What are Benton County Public Records?
Benton County public records include information generated and kept by the government. Public records can be obtained by anyone, with some exemptions. The Indiana APRA stipulates that some county public records should be confidential. Public records such as licensing information, academic research, law enforcement investigations, employee's personal files, attorney information, and social security numbers do not constitute public records. Agencies and courts cannot disclose them to the public. Benton County public records include but are not limited to marriage and divorce records, birth certificates, criminal records, and court records.
Benton County Crime Statistics
The Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has a yearly report on criminal activities in Benton County. These records are obtained from the Indiana State Police and other law enforcement agencies. Benton County in 2018 recorded 1 case each for violent crimes, rape, property crime, and motor vehicle theft. There were no murders, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, or arson recorded in the county.
Over five years, violent crime and motor vehicle theft remained the same, but there was a 75% reduction in property crime and a 100% reduction in larceny-theft and aggravated assault. Over the period, Benton County reported no crime for murder, robbery, burglary, rape, and arson.
Are Benton County Criminal Records Public?
A criminal record is a list of crimes an individual has been arrested and convicted for. Benton County criminal records are available to the public, and anyone can have access to it, in line with Indiana’s APRA. Interested parties can obtain Benton County criminal records at the county's Sheriff's Department and Jail or the Indiana State Police Department (ISP).
Benton County police reports and arrest records can also be obtained online from the state police department using the Limited Criminal History Records. Parties interested must create an account to use this platform. Parties can also fill out a criminal history form and mail it to:
Indiana State Police, Criminal History Limited Check
P.O. Box 6188
Indianapolis, IN 46206 - 6188
Parties can visit in-person visit at:
Central Records Division
Indiana Government Center
100, N. Senate Avenue
Room N302
Indianapolis, IN 46204
The Indiana State Police charge a fee of $ 15.00 for online subscribers seeking a police report or arrest record, and Non-subscribers pay a fee of $16.32. The State Police Department accepts only money order payment for its records, and it can be mailed or submitted in person.
How to Obtain Benton County Police Reports and Arrest Records
Benton County arrest records and police reports are public records in Indiana and are available through the county Sheriff’s Department. A police report is a government document detailing a law enforcement officer's encounter during an arrest. Police reports usually detail the time, date and place of the incident, contact information, details about the crime, and witnesses, if any. Arrest records are the list of offenses committed by a person arrested by a law enforcement officer. Parties can obtain Benton County police reports and arrest records from the County Sheriff Department by calling (765) 884-0080 or visiting in-person at:
Sheriff’s Department and Jail
Benton County Indiana
105, S. Lincoln Avenue
Fowler, IN 47944
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Benton County
The Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) is in charge of the state’s Sex and Violent Offender Registration. It requires that law enforcement agencies across the state establish, provide, and maintain a comprehensive sex offender’s registry. Parties seeking sex offender’s information can request from the Indiana Sheriff's Association by calling (800) 622-4779 or (317) 356-3633. Parties can also obtain sex offenders information from:
Indiana Department of Corrections
Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry
302 W. Washington St.
Indiana Government Center South, E329
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2038
Benton County sex offender information is also available at the county clerks office through:
Benton County Courthouse
3rd Floor
706 E 5th Street.
Suite 37
Fowler, IN 47944
How to Find Benton County Inmate Records
Benton County Sheriff’s Department and Jail is responsible for the daily operations of the county jail. Individuals can obtain Benton County inmate records by calling the Sheriff’s Department on (765) 844-0080 or visiting in-person at
Benton County Sheriff’s Department
105 S Lincoln Ave
Fowler, IN 47944
How Do I Visit an inmate in Benton County Jail?
Family and friends looking to visit inmates at the Benton County Jail must schedule visits at least 24 hours in advance by calling (866) 340-7879 or booking online via the jail’s visitation vendor. Benton County inmates are one 30-minute or two 15-minute visitations every 7 days. Visitation hours are between 7:30 am -1:30am, 11:3am - 3:30pm and 4:30pm -9:30pm daily.
Benton County Court Records
Benton county court records are official documents that contain details of court cases. Court records cover all types of cases, including civil and criminal matters. The Benton County Circuit Court has jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases and sometimes handles misdemeanor and small claim cases. The court also hears domestic issues such as divorce, child support, visitation, paternity, domestic violence protection orders, child custody, name change, and guardianships. Persons interested in court records may contact the:
Benton County Courthouse
2nd Floor
706 E 5th Street; Suite 24
Fowler, IN 47944
Phone: (765) 884-0930
Fax: (765) 884-0322
Are Benton County Court Records Public?
Most Benton County court records are available to the public according to the Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records. However, the law excludes some records from the public disclosure rule. Examples include:
- Sealed or confidential court records
- Records exempted by a court order
- All mental health cases
- Paternity records created between July 1, 1941 and July 1, 2014
- Medical records created by a medical service provider
- Substance or drug abuse records
- Videos or pictures showing a person being subjected to sexual conduct, or showing an individual’s genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female
- Personal information such as addresses (email and mail), phone numbers, and dates of birth of witnesses, children, or victims in a criminal proceeding.
- Social security numbers, complete bank account details, personal identification numbers, and passwords
Benton County has the office of a recorder who maintains all legal documents. The office has two computers dedicated to the public during office hours to search the county court records. Parties can view and also print court records at a fee of $1.00 per page. Searchers can pay for this service using a credit or debit card. The office of the recorder is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. The office of the recorder is located at:
Benton County Courthouse
2nd Floor
706 E 5th Street; Suite 24
Fowler, IN 47944
Phone: (765) 884-1630
Fax: (765) 884-2013
How to Obtain Benton County Civil Court Case Records
Benton County civil court case records are available at the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Parties may submit written requests that contain names, charges, and other case information. Record seekers may also visit the Clerk’s Office to provide these details. Anyone seeking Benton County civil court records may submit requests to the:
Clerk’s Office
706 E. 5th Street
Fowler, IN 47944
Phone: (765) 884-0930
Fax: (765) 884-0322
Alternatively, the state of Indiana provides an online public court case search for non-confidential cases in the state. The online database can be searched by case, name, or attorney. To query the database by case, parties should have one of the following:
- The case number
- The cross-reference number
- The citation number
To query the database by name, parties enter one of these case details:
- The full name and date of birth of the individual
- The business/organization name
To query the database by the attorney, the searcher should have either:
- The attorney’s full name
- The attorney bar number
Searchers can obtain Benton County's civil court records by clicking on the court's drop-down menu, selecting Benton county, and limiting the search to civil records from the county.
How to Obtain Benton County Criminal Court Records
Anyone can obtain non-confidential Benton County court records from the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Requesters may provide the Clerk’s Office with all known case details either in person or by mail. The office may charge record seekers copy or request fees before making desired records available. Requests should be submitted to the:
Clerk’s Office
706 E. 5th Street
Fowler, IN 47944
Phone: (765) 884-0930
Fax: (765) 884-0322
Interested parties can also obtain Benton County criminal court records from the Indiana public court case search. Parties can search criminal records by case, name, or attorney. Searchers need to have the full name, attorney name or bar number, business organization, and case or citation number to run the search. Searchers must click the court drop-down menu and choose Benton County; also, parties must limit the search to criminal records.
What are Benton County Vital Records?
Benton County vital records are government-issued documents of important life occurrences in the county. Benton County vital records include birth, marriage, divorce, and death records, all available from the County Clerk of Court or the Benton County Health Department.
Where and How to Obtain Benton County Divorce Records
Benton County divorce records are easily accessible by the public. A divorce decree issued by a divorce court is the final court document ending a marriage. In Indiana, online data for divorce decrees are non-existent, and Searchers can only obtain them from the county court that granted the divorce. Searchers can obtain Benton County divorce records from the county clerk's office located at:
Benton County Courthouse
706 E. 5th Street; suite 37
Fowler, IN 47944
Phone: (765) 884-0930
Fax: (765) 884-0322
Where and How to Get Public Benton County Marriage Records
Benton County marriage records are public documents obtainable from the County Clerk’s Office. Interested parties may submit requests that contain the full names of the couple, the date of marriage, and the city of marriage. All persons may send requests to the County Clerk at the following address:
Benton County Courthouse
706 E. 5th Street; suite 37
Fowler, IN 47944
Phone: (765) 884-0930
Fax: (765) 884-0322
Alternatively, record seekers can use the Indiana Marriage License Public Lookup database to search for marriage records. This database contains marriage records from 1993 to date. To search, parties should have the couple’s first and last names and the year of marriage. Parties can click Benton County as the county of issue when conducting this search. The Indiana State Library also maintains an online Indiana Legacy archive. Parties can query this database for public marriage records by specifying a record type and providing the parties’ full names.
Where and How to Get Confidential Marriage Records in Benton County
Marriage Records in Indiana are considered public. There Benton County has no provisions for confidential marriage records.
Where and How to Find Benton County Birth Records
The Benton County Health Department is in charge of Benton County birth records. Parties interested in obtaining birth records or Benton County birth certificates should fill out the Birth Certificate Application available on the Health Department’s applications page. According to Indiana law, birth records are only available to the following persons:
- The subject of the birth record - must be 18 years or older
- Parents of the subject if listed on the record
- A sibling 18 years or older
- Grandparents of parents listed on the record
- Current spouse of the subject
There is a fee of $7.00 to obtain this record, payable by checks made out to the Benton County Treasurer. Parties who wish to get a Benton County birth record by mail must furnish the health department with a self-addressed stamped envelope and also include a photocopy of valid identification, such as a work identification card, valid passport, or a driver’s license. All requests should be forwarded to the:
Benton County Health Department
706 E. 5th Street; suite 12
Fowler, IN 47944
Phone: (765) 884-1728
Fax: (765) 884-2072
Interested parties can also order Benton County birth records online through the Indiana Vital Records Online Order Management. Each record costs $10 and takes between 6 and 8 weeks of processing time. Users should note that the fee does not include processing or service fees.
Where and How to Find Benton County Death Records
The Benton County Health Department is responsible for maintaining the county’s death records. Parties interested may visit the department’s applications page to fill out a Death Certificate Application. Each Benton County death record costs $7. According to Indiana law, only the following requesters can obtain records:
- The deceased’s parents, spouse, adult children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, adult nieces, adult nephews
- Persons that can prove legal interest in the records
All persons should forward requests to the:
Benton County Health Department
706 E. 5th Street; suite 12
Fowler, IN 47944
Phone: (765) 884-1728
Fax: (765) 884-2072
Benton County death records can also be ordered online for $8, using the Indiana Vital Record Online Order Management. Cash payments are not allowed, and money orders and checks should be made payable to the Indiana State Department of Health. Death record request takes about 25 business days to process. The Indiana Department of Health stipulates that only individuals with direct relationship or legal interest can obtain a death record.
