Find Police Records in Hobart

Hobart police records include incident reports, accident reports, arrest logs, and other law enforcement documents created by the Hobart Police Department in Lake County, Indiana. The department has a dedicated records division with set business hours and published fee schedules, making the request process more transparent than in many smaller cities. You can visit in person, call, or check the department's website to start a records request. Indiana's Access to Public Records Act governs all requests and gives any person the right to access public law enforcement records.

Hobart Police Department Records Division

The Hobart Police Department is located at 705 E. 4th Street, Hobart, IN 46342. The Records Division is in that same building and handles all public records requests for incidents within city limits. You can reach the general line at 219-942-1125, option 1. City Hall, at 414 Main Street, handles some city-wide services and can direct you to the right department if you are unsure where to start.

Records Division hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Saturday, 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The extended weekday hours and Saturday availability make this one of the more accessible records offices in the northwest Indiana region. If you plan to visit on a Saturday, call first to confirm staff availability for your specific request type.

Hobart publishes its fee schedule for records requests. Accident reports cost $20.00 and must be paid in exact cash. Incident reports cost $6.00, also exact cash only. This is a firm policy, so bring exact change when you visit. Payment by check or other methods is not accepted for these document types. The fee must be paid before records are released.

The department's records page is at cityofhobart.org/Records. The incident reports page with request information is at cityofhobart.org/Incident-Reports. Both links explain what types of records are available and how to request them.

The Hobart Police Department's main page at cityofhobart.org/Police-Department provides the full department overview and links to the records division and incident report request process.

From this page you can navigate to the Records Division contact, review department services, and find links to specific record types including incident reports and accident reports.

The Hobart Police Department's Records Division page at cityofhobart.org/Records lists the fee schedule and hours for requesting police records in person.

This page confirms the $6 fee for incident reports and the $20 fee for accident reports, both payable in exact cash at the records window during business hours.

The incident reports page at cityofhobart.org/Incident-Reports outlines how to request specific incident documents from the Hobart Police Department.

From this page you can see what information is needed to identify an incident report and what to bring when you visit the Records Division at 705 E. 4th Street.

How to Request Hobart Police Records

Indiana's Access to Public Records Act at IC 5-14-3 gives any person the right to request and receive public law enforcement records. You do not need to be an Indiana resident, and you do not have to state your reason for requesting. The Hobart Police Department has 7 days to respond under state law. Written notice is required if they cannot meet that deadline or if any part of the request is being withheld.

To request records in Hobart, visit the Records Division at 705 E. 4th Street during business hours. Bring the case number or as much identifying information as you can: the date of the incident, the location, and the names of any parties involved. Accident reports cost $20.00 in exact cash. Incident reports cost $6.00 in exact cash. Have exact change ready before you go. The window does not make change.

Mail requests are also accepted. Write to the Hobart Police Department at 705 E. 4th Street, Hobart, IN 46342. Include a check or money order payable to the City of Hobart for the applicable fee, plus a clear description of the record you need and a return mailing address. Mail requests may take longer than in-person visits, but they fall under the same 7-day APRA response window. Phone requests at 219-942-1125 can help you confirm whether a record exists before you make the trip or send a payment.

Note: Any denial must come in writing. Cite the relevant exemption from IC 5-14-3-4, or contact the Indiana Public Access Counselor at in.gov/pac for free guidance.

Crash Reports for Hobart

Traffic accident reports from Hobart police are available through the Records Division at $20.00 per report in exact cash. You can also access crash reports through BuyCrash.com, the Indiana State Police's statewide crash report portal. Both sources pull from the same underlying data, but in-person pickup at the department may be faster for recent crashes. BuyCrash is more convenient if you are not local or the crash happened more than a few days ago.

To use BuyCrash, you need the report number or the date and names of parties involved. If you already know the report number from the officer who responded, that is the fastest way to search. A nominal fee applies through BuyCrash in addition to any fee paid directly at the department if you choose that route.

State Police Records Resources for Hobart

The Indiana State Police operates a Limited Criminal History (LCH) search at in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch. This covers felony and Class A misdemeanor arrests from all 92 Indiana counties, including Lake County and Hobart. The fee is $15.70 by credit card or $7 by mail. Results show ON FILE, NOT ON FILE, or NO RECORDS FOUND. Inconclusive results can be followed up with a fingerprint-based check through the ISP for a definitive answer.

For records held directly by the Indiana State Police, use the ISP APRA portal. The Indiana Sex Offender Registry is searchable at no cost by name, zip code, or county. Active protection and no-contact orders can be found in the statewide Protection Order Registry. Court records from Lake County including criminal cases and civil matters are searchable for free through MyCase Indiana without an account.

Lake County Resources

Hobart is in Lake County, Indiana's most populous county. The Lake County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement outside city limits and manages the county jail in Crown Point. For incidents outside Hobart city limits, county jail and inmate records, or warrant lookups, visit the Lake County police records page. Crown Point is the county seat and is where both the sheriff's office and the main courthouse are located.

Cases that originate in Hobart but go to court are handled in Lake County courts and are searchable through MyCase. Criminal charges, civil matters, and domestic orders filed in those courts should appear in the system within a few days of filing.

Hobart Body Camera Footage Requests

Body camera footage requests from the Hobart Police Department are governed by IC 5-14-3-5.1. You must provide the date, approximate time, location of the incident, and the name of at least one non-officer who was present. Agencies must retain recordings for at least 190 days from the date of the incident.

Some footage may be withheld when it involves active investigations, juveniles, confidential informants, or material that would interfere with a fair trial. When part of the footage can be released, the department must provide the redacted version rather than denying the entire request. Redaction fees can apply, and the department must give you an estimate before beginning work. All denials must be in writing and cite the specific exemption under IC 5-14-3-4.

Nearby Qualifying Cities

Other Indiana cities near Hobart with police records resources include:

County Records

Hobart is located in Lake County. For sheriff's office records, county jail data, and county-level law enforcement information, visit the Lake County police records page.