Mishawaka Felony Records
Mishawaka felony records are part of the St. Joseph County court system, which serves both Mishawaka and South Bend. You can search felony records for Mishawaka cases online through the Indiana MyCase portal, visit the St. Joseph County Clerk in South Bend, or contact the Mishawaka Police Department directly. This page covers all the main ways to find criminal case records in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Mishawaka Quick Facts
Mishawaka Felony Records in St. Joseph County Courts
All felony cases in Mishawaka are filed in St. Joseph County courts. The county courthouse is in South Bend, which serves as the county seat for St. Joseph County. Mishawaka and South Bend share the same court system, so felony charges filed in Mishawaka are handled by the same circuit and superior courts as South Bend cases. The St. Joseph County Clerk maintains all official felony case records for Mishawaka.
You can search Mishawaka felony records online through the Indiana MyCase portal at public.courts.in.gov/mycase. Search by name or case number and select St. Joseph County to narrow results to the area. MyCase shows docket entries, charges, court dates, and dispositions for public felony cases. Most cases filed in the past several years are available in the system. For older records, you may need to contact the St. Joseph County Clerk directly in South Bend.
The Indiana Courts website at in.gov/courts provides contact information for St. Joseph County courts handling Mishawaka cases. If you need court-specific contact details, look up the local courts section to find the right court division for your needs.
Note: Mishawaka City Court handles some lower-level matters, but felony cases are heard at the county level in South Bend, not in Mishawaka City Court.
Mishawaka Police Department and Felony Records
The Mishawaka Police Department's records and services division page at mishawaka.in.gov provides information on how to request police records for incidents in Mishawaka, including felony-related reports.
The Mishawaka Police Records and Services Division handles permit issuance, police report retention, and public record requests for the City of Mishawaka.
The Mishawaka Police Department is at 200 E 1st St, Mishawaka, IN 46544. The Records Division can be reached at (574) 258-1681. The Traffic Division is at (574) 259-2966, and the Chief's Office is at (574) 258-1683. The full department website is at mishawaka.in.gov. The Records and Services Division retains police reports, handles record requests, and issues various permits. Contact them for incident reports, arrest reports, and other Mishawaka police records.
To request public records from Mishawaka police, you can use the APRA (Access to Public Records Act) form available at mishawaka.in.gov/download/public-records-request-apra. Submit the form to the Records Division. Under Indiana Code 5-14-3, agencies must respond within 7 days for written requests and within 24 hours for in-person requests. Keep in mind that Mishawaka city records are separate from South Bend city records. If you need records from South Bend, contact that department directly.
Indiana State Police Criminal History for Mishawaka
The Indiana State Police offers Limited Criminal History (LCH) searches that cover Mishawaka and all of St. Joseph County. An LCH search runs through the ISP's statewide database and shows felony convictions and other criminal records reported to the state. You can run a search online at in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch. The search requires a full name and date of birth and costs a small fee per search.
The ISP LCH service page at in.gov/isp/criminal-history-services explains all the options for getting criminal history in Indiana. The LCH covers convictions from all 92 Indiana counties, so a search for a Mishawaka person will pull records from St. Joseph County and any other county where that person may have had charges.
For Mishawaka-specific felony case details such as docket entries and court actions, use MyCase in combination with an ISP LCH search. The two systems complement each other. MyCase shows case-by-case court activity while the ISP database shows conviction summaries reported by courts and law enforcement across the state.
Felony Expungement for Mishawaka Residents
Indiana law under Indiana Code 35-38-9 allows some people to petition to have felony convictions expunged. If granted, the record is sealed and removed from most public searches. The waiting period and eligibility rules depend on the level of the felony. Level 6 felonies have the shortest wait. Higher-level felonies require a longer period before a petition can be filed. Some convictions, including serious violent crimes and sex offenses, cannot be expunged.
For Mishawaka residents, an expungement petition is filed in St. Joseph County courts in South Bend. These are the same courts that handled the original felony case. The court may hold a hearing and the prosecutor has a chance to object. If the petition is granted, the clerk seals the record. After sealing, the conviction will no longer appear in MyCase or most other public searches. Law enforcement can still view sealed records in specific situations.
Getting legal help with an expungement in Mishawaka is a good idea, especially for higher-level felonies. Local legal aid groups and the Indiana State Bar Association can help connect you with attorneys familiar with St. Joseph County courts. If cost is a barrier, look for free or low-cost legal clinics in the South Bend and Mishawaka area.
Note: Indiana's expungement law was updated in recent years and the current rules may differ from what you read on older websites or documents.
Sex Offender Registry and Victim Notification in Mishawaka
The Indiana Sex Offender Registry at in.gov/sor lets you search for registered sex offenders in Mishawaka by address or name. Many registry entries are tied to felony sex offense convictions in St. Joseph County courts. The registry is managed by the Indiana Department of Correction and updated as offenders check in with local law enforcement. Mishawaka Police work with state authorities to monitor compliance for offenders registered in the city.
Indiana SAVIN at indianasavin.in.gov is a free notification system for crime victims. If a person tied to a felony case in Mishawaka is released from custody or has a status change in the state system, SAVIN sends you an alert. You register online with the offender's name and your contact information. The system covers custody changes in St. Joseph County Jail and Indiana state corrections facilities.
The Indiana Department of Correction offender locator at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov lets you search for people currently incarcerated in state prison or on parole stemming from an Indiana felony conviction, including those with ties to Mishawaka. If you need help resolving a denied records request, contact the Indiana Public Access Counselor at in.gov/pac.
Nearby Indiana Cities
Search felony records in cities near Mishawaka.
St. Joseph County Felony Records
Mishawaka is in St. Joseph County. All felony case filings for Mishawaka go through St. Joseph County courts in South Bend. For complete county court resources and felony records information, visit the St. Joseph County page.