Tippecanoe County DUI Records Search

Tippecanoe County DUI and OWI records are maintained by the Tippecanoe County Clerk in Lafayette, covering one of Indiana's larger and more active court jurisdictions in the north-central part of the state. The county's courts process OWI cases from Lafayette, West Lafayette, and communities throughout the county, with records available online through Indiana's MyCase system and directly from the clerk. This page explains how to find those records, what the county's court system provides, and how Indiana's OWI statutes apply to cases filed in Tippecanoe County.

Tippecanoe County Clerk of Courts

The Tippecanoe County Clerk's office is at the Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N 3rd St, Lafayette, IN 47901. Call the clerk at 765-423-9326. The clerk maintains all official court records for Tippecanoe County's courts, including OWI criminal case files. Records include charging documents, case histories, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and probation conditions. Tippecanoe County is home to Purdue University, which makes it a dynamic and densely populated county with active law enforcement and a steady volume of OWI cases processed through its courts each year.

The county's official site at tippecanoe.in.gov includes a Search Case Files feature for court records, online payment options for fees, and access to GIS mapping and property assessment data. The site lists county departments including the jail, courts, sheriff, health, elected officials, and clerk. Online payments are available for court fees and other county transactions, which makes it convenient to pay fees without a trip to the office. Call the clerk before visiting to confirm business hours and any specific requirements for record requests.

The Tippecanoe County Indiana homepage provides direct access to the Search Case Files feature, online payments, and county department contacts.

The county's website is one of the more full-featured county sites in Indiana, with the Search Case Files option making it easy to look up OWI cases filed in Tippecanoe County courts directly from the county portal.

Online DUI Records Search

Indiana's statewide MyCase public portal covers Tippecanoe County. You can search by name or case number and filter to Tippecanoe County to find OWI and other criminal case records. MyCase shows charges, hearing dates, case status, and dispositions. It is free to use and reflects current case data from the court system.

Some records will not appear in a public search. Cases that have been sealed by court order or expunged under IC 35-38-9 are removed from public view. Indiana's Second Chance Law allows eligible OWI defendants to petition for expungement after five years for misdemeanor convictions and after eight years for Level 6 felony OWI. All sentence conditions must be met and no new convictions may have occurred during the waiting period. The Indiana Courts Public Records portal provides statewide guidance on what types of court records are public and how to request them.

OWI Law and Tippecanoe County Courts

Indiana does not use the term DUI in its laws. The charge is Operating While Intoxicated under IC 9-30-5. A first OWI with BAC below .15% is a Class C misdemeanor. A first offense at .15% BAC or higher is a Class A misdemeanor. A second OWI within seven years of a prior conviction is a Level 6 felony. Tippecanoe County's circuit and superior courts handle the full range of OWI cases, from misdemeanor first offenses to felony repeat offenses.

OWI convictions in Tippecanoe County trigger license suspension under IC 9-30-6. The court can issue specialized driving privileges under IC 9-30-10 to defendants who need to drive for work or family responsibilities. These privileges set specific conditions and time windows for driving during the suspension period. Tippecanoe County drivers who accumulate multiple serious traffic offenses may be designated habitual traffic violators under IC 9-30-9, resulting in longer suspension enforced by the Indiana BMV. Check a driver record through the Indiana BMV portal.

The county also has an active jail and community corrections system, as listed on the county website. Community corrections may supervise some OWI defendants as an alternative to incarceration. Those placements are part of the sentencing orders visible in the MyCase record.

Law Enforcement in Tippecanoe County

Several agencies make OWI arrests in Tippecanoe County. The Lafayette Police Department covers the city of Lafayette. The West Lafayette Police Department handles OWI enforcement in West Lafayette, including areas near Purdue University. The Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office patrols rural roads and unincorporated areas. The Indiana State Police is active on I-65 and US-52, both of which run through the county. All of these agencies file their OWI cases in Tippecanoe County courts.

ISP arrest records and incident reports can be requested from the Indiana State Police and are separate from the court records the clerk maintains. Court records document the case from filing through disposition. ISP records document the arrest, field sobriety tests, and related investigation. Both can be relevant when researching an OWI case in Tippecanoe County.

Legal Resources in Tippecanoe County

The Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center provides free general legal guidance for navigating Indiana courts. The Indiana State Bar Association has a referral service to help you find attorneys handling OWI cases in Tippecanoe County. Indiana Legal Services may assist eligible lower-income residents with court record questions, expungement petitions, or related legal matters.

The Tippecanoe County Clerk's office can answer questions about what records are available, how to request them, and what fees apply. They can also explain the online payment options available through the county website. Staff do not give legal advice.

Cities in Tippecanoe County

Two cities in Tippecanoe County have individual pages on this site:

• Lafayette - County seat and largest city, served by Tippecanoe County courts
• West Lafayette - Home to Purdue University, OWI cases filed in Tippecanoe County courts

Other communities in Tippecanoe County do not meet the population threshold for individual pages but are served by the same county court system.

Nearby Counties