Adams County DUI Records
Adams County DUI records are maintained by the Adams County Circuit Court Clerk and are available to the public through the state's online case search system. If you need to find OWI case filings, charge details, or court dispositions for Adams County, this guide walks you through every available method, from online searches to in-person requests at the Decatur courthouse. Indiana refers to drunk driving offenses as OWI, or Operating While Intoxicated, and all such cases are filed in the county circuit court where the arrest occurred.
Adams County Quick Facts
Adams County Circuit Court Clerk
The Adams County Circuit Court Clerk handles all official court records, including OWI and DUI case filings. The clerk's office is located at the Adams County Courthouse, 112 S 2nd St, Decatur, IN 46733. You can reach the clerk by phone at 260-724-2600. Office hours are generally Monday through Friday during normal business hours, though you should call ahead to confirm current hours before making a trip.
The Circuit Court handles all OWI and DUI cases filed in Adams County. When law enforcement charges someone under IC 9-30-5, the case gets assigned a cause number and entered into the court's record system. That record is public and accessible once the case is filed. The clerk's office can search by defendant name, cause number, or date of filing. Staff can provide certified copies of court documents for a fee, and plain copies are also available at a lower cost.
Walk-in requests are accepted at the courthouse during business hours. For mail requests, send a written inquiry to the clerk's office with the name of the person you're searching for, approximate date of offense if known, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the response.
How to Search Adams County DUI Records
The fastest way to search Adams County DUI records is through MyCase, Indiana's free public court case search system. You can search by name, cause number, or attorney. The system shows case type, filing date, charges, and scheduled hearings. Most OWI cases filed after 2005 are available online. Older records may only exist in paper form at the courthouse.
The Indiana Courts public records portal also provides information about how to request records across the state court system. For Adams County specifically, the Circuit Court is the court of record for all felony OWI cases and most misdemeanor OWI cases as well.
The Indiana Courts public records portal gives general guidance on what is available and how to make formal records requests. For driver's license records tied to an OWI, the Indiana BMV driver record service lets you get an official abstract for $4. That record shows license suspensions under IC 9-30-6 and any habitual traffic violator designations under IC 9-30-9.
The Indiana State Police also maintains arrest records. You can contact the Indiana State Police for information about arrests made by state troopers in Adams County. Local law enforcement records from the Adams County Sheriff or Decatur city police are separate from court records and require direct requests to those agencies.
OWI Laws and Charges in Adams County
Indiana does not use the term DUI in its statutes. The state calls it OWI, Operating While Intoxicated. The primary law is IC 9-30-5. A first-offense OWI with a BAC at or above .08% is a Class C misdemeanor. If the BAC is .15% or higher, or if the driver endangered another person, the charge rises to a Class A misdemeanor. The difference matters because Class A misdemeanors carry up to one year in jail versus 60 days for a Class C misdemeanor.
A second OWI offense within seven years of the first is a Level 6 felony in Indiana. That means potential prison time, not just jail. Adams County courts follow these state guidelines, and prosecutors in Decatur apply the same charging standards used across Indiana. Aggravating factors like having a child in the vehicle or causing serious injury can push charges to higher felony levels.
After an OWI arrest, the BMV may suspend a driver's license under the administrative suspension rules of IC 9-30-6. This happens separately from any criminal conviction and can occur even before trial. Drivers can request specialized driving privileges under IC 9-30-10, which allows limited driving for work, school, or medical purposes during the suspension period.
Driving Records and License Suspensions
Adams County residents who need their official driver record can get it through the Indiana BMV. An official driver abstract costs $4 and shows all license actions, including suspensions tied to OWI arrests and convictions. This is the record insurance companies, employers in safety-sensitive fields, and courts rely on. You can order it online through the BMV driver record page.
License suspension under IC 9-30-6 can start at the time of arrest if you refuse a chemical test or blow above the legal limit. The administrative suspension runs separately from any court-ordered suspension following conviction. It's possible to face two separate suspension periods: one administrative and one criminal. If you are trying to restore driving privileges, the BMV handles reinstatement, and the Indiana Self-Service Legal Center has forms related to specialized driving privilege petitions.
Expunging DUI Records in Adams County
Indiana's expungement law, found at IC 35-38-9, is sometimes called the Second Chance Law. It allows people to petition the court to seal or restrict access to certain criminal records, including OWI convictions. For a misdemeanor OWI, you must wait five years from the date of conviction before filing a petition. For a Level 6 felony OWI, the wait is eight years.
Expungement does not erase the record entirely, but it does restrict who can see it. Government agencies and courts can still access sealed records, but most employers and members of the public cannot. The petition must be filed in the Adams County Circuit Court. There is a filing fee, and the court will notify prosecutors, who may object. A judge then decides whether to grant the petition.
Not every OWI conviction qualifies. If you have prior expungements, or if the OWI involved a death or serious bodily injury, expungement may not be available. The rules are detailed, and getting them right matters. Legal help is strongly recommended before filing.
Legal Resources in Adams County
People facing OWI charges or trying to navigate court records in Adams County have several places to turn. The Indiana Self-Service Legal Center offers court forms and step-by-step guides for common legal tasks, including expungement petitions and specialized driving privilege requests. The center is free and available online.
Indiana Legal Services provides free civil legal help to low-income residents. They handle matters including license issues and some post-conviction relief questions. Coverage in Adams County may be limited, but it's worth contacting them to find out what is available. Their intake process is online and by phone.
The Indiana State Bar Association has a lawyer referral service that can connect you with a licensed attorney who handles criminal defense or OWI cases. Adams County is a smaller rural county, so local options may be limited, but attorneys from Fort Wayne and Allen County often handle cases in neighboring counties including Adams.
The Indiana Courts public records portal at in.gov/courts/public-records is another useful resource if you need to understand your rights to access court records or need guidance on how to request specific documents.
The state fallback image below shows the Indiana courts public records portal, which Adams County residents can use to learn about record access options.
The Indiana Courts public records portal provides guidance on accessing OWI case records across all Indiana counties, including Adams.
The portal explains what records are available and how to make formal requests if the online system does not have what you need.
Cities in Adams County
Adams County has no cities with a population above 25,000. The county seat is Decatur, which serves as the main population center and the location of the courthouse. OWI and DUI cases from all cities and towns in Adams County are handled by the Adams County Circuit Court in Decatur.
Nearby Counties
If you need DUI records for a county adjacent to Adams, the following counties have their own circuit courts and public record systems. Each maintains records for OWI cases filed within its borders.