Putnam County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Putnam County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Putnam County may access publicly available case information through several official channels, including the Putnam County Clerk's office, courthouse public terminals, and statewide judicial search tools. PutnamCountyRecords.org aggregates publicly available information related to court records and may assist individuals in locating relevant data. Records available through these sources may include civil case filings, criminal case dispositions, family court matters, probate proceedings, traffic citations, and small claims judgments, subject to applicable access restrictions under Indiana law.
Court records in Putnam County may be searched through the following methods:
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office The Putnam County Clerk of Courts maintains the official record for all cases filed in the county. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person to request case files, docket sheets, or certified copies. Requestors are advised to provide the full case number, party name, or approximate filing date to facilitate retrieval.
Putnam County Clerk of Courts
1 Courthouse Square, Suite 30
Greencastle, IN 46135
Phone: (765) 653-2648
Putnam County Government
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding state and federal holidays.
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals Public access terminals are available at the Putnam County Courthouse and allow members of the public to search case index information at no charge. These terminals provide access to docket entries and case status information for matters filed in the county's trial courts.
3. Online Court Search The Indiana Judicial Branch maintains the MyCase Indiana Courts Case Search portal, which provides free online access to publicly available case information statewide, including cases filed in Putnam County. Users may search by party name, case number, or attorney. As noted by the Indiana Supreme Court, "official records of court proceedings may only be obtained directly from the court maintaining a particular record."
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools The Indiana Judicial Branch public records portal provides guidance on locating court records across all Indiana counties. This resource directs users to the appropriate clerk's office when documents are not available through online systems.
5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public may submit written requests to the Putnam County Clerk of Courts by mail. Requests should include the case number or party name, the type of record sought, and a return address. Fees for copies apply and must be submitted with the request.
Are Court Records Public in Putnam County
Court records in Putnam County are subject to Indiana's public access framework, which presumes that judicial records are open to inspection by members of the public unless a specific exception applies. Under Indiana Code § 5-14-3-3, public records are accessible to any person, and custodians are required to provide access during regular business hours. The Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records further govern what may be inspected at the courthouse and what may be made available through electronic systems.
Records that are at present considered publicly accessible include:
- Case docket entries and hearing schedules
- Party names and case numbers
- Filed pleadings, motions, and orders
- Final judgments and sentencing entries
- Civil and criminal case dispositions
Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted under current law include:
- Juvenile delinquency and child in need of services (CHINS) records
- Adoption proceedings
- Mental health commitment records
- Records sealed by court order or expunged pursuant to Indiana Code § 35-38-9
- Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth
- Certain exhibits and attachments designated confidential
A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While a broader range of documents may be inspected in person at the clerk's office, the MyCase online portal reflects only those records authorized for public electronic access under the Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records, Rule 5, which identifies categories of records excluded from public access.
What Are Court Records in Putnam County?
Court records are the official documents and data generated by judicial proceedings from the time a case is filed through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal. In practical terms, a court record encompasses every document submitted to or issued by a court in connection with a specific case, as well as the administrative data associated with that case.
A docket entry is a chronological log of actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents underlying those entries. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the state against an individual charged with a violation of law. Filed pleadings are the initial and responsive documents submitted by parties, whereas final judgments represent the court's conclusive resolution of the matter.
Public filings are those documents accessible to any member of the public under applicable access rules. Sealed or restricted filings have been designated confidential by statute, court rule, or judicial order and are not available for general inspection. Trial court records are maintained at the county level by the clerk of courts, while appellate records are maintained by the Indiana Court of Appeals or the Indiana Supreme Court, as applicable.
Court records are created when a party files an initial pleading or petition with the clerk of courts. The clerk assigns a case number, opens a file, and records each subsequent filing, hearing, and order as a docket entry. Records are updated continuously as the case progresses through pretrial proceedings, trial, judgment, and any post-judgment motions or appeals.
What's Included in a Putnam County Court Record?
A court record in Putnam County may contain a range of documents and data depending on the case type and applicable public access rules. The following information may appear within a publicly accessible court record:
- Case number assigned by the clerk at the time of filing
- Court name and division, identifying the specific court in which the matter is pending
- Filing date and subsequent amendment dates
- Party names, including plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and other named parties
- Case type and current status, such as active, disposed, or appealed
- Docket entries reflecting each action taken in the case
- Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduled proceedings
- Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, orders, judgments, notices, minute entries, decrees, and similar filed documents
- Outcome information, including dismissals, default judgments, jury verdicts, guilty pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
- Administrative and financial information, such as filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly displayed
Certain information is excluded or restricted from public court records. Sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, and protected personal data are not available for public inspection. Some exhibits, particularly those containing sensitive personal or financial information, may be withheld or redacted pursuant to court order or applicable Indiana access rules.
Types of Courts in Putnam County
Putnam County is served by the Indiana state court system, which assigns trial court jurisdiction at the county level. The Putnam County Courts page on the Indiana Judicial Branch website identifies the courts currently operating in the county.
The primary trial court serving Putnam County is the Putnam Circuit Court, which exercises general jurisdiction over criminal, civil, family, juvenile, probate, and small claims matters. Indiana's circuit courts are courts of general jurisdiction, meaning they are authorized to hear virtually all categories of cases arising within the county. The Putnam Superior Court, where established, may share jurisdiction over certain case types.
Putnam County Circuit Court
1 Courthouse Square
Greencastle, IN 46135
Phone: (765) 653-2648
Indiana Judicial Branch – Putnam County Courts
The clerk of the circuit court serves as the official custodian of all trial court records filed in Putnam County. Appellate matters are heard by the Indiana Court of Appeals or the Indiana Supreme Court, and those records are maintained by the respective appellate court clerk in Indianapolis.
What Types of Cases Do Putnam County Courts Hear
The Putnam Circuit Court hears cases across the following categories:
- Criminal matters, including felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions
- Civil matters, including contract disputes, personal injury claims, and property actions
- Family law matters, including dissolution of marriage, legal separation, paternity, and custody
- Juvenile matters, including delinquency and child in need of services proceedings
- Probate matters, including estate administration, guardianship, and trust proceedings
- Traffic violations and related infractions
- Small claims, for disputes involving limited monetary amounts
- Appeals from administrative agencies and lower tribunals, as authorized by Indiana law
How to Search Putnam County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may search Putnam County court records at no cost through several methods. In-person inspection at the Putnam County Clerk of Courts is free of charge; no fee is assessed simply to view a publicly accessible case file or docket at the courthouse. The courthouse public access terminals similarly provide free index and docket searches.
The MyCase Indiana Courts Case Search portal provides free online access to publicly available case information, including party names, case numbers, filing dates, docket entries, and case status. No registration or fee is required to conduct a basic case search through this system.
The following table summarizes access methods and associated costs:
| Access Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-person inspection at clerk's office | Free |
| Courthouse public access terminal | Free |
| MyCase online case search | Free |
| Standard paper copies | Per-page fee (set by clerk) |
| Certified copies | Fee per document |
| Electronic document downloads (where available) | Varies |
Under Indiana law, clerks of court are authorized to charge fees for copies of records. At present, standard copy fees in Indiana courts are governed by the clerk's fee schedule established pursuant to Indiana Code § 33-37-5-1. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee. Members of the public seeking only to inspect a record, without obtaining copies, are not assessed a fee for that inspection.
How Long Does Putnam County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Putnam County is governed by the Indiana Commission on Public Records and the judicial records retention schedules applicable to Indiana trial courts. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
As a general matter, judgment docket books and permanent order books are retained indefinitely. Final judgments, decrees, and orders in civil and criminal matters are among the records subject to long-term or permanent retention. Case files for felony criminal matters are retained for extended periods given the potential for post-conviction proceedings. Probate records, including estate inventories and final accountings, are retained for substantial periods due to their legal significance to property titles and inheritance.
Traffic and infraction case files, small claims records, and certain misdemeanor files may be subject to shorter retention schedules, after which paper files may be destroyed following imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage. The destruction of a paper file after imaging does not constitute expungement or sealing; the record remains accessible in its imaged form.
A distinction exists among the following record outcomes:
- Archival retention: The record is preserved in paper, microfilm, or digital format for the applicable retention period.
- Destruction: Physical paper files may be destroyed after the retention period expires, provided the record has been imaged or the retention schedule authorizes destruction.
- Sealing: A court order restricts access to the record, but the record continues to exist.
- Expungement: Pursuant to Indiana Code § 35-38-9, certain criminal records may be ordered expunged, limiting their availability to the public.
Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, or county archives. The Indiana State Archives and the Indiana Commission on Public Records provide guidance on locating historical judicial records that have been transferred from county custody.
How To Find a Court Docket in Putnam County
A court docket is a chronological index of all actions taken in a specific case, distinct from the full case file, which contains the actual documents underlying those entries. The docket records each filing, hearing, order, and status change from the date of case initiation through final disposition. It does not contain the full text of filed documents unless those documents are separately attached or linked within an electronic system.
Members of the public may locate a Putnam County court docket through the following methods:
The MyCase Indiana Courts Case Search portal is the primary online tool for accessing docket information. To find a docket, a user may navigate to the MyCase portal and enter the party's name, case number, or attorney name in the search fields. The system returns a list of matching cases, and selecting a specific case displays the docket entries associated with that matter, including filing dates, motion descriptions, hearing dates, and order entries.
The docket available through MyCase at present reflects publicly accessible entries. Sealed entries, confidential filings, and restricted case types are not displayed. As the Indiana Judicial Branch notes, "if the document you're looking for isn't available online, you'll need to contact the clerk's office in the county where the case is being heard."
In-person docket searches are available at the Putnam County Clerk of Courts during regular business hours. Clerk staff can retrieve docket sheets for specific cases upon request. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse.
A court docket at present contains:
- Case number and party names
- Filing date and case type
- Chronological list of docket entries with dates
- Descriptions of motions, orders, and hearings
- Continuances and rescheduled hearing dates
- Status updates and disposition entries
A docket does not include the full text of filed documents, sealed or confidential entries, exhibits designated as restricted, or attachments withheld under court order or applicable access rules.