Search Lake County Court Records

How to Search Lake County Court Records

Lake County court records are searched through Indiana MyCase, the statewide Odyssey public access portal. The county homepage links its "Find My Court Case" tool straight to that portal, and the Lake Circuit Court page does the same. The system holds case data for the Lake Circuit Court, the Lake Superior Court divisions, and participating city and town courts. It is free to use. The portal warns that what you see online is not the official court record and may contain errors, so certified copies still come from the clerk.

Before you start, gather what you have. A case number is the fastest way in. If you do not have one, a full name works, though common names need a date or court to narrow them down. You can reach the portal directly at the Indiana MyCase site.

1. Open the MyCase portal and choose the public case search.
2. Enter a case number when you have it, or switch to a party name search.
3. Filter by Lake County and by court or case type to cut down the results.
4. Open a result to read the docket, parties, hearings, and any financial entries.
5. Request a certified copy from the Clerk of the Lake Circuit/Superior Court when you need an official document.

The MyCase search screen offers more fields than most people use. The table below lists the main ones and how they work, so you can match your search to what the portal expects.

A screenshot of the portal helps show what to expect on the public Indiana MyCase case access page.

The portal is the same one used across the state, so the look stays consistent whether you search a Lake County case or one filed elsewhere in Indiana.

The Lake County Judicial System

Indiana's courts run from the Indiana Supreme Court and Court of Appeals down to local trial courts. Lake County has two main trial courts that share the work. The Lake Circuit Court is the Circuit Court for Indiana's 31st Judicial Circuit and has run since the county formed in 1837. It is a constitutional court of general jurisdiction. In local practice it hears civil matters, including divorce, child support, probate, guardianship, and tax-sale cases.

The Lake Superior Court carries a heavy share of the docket through civil, county, criminal, small claims, and juvenile divisions. Its rooms sit in Crown Point, Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary. The Juvenile Division is a court of limited jurisdiction that handles CHINS, paternity, adoption, delinquency, and guardianship. City and town courts deal with local ordinance and some traffic matters. Appeals go to the Indiana Court of Appeals, with the Indiana Supreme Court as the last step.

Case flow: City or Town Court › Lake Superior & Circuit Court › Indiana Court of Appeals › Indiana Supreme Court

The official Lake Circuit Court page sets out the court's history and jurisdiction.

The Lake Superior Court is detailed on its own Lake Superior Court page, which lists each division and room.

Knowing which court holds a case tells you where the record lives and which room to call for help.

Lake County Courthouses

Court business in Lake County is spread across several cities, but most of it centers on the Government Center and Courts Building in Crown Point. That campus holds the Circuit Court, the clerk's main office, the prosecutor, the public defender, sheriff administration, and jail contacts. The clerk also keeps branch counters in Hammond and East Chicago, and the Juvenile Justice Complex sits on the west side of Crown Point. Court security covers four courthouse locations across the county.

The county courts landing page links every court, office, and form in one place on the Lake County Courts page.

Because the courts sit in four cities, a single Lake County court record may send you to Crown Point, Hammond, Gary, or East Chicago. The main complex at 2293 North Main Street in Crown Point anchors the clerk, the Circuit Court, the prosecutor, and sheriff administration, so it is the one location most court visits start from.

Types of Court Records Available in Lake County

Lake County court records fall into a few broad groups, and each comes from a different part of the court system. Civil and family cases run through the Circuit Court and Superior Court civil rooms. Criminal cases move through the Superior Court Criminal Division. Probate, guardianship, and trust matters land in the Circuit Court. Juvenile cases stay in the Juvenile Division and are largely closed to the public.

Most of these files are open unless a statute or court order seals them. The list below shows the main record types and where they come from.

• Criminal records - charges, bonds, pleas, hearings, and sentences from the Superior Court Criminal Division.
• Civil records - lawsuits, contract disputes, foreclosures, evictions, and protective orders.
• Family and divorce records - divorce, child support, and related cases heard in the Circuit Court.
• Probate records - estates, wills, guardianships, and trusts.
• Traffic and infraction records - citations, fines, and payment status.

For full case histories, the Lake County court records page walks through each type in more depth.

What Lake County Court Records Show

A case record in MyCase reads field by field. It opens with the case number, the court, and the case type, then lists parties, attorneys, and a running docket of every filing and hearing. Criminal and traffic cases often add a financial section with fines, costs, and balances. Some documents are viewable online; many still require a clerk request.

Sensitive items stay out of public view. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, medical records, and minor identities are redacted under the Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records.

Public Access Laws for Lake County Court Records

Two sets of rules govern access. The Access to Public Records Act covers county agency records, and the Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records cover court files. The default in both is openness. The public-records law even places the burden of proving secrecy on the agency, not the requester. Court records, though, route through the clerk and the court rules rather than a general agency request.

For agency records held outside the courts, the Lake County public records page explains how to file a request and what fees apply.

Records That Are Restricted or Confidential

Not every file is open. Juvenile, adoption, and CHINS records are heavily restricted under Indiana law. Mental-health and medical details are excluded or redacted. Sealed and expunged records may not appear at all, or may show as unavailable.

If a record is sealed, a member of the public may need to file a request or motion under Rule 9 of the court-record rules to seek access. Expungement runs under Indiana Code 35-38-9, which lets eligible arrests and convictions be sealed or restricted. The petition is filed in the county of conviction through the clerk, and waiting periods and eligibility rules apply.

Specialty Courts in Lake County

Lake County runs a certified problem-solving court. The Community Transition Court is a reentry court operated through Lake County Community Corrections. It moves eligible people returning from the Indiana Department of Correction into local supervision eight to twelve months before their earliest release date, with help on jobs, driver's licenses, education, and legal aid. The court began in April 2011 and was certified by the Indiana Judicial Center on March 13, 2012. It meets Mondays at 2:00 PM in Superior Court Criminal Division, Room 1.

Community Corrections itself is a county department that supports intermediate sanctions and diversion of nonviolent offenders from state prison. You can read about both on the Lake County Community Corrections page.

Lake County Sheriff and Jail

The Lake County Sheriff's Department sits at the Crown Point complex and runs the county jail. Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. leads a department of more than 500 employees across county police, corrections, court security, and animal control. The jail can hold 1,085 inmates, and the Sheriff's Work Release Center adds room for another 100. Warden Todd Wasmer has run the jail since January 2022.

For the full roster process, custody verification, and visitation rules, see the Lake County inmate records page. To check open warrants, the warrant records page covers the sheriff's active warrant search. The sheriff's own site links most of these tools.

The Lake County Sheriff homepage gathers corrections, warrants, the offender registry, and victim notification in one place.

The same site is the starting point for arrest, jail, and warrant questions that fall outside the court clerk's files.

Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records

The clerk issues marriage licenses and keeps the record of wills and trust matters in probate. Divorce is handled as a domestic relations case in the Circuit and Superior Court. For applications, copies, and fees, see the marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page.

Testator

A person who has made a valid will.

Executor

The person named to carry out the terms of a will.

Intestate

Dying without a valid will, so state law decides who inherits.

Guardianship

A court case naming someone to manage care or property for another.

Conservator

A person appointed to manage the finances of someone who cannot.

Lake County Court Filing Fees

The clerk collects filing fees at the counter and through e-filing. Counter cases are paid by cash or money order; e-filed cases use electronic payment. Major credit cards work at the counter for in-person transactions only, with matching ID, and a 3% convenience fee applies. American Express is not accepted.

The clerk posts its current schedule on the court costs and filing fees page, with updated fees effective March 10, 2026.

The clerk of court page breaks down each fee and how to request a certified copy.

How to Read a Lake County Court Record

Court files use shorthand that can confuse first-time readers. A charge is only an accusation; a conviction is the finding of guilt. The disposition line tells you which one applies. Docket entries log every step in order, from the complaint or charging document through service, motions, hearings, and the final judgment.

The Indiana case number itself carries meaning. The leading 45 marks Lake County, the next part names the court, the middle shows year and month, the letters give the case type, and the last digits are the sequence. Reading that string tells you a lot before you even open the file.

Accuracy and Record Limitations

Online court data is convenient but not official. MyCase states plainly that its records are not the official court file and may hold errors or gaps. Newer filings can take time to post, and sealed or expunged matters may drop off public view.

History of Lake County Courts

Lake County formed in 1837, and the Lake Circuit Court has run since that year. It sits as the trial court for Indiana's 31st Judicial Circuit. Over time the single circuit court grew into today's shared Circuit and Superior Court system, with civil, county, criminal, juvenile, and city and town court functions spread across the county.

Geography shaped that growth. The sheriff's profile describes Lake County as Indiana's farthest north and west county, bordered by Lake Michigan, Cook County, Porter County, and the Kankakee River. Its mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas, plus heavy interstate and rail traffic into Chicago, feeds a wide docket. You can see the county's own overview on the Lake County government homepage.

That homepage is the front door to courts, clerk, sheriff, and the statewide case search used for Lake County records.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I search Lake County court records online?

Use Indiana MyCase, the statewide public access portal. Search by case number when you have one, or by party name and narrow it by court, case type, or filing date. The portal is free. Keep in mind that what you see is not the official record, so certified copies must come from the clerk.

Does Lake County have a district court?

No. Indiana counties use a Circuit Court and Superior Court structure, not a Texas-style district court. Lake County has the Lake Circuit Court, the Lake Superior Court, a Juvenile Division, and several city and town courts. Federal cases are separate and route to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

How do I get a certified copy of a court record?

Contact the Clerk of the Lake Circuit/Superior Court. The clerk's main office is in the Courts Building in Crown Point, with branch counters in Hammond and East Chicago. MyCase gives you public information, but only the court that holds the record can issue an official, certified copy.

More answers sit on the Lake County Court Records FAQ page.