Brown County Criminal Records

Brown County criminal history records are held at the Clerk's Office and Sheriff's Office in Nashville, Indiana. The county has a population of about 15,500, making it one of the smaller counties in the state. All criminal cases go through the Brown County circuit court. You can search criminal history records from Brown County by visiting the courthouse in Nashville, calling the Clerk, or using the state's online court records system. The Indiana State Police also tracks criminal history data reported by Brown County law enforcement through their central repository.

Brown County Clerk's Office

The Brown County Clerk's Office at 20 E Main St in Nashville is the central place for criminal court records in the county. The Clerk files and processes all criminal cases, keeps court documents, and handles fees and fines. Phone the office at (812) 988-5510 for questions about records or to check hours before you visit.

Visit in person to search for criminal history records in Brown County. Provide the name of the person you are looking for. Staff will search the files. A case number speeds up the process if you have one. The Clerk can make copies of most criminal case documents for you. Under IC 5-14-3, these records are public and open to anyone in Indiana. Sealed records under IC 35-38-9 are the exception. If a judge has granted an expungement, the record will not show up in a public search at the Clerk's Office.

Brown County is a small county with a modest caseload compared to larger Indiana counties. The Clerk's Office can usually handle records requests fairly quickly. Calling ahead to confirm the office is open and to let staff know what you need helps things go smoothly.

Brown County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Brown County Sheriff's Office is at 55 State Road 46 E in Nashville. Call (812) 988-6655 for information on arrests and incident reports. The Sheriff handles all law enforcement for Brown County and maintains arrest records. Under IC 10-13-3, the Sheriff reports arrest data to the Indiana State Police for inclusion in the statewide criminal history database.

Arrest records from the Brown County Sheriff tell you that a person was arrested, what the charges were, and the date it happened. These are not the same as court records. Court records tell you the outcome. Did the case go to trial? Was there a plea deal? Was the person convicted or acquitted? For those answers, check the Clerk's records or search MyCase online. If you need the full story on a criminal case in Brown County, you will want data from both the Sheriff and the Clerk. Each office holds a different piece of the puzzle.

How to Search Brown County Criminal History Online

The fastest free way to look up Brown County criminal history is through MyCase. Go to public.courts.in.gov/mycase and type in the person's name or case number. Results show criminal and civil cases from Brown County courts. You can view charges, court dates, and case status. This data comes from the Odyssey Case Management System that connects trial courts across Indiana. MyCase is not an official record and could have errors. But it is a helpful starting point for any Brown County criminal history search, and it costs nothing to use.

If you want a more formal search, the Indiana State Police offers a Limited Criminal History check at in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch. The cost is $15.70 by credit card or $15.00 for IN.gov subscribers. This search shows felonies and Class A misdemeanor arrests statewide, not just Brown County. The PDF result expires after 14 days, so print or save it right away. The state will not mail you a copy. A search that comes back with no records still costs the full fee. Completeness depends on what Brown County has submitted to the state database, so some records may be missing from the results.

The Limited Criminal History FAQ page answers common questions about this service, including what types of records are covered and how long data is kept in the system.

The FAQ page above covers how the state criminal history search works and what Brown County residents should expect from the results.

Note: Very old Brown County records may not appear online if they were filed before the county started using the Odyssey system.

Brown County Criminal History Laws

Indiana law governs criminal history records in Brown County the same way it does across the state. The Access to Public Records Act under IC 5-14-3 gives you the right to request government records. Most criminal case files are public. IC 10-13-3 specifically addresses criminal history information and regulates how it is collected, stored, and shared. The law defines what counts as a criminal history record and who can access it.

Under IC 10-13-3-27, access to criminal histories is limited to certain situations. Using criminal history data in ways the law does not allow is a Class A misdemeanor. IC 35-38-9 lets some people petition to have their criminal records sealed or expunged in Brown County. The court reviews each petition and decides based on the type of crime and the time that has passed since the conviction. A person's criminal history stays in the ISP database until they die or reach 99 without another criminal act for the prior 15 years. IC 24-4-18-6 sets additional rules on how criminal background information can be shared by certain data providers in Indiana.

State Resources for Brown County

The Indiana State Police is the central repository for criminal history information in the state. Brown County law enforcement sends arrest data to the ISP under IC 10-13-3. You can contact the ISP criminal history section at 317-232-8262 or email CriminalHistory@isp.IN.gov. Their office is at 100 N. Senate Avenue, Suite N340, Indianapolis, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time.

The ISP criminal history services page explains all your search options. The Odyssey system information page shows how Indiana's courts connect through a statewide platform that links Brown County with the rest of the state. Indiana handles more than 2 million court cases a year through this system. The APRA information page covers your rights under the state public records law.

Cities in Brown County

Brown County includes Nashville and a few small unincorporated areas. All criminal cases are handled by the Brown County court system in Nashville. No cities in Brown County meet the population threshold for a separate page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Brown County borders these counties. Check the right county for the records you need, since cases are filed where the crime took place.