Fulton County DUI Records Search
Fulton County DUI records are public court documents maintained by the Fulton County Circuit Court Clerk in Rochester, Indiana. This northern Indiana county handles OWI cases from across the county, including its lake communities, through the circuit court in Rochester. If you need to find a DUI or OWI record in Fulton County, the state's MyCase portal and the clerk's office in Rochester are the two main access points. This guide covers how to search those records, what Indiana law says, and where to find help.
Fulton County Quick Facts
Fulton County Circuit Court Clerk
The Fulton County Circuit Court Clerk maintains all court records in the county, including OWI and DUI case filings. The clerk's office is at the Fulton County Courthouse, 815 Main St, Rochester, IN 46975. Phone: 574-223-4821. Staff can search records by name or cause number and provide copies of documents on request. Office hours are generally Monday through Friday during normal business hours; call ahead to confirm.
Under IC 9-30-5, OWI charges are filed in the county where the arrest occurred. For arrests in Fulton County, that means the Rochester courthouse. The case gets assigned a cause number and enters the public record from the time of filing. Certified copies cost more than plain copies, so specify what you need when requesting documents from the clerk.
Mail requests are accepted. Write to the clerk's office at the Fulton County Courthouse address with the defendant's name, any known case details, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The office will confirm what records are available in the system.
Online Search for Fulton County OWI Cases
Indiana's MyCase portal is available free to the public and lets you search Fulton County DUI records by name or cause number at any time. The system shows case type, charges filed, hearing dates, and case outcomes. No login is needed. Most OWI cases filed from 2005 onward are in the database.
For older cases or records that don't appear in MyCase, a direct request to the Rochester courthouse is the next step. The Indiana Courts public records page covers what's in the online system, what isn't, and how to request records that fall outside the standard search. If MyCase doesn't return results for a case you know exists, that page can explain whether the record may be sealed, expunged, or simply too old to be digitized.
Indiana OWI Laws and How They Apply in Fulton County
Indiana's impaired driving statute is IC 9-30-5. The state calls the offense OWI, not DUI. Operating a vehicle with a BAC of .08% or more meets the threshold. A first offense at .08% to .14% is a Class C misdemeanor. Reaching .15% or endangering another person makes it a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a higher penalty range.
A second OWI conviction within seven years of the first becomes a Level 6 felony. Fulton County courts follow the same statute as every other Indiana county. Felony OWI cases are more serious. They can result in prison time in a state facility rather than local jail, and they carry longer-lasting consequences. IC 9-30-9 governs habitual traffic violator status, which can result from multiple OWI convictions and leads to extended license suspension. Specialized driving privileges under IC 9-30-10 may allow limited driving during a suspension for specific purposes, but only with a court order from a Fulton County judge.
The lake communities in Fulton County also mean the courts see some OWI-related boating cases. While boating OWI falls under a different statute, some incidents may involve related driving charges that end up in the circuit court. Always check MyCase if you're not sure which type of case you're looking for.
BMV Records and Administrative Suspension
An OWI arrest in Fulton County can lead to an administrative license suspension from the Indiana BMV under IC 9-30-6. This is separate from any criminal penalty and can take effect before the court case ends. The Indiana BMV driver record portal lets you check a driver's current license status and any active suspensions.
The BMV record shows driving history and license status. The court record from the clerk's office or MyCase shows the criminal charges and how the case ended. Both are different documents serving different purposes. If you need a complete picture of someone's OWI situation in Fulton County, you may need to check both sources separately.
Expungement of Fulton County OWI Records
Indiana law at IC 35-38-9 allows certain OWI convictions to be expunged. Misdemeanor OWI convictions can be petitioned after five years from the conviction date, assuming all fines are paid and no new charges occurred. Level 6 felony OWI convictions require eight years before the petition can be filed.
Once the court grants an expungement, the record is sealed and won't appear in standard public searches. That includes MyCase. Some agencies can still access sealed records under defined legal conditions. For those who want to pursue this in Fulton County, the Indiana Self-Service Legal Center has the forms and guides to start the process without a lawyer. Indiana Legal Services may provide free help to those who qualify.
MyCase Court Search for Fulton County
The Indiana court case database accessible through MyCase covers Fulton County OWI and DUI filings along with all other case types filed in the Rochester courthouse.
Indiana MyCase court case database for Fulton County DUI records
This portal is the fastest way to check whether an OWI case exists in Fulton County and to get basic details about the charges and outcome.
Legal Help in Fulton County
Indiana Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to qualifying low-income residents, including those in Fulton County. For people who need a licensed attorney in the Rochester area, the Indiana State Bar Association has a lawyer referral service. For those going it alone, the Indiana Self-Service Legal Center provides forms and guides for many common court processes.
For OWI arrest records made by the Indiana State Police on Fulton County roads, contact ISP directly. Those records are separate from the court records held by the circuit court clerk. You may need both if you're researching a case from start to finish.
Cities in Fulton County
Rochester is the county seat and largest city in Fulton County. No cities in Fulton County meet the population threshold for individual city pages. OWI and DUI cases for Rochester residents and all others across the county are filed with the Fulton County Circuit Court in Rochester.
Nearby Counties
Fulton County borders several other northern and central Indiana counties. Use these links for OWI and DUI records in neighboring jurisdictions.