Find Public Records in Allen County

Allen County public records cover a large, active court system and recorder's office serving Fort Wayne and the surrounding area. Whether you need court case history, recorded property documents, marriage records, or vital certificates, this page explains where to look and how to get what you need from Allen County's official sources.

Allen County Clerk of Courts

Christopher M. Nancarrow serves as Allen County Clerk. The office is at 715 S. Calhoun Street, Room 200A, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. Phone: 260-449-7245. The clerk processes more than 60,000 new cases per year and handles over $107 million in financial transactions annually, making it one of the busiest county clerk offices in Indiana. Staff manage criminal, civil, family, probate, and small claims filings for the county.

You can search Allen County court records for free using Indiana's MyCase portal at public.courts.in.gov/mycase. Enter a name or case number to pull up case history, party information, and document listings. This is the quickest way to check on a case before heading to the courthouse. Certified copies of documents must be ordered through the clerk's office in person or by mail.

For marriage records, the clerk maintains the county's marriage license files. The state's Marriage License Public Lookup at public.courts.in.gov/MLPL covers licenses issued from 1993 forward. Older records require a direct request to the clerk's office. The clerk's full website is at allencountyclerk.in.gov.

Allen County Recorder and Property Records

The Allen County Recorder is at 1 East Main Street, Suite 100, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. Phone: (260) 449-7165. Email: recorder@allencounty.us. The recorder's website is at allencountyrecorder.us. This office maintains all recorded land documents for the county, including deeds, mortgages, releases, liens, easements, and plats. The online database covers more than 3.1 million documents from 1970 to the present.

Allen County offers three ways to search recorder documents online. Tapestry is a pay-per-search service costing $8.75 per search plus $1 per printed page. Laredo is a subscription-based service at $0.75 per page, used by title companies and law firms that pull documents regularly. There is also a free data search that returns index information only, without document images. For most casual searches, the free index search is a good starting point before deciding if you need the full document.

Visit the Allen County Recorder's homepage to explore online access options and find recording fee schedules.

The recorder's site links directly to Tapestry, Laredo, and the free data search, making it easy to pick the access level that fits your needs.

How to Submit a Public Records Request

Allen County has a dedicated public records request page at allencounty.in.gov/472/Public-Records-Request. You can submit a request online, by mail, or in person. Under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3-1 and IC 5-14-3-3), agencies must respond to verbal or in-person requests within 24 hours and to written requests within seven calendar days.

Each county department handles its own records requests. If you need records from the sheriff, health department, or another county agency, contact that office directly. The public records request page on the county's website lists department contacts and may have a general intake form. If your request is denied or you have trouble getting access to records, contact Indiana's Public Access Counselor at in.gov/pac, by phone at 317-234-0906, or by email at pac@opac.in.gov.

The Allen County public records request portal makes it straightforward to submit APRA requests to county offices.

The county provides this portal to streamline record requests and direct them to the right department quickly.

Vital Records and Birth or Death Certificates

Birth and death certificates for events in Allen County are issued by the Indiana Department of Health, not the county. You can order them online, by mail, or in person through the state's Vital Records office. Find the order forms and instructions at in.gov/health/vital-records. As of the current fee schedule, birth certificates cost $10 and death certificates cost $8. You will need to show valid ID and provide proof of your relationship to the person named on the record.

Allen County does not maintain birth or death records locally. If you are researching older family records and can't find what you need through the state, local libraries and genealogical societies in Fort Wayne often hold historical vital records, church registers, and newspaper archives that can fill in gaps.

Business Records and State Searches

Indiana business entity records are searchable for free through INBiz at inbiz.in.gov. Enter a company name or registered agent to find LLCs, corporations, nonprofits, and other entities doing business in Allen County or registered with the state. This is a good first stop if you need to verify a business's standing or find its registered agent.

Trade name filings and DBA registrations for local businesses may be on file with the Allen County Recorder. Call (260) 449-7165 to ask about assumed business name records. State-level professional license records are held by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, which is separate from county offices.

Indiana State Police records can be requested through the state APRA portal at in.accessgov.com/isp-apra. This covers state police incident reports, arrest records, and related law enforcement data. For records involving the Allen County Sheriff or Fort Wayne Police Department, contact those agencies directly.

Cities in Allen County

Fort Wayne is the county seat and by far the largest city in Allen County. Auburn is another city in the county with its own community identity. Both cities have dedicated public records pages.

• Fort Wayne
• Auburn

Smaller communities in Allen County, including New Haven, Woodburn, and Grabill, do not have separate city pages. Public records for those areas are filed through the Allen County Clerk and Recorder in Fort Wayne.

Nearby Counties

Allen County is bordered by six counties in northeast Indiana. Each maintains its own public records offices.