What are Clay County Public Records?
Clay County Public Records are available for public use under Indiana State’s Access to Public Records Act. Some of these records include vital records, which are birth and death records. Parties can only retrieve these records for individuals who were born or died in the county. Clay County criminal records are also public records in the county that give a detailed description of criminals that have been incarcerated. Arrest records are also available to the public and provided by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Clay County Crime Statistics
The State of Indiana does not provide crime statistics by county. However, the latest report provided by the FBI UCR for Metropolitan Statistical Areas was in 2019 shows crime statistics by Metropolitan Statistical Area. The latest crime statistics report provided by the FBI for Clay County was in 2019. Crimes in Clay County are categorized into violent crimes and property crimes. In 2019, there was a total of six violent crimes recorded in Clay County. Crimes that made up violent crimes for that year include three rape offenses, three aggravated assaults, no robbery, no murder, and non-negligent manslaughter. For property crimes, there were only four recorded in 2019. Three larceny-thefts were recorded and one motor vehicle theft was recorded in that year. There were no records of burglary or arson in 2019 at Clay County.
Are Clay County Criminal Records Public?
Public members can obtain any criminal record created in Clay County through this search engine. A second alternative is visiting the Clay County Sheriff’s Department at:
Clay County Sheriff’s Office
611 East Jackson Street
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448-9051
Email: sheriffsoffice@claycountyin.gov
Parties can also publicly access Clay County criminal records through the Indiana State Police Criminal History Service.
How to Obtain Clay County Police Reports and Arrest Records
Crimes and the individuals who commit them are documented as police reports and arrest records. A fee will typically be required to obtain these records, along with a completed application for access to the public records form. These will be presented to the Sheriff’s Office. The Clay County Jail Tracker also has information on Clay County arrest records that can be accessed online. The site provides the name and address of the arresting agency, the date the inmate was booked, the arresting officer, charges against the inmate, and personal identification of the inmate. An alternative to obtaining these in Clay County is by visiting the Clay County Sheriff’s Office during office hours at:
Clay County Sheriff’s Office
611 East Jackson Street
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448-9051
Email: sheriffsoffice@claycountyin.gov
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Clay County
Counties in Indiana send sex offender information to the state’s sex offender registry known as Offender Watch. This site aids law enforcement in monitoring and supervising all registered sex offenders in the state. It also helps the public have access to all sex offender information registered. The site gives details on any sex offender that resides within a one-mile radius within fellow inhabitants in any given county, like Clay County. Members of the public can register to receive notifications for when a sex offender has taken up residence nearby. The site also allows the public to search for sex offenders by name, phone number, internet names, or email. The site permits the public to put in their address to check for nearby sex offenders in the area. Researchers can also visit:
Indiana Department of Correction
Attention: Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry
302 West Washington Street
Indiana Government Center South, E329
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2038
Phone: (317) 232-1232
Fax: (317) 234-1953
How to Find Clay County Inmate Records
The Office of the Clay County Sheriff provides an online search engine where the public can obtain its inmates’ records. A list of people incarcerated in the Clay County Jail is made public. There is also a search box available for researchers to input the first and last names of inmates. The results show the charges against the inmate, bond amount, and bond type.
How Do I Visit an Inmate in Clay County Jail?
Parties should schedule a visit by calling the Clay County Jail before arriving at the facility. Visitation at Clay County Jail takes place on Mondays through Thursdays from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. On Saturdays from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., detainees get one hour of visitation that can occur once a week. Visitors must make sure they arrive 45 mins ahead of the scheduled visitation time to ensure adequate time to process them through security.
Adult visitors must come with a valid, government-issued identity card before they can proceed with the visit. An adult must escort a minor who is 18 years and above and must not be left unattended. Attorney visits are from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. There are visiting restrictions that visitors must take note of before they visit the county jail, and they include:
- No contact during visits
- No intoxicated visitors allowed
- Visitors cannot pass or attempt to pass items to detainees
Court Records
These are records that are created from proper documentation of cases that are tried in a courtroom. Some of these cases include civil cases, criminal cases, small claims, and juvenile cases. Obtaining these records from counties like Clay County usually requires photo identification and a fee presented to the County Clerk, who is responsible for maintaining court records. The following courts preside over Clay County:
Circuit Court
609 East National Avenue
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448-9036
Fax: (812) 448-8255
Superior Court
609 East National Avenue, Room 201
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448-9031
Fax: (812) 448-8370
Are Clay Court Records Public?
Clay County court records are public and can be accessed through the statewide Indiana Courts Public Access portal. Client information, case numbers, and the attorney for the case are available on the site. The site provides an advanced search that provides the status of court cases in the state.
How to Obtain Clay County Civil Court Case Records
Parties can obtain clay County Civil Court Records by contacting the Office of the County Clerk during office hours via phone or visiting its physical address at:
Clay County Clerk
609 East National Avenue, Room 213
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448-9024
Fax: (812) 442-9602
The County Clerk Office maintains civil cases such as juvenile paternity, torts, mortgage foreclosures, children in need of services (CHINS), juvenile delinquency, juvenile status, guardianships, supervised and unsupervised estates, adoption, mental health, domestic relations, small claims, protective orders, civil collections, reciprocal support, trusts, and juvenile miscellaneous.
The Clerk is responsible for issuing and processing documents for civil court cases, including summons, subpoenas, writs of execution or attachment, proceedings supplemental, orders of sale, body attachments, protective orders, notice of claim, contempt citations, and orders to appear.
How to Obtain Clay County Criminal Court Records
The Clay County Clerk is responsible for maintaining the Clay County criminal court records. Obtaining these criminal court records typically requires a fee and other necessary documentation for access. To gain access to these records, parties must send a public record request to the office by contacting:
Clay County Clerk
609 East National Avenue, Room 213
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448-9024
Fax: (812) 442-9602
These criminal court records are as follows: felonies, traffic cases which include local ordinance violations and infractions, misdemeanors, and miscellaneous criminals. Documents that make up criminal court records in Clay County include transport orders, bondsman orders to produce notification, release, and forfeiture of bond forms, and arrest warrants.
What are Clay County Vital Records?
Clay County vital records include birth and death records of people in Clay County, Indiana. These records are for those that were born or have died in Clay County. Parties can obtain them from the Clay County Health Department. The office is open on Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. but closed from 11:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Proper documentation is required to request these vital records. They include current and valid photo identification and a completed application form that requesters must submit along with a fee. These should be sent to the following address:
Clay County Health Department
18 North Walnut Street
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448- 9021
Fax: (812) 448- 9018
Where and How to Obtain Clay County Divorce Records
Clay County Divorce records are obtained from the Office of the Clay County Clerk. A valid and current photo ID along with a fee and a completed form will be required to retrieve the record. For further inquiries on how to obtain these records, visit:
Clay County Clerk
609 East National Avenue, Room 213
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448-9024
Fax: (812) 442-9602
Where and How to Get Public Clay County Marriage Records
There is a Marriage License Public Lookup available for the public to search for Clay County marriage records in Indiana. The researcher can select the county where the marriage license was issued. The name of the married parties is also required for the search. To help narrow the search, there is a section where the researcher can provide a marriage year range when the marriage must have taken place. This brings up all marriages that occurred in that time frame.
Where and How to Get Confidential Marriage Records in Clay County
The Office of the Clay County Clerk provides copies of marriage licenses to married parties. A copy of the marriage license form is to be completed and sent to the Office of the County Clerk. The copy costs $2, and parties must present a valid ID to receive the record. Parties can retrieve the record in person or by mail after the form has been submitted (an option should be selected when filing the form). In the latter case, the payment should be made via money order and made payable to the Office of the County Clerk. If the record is collected in person, the office will call the number provided in the form when the record is ready for collection. Requesters should also make payment on the day of the collection. It takes seven days for the request to be fulfilled. The Office of the Clerk is located at:
Clay County Clerk
609 East National Avenue, Room 209
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: (812) 448-9032
Fax: (812) 442-6161
Where and How to Find Clay County Birth Records
Members of the public can acquire Clay County Birth Records from the Clay County Health Department. Parties must submit a complete Application for a Certified Birth Certificate form to access a birth record. The department will only give access if the party can demonstrate personal or property rights to the record. Birth records before 1882 are unavailable. The form lists valid primary and secondary documentation needed to obtain birth records in Clay County. One primary documentation is required when applying, including a passport, driver’s license, or military ID with a signature. If primary documentation is not available, then two secondary documentation need to be presented, including a social security card or a valid bank card with a signature.
The birth record costs $10 per birth certificate. This is paid via cash or money order made payable to the Health Department. Personal checks or credit cards are not accepted. Individuals eligible to obtain a birth certificate in the county include parents, siblings, legal guardians, grandparents, a child, or grandchild, all with valid documentation. Individuals who seek to obtain their birth records but are under 18 years of age must submit an application with a copy of a parents’ or legal guardian’s ID along with a signed permission letter. A spouse requires a marriage certificate along with a valid ID.
Where and How to Find Clay County Death Records
The Clay County Health Department provides death records in the county. A requester must have a direct interest in the record and need the record to determine personal and property rights. An application for a death certificate must be filled and submitted to the Health Department to obtain a death record. It costs $10 for each certificate, and the department will accept the money through a money order made payable to the Clay County Health Department or by cash. Credit cards or personal checks are not permitted. No credit cards or personal checks are accepted. Proof of relationship to the deceased will also be required. Note that death records preceding 1882 are not available.
