Search Perry County Court Records Online
The main online access point for Perry County court records is Indiana MyCase. The Indiana Judicial Branch Perry County page links users to MyCase for case searches, and the MyCase help material explains that public case data comes from courts using the Odyssey case management system. Perry County's local rules state that Perry Circuit Court is the only court of record in the county, so most local trial-level court records should start with a MyCase search and then move to the Perry County Circuit Court Clerk when the online record is incomplete.
Use MyCase as a public index and document viewer, not as the final certified court file. Public Perry County court records may include case number, party names, court, case type, filing date, status, attorneys, hearings, chronological case summary entries, linked orders, and some financial data. MyCase warns that balances may lag behind recent payments, costs, or interest. A certified copy, attested copy, or official account balance must come from the Perry County Circuit Court Clerk.
The Indiana MyCase search interface is the source shown below. It is the proper starting point when a person needs to look up Perry County court records by case number, party name, attorney information, or citation number.
That portal should be paired with clerk contact for records not linked online, older files, official copies, and financial balances.
- Open MyCase and choose the search mode that matches the information available: By Case, By Party, or By Attorney.
- For a Perry County case number, citation number, or cross reference number, enter only one value in the By Case tab.
- For party searches, enter a last name before adding first name, middle name, or date of birth details.
- Use the court, category, case status, and filing-date filters to narrow results to Perry Circuit Court when possible.
- Open the case summary, review docket entries and linked documents, then call or visit the clerk for certified copies or missing public documents.
Perry County Court Records Search Fields
MyCase has strict search validation. Case-number, citation-number, cross-reference, party, and attorney fields are not interchangeable. The portal allows a wildcard only at the end of many text fields, and the value must begin with a letter or number. A date of birth can help narrow a Perry County court records lookup, but it cannot be searched alone by the general public. The last name must be entered first.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search mode | Tab | Yes | Choose By Case, By Party, or By Attorney. |
| Case Number | Text | One case value | Use in By Case mode. Wildcard is allowed only at the end. |
| Citation Number | Text | One case value | Useful for traffic and infraction matters. |
| Last Name | Text | Yes for person search | Required before first name, middle name, or date of birth. |
| Business Name | Text | Optional | Ordinary public search should not combine it with last name. |
| Attorney Name or Bar Number | Text | One attorney value | Attorney name fields and attorney number should not be combined. |
| Court, category, status, file date | Filters | No | Limit results by Perry Circuit Court, case category, open or closed status, and filing range. |
Types of Perry County Court Records
Perry County court records are centered in Perry Circuit Court because official local rules identify it as the county's only court of record. That simple court structure does not mean every file is public or fully online. It means a person usually starts in one local court system, with the clerk keeping the official court file and MyCase showing public case data when available. Federal district, bankruptcy, and federal appellate records are separate from Perry Circuit Court records.
Public non-confidential civil, criminal, probate, traffic, family, small claims, eviction, and judgment matters may appear in MyCase. Family and protection-order records need more care because some details are hidden by rule. Probate matters are handled through the Probate Division of Perry Circuit Court. Traffic and infraction prosecutions are handled locally when filed as court cases, but Indiana BMV driver records are separate from the court case file.
- Civil court records may include complaints, summonses, appearances, motions, orders, judgments, satisfaction entries, and financial assessments.
- Criminal court records may include charging information, probable cause, hearings, bond, pleas, motions, disposition, sentence, fines, costs, and restitution.
- Family records may include dissolution, custody, paternity, support, and protection-order material, with protected data removed from public access.
- Probate records may include estates, wills, guardianships, trusts, inventories, creditor notices, accountings, and final orders.
- Traffic and infraction records may be searched by citation number or party name when filed in the court system.
What Perry County Court Records Show
A Perry County court record is not just one document. In Indiana practice, the public view often starts with a chronological case summary. That docket-style summary lists the events in date order and points to orders, judgments, hearings, notices, sentencing entries, payments, and other items when they are public and available online. The full case record may be broader than what appears on MyCase, especially when paper files, older records, restricted filings, or unlinked public documents are involved.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case number | The Indiana Odyssey/MyCase identifier, sometimes paired with citation or cross-reference numbers. |
| Court | Perry Circuit Court for local trial-level cases. |
| Case style | The caption, such as State v. defendant, plaintiff v. defendant, petitioner/respondent, or estate name. |
| Case type and status | The category, filing date, open or closed status, and status date when shown. |
| Parties and attorneys | Public party names and attorneys of record, with protected identifiers redacted or withheld. |
| Chronological Case Summary | Docket entries for filings, hearings, orders, notices, continuances, judgments, sentencing, and financial events. |
| Documents and financials | Linked public documents and balances when available, subject to clerk verification. |
The Indiana Judicial Branch MyCase help page explains why some Perry County court records have online document links and others do not. Many public documents are free online, but some public documents still require clerk contact.
This distinction matters most when a user needs a certified copy, a complete case file, or a document that is listed in the docket but not linked.
Public Access for Perry County Court Records
Indiana public access has two layers for Perry County court records. The Indiana Access to Public Records Act makes public records generally open unless a statute, rule, or lawful exception closes them. Court records also follow the Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records, which set the rules for confidential case information, excluded records, and public access to court files.
The practical route is simple. Start online with MyCase. If the case is missing, if a document is not linked, if the online balance looks out of date, or if a certified copy is needed, contact the Perry County Circuit Court Clerk at the courthouse. The clerk can help locate records, accept requests, collect payment where due, and issue certified or attested documents. The clerk and court staff cannot take sides, give legal advice, or tell a person what to file.
The Indiana court public-records page is a statewide reference for MyCase and court access questions. It reinforces the same Perry County workflow: online lookup first, then the maintaining court or clerk for official records and missing public documents.
For Perry County, that maintaining office is usually the Circuit Court Clerk because the county has one court of record.
Note: Online access does not replace the clerk's certified record when a court, agency, employer, or licensing body requires an official copy.
Restricted Perry County Court Records
Not all Perry County court records are public, and not all public records are online. Juvenile delinquency and CHINS records have special limits under Indiana law. Some juvenile paternity records filed on or after July 1, 2014 may be public unless made confidential, while older juvenile paternity records remain confidential. Adoption records, mental-health proceedings, confidential personal identifiers, and protected-person information in protection-order cases are restricted by statute or court rule.
Sealed and expunged records require special care. MyCase says public cases can be searched only if they are not confidential, sealed, or expunged. Indiana expungement is a petition process under criminal or juvenile statutes, not a clerk-counter copy request. A person trying to limit access should identify whether the record is an arrest with no conviction, a dismissed charge, a conviction, or a juvenile matter, because eligibility and effect differ. The clerk can provide procedural access to filings, but not legal advice.
The Indiana excluded court records list is the statewide reference for documents and case material excluded from public access. It is especially useful before assuming a missing Perry County court record is an error.
If a record category appears on the excluded list, the next step is court or clerk review, not a broader name search.
Perry County Court Records Requests
In-person and written requests go to the Perry County Circuit Court Clerk. Bring or include the case number if known, names of the parties, the record type, the approximate filing date, the copy type requested, and a return address for mail requests. Call first for copy fees and payment method because Perry-specific plain and certified court-copy fees were not located in the official research sources. Mail and fax can be used when the clerk confirms what is required.
Perry County Circuit Court Clerk
2219 Payne Street
Tell City, IN 47586
812-547-3741
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Central
For procedural court-date questions, the Perry Circuit Court may also be reached at 812-547-7048. For federal civil, criminal, or bankruptcy matters connected to Perry County, use the Southern District of Indiana and PACER systems rather than the local clerk.