists three ways to obtain these vital records:

• By mail: An Application for Search & Certified Copy of Birth Record and Application for Search & Certified or Non-Certified Copy of a Death Record can be printed and mailed to the address of Indiana State Department of Health, listed above in the marriage and divorce section. The first certificate of birth costs $10.00 while for the certificate of death, it is $8.00. For each additional copy on either record, the requester shall add $4.00.

• By phone: Citizens can call a 24/7 customer support service at 866.601.0891 to help them place orders of the certificate in a third-party service.

• Online: Birth and death records in the cities at Lake County, in or anywhere else Indiana can be ordered through VitalChek.

In addition, just like with the marriage and divorce records, some birth and death certificates can also be viewed through the Lake County Recorder’s Office document search despite having a disclaimer that their records do not generally include them. Just input the words “birth certificate,” “death certificate,” or other relevant combinations to arrive with desired results.

You may contact the office if there are any inquiries through their online contact form or by calling 219.755.3730.

How To View Property Ownership & Property Taxes in Lake County for Free

Property ownership and taxes are also part of Lake County public records, which are held by different custodians.

Searching for property ownership is accessible through two departments in Lake county: assessor and recorder.²³ While property taxes can be accessed through the Lake County Treasurer’s Office. Each of the agencies have their own search tool but keep in mind that they also have different roles and purposes.

Lake County Assessor’s Office: The department provides an avenue to search for parcel records by owner, address, or property number. Interested individuals can also do an advanced search to get more specific results.

Just input the needed details and the site will take you to a page where you can view the results with a map. You can also view the details in the form of data only.

The assessor is mainly concerned with providing the assessed values and value history of a property but aside from that, researchers can also find other relevant information in the results such as the property location, ownership, sales and land information, and property record cards.

This information is updated every month except for the PDF reports of property record cards which are yearly updated instead. If you wish to have a more current copy of the report, you can contact the Assessor’s Office online, through email, or by calling:

Lake County Assessor’s Office
Bldg. A, 2nd Fl.
2293 North Main St.
Crown Point, Indiana 46307

Phone: 219.755.3100
Fax: 219.755.3022
Email: [email protected]

Lake County Recorder’s Office: Individuals can check public records in Lake County, such as mortgages, deeds, liens, leases, and releases, through the recorder’s office. Citizens can view ownership through the mentioned documents which can be searched either by name, address, or keywords.

Type in the details you know to start. There is also an advanced search feature that can be used and having more information available can lead to more refined results.

The list will show the date the document was recorded, the instrument and instrument number, grantee, grantor, address, parcel number, and consideration. If the searcher clicks the ‘Show’ text, it will expand the details and show the watermarked document in PDF form.

There will also be links that lead to the record in the assessor’s website, the record card PDF, an external Geographic Information System (GIS), and an option to add the document to cart if the searcher wants to order a copy. Keep in mind that anyone can do a search and viewing this information is free but a login is required when ordering a copy.

If you have any additional queries towards the recorder’s office, they can be contacted online, through phone at 219.755.3730, or fax at 219.648.6028.

Lake County Treasurer’s Office: Local and state property tax records in Lake County are collected and issued by the treasurer’s office. Interested individuals can search and view property tax records for free using the search tool provided by the office.

The search can be done in 5 ways:

• Personal Property by Parcel Number
• Real Property by Parcel Number
• Mailing Address
• Local Address
• Owner Name

Names are the most basic available information anyone might have so it will be more convenient to look for tax records using that. Although, using the other methods will undoubtedly give more specific results.

For the name search, a full name is recommended to refine the returns but it is allowed to input either the first or last name only. Partial name searches are also allowed but note that this will give a broader search result.

Returns can be viewed either by details or summary and will yield the property number, address, old parcel ID, and the owner’s name.

By clicking the property number, the full tax record available will be displayed containing the following:

• Name
• Property Number
• Property Type
• Address
• Taxing Unit
• Tax Year
• Summary of Taxes
• Property Tax Cap Information
• Gross Property Tax Distribution Amounts
• Applicable Charges & Deductions
• Payments Made
• Previous Year Tax Information

It is important to note that there is no guarantee that the information provided is up to date and accurate all of the time because public records are ever changing. The treasurer’s office can be contacted for updated information online or at 219.755.3760.

Understanding Your Rights & Using Lake County Public Records Responsibly

Public records in Lake County are generally accessible. This is because of the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14), which gives anyone the right to access the records kept by government agencies.

This includes viewing and obtaining copies of documents for personal use, whether it’s to check who has a criminal history in your neighborhood, to find out if someone is married, or verify the status of a divorce. Consent is not needed to look them up, but even so, it does not give anyone the right to misuse the said records for illegal or harmful purposes.

On the other hand, the use of these public records for professional purposes, such as background checks for employment, is protected by certain laws. For instance, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to know about the information in your file and dispute any inaccurate or incomplete data.¹⁵ Your information won’t also be released to employers unless you have given written consent.

Furthermore, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) protects employees against discrimination based on identity, creditworthiness, and criminal records. While the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) addresses unfair background screening practices, such as unconsented checks.

Anyone who has been discriminated against or whose rights have been violated, may file a charge at EEOC or a complaint at FTC.

Keep these laws and your rights in mind as you access Lake County public records, so you can obtain and use them responsibly; you may also track down statewide information using the Indiana free public record lookup tutorial.