New Point, Indiana Public Records

Decatur Superior Court, phone (812) 222-8173, has jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, small claims disputes up to $6,000, protective orders, and family law matters including divorce, child custody, paternity, and support enforcement. Both courts maintain comprehensive case files including pleadings, motions, orders, judgments, and exhibits. Indiana courts utilize the Odyssey case management system, and Decatur County court records can be searched online through the Indiana Courts Public Access portal at mycase.in.gov, which provides free access to case summaries, docket entries, and party information for cases filed in Indiana trial courts. Users can search by party name, case number, or attorney. Certified copies of court documents cost $1.00 per page with a $1.00 certification fee. The Clerk of the Circuit Court, located at the same courthouse address, phone (812) 222-2508, maintains all court records and processes filings. Marriage licenses are also issued through the Clerk's office at a fee of $18.00, with ceremonies performed by the Clerk or authorized officiants. Divorce records are maintained as part of the court case file in the issuing court.

Property owners can search assessment data online through the Decatur County Beacon system at https://beacon.schneidercorp.com, which provides free access to parcel maps, property characteristics, assessed values, tax districts, ownership history, recent sales, aerial photography, and comparable properties. Searches can be conducted by owner name, parcel number, or property address along County Road 850 North and surrounding routes. The Decatur County Recorder's Office, 150 Courthouse Square, Greensburg, IN 47240, phone (812) 222-2512, records and maintains all land transfer documents including warranty deeds, quit claim deeds, mortgages, mortgage releases, liens, easements, plats, right-of-way documents, and land contracts. Indiana is a notice state, requiring recording to establish priority and provide constructive notice to subsequent purchasers. The Recorder's office maintains an online document search system at https://www.governmax.com/doccenter/public/INDC, where users can search recorded documents by grantor/grantee name, date, book and page reference, or document type. Some records are viewable free online, while certified copies require payment of $1.00 per page. Records date back to the county's formation in 1822, with comprehensive indexing available. The county also provides a GIS mapping portal integrated with the Beacon system, allowing users to view property boundaries, topography, zoning, and flood zones for New Point area properties.

Farm equipment dealers, grain elevators, and agricultural service providers in nearby Greensburg and St. Paul support New Point area farmers. Beyond agriculture, residents of New Point typically commute to employment centers including Greensburg (12 miles southwest), where major employers include Honda Manufacturing of Indiana (the county's largest employer with over 2,000 workers), Decatur County Memorial Hospital, South Decatur Community School Corporation, and various manufacturing and retail businesses. Some New Point residents also commute to Columbus (approximately 35 miles west) for employment with Cummins Inc. and other manufacturers, or to Cincinnati (approximately 60 miles southeast) for professional positions. Decatur County's median household income was approximately $55,000 as of recent estimates, with lower costs of living compensating for wages below urban averages. The New Point area has seen minimal recent development, maintaining its agricultural character, though rural residential construction occurs sporadically as individuals build homes on farmland parcels. The completion of State Road 46 improvements has enhanced connectivity to regional employment centers. Economic challenges facing the area include agricultural market volatility, declining rural population, limited broadband infrastructure, and competition from larger regional retail centers.

New Point, as an unincorporated community, receives law enforcement services directly from the Decatur County Sheriff's Office, located at 150 Courthouse Square, Greensburg, IN 47240, phone (812) 222-5011. The Sheriff's Office provides patrol services, criminal investigations, and emergency response throughout unincorporated Decatur County, including the New Point area. Residents can request incident reports and accident reports by visiting the Sheriff's Office in person or submitting written requests; Indiana law requires valid identification and case numbers when available. The Sheriff's Office maintains records of all calls for service, arrests, and investigations conducted within its jurisdiction. For arrests and jail bookings, the Decatur County Detention Center operates an online inmate roster accessible through the Sheriff's Office website, displaying current inmates, booking dates, charges, bond amounts, and projected release dates. The facility houses pre-trial detainees and sentenced misdemeanor offenders. Public records requests in Indiana are governed by the Access to Public Records Act, Indiana Code 5-14-3, which presumes all government records are public unless specifically exempted by statute. Law enforcement agencies may redact information related to ongoing investigations, confidential informants, or records that would endanger individuals. Requests should be made in writing, and agencies must respond within a reasonable time, typically within seven days. Fees may apply for copying and research time exceeding two hours. The Indiana State Police also maintain records for incidents on state highways and can be reached through their Versailles Post, which serves Decatur County.

Orders can be placed online through the VitalChek service at www.vitalchek.com with expedited processing available for additional fees. Standard processing takes approximately 3-4 weeks. Birth records less than 72 years old and death records less than 50 years old are restricted to authorized individuals including the registrant (for birth), immediate family members, legal representatives, or individuals with court orders. Identification requirements include valid government-issued photo ID. The Decatur County Health Department, 720 North Lincoln Street, Greensburg, IN 47240, phone (812) 663-4223, serves as a local issuing office for vital records and can provide birth and death certificates for events occurring in Decatur County, though processing may take longer than ordering directly from the state. Marriage licenses are issued by the Decatur County Clerk's Office, 150 Courthouse Square, Greensburg, IN 47240, phone (812) 222-2508, at a cost of $18.00. Both parties must appear in person with valid identification and social security numbers. There is no waiting period, and the license is valid for 60 days. Marriage records are public and can be searched at the Clerk's office. Divorce records are maintained as part of court case files in the Decatur Circuit or Superior Court and can be searched through the court system's online portal at mycase.in.gov.

Business entity formation and registration occurs at the state level through the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, 200 West Washington Street, Room 201, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The Indiana INBiz portal at www.inbiz.in.gov provides comprehensive online services for business formation, allowing entrepreneurs to register corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and other business entities. The portal includes a free business entity search function where users can look up registered businesses by entity name, registered agent, or business ID number, viewing status, formation date, principal office address, registered agent information, and officers or members. Filing fees vary: domestic LLC formation costs $95 online, domestic corporation costs $90, and foreign entity registrations cost $135. Annual biennial reports are required for most entities at a cost of $30 for LLCs and $30 for corporations. Fictitious business name registration (Doing Business As or DBA) in Indiana can be filed at either the county or state level. County-level assumed business name filings are made with the Decatur County Clerk, while state-level registrations go through the Secretary of State. UCC financing statement searches, used to identify secured interests in business personal property, are conducted through the Secretary of State's UCC search system. Commercial property tax assessments for businesses operating in the New Point area can be researched through the Decatur County Assessor's online portal at the Beacon website, searching by property address or owner name.

New Point voters are served by the Decatur County Clerk's Office, which functions as the county's election authority, located at 150 Courthouse Square, Greensburg, IN 47240, phone (812) 222-2508, website www.decaturcounty.in.gov. Indiana residents can register to vote online through the Indiana Voter Registration Portal at indianavoters.in.gov, by mail using the state voter registration form, at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles when obtaining or renewing a driver's license, or in person at the County Clerk's office. Registration deadlines are 29 days before any election. Indiana requires voters to present photo identification issued by the state of Indiana or the U.S. government showing the voter's name, photo, and expiration date that is current or expired not more than four years. As an unincorporated community, New Point has no municipal government and therefore no city elections for mayor or council. Residents vote in federal, state, and Decatur County elections. New Point voters can locate their assigned polling place using the Indiana Voters Portal at indianavoters.in.gov by entering their name and date of birth or address; polling locations for the New Point precinct area are typically established at nearby churches, schools, or community buildings. Election records that are public in Indiana include voter registration lists (available for purchase by political parties and candidates), campaign finance reports filed with the Indiana Election Division (searchable at campaignfinance.in.gov), candidate declarations and petitions, and precinct-level election results. In the November 2024 presidential election, Decatur County recorded approximately 60% voter turnout with approximately 7,500 ballots cast out of 12,500 registered voters, with the county favoring Republican candidates by significant margins consistent with rural Indiana voting patterns. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election, New Point and Decatur County voters will decide several significant races: a U.S. Senate seat (as Indiana's Class III Senate seat is contested in 2026), Indiana's Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Indiana Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Indiana Attorney General, State Representative for the 68th Indiana House District, and various Decatur County offices including County Council, County Commissioner, County Assessor, County Clerk, County Sheriff, County Recorder, County Surveyor, and Circuit Court Judge positions if those terms expire in 2026. Indiana voters can request absentee ballots by mail if they meet statutory requirements including being 65 or older on election day, absent from the county on election day, having a disability, scheduled to work entire voting hours, confined due to illness, caring for an individual confined due to illness, or serving as a precinct election officer in a precinct other than their own. Absentee ballot applications must be received by the County Clerk's office no later than 11:59 PM on the day before the election, though applications for mailed ballots must be received by 11:59 PM eleven days before the election. Early voting is available at the County Clerk's office and satellite locations beginning 28 days before an election.