Kansas, county records

Decatur County, Kansas Public Records

Find the right office in Decatur 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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Most requested Decatur County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Official

State records

Kansas Fictitious Business Names Filings

The Kansas Secretary of State's business services search corporations, LLCs and other registered entities and check whether a name is available. Kansas keeps no statewide filing for sole proprietor trade names.

kansas.gov
Open official site Kansas Fictitious Business Names Filings

Local record guide

About public records in Decatur County

County profile

Decatur County at a glance

State
Kansas
County seat
Oberlin
Population
2,764
Area
894 sq mi
Founded
1873
Cities and towns
4

Decatur County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Decatur County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in Decatur County.

Police Departments. In addition to Decatur County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement in Decatur County includes the Oberlin Police Department, which serves the city of Oberlin. These agencies have distinct jurisdictions, with the Sheriff's Office covering the broader county area and the Oberlin Police Department focusing on municipal law enforcement within city limits.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Decatur County Sheriff's Office, located at 120 East Hall Street in Oberlin, Kansas 67749, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Decatur County. Inmate information and current jail roster can be obtained by contacting the Sheriff's Office directly during business hours, as Decatur County does not maintain a publicly accessible online inmate lookup system.

Arrest Records. They are maintained by the arresting agency, primarily the County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Decatur County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Decatur County

Producing when recorded
1
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
41
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
gravel pit, sand pit, quarry, caliche pit
Maps surveyed
1965 to 1978

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 1 mine site inside the county: 1 site producing when the record was made; the old survey maps add 41 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels.

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. Underground coal mining in Kansas was concentrated in Cherokee and Crawford Counties.

Oberlin Norcatur Dresden Jennings N 10 miles
Decatur County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. The small open circles with a name are the towns and the pale shapes around the edge are the neighbouring counties, both from the Census Bureau. Hover a dot for its name.
Kansas mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Decatur County (1 shown, 41 unnamed on the map)

Kansas 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

Wage and hour cases in Decatur County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 2 investigations in Decatur County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $8,353 in back wages agreed for 10 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.

Investigations closed
2
Back wages agreed
$8,353
Workers due back wages
10
Civil money penalties
$16,534
Employers on the record
2
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
D&M ServiceOberlin1$7,5255
Wentz Enterprises, LLCNorcatur1$8275

Every employer on the Decatur County record, by back wages agreed; 2 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record in this row. The Kansas wage theft records page ranks the whole state.

Straight answers

Decatur County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Decatur County, Kansas?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Decatur County Sheriff's Office or a city police department in Decatur County. Ask that agency for its record.

How do I get a criminal background check in Decatur County, Kansas?

The Kansas criminal history record comes from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Central Repository. Name based search online at www.kansas.gov/kbi/criminalhistory (no longer by mail or walk in), or a certified or fingerprint based request to the KBI. Fee: $20.00 for a name based online search; $30 for a certified name based check; $35 for a fingerprint based Kansas check.

How can I look up sex offenders in Decatur County, Kansas?

Search the Kansas Offender Registry (KBI), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Decatur County, Kansas?

Register with the county election officer (the county clerk, or the appointed election commissioner in Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties) or through the Kansas Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. Registration books close 21 days before an election.

How do I look up property records in Decatur County, Kansas?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Decatur County are kept by the Decatur County Register of Deeds. Property values are set by the county appraiser, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Decatur County, Kansas?

Certified birth and death certificates for Kansas come from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of Vital Statistics. Walk in at 1000 SW Jackson Suite 120, Topeka, KS 66612-2221 (Curtis State Office Building), by regular or priority mail, by telephone, or online through VitalChek, all listed by the Office. Fee: $20 for each certified copy (the first $20 is a five year record search fee that includes one copy if the record is found).

How do I find business license records in Decatur County, Kansas?

Business entity filings are searched with the Kansas Secretary of State, Business Services. Businesses should check with the county and city where they operate for local permits and licenses; many trades need state agency licenses.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

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.