Search Elkhart Police Records

Elkhart police records are held by the Elkhart Police Department at 175 Waterfall Drive in Elkhart County, Indiana. The department accepts records requests by phone and in person. You can call 574-295-7070 to reach the records division during business hours. State databases from the Indiana State Police also allow broader searches covering Elkhart and all other Indiana jurisdictions.

Elkhart Police Department

The Elkhart Police Department is located at 175 Waterfall Drive, Elkhart, IN 46516. The main non-emergency number is 574-295-7070. Call 911 for all emergencies.

The Elkhart Police Department website is the main hub for department news, services, and contact information. The department serves the city of Elkhart, which is the largest city in Elkhart County by population. Goshen is the county seat, and the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement in county areas outside the cities.

For records requests, call 574-295-7070 to reach the records division during business hours. In-person requests are accepted at 175 Waterfall Drive. Staff can help you identify the correct record type and explain what information to include with your request.

How to Request Elkhart Police Records

Elkhart Police Department records requests are accepted by phone at 574-295-7070 or in person at 175 Waterfall Drive during business hours. Provide the date of the incident, the type of record you need, names of parties involved, and a case number if available. Written requests can also be mailed to the department. Staff respond within the timeline required by Indiana's Access to Public Records Act.

Indiana's Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3) governs all Elkhart Police Department records requests. Any person can submit a request. No reason is required. The city must respond within seven days in writing. Failure to respond is treated as a denial under state law.

Exemptions apply under IC 5-14-3-4. Active investigatory files are shielded from disclosure. Complainant personal information, including home addresses and phone numbers, is protected. Juvenile records are generally off-limits to the public. Any denial must be in writing and must name the specific exemption that was applied. Partial releases are common when a report contains both public and restricted content.

Body camera footage goes through additional rules under IC 5-14-3-5.1 and 5.2. Agencies may charge up to $150 for redacting body cam video before release. Footage must be stored for at least 190 days. Recordings involving undercover officers, juveniles, or active investigations may be withheld. Crash reports are available through BuyCrash.com for Indiana traffic accidents.

Note: The city public records portal routes your request to the correct city department. If your record involves a county sheriff, an Elkhart County Jail search, or a court filing, those are separate processes handled outside the city portal.

Elkhart County Resources

Records from the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office cover county-level incidents, the county jail, and warrant data for areas outside Elkhart city limits. The Elkhart County Sheriff's Office is the right contact for incidents on county roads or in unincorporated parts of the county. Goshen, the county seat, is where the sheriff's main office is based.

Elkhart County connects to the VINE victim notification system. Call 866-959-8463 to check custody status or register for alerts when an offender's status changes. The service is free and available at all hours. For court case records in Elkhart County, MyCase Indiana provides free public access to criminal, civil, and family filings.

The image below shows the Indiana Protection Order Registry, which covers active civil protection orders statewide, including those filed in Elkhart County courts.

Search the Indiana Protection Order Registry to confirm whether an active order is in place for a specific person.

The registry is maintained by Indiana courts and is updated as new orders are filed and existing orders expire or are modified.

State Police Records Tools for Elkhart

The Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History (LCH) search at the ISP criminal history portal covers statewide arrest and conviction records, including those submitted by Elkhart PD. The fee is $15.70 by credit card or $7.00 by mail. This search covers Indiana only. An inconclusive result means you may need a fingerprint-based check through IDEMIA at 1-877-472-6917 for a definitive answer. Indiana-only fingerprint checks run $21.95 through IDEMIA. National records checks cost $38.20.

For ISP records tied to state trooper activity in Elkhart County, use the ISP APRA portal. This handles formal records requests directed at the Indiana State Police. The seven-day response rule applies. The Indiana Sex Offender Registry is free and searchable by name, county, or zip code. Filter by Elkhart County to see registered offenders in the area. The Indiana Protection Order Registry covers active civil protection orders statewide at no charge.

The Indiana Public Access Counselor can help if an Elkhart Police Department records request is denied without cause. This office issues free advisory opinions on public records access disputes and can support a legal challenge if the denial was improper.

The Indiana State Police criminal history services page explains how the LCH search works, what result categories mean, and how to request a fingerprint-based records check for a more thorough background search.

Nearby Cities

Other Indiana cities near Elkhart with police records pages are listed below.