Lake County Warrant Records

Lake County warrant records are handled by the Lake County Sheriff's Department and the courts based in Crown Point, Indiana. With a population approaching 500,000, Lake County is one of Indiana's most populous counties and its courts handle a high volume of warrant activity. The Lake County Sheriff's Department offers several ways to search warrant records, request criminal history checks, and access public records, including an active warrant search through the department's website and in-person services at the Bureau of Identification in Crown Point.

Lake County Sheriff's Department

The Lake County Sheriff's Department, led by Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., operates from 2293 N. Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307-1854. The department maintains several contact lines depending on your needs. For general sheriff administration, call (219) 755-3400. Jail booking inquiries can go to (219) 648-6300. For jail records and pretrial questions, call (219) 755-3421. The Bureau of Identification, which handles record checks, is at (219) 755-3316. For police non-emergency matters, call (219) 660-0001.

You can find full department information at lakecountysheriff.com. The contact page at lakecountysheriff.com/contact.php lists all department divisions. The Lake County Sheriff's website also offers an active warrant search tool directly on the site, which is a fast way to check if a warrant is on file in Lake County without making a phone call.

Indiana law sets the standard for how warrants are issued. Under IC 35-33-2-1, a judge can only issue an arrest warrant when probable cause exists. The warrant must be in writing, must name the offense, and must be directed to law enforcement under IC 35-33-2-2. Lake County courts issue warrants across multiple courts given the county's size, and all must follow these requirements.

Bureau of Identification: Record Checks and Fees

The Lake County Sheriff's Bureau of Identification handles record checks, fingerprinting, and related services. The Bureau of Identification is located at the main department address and can be reached at (219) 755-3316. Hours are Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. More information is at the Bureau of Identification page.

Record checks through the Bureau of Identification cost $7.00, payable by cash or money order. Accident reports are $15.00, and offense reports are $4.00. If you prefer to submit by mail, send a copy of your valid ID, a copy of your social security card, a notarized signed release form, the $7.00 fee in the form of a money order or company check (no personal checks or cash by mail), and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail to: Bureau of Identification, Lake County Sheriff's Department, 2293 North Main Street, Building J-2, Crown Point, Indiana 46307.

For fingerprinting, Lake County uses L1 Solutions, located at 6166 Harrison St., Merrillville, IN. The contact number is 1-877-472-6917. This fingerprinting service is separate from the Bureau of Identification record check and is used for background check purposes that require live fingerprints.

Types of Warrants in Lake County

Arrest warrants in Lake County are issued by judges after reviewing probable cause evidence presented by law enforcement or the prosecutor. Given Lake County's large population and high case volume, the courts issue a significant number of warrants each year. Arrest warrants stay active until served or recalled. Felony warrants never expire under Indiana law.

Bench warrants are also common in Lake County courts. A judge issues one when someone fails to appear for a scheduled hearing, misses a court-ordered payment, or violates a court order. Given the number of courts operating in Lake County, bench warrants are issued across multiple courts including Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, and East Chicago venues. Any law enforcement contact can result in arrest on a bench warrant.

Tax warrants from the Indiana Department of Revenue are civil records, not criminal. You can search Indiana tax warrants through the state tax warrant portal. The DOR sheriff warrant page explains how the Lake County Sheriff assists with tax collection. Tax warrants can lead to property liens and other financial enforcement but do not result in criminal jail time.

Under IC 35-33-2-4, misdemeanor warrants expire after 180 days if the person named is not served. Felony warrants issued by Lake County courts have no expiration date and remain active indefinitely.

MyCase: Free Online Court Search for Lake County

Beyond the Lake County Sheriff's active warrant search, MyCase is Indiana's free public court portal and covers most Lake County courts. You can search by name or case number to find case history, court dates, and warrant entries. Given Lake County's size, MyCase may return many results for common names. Narrow down by checking case details including the court, filing date, and offense listed.

MyCase reflects data from the Lake County courts' case management system and is a reliable way to check for active warrants and recent case activity. For certified copies of court documents from Lake County, the Lake County Clerk of Courts in Crown Point handles those requests.

Additional Lake County Sheriff Services

The Lake County Sheriff's Department offers several public services beyond warrant checks. These include a sex offender search, information about sheriff sales, and gun permit processing. Gun permits are free for unincorporated Lake County residents who qualify. The sheriff's website provides access to all of these services. For protection orders issued in Lake County, you can also check the Indiana protection order registry for free. Violating a protection order can trigger an immediate arrest warrant.

The Indiana State Police also offers a statewide limited criminal history search for $15 through the ISP criminal history portal. This covers records from all Indiana counties, not just Lake County, and is governed by IC 10-13-3-11. Executed warrants are public records in Indiana under IC 5-14-3 once served or recalled, and copies are available through the Lake County courts.

The Indiana courts public records portal, the Indiana sheriffs directory, and the Indiana Sheriffs Association are additional resources for Lake County warrant and records information.

Cities in Lake County

Lake County includes several large cities. The following cities qualify for dedicated warrant records pages.

Nearby Counties

Lake County is in the far northwest corner of Indiana and borders several other counties. Each maintains its own warrant records.