Vigo County Criminal History

Vigo County criminal history records are managed by the Clerk's Office and Sheriff's Office in Terre Haute, Indiana. With about 107,000 residents, Vigo County is one of the larger counties in western Indiana. The county processes a steady flow of criminal cases through its circuit and superior courts. You can search Vigo County criminal history through the free MyCase portal, the Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History database, or by visiting the courthouse in Terre Haute. The Terre Haute Police Department also keeps local arrest records for cases within city limits.

Vigo County Clerk's Office

The Vigo County Clerk's Office at 33 S 3rd St in Terre Haute is the main office for criminal case filings and court records. Every criminal case in Vigo County starts here with a case number assignment. The Clerk stores all documents tied to the case, from the initial charging information through sentencing. Staff handle copies, certified records, and case file lookups for the public.

You can visit in person to request criminal records from Vigo County. Have the full name of the person ready. A case number helps speed things up but is not required. Under IC 5-14-3, criminal court records in Vigo County are public. Anyone can ask to see them. Sealed and expunged records are the exception. The Clerk can handle most requests the same day, though older cases stored off-site may take longer to pull.

Vigo County has both a circuit court and superior courts that hear criminal cases. The Clerk's Office stores records from all of them in one place. If you are not sure which court handled a case, the Clerk staff can search across all divisions for you. Call (812) 462-3211 to ask about your request before making the trip.

Vigo County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Vigo County Sheriff's Office at 201 Cherry St in Terre Haute keeps arrest records and runs law enforcement for areas outside city limits. When someone gets arrested in Vigo County, the Sheriff creates a booking record with charges, date, and personal details. That data gets sent to the Indiana State Police under IC 10-13-3 and becomes part of the statewide criminal history database.

The Terre Haute Police Department at 1221 Cherry St also makes arrests within city limits. Their records are separate from the Sheriff's. If you are looking for an arrest that happened inside Terre Haute, call the police department at (812) 238-1661. For arrests outside city limits but still in Vigo County, contact the Sheriff at (812) 462-3226. Both agencies report to the state system, but local copies may hold more detail than what shows up in a statewide search.

Note: Arrest records and court records serve different purposes, so check both the Sheriff and the Clerk for a complete Vigo County criminal history.

Search Vigo County Criminal Records Online

Two online tools cover Vigo County criminal history. One is free and the other costs $15.70 per search.

MyCase at public.courts.in.gov/mycase provides free access to court case information from Vigo County. You can search by name or case number. The site shows charges, case status, and court dates. It runs on the Odyssey Case Management System, which links all Indiana trial courts into one network. More than 2 million cases flow through this system each year. MyCase is useful for a quick look, but it is not an official court record. It may have errors or lag behind the actual file. For certified copies, go to the Vigo County Clerk's Office in Terre Haute.

The Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History search covers felonies and Class A misdemeanor arrests across the state. The fee is $15.70 by credit card. Results show up as a PDF that expires after 14 days. Save or print it right away. A "No Records Found" response still counts as a completed search and you will be charged. How complete the data is for Vigo County depends on how well local agencies have reported to the state database.

This is the MyCase search portal where you can look up Vigo County criminal cases for free by name or case number.

Criminal History Laws in Vigo County

Indiana law governs how criminal history records work in Vigo County. The Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3, says the public has a right to see government records. Most criminal case files in Vigo County fall under this law. Some investigatory records may be excluded, but court filings and judgments are open to anyone who asks.

IC 10-13-3 sets specific rules for criminal history information. It defines what criminal history records are and who can access them. Under IC 10-13-3-27, access to detailed criminal histories is restricted to certain uses. Misuse of this data is a Class A misdemeanor. You can look up Vigo County criminal history records, but the law limits what you can do with the information you find.

People with old criminal records in Vigo County may be able to get them sealed under IC 35-38-9. This law covers expungement of certain criminal records. You file a petition with the court that handled the original Vigo County case. If the judge grants it, the record gets sealed from public searches. Not every crime qualifies. The Indiana State Police keeps criminal history data until a person dies or turns 99 with no new criminal activity for 15 years.

State Resources for Vigo County Records

The Indiana State Police CJIS Section manages criminal history data from all 92 counties, including Vigo County. Contact them at 317-232-8262 or email CriminalHistory@isp.IN.gov. The office is at 100 N. Senate Avenue, Suite N340 in Indianapolis, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time.

The ISP criminal history services page has full details on how to request records. They run both limited criminal history searches by name and full searches by fingerprint. For Vigo County, the state database should show felony and Class A misdemeanor arrests that local agencies have reported. The Odyssey system connects Vigo County courts to the statewide platform, so case data feeds into MyCase for public access.

• ISP Criminal History: in.gov/isp/criminal-history-services
• MyCase Court Search: public.courts.in.gov/mycase
• ISP FAQ Page: in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch2/faq.html

Cities in Vigo County

Terre Haute is the main city in Vigo County and the county seat. All criminal cases in the county go through the Vigo County court system. The Terre Haute Police Department handles city-level law enforcement while the Sheriff covers the rest of the county.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Vigo County in western Indiana. Criminal cases are filed where the crime happened. Make sure you search the right county for the records you need.