Indiana, county records
Find the right office in Bartholomew County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.
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Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
County court
The Indiana Judicial Branch lists the federal courts that sit in Indiana: the Northern and Southern District Courts, their bankruptcy courts and the 7th Circuit. Federal case files are searched through PACER.
Open official site Indiana Federal CasesState records
Search property and claim status by individual name or business through the Indiana Attorney General.
Open official site Indiana Unclaimed PropertyVital records
Request birth certificates from the IN Dept. of Health.
Open official site Indiana Birth RecordsState records
Verify a public school teachers credentials with the IN Department of Education.
Open official site Indiana Teacher LookupCounty court
Verify an attorney's licensing status with the State Bar.
Open official site Indiana Lawyer LookupProperty records
Bartholomew County Recorder, the office that records deeds, mortgages and land documents, with its index and copy rules as published.
Open official site Bartholomew County RecorderVital records
Online resource for finding death records from the IN Dept. of Health.
Open official site Indiana Death RecordsCity records
Bartholomew County Clerk, the office that keeps county filings and public records, with the copies and searches it publishes.
Open official site Bartholomew County ClerkVital records
Public access to marriage licenses issued in Indiana.
Open official site Indiana Marriage License Public LookupLocal record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in Bartholomew County's unincorporated areas.
Police Departments. In addition to Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement in Bartholomew County is supported by several municipal police departments. These agencies work in coordination with the Sheriff's Office to address major crimes and ensure public safety across Bartholomew County.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office, located at 543 Second Street, Columbus, Indiana 47201, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Bartholomew County and provides jail operations. Inmate lookup for Bartholomew County Jail is available through the Sheriff's Office website, providing current booking information, charges, bond amounts, and projected release dates for people detained at the facility. The Columbus Police Department serves the city of Columbus and operates independently from the Sheriff's Office, handling municipal law enforcement within city limits. Arrest records in Bartholomew County are considered public records under Indiana Access to Public Records Act (Indiana Code 5-14-3), and citizens may request these records by contacting the arresting agency directly, either the Sheriff's Office or Columbus Police Department. Both the Sheriff's Office and Columbus Police Department maintain professional standards divisions that handle complaints and internal investigations, with records of sustained complaints potentially available under public records law with certain privacy exemptions for ongoing investigations.
Arrest Records. They are maintained by the arresting agency, primarily the County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 6 mine sites inside the county: 1 past producer, now closed, 4 sites producing when the record was made, 1 site with no status in the record; the old survey maps add 2 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is construction sand and gravel.
A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. The DNR subsidence insurance page (www.in.gov/dnr/reclamation/mine-subsidence/subsidence-insurance) says the Division of Reclamation fills subsidence holes but does not pay for structural damage, which is what the fund is for.
Indiana abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.
Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.
Labor Department file
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 43 investigations in Bartholomew County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $481,013 in back wages agreed for 1,871 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.
| Employer | City | Cases | Back wages | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman El Nopal Columbus Inc | Columbus | 1 | $125,127 | 51 |
| Two Tapatio Mexican Restaurant, Corp. | Columbus | 1 | $63,680 | 19 |
| Elwood Staffing Services, Inc. | Columbus | 2 | $61,855 | 511 |
| Consolidated Diesel Company, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $52,091 | 424 |
| Developmental Services Incorporated | Columbus | 1 | $49,968 | 22 |
| Force Construction Company Inc | Columbus | 1 | $46,125 | 35 |
| Techcom, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $21,740 | 9 |
| Estep & Company | Columbus | 1 | $14,968 | 714 |
| Brix Haus Brewing Inc | Columbus | 1 | $13,052 | 16 |
| Cars & Parts, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $9,569 | 12 |
| Lotus Enterprises, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $6,815 | 2 |
| Professional Concrete Cutting and Drilling LL | Hope | 1 | $4,486 | 8 |
| NTN Driveshaft, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $3,825 | 1 |
| Pahls Lawn Care Inc | Columbus | 1 | $3,501 | 17 |
| Azalia Elevator, Inc. | Elizabethtown | 1 | $2,491 | 5 |
| Columbus Hotel Developers, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $575 | 1 |
| American Multi-Cinema, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $480 | 14 |
| The Cork Liquors VIII, LLC | Columbus | 1 | $293 | 6 |
| Vikat, LLC | Taylorsville | 1 | $288 | 2 |
| Flavors of India LLC | Columbus | 1 | $52 | 1 |
| Mike Herald Management Company | Columbus | 1 | $32 | 1 |
| Richardson Molding Incorporated | Columbus | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Donuts N' Coffee, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Southern Bells, Inc. | Columbus | 1 | $0 | 0 |
| Gelfius Farms, Inc. | Hartsville | 1 | $0 | 0 |
The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 42 on the Bartholomew County record; 12 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 17 more with smaller records are on the Indiana wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.
The Bartholomew Recorder preserves deeds, mortgages, assignments, releases, surveys, plats, federal tax liens and other recorded instruments. Its office is on the second floor of the Governmental Office Building at 440 Third Street in Columbus, with telephone 812-379-1520. The county directs online land-record research to Doxpop, which offers different access and subscription levels. Retain the recorded reference when locating a document so the subsequent copy order identifies the intended instrument. A search account with some free access does not establish that every document image or printed copy is free. Older material or a missing electronic result may require an inquiry about the appropriate historical index or office holdings. Recorder holdings, location and authorized search route.
The Recorder lists a $25 deed-recording charge and a $55 mortgage-recording charge for the document categories and dimensions in its schedule. These are instrument charges, not isolated first-page prices. Copies at or below 11 by 17 inches cost $1 per page, while larger copies have a different charge. The schedule also lists $5 for certifying or acknowledging a document, separately from the page-copy lines. Ask for the full certified-copy total rather than assuming that the certification entry includes every page. Identify the document dimensions and requested format when seeking a quote, particularly for plats or other material that may exceed the ordinary copy size. Official source: bartholomew.in.gov
Bartholomew's Recorder links Doxpop Property Watch as a free notification service for activity involving monitored names or property descriptions. The office explains that the service alerts the subscriber when relevant recording activity occurs and does not prevent a document from being recorded. Its stated electronic indexing reaches back to January 1963, and the alert works on records available in that application. When an alert arrives, inspect the referenced instrument and compare the parties and property details before deciding what follow-up is needed. The local index date should not be treated as a statewide court-record start date or a promise that every older land instrument is searchable online. Official source: bartholomew.in.gov
The Bartholomew Clerk's public-information form requires a cause or case number and limits that form to electronic case documents that can be emailed to the requester. It asks for a detailed description and contact information and states that staff will fill the request by email within seven business days. That is the published scope of this particular service, not a universal deadline for every county records request. If the desired paper is in an older physical volume or the case number is unknown, contact the Clerk about the proper research route instead of assuming the electronic form can locate any file from a person's name alone. Clerk electronic-record request requirements.
The Clerk asks marriage-license applicants to begin the state application online and then call 812-379-1600 for an appointment. The published appointment windows are Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. or 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.; those appointments issue the license and do not include a ceremony. A copy of an existing Bartholomew marriage license is a different inquiry through the Clerk at 234 Washington Street, Columbus. The office also directs researchers to the Indiana State Archives catalog for older transferred probate, civil, criminal and miscellaneous order books. Confirm the particular volume and its location before making a research visit. Official source: bartholomew.in.gov
The county Archives search covers historical material from 1821 into the early twentieth century and lets researchers combine a record category with a surname or company name, first name, keyword and year information. Use those fields to narrow a common name before requesting copies. The archive explains that staff notify the requester when a request is received and later communicate completion and the amount due, with copies mailed after payment. It directs marriage-license requests to the Clerk rather than treating every historical record series as an Archives holding. Preserve the search result or item reference so staff can distinguish the requested estate, deed or court entry from another similarly named record. County Archives search and copy-request workflow.
The Health Department issues certificates for births and deaths occurring in Bartholomew County and describes local holdings from 1882 onward. It lists $12 for a birth certificate and $12 for a certified death certificate. Eligibility and identification requirements apply; the death instructions also recognize applicants who can show a direct interest in the record. A mailed request includes the completed application, a copy of identification and the required check or money order to Bartholomew County Health Department, 440 Third Street, Suite 303, Columbus, IN 47201. For an event outside the county, use the appropriate issuing jurisdiction rather than assuming that current residence determines where the certificate is held. Health Department certificate holdings, eligibility and prices.
The Bartholomew Assessor directs owners to review the information on the property record card when questioning an assessment. The office supplies the local route for valuation, real-property and personal-property information and lists 812-379-1505 with weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Identify the parcel and assessment year, then describe the characteristic or value being questioned. The office distinguishes exemptions handled through the Assessor from deductions for which it refers owners to the Auditor. An appraisal inquiry should therefore identify both the requested record and the reason a particular field appears inaccurate; a general request to change taxes may not reach the office that maintains the relevant entry. Assessor property-record and referral guidance.
Bartholomew's service directory places state tax liens with the Clerk and federal tax liens with the Recorder. That distinction matters when a search of one office produces no result. For a crash report, the same directory asks for the report number, name and accident date and recommends calling the Sheriff front desk at 812-379-1650 to confirm readiness. It says reports become available no sooner than three business days after the incident. That minimum is not a guaranteed completion date. The county also offers department-based contact routing for other public-records requests, so specify the office and record category instead of sending an undirected request. County record-custodian and accident-report guidance.
The Sheriff publishes separate links for a Sheriff Public Record Request and a Body Cam Video Request. Identify whether the request concerns a written report, video or another agency record so the corresponding form carries the information needed to locate it. Preserve the incident date, location and report reference in the request where available, and distinguish the investigating agency from a later court proceeding. The Sheriff service also contains jail and visitation information, which serves a different purpose from requesting an agency document. Follow the appropriate records form rather than treating visitation arrangements or a general jail inquiry as a copy-order channel. Sheriff public-record and body-camera request routes.
Where to go
Each office below was read on its own site. A field the office does not publish is left out rather than filled in from a directory.
Deeds, mortgages, recorded liens, plats and property-record copies.
Office page: bartholomew.in.gov
Court case records, marriage licenses and archived-order-book referrals.
Office page: bartholomew.in.gov
Local birth and death certificates and historical vital-register information.
Office page: bartholomew.in.gov
Property record cards, assessed values and assessment inquiries.
Office page: bartholomew.in.gov
Historical deed, estate, court and other archive series.
Office page: bartholomew.in.gov
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Bartholomew County Sheriff or a city police department in Bartholomew County. Ask that agency for its record.
The Indiana criminal history record comes from the Indiana State Police, Criminal History Services. Online Limited Criminal History search by name, date of birth, race and gender, covering Indiana felony and misdemeanor arrests; the fingerprint based National Full Criminal History gives a fuller report. Fee: $15.70 per record by credit card online; $15.00 per record for IN.gov subscribers.
Search the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Register with the county voter registration office or through the Indiana Election Division (Secretary of State). You can also register online with the state online registration. You must register at least 29 days before an election; for the 2026 general election the deadline was October 5, 2026.
Deeds and other recorded land documents in Bartholomew County are kept by the Bartholomew County Recorder. Property values are set by the county assessor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer, who mails the property tax bill; the county auditor and treasurer calculate the bills together. Source: official state page.
Certified birth and death certificates for Indiana come from the Indiana Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. To buy a birth or death certificate in person, visit the local health department where the birth or death occurred; the state office has no walk in service. In person at the local health department where the event occurred, by mail with State Form 49607 to the address on the form, online through VitalChek (the only IDOH approved online vendor), or by phone at (866) 601-0891. Fee: $10.00 for the first birth certificate and $4.00 for each additional copy (death certificates $8.00 first copy).
Business entity filings are searched with the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services (INBiz). Indiana has no single statewide business license; a business using an assumed name records it with the County Recorder, and many trades need local licenses.
The schedule gives a $25 deed-instrument recording charge within its stated document category and size requirements. It is not identified as a first-page-only rate. Office instructions.
No. The Recorder describes it as a notification service. Review the referenced instrument when an alert appears. Office instructions.
The form expressly requires a cause or case number and an electronic document that can be emailed. Contact the Clerk about a different research need. Office instructions.
No. The Clerk states that the appointment issues the marriage license and that the couple must arrange an officiant for the ceremony. Office instructions.
The Clerk identifies older probate, civil, criminal and miscellaneous order books transferred to the Indiana State Archives. Check the state catalog and confirm the volume before visiting. Office instructions.
Its birth and death certificate service is tied to events that occurred in Bartholomew County. Events elsewhere require the appropriate issuing jurisdiction. Office instructions.
The county directory places state tax liens with the Clerk and federal tax liens with the Recorder. Select the custodian for the lien type. Office instructions.
Yes. The Sheriff service separately links a general public-record request and a Body Cam Video Request. Office instructions.
Same county
Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.