Jefferson County Public Records

Jefferson County public records are held by the Clerk of Courts and the Recorder's office at 300 E Main St in Madison, Indiana, covering court case filings, property documents, and related records available to the public. This page walks through the main ways to find, request, and access public records from Jefferson County offices and Indiana's statewide online systems.

Jefferson County Clerk of Courts

The Jefferson County Clerk of Courts is located at 300 E Main St, Madison, IN 47250. The Clerk's main phone number is (812) 265-8924. The Clerk is responsible for keeping official records for all cases filed in Jefferson County Circuit and Superior Courts. This includes civil and criminal cases, small claims, domestic relations, and probate matters. The Clerk's office can provide certified or uncertified copies of documents from those files.

To find a specific case, you can visit the Clerk's office in Madison and search by party name or case number. Staff can pull files and walk you through requesting the documents you need. For active and recent cases, the statewide MyCase tool is an easier starting point and does not require a trip to the courthouse. The Clerk also handles marriage license applications, passport processing, and official court filings.

Most records maintained by the Jefferson County Clerk are open to the public under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. Some exceptions apply, such as sealed cases and certain juvenile records.

Court Records via MyCase

Indiana's free MyCase portal gives you online access to court records across the state, including Jefferson County. Searching by name or case number pulls up case details, docket entries, and hearing schedules. You do not need an account or a password. The tool is updated regularly and works for most civil and criminal case lookups.

Some case types have restricted online access. Juvenile cases, sealed records, and certain mental health filings may not appear in full or at all through MyCase. For those, contact the Clerk directly. The vital records system shown below is another key state resource for records related to births, deaths, and marriages in Jefferson County.

Use the vital records portal above when looking for birth or death certificates tied to Jefferson County, as these are managed at the state level rather than by the county Clerk.

Jefferson County Recorder's Office

The Jefferson County Recorder is at 300 E Main St, Madison, IN 47250, and can be reached at (812) 265-8900. The Recorder maintains all land and property records for the county. These include deeds, mortgages, liens, releases, easements, and plat maps. When a deed gets recorded, the Recorder indexes it under the names of the grantor and grantee, as well as the legal description of the property.

If you are looking into the ownership history of a parcel in Jefferson County, or checking whether liens or mortgages are recorded against a property, the Recorder's records are the place to start. Real estate attorneys, title companies, lenders, and private researchers all rely on these records. Copies of recorded documents can be obtained from the office in person for a fee.

For online access, check whether Jefferson County is available through the Doxpop platform. Doxpop covers 47 Indiana counties and holds more than 25 million documents. If the county is in the system, you can search and view document images remotely. Doxpop also offers a free Property Watch alert service for tracking when new documents are recorded on a specific parcel.

Vital Records in Jefferson County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates are issued by the Indiana Department of Health, not the county Clerk. Requests go to the state vital records office, and you can submit them online, by mail, or in person in Indianapolis. The fee is $10 for a birth certificate and $8 for a death certificate. See www.in.gov/health/vital-records for current instructions and the list of acceptable identification.

Marriage licenses for Jefferson County are on file with the Clerk of Courts. For licenses issued since 1993 statewide, the free Marriage License Public Lookup lets you check whether a license was issued in Indiana by entering the name of either party. This confirms the record exists but does not produce a certified copy. For a certified copy, contact the Jefferson County Clerk directly.

Property Tax and Assessor Records

The Jefferson County Assessor keeps property tax assessment records for parcels throughout the county. This information, including assessed values, owner names, and property descriptions, is public. Tax payment records and delinquency status are maintained by the Jefferson County Treasurer. Both offices are part of the Jefferson County government in Madison.

Some Indiana counties publish assessor and tax data online through the county website or the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance's gateway portal. Check the Jefferson County government website to see whether parcel lookup tools are available. If not, contact the Assessor's or Treasurer's office directly for the information you need.

Indiana Access to Public Records Act

Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3-1 through IC 5-14-3-3, establishes the public's right to inspect and copy records held by government agencies, including Jefferson County offices. County bodies must respond to public records requests within seven business days. If they need additional time, the agency must send written notice within that window.

Not all records are public. Exemptions include ongoing law enforcement investigations, personnel matters, and records sealed by court order. If you submit a request to a Jefferson County office and it is denied, you can appeal to the Indiana Public Access Counselor at www.in.gov/pac or call (317) 234-0906. The Counselor provides advisory opinions free of charge and helps individuals resolve disputes with government agencies over public records access.

Other Public Record Resources

Indiana State Police handles certain criminal history records, which can be requested through the state police APRA portal at in.accessgov.com/isp-apra. Businesses registered with the state of Indiana can be searched for free through INBiz, including corporations, LLCs, and sole proprietors. The Indiana courts portal at www.in.gov/courts/public-records provides guidance on court record access statewide, including fee schedules and how to submit formal records requests.

Office Contact Information

Cities in Jefferson County

Madison is the county seat and largest city in Jefferson County. The city does not meet the population threshold for an individual city page. Other communities in the county include Hanover and Deputy.

Nearby Counties