Wells County Court Docket Lookup
Court docket records in Wells County are maintained by the Wells Circuit Court in Bluffton, the county seat in northeast Indiana. Judge Kent A. Kiracofe presides over this single circuit court, which handles all case types for the county. The clerk's office at 102 West Market Street stores all court records and processes requests for copies and information. Searching Wells County docket entries is possible both in person at the courthouse and online through Indiana's statewide Mycase portal.
Wells County Court Docket Quick Facts
Wells County Court System
Wells County has a single circuit court. That means one judge, one docket, and one place to search. Judge Kent A. Kiracofe handles civil, criminal, family, small claims, traffic, and juvenile matters. For a county the size of Wells, this setup works. The volume of cases stays manageable for one court, and people who need to search for records only have one system to check.
Every case filed in Wells County gets a number and goes on the circuit court's docket. From the moment someone files a complaint, petition, or charging document, the docket tracks what happens next. Responses, motions, hearing dates, orders, and final rulings all get logged. The docket sheet becomes a timeline of the entire case. If you want to know where a case stands, the docket is the place to look.
The courthouse in Bluffton is where all of this happens. The courtroom, the clerk's office, and the judge's chambers are all in the same building. It makes visiting easy since you can file a document, check on a case, and sit in on a hearing all in one trip.
Note: With only one circuit court, all Wells County docket records are in a single system, making searches straightforward.
Wells County Clerk Office Details
The Wells County Clerk of Courts is responsible for all court records. The office handles new filings, maintains docket sheets, issues copies, and answers questions about court processes. If you need a record from any case in Wells County, this is where you get it. The staff is helpful and can look things up by case number or party name. Walk-ins are welcome during office hours.
| Office | Wells County Clerk of Courts |
|---|---|
| Address | 102 W. Market St., Bluffton, IN 46714 |
| Phone | (260) 824-6482 |
| Fax | (260) 824-6394 |
| clerk@wellscounty.org | |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM ET |
Copy fees follow the statewide schedule in IC 33-37-4. Standard copies are $1.00 per page. Certified copies add $5.00 per document. You can pay at the counter with cash or a check. For mail requests, send a letter to the clerk with your case details and a check or money order for the estimated amount. If you are not sure how much to send, call (260) 824-6482 and ask. The staff can tell you roughly how many pages are in the file and what the cost will be.
Online Search for Wells County Docket
The Mycase system at public.courts.in.gov/mycase is the best online tool for Wells County docket searches. It is free and does not require registration for basic lookups. Choose Wells County from the court list and enter a name, case number, or attorney name to start. The system returns matching results with links to the full docket for each case.
The Wells County website has general info about the county government, including contact details for the clerk's office. For the actual docket search, Mycase gives you the real data. The county site is better for finding phone numbers, addresses, and office hours.
Here is the Wells County government homepage, which connects to the clerk's office and other county departments.
The site lists contact information for all Wells County departments, making it a useful starting point for any county-related inquiry.
Note: Mycase searches for Wells County pull from the single circuit court, so all results come from one source.
Public Access to Wells County Records
Indiana law makes court records open. IC 5-14-3 says anyone can ask to inspect or copy government records, and that includes court docket entries. You do not need to be a party in the case. You do not need a reason. The clerk is obligated to provide access to public records when asked. This applies to both in-person requests and online searches through Mycase.
Some records have limits. Administrative Rule 9 requires the clerk to redact personal identifiers from court records before releasing them. Social security numbers, account numbers, and certain other private details get removed. Juvenile records under IC 31-39-2 are closed to the public in most situations. Expunged records under IC 35-38-9 are deleted from the public system. Sealed cases need a court order to access. These rules keep private information safe while still allowing the public to see how the courts operate.
For a typical docket search in Wells County, the restrictions are unlikely to matter. Standard civil and criminal cases are open. The docket entries that show what was filed, when hearings occurred, and what the court ordered are all available to anyone who asks.
Getting Wells County Court Document Copies
There are a few ways to get copies. In person is the quickest. Go to the clerk's office in Bluffton, give them the case number, and they pull the file. You can ask for copies of specific documents or the entire docket sheet. The cost is $1.00 per page, plus $5.00 for any certified copy you need. Bring cash or a check.
Mail requests are another option. Write to the Wells County Clerk at 102 W. Market St., Bluffton, IN 46714. Include the case number or party names, describe what you need, and enclose a check or money order. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want the copies mailed back. Processing typically takes one to two weeks. You can also try calling or emailing first to confirm the records exist before sending payment. The clerk's staff is generally responsive and can tell you what is available.
Cities in Wells County
Wells County includes Bluffton and several smaller communities. None of the cities in the county meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. All court matters are handled through the Wells Circuit Court in Bluffton.
Nearby Counties
Counties around Wells County each have their own clerk offices and court systems. Search their dockets on Mycase by selecting the right county name.