Liberty, Indiana Public Records

The Union County Clerk's Office, also located at 26 West Union Street, can be reached at (765) 458-5645 and serves as the records repository for both courts. Indiana provides public access to court records through the Indiana Odyssey case management system, and some Union County case information may be searchable online through MyCase at www.mycase.in.gov, though availability varies by case type and date. Many older records require in-person research at the Clerk's office. Certified copies of court documents cost $1.00 per page plus a $1.00 certification fee under Indiana Code 33-37-5-2. Copy fees for non-certified documents are typically $0.25 to $1.00 per page depending on the type of record. Marriage license fees in Union County are $18.00, and certified copies of marriage records cost $2.00. Small claims filing fees range from $85 to $157 depending on the amount in controversy. Civil case filing fees vary by case type but generally range from $156 to $184 for most matters. The Clerk's office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, excluding county holidays.

Union County property tax records and assessment data are accessible through the Indiana Gateway portal at www.indianagateway.gov, where residents can search by parcel number, owner name, or property address to view current assessed values, property characteristics, tax district information, and assessment history. This online database is free to search and provides detailed property information including acreage, building descriptions, and homestead exemption status. For recorded documents such as deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other instruments affecting real property title, the Union County Recorder's Office maintains the official records at 26 West Union Street, Liberty, IN 47353, phone (765) 458-6919. The Recorder's office has indexed land records dating back to Union County's formation in 1821. While Indiana law requires recorded documents to be available for public inspection, Union County does not currently offer free online access to recorded document images. Researchers must visit the Recorder's office in person to view or obtain copies of deeds and other recorded instruments. Copy fees are $1.00 per page for standard documents. The Recorder's office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Union County does not maintain a dedicated GIS or parcel viewer separate from the state Gateway system, so property boundary information requires consultation with the Assessor's maps or recorded plat documents at the Recorder's office.

Agriculture remains central to the local economy, with corn, soybeans, and livestock operations dominating the surrounding farmland. Liberty is located in a rural area with limited large-scale industrial development, though small manufacturing and agricultural services businesses operate in and around the town. According to recent U.S. Census data, Union County's median household income is approximately $58,000, slightly below the Indiana state median. Liberty's commercial district centers on the historic courthouse square, where local retail, professional services, and restaurants serve both town residents and the broader county population. The town's proximity to Richmond, Indiana (about 20 miles west) provides additional employment opportunities for Liberty residents in that larger city's manufacturing, healthcare, and education sectors. Liberty has seen limited population growth in recent decades, maintaining its character as a small, agricultural community. The local economy benefits from the stability of government employment and agricultural activity, though economic development challenges include the small population base and limited industrial infrastructure compared to larger Indiana communities.

Liberty, Indiana does not maintain its own municipal police department. Law enforcement services for Liberty and all of Union County are provided by the Union County Sheriff's Office, located at 26 West Union Street, Liberty, IN 47353. The Sheriff's Office can be reached at (765) 458-6641. The agency's jurisdiction covers all 162 square miles of Union County, making it one of the smallest county sheriff's departments in Indiana by area. Residents can request incident reports, accident reports, and case records by visiting the Sheriff's Office in person or submitting a written request. Indiana's Access to Public Records Act (Indiana Code 5-14-3) requires law enforcement agencies to provide access to most records within a reasonable time, typically within 24 hours for simple requests, though the Sheriff's Office may charge copying fees. Arrest records and booking information for Union County are maintained at the Union County Jail, which is part of the Sheriff's Office complex at the same address. While Union County does not maintain a comprehensive online inmate search portal, booking information including names, charges, booking dates, and bond amounts can be obtained by calling the jail at (765) 458-6641 or visiting in person during business hours. The Indiana Department of Correction operates a statewide offender search at www.in.gov/apps/indcorrection/ofs/ofs for individuals in state custody. For local arrests and recent bookings, residents must contact the Sheriff's Office directly. Under Indiana law, arrest records and jail logs are considered public information unless sealed by court order, and the public has the right to access booking photographs, charge information, and incarceration status.

Indiana residents can order certified birth and death certificates online through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com for a fee of $28.00 per certificate including processing and shipping, or by mail for $21.00 per certificate with 10-15 business day processing time. Birth certificates are available for births occurring in Indiana from October 1907 forward, and death certificates from 1900 forward. Only eligible parties as defined by Indiana Code 16-37-1-11 may obtain certified copies, including the individual named on the certificate (if 18 or older), parents, legal guardians, spouses, children, or legal representatives. Valid photo identification is required. Marriage licenses are issued by the Union County Clerk's Office at 26 West Union Street, Liberty, IN 47353, phone (765) 458-5645. The marriage license fee is $18.00, and couples must apply in person with valid identification. There is no waiting period in Indiana, and licenses are valid for 60 days. Certified copies of marriage records are available from the County Clerk for $2.00 per copy. Divorce records are maintained by the Union County Circuit or Superior Court where the dissolution was filed, and copies can be obtained through the County Clerk's office for applicable court record fees. Marriage records in Union County are available from 1821 forward, making Union County's collection one of the older continuous vital records collections in Indiana.

Union County does not impose a separate county business license, though certain regulated businesses such as food service establishments must obtain permits from the Union County Health Department at (765) 458-5182. Fictitious business name registrations (Doing Business As or DBA) in Indiana are filed with the county recorder where the business operates. The Union County Recorder's Office at 26 West Union Street, Liberty, IN 47353, phone (765) 458-6919, accepts assumed business name filings for businesses operating under names other than the owner's legal name. Indiana corporations, limited liability companies, and other formal business entities must register with the Indiana Secretary of State. The state maintains a free online business entity search at www.in.gov/sos/business, where users can search by business name, registered agent, or business ID number to view entity status, formation date, principal office address, registered agent information, and filing history. This database includes corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and nonprofit organizations registered in Indiana. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements, which create security interests in personal property and equipment, are also filed with the Indiana Secretary of State and searchable online at the same portal. Business owners in Liberty can research commercial property tax assessments through the Union County Assessor's Office at (765) 458-5515 or online via the Indiana Gateway at www.indianagateway.gov by searching for the business property address or parcel number. Personal property tax returns for business equipment and inventory must be filed annually with the Union County Assessor by May 15.

Liberty voters in Union County are served by the Union County Clerk's Office, which functions as the county's election administrator. The office is located at 26 West Union Street, Liberty, IN 47353, and can be reached at (765) 458-5645. The Clerk's office handles voter registration, absentee voting, candidate filings, and election administration for all Union County precincts. Indiana residents can register to vote online through the Indiana Voter Registration Portal at www.indianavoters.in.gov, which is maintained by the Indiana Secretary of State. The deadline to register for any election is 29 days before Election Day. Indiana requires voters to provide their Indiana driver's license number or state ID number when registering. Liberty Town Council elections are held in November of odd-numbered years, with the next regular town elections scheduled for November 2025. The Liberty Town Council consists of five members elected to four-year staggered terms. Union County has three voting precincts: Liberty, Center, and Brownsville/Harrison. Liberty residents can look up their specific polling location and sample ballot by using the Indiana Voter Portal at www.indianavoters.in.gov or by contacting the County Clerk. In the November 2024 general election, Union County reported approximately 68% voter turnout, with roughly 2,600 ballots cast out of approximately 3,800 registered voters. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature critical races for Indiana voters. While no U.S. Senate seat from Indiana is up in 2026, voters will decide contests for U.S. House of Representatives (Indiana's 6th Congressional District covers Union County), all seats in the Indiana General Assembly including State Senate and House districts, and numerous Union County offices including County Council, County Commissioners, County Assessor, County Sheriff, and other constitutional offices depending on the election cycle. Indiana election records that are public include voter registration lists (available by request from the County Clerk for a fee, though some personal information is redacted), campaign finance reports (searchable online through the Indiana Election Division), candidate filings and declarations, and precinct-level election results. The Union County Clerk maintains historical election results for county, state, and federal races. Indiana voters may request an absentee ballot by mail for specific reasons enumerated in Indiana Code 3-11-10-24, including being age 65 or older, absence from the county on Election Day, scheduled work during all poll hours, illness or disability, or voter or household member confined due to illness. Absentee ballot applications must be received by the County Clerk's office by 11:59 PM eleven days before Election Day. Indiana also offers early in-person voting at the County Clerk's office beginning 28 days before an election and ending at noon the day before Election Day. No excuse is required for early in-person voting. All Indiana voters must present a valid government-issued photo ID when voting in person.