Lake County Police Records

Lake County, Indiana is the most populous county in the state, and police records here are managed by the Lake County Sheriff's Office in Crown Point along with numerous city police departments covering Hammond, Gary, and other large communities. This page explains how to request incident reports, arrest records, and criminal history data from local and state sources, including online options, phone contact, and the statewide ISP databases.

Lake County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. leads the Lake County Sheriff's Office, based at 2293 N. Main Street in Crown Point. The office covers unincorporated areas of the county and handles county jail operations. Because Lake County is densely populated, many cities have their own police departments. Records from those incidents are held by the city agency, not the sheriff.

• Address: 2293 N. Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307-1854
• Non-Emergency Line: 219-660-0001
• Jail Records: (219) 755-3421
• Property Division: (219) 755-3408
• Sheriff: Oscar Martinez Jr.

The Sheriff's Office maintains its own website with department information and online services. The page below shows the Lake County Sheriff's main site.

Visit the Lake County Sheriff's website for current contact details, department news, and links to online services including records access.

Lake County Government Records Resources

The Lake County government website also lists the Sheriff's Office along with other law enforcement and records-related departments. This is useful when you need to find a specific division or confirm which agency holds a particular type of record.

Jail records are accessible through a separate line at (219) 755-3421. If you need records about someone currently in custody at the Lake County Jail, that is the best number to call. Property records are handled at (219) 755-3408, a different division from general records requests.

The county government page for the Sheriff's Office lists divisions, phone numbers, and links to online resources for Lake County residents.

How to Request Lake County Police Records

For incident reports and other locally-held police records in Lake County, contact the Sheriff's Office directly. Because the county is large and covers many cities, make sure you contact the right agency. City incidents go to city departments. County incidents go to the Sheriff.

• Call the non-emergency line at 219-660-0001 for general records inquiries
• Call the Jail Records line at (219) 755-3421 for jail-related records
• Visit the main office at 2293 N. Main Street, Crown Point, IN 46307

Include the date of the incident, the location, names involved, and a case number if you have one. Under IC 5-14-3, the agency must respond within seven business days. Records tied to active investigations or juvenile matters may be withheld or redacted.

Some city departments in Lake County, such as Hammond Police or Gary Police, have their own records processes and fees. Contact those departments directly for incidents that occurred within their city limits. The Sheriff's Office records cover only incidents handled by county deputies.

State Criminal History Records

For a comprehensive criminal history search covering all of Indiana, use the Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History (LCH) database. It pulls from statewide court records, not just Lake County.

Search the ISP LCH portal for $15.70 by credit card. Results are immediate. Mail-in requests cost $7.00 and take more time. Both methods return felony and misdemeanor conviction data from Indiana courts statewide.

Under IC 10-13-2, the ISP maintains the statewide criminal history repository. Expunged or sealed records are not returned in standard results.

Lake County State Portals and Additional Resources

Several state-level tools are useful for Lake County records without going through the local sheriff or city departments.

APRA Portal: Submit a formal records request to the Indiana State Police at in.accessgov.com/isp-apra. This covers ISP-held records including statewide crash data and incident records maintained at the state level. Responses are required within seven business days.

Crash Reports: Traffic accident reports from Lake County roads are available at BuyCrash.com. Most Indiana agencies submit crash reports electronically. Download for a small fee. Much faster than requesting a paper copy from the sheriff or a city department.

Court Records: Criminal and civil case records from Lake County's superior and circuit courts are on MyCase. Search by name or case number. Charges, hearings, and outcomes are free to view. Lake County has a large court system, so search results can be detailed and span multiple cases.

Sex Offender Registry: Search registered sex offenders in Lake County at iCrimeWatch Indiana. Filter by city, zip code, or county. Results include address, photo, and offense history.

Protection Orders: Check active protection orders through the Indiana courts' Protection Order Registry. Search by name. This covers all orders filed in Indiana including Lake County courts. No fee or account is required.

Cities in Lake County

Lake County has many large cities, each with its own police department and records process. The links below go to dedicated records pages for each qualifying city.

Other smaller communities in Lake County handle police records through the county sheriff.

Nearby Counties

Counties bordering Lake each have their own sheriff offices and records procedures. Find records information for each at the links below.