North Judson, Indiana Public Records

North Judson does not maintain a separate town or municipal court; all judicial matters are handled at the county level in Knox. Indiana's statewide Odyssey Case Management System provides online access to court records through mycase.in.gov, where residents can search cases by party name, case number, or attorney. The portal displays dockets, filing history, judgments, and case status for both civil and criminal matters. Certified copies of court documents cost $1.00 per page plus a $1.00 certification fee per document as set by Indiana Code 33-37-5-2. Case filing fees vary: small claims filings cost approximately $85, civil case filings range from $156 to $187 depending on the amount in controversy, and divorce filings cost approximately $157. The Starke Circuit Court Clerk's Office, located at 53 East Mound Street, Knox, IN 46534 (phone: 574-772-9128), maintains all court records and accepts filings during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Older records not available in the online portal can be searched in person at the Clerk's office.

The database displays assessed values for land and improvements, property tax information, sales history, acreage, legal descriptions, and property characteristics. The Starke County Recorder's Office, located at 53 East Mound Street, Knox, IN 46534 (phone: 574-772-9128), maintains official land records including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, assignments, and other documents affecting real property title. The Recorder's office provides online access to recorded documents through a subscription-based system; visitors can search recorded documents by grantor/grantee name, document type, or legal description. Document images are available for viewing and printing. Recording fees are set by Indiana statute at $14.00 for the first page and $3.00 for each additional page. Starke County also offers a GIS mapping system accessible through the county website, providing interactive parcel maps, aerial photography, zoning information, and flood zone data. Property searches can be conducted by entering an address within North Judson or selecting parcels directly on the map interface. The GIS system links to assessment data and provides measurement tools and layer options for comprehensive property research.

The Norwayne Field Airport provides aviation services and supports recreational flying, aircraft maintenance, and pilot training. Manufacturing facilities in and near North Judson include metal fabrication shops and agricultural equipment suppliers. The town's proximity to Bass Lake, located just three miles north, supports seasonal tourism with restaurants, bait shops, and recreational services catering to fishing, boating, and lake recreation. The median household income in North Judson is estimated at approximately $45,000 to $50,000, below the Indiana state median but consistent with rural small-town economies in the region. Recent economic development efforts have focused on maintaining the town's historic downtown district along Lane Street and supporting small business growth. North Judson's economy is part of the broader Starke County economic base, which includes the larger community of Knox to the south and benefits from its location along U.S. Highway 35 and State Road 10, providing access to regional markets and the South Bend and Lafayette metropolitan areas. The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum attracts heritage tourism visitors interested in railroad history and vintage equipment displays.

The North Judson Police Department, located at 222 Keller Avenue, North Judson, IN 46366, serves the town limits and can be reached at (574) 896-2121. The department handles local law enforcement, traffic enforcement, and incident response within town boundaries. Residents can request police reports and incident records by visiting the department in person or calling during business hours; the department maintains records of arrests, accidents, and incident reports pursuant to Indiana's Access to Public Records Act (Indiana Code 5-14-3). The Starke County Sheriff's Office, located at 4300 South Heaton Street, Knox, IN 46534 (phone: 574-772-3771, website: www.co.starke.in.us/sheriff), provides law enforcement services throughout unincorporated areas of Starke County and assists North Judson Police with major investigations and county-wide patrols. The Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records, warrants, and operates the Starke County Justice Center detention facility. To search for current arrests and jail bookings, the Starke County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate roster accessible through their website, which displays inmate names, booking dates, charges, bond amounts, and mugshots when available. Under Indiana Code 5-14-3-3, all public records including arrest logs and booking information are available for inspection unless specifically exempted by statute. Residents can request copies of accident reports, arrest records, and incident reports by submitting written requests to either the North Judson Police Department or Starke County Sheriff's Office, with fees for copying typically set at 10 cents per page as established by Indiana law. The Sheriff's Office also maintains a sex offender registry searchable through the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry website.

Online ordering is available through VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com with additional processing fees; standard processing takes approximately 10-15 business days, while expedited service is available for higher fees. Birth records in Indiana are restricted for 75 years and death records for 25 years, meaning only eligible individuals (the registrant, immediate family members, legal representatives, or those with a legal interest) can obtain certified copies of recent records. The Starke County Health Department, located at 1316 South Heaton Street, Knox, IN 46534 (phone: 574-772-5151), maintains local birth and death records and can provide information for genealogical research for older records. Marriage licenses are issued by the Starke County Clerk's Office, located at 53 East Mound Street, Knox, IN 46534 (phone: 574-772-9128). The marriage license fee is $18.00, with an additional $6.00 fee for a certified copy of the marriage record after the ceremony. Couples must apply in person with valid identification; Indiana has no waiting period or blood test requirement. Divorce records are maintained by the Starke Circuit Court Clerk at the same address and are considered public court records searchable through the online case management system or in person. Applicants must present valid government-issued photo identification when requesting vital records.

Businesses must register with the Indiana Secretary of State for entity formation. The Indiana Secretary of State's Business Services Division (302 West Washington Street, Room E018, Indianapolis, IN 46204, phone: 317-232-6576, website: www.in.gov/sos/business) maintains the INBiz portal at www.inbiz.in.gov where entrepreneurs can search existing business entities, register new corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and nonprofits, file annual reports, and verify business status. Entity searches are free and display business name, registration date, registered agent, principal office address, and status (active, dissolved, or withdrawn). Starke County businesses operating under an assumed name must file with the Starke County Recorder's Office at 53 East Mound Street, Knox, IN 46534 (phone: 574-772-9128); the filing fee is typically $30.00 and registrations are valid indefinitely but must be renewed within five years. UCC financing statements and lien searches are also filed with the Indiana Secretary of State and searchable through the INBiz portal. Business personal property is assessed by the Starke County Assessor's Office at 53 East Mound Street, Knox, IN 46534 (phone: 574-772-9176), and businesses must file annual personal property tax returns listing equipment, furniture, fixtures, and inventory. Commercial real estate assessments are searchable through the Starke County Assessor's online database by property address or parcel number.

North Judson voters are served by the Starke County Clerk's Office, which administers all elections for the county. The Starke County Clerk is located at 53 East Mound Street, Knox, IN 46534 (phone: 574-772-9128, website: www.co.starke.in.us/clerk). Indiana residents can register to vote online through the Indiana Voter Registration Portal at indianavoters.in.gov, by mail, or in person at the Clerk's office or Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The registration deadline is 29 days before any election. Voters must provide an Indiana driver's license or state ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. North Judson holds municipal elections for town council members; the Town Council consists of five members elected to four-year staggered terms. Municipal elections in Indiana are held in odd-numbered years, with the most recent election in November 2023 and the next scheduled for November 2027. North Judson does not have a mayor; the town is governed by the five-member Town Council. Voters in North Judson also participate in county, state, and federal elections. North Judson residents can find their assigned polling place by using the Indiana Voter Portal at indianavoters.in.gov, which provides polling location, sample ballot, and voting history information when users enter their name and date of birth. In the November 2024 presidential election, Starke County reported approximately 62% voter turnout with roughly 7,500 ballots cast out of approximately 12,000 registered voters; the county supported the Republican presidential candidate by a significant margin, consistent with historical voting patterns in rural northern Indiana. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature several important races for North Judson and Starke County voters, including the U.S. Senate seat (Indiana's Class III seat is up in 2026), all nine Indiana congressional districts including the 2nd District which serves Starke County, Indiana Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Indiana Secretary of State and other statewide constitutional offices, all 100 Indiana House seats, 25 of 50 Indiana Senate seats, Starke County Commissioner seats, Starke County Council positions, county assessor, sheriff, and other county offices. Indiana offers absentee voting by mail; applications are available at indianavoters.in.gov and must be received by the county clerk by 11:59 p.m. on the day before the election. Early in-person voting is available at the Starke County Clerk's office beginning 28 days before the election. Election records that are public in Indiana include voter registration lists (available for purchase from the county clerk for political or governmental purposes), campaign finance reports filed with the Indiana Election Division (searchable at indianacampaignfinance.com), candidate filings and declarations, precinct-level election results, and absentee ballot statistics. The Starke County Clerk publishes unofficial election results on election night and certified results within approximately 10 days.