Howard County, Indiana public records

In Howard County, deeds are recorded by the Howard County Recorder; property values come from the Howard County Assessor; court files are kept by the Howard County Clerk.

Last checked against official sources on November 8, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Business names (DBA)
11. Voter records
12. Historical records
13. Good to know about Howard County records
14. Office addresses, phones and hours
15. Records that are not online: public records requests
16. Questions people ask
17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
18. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Howard County are recorded by the Howard County Recorder.⁵

Online search

tapestry.fidlar.com/…²³

Years online

Images and index January 1, 1961 to present; deeds from 1923; deed indexing for 1844-1923 under way²

Copy fee

$1.00 per page 11x17 or smaller; $5.00 larger⁴

Certified copy fee

$5.00 certification of document⁴

Recording fee

Deeds and other instruments $25.00; mortgages $55.00 (schedule effective Jan. 1, 2021)⁴

How to order

Public inspection at the office; copies of most Recorder documents $1 per page⁵

How deeds work in Indiana

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Howard County Assessor sets property values⁶; the Howard County Treasurer bills and collects the tax⁷.

Property search

beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx⁶

Tax bill search

invoicecloud.com/HowardCounty⁷

Parcel map (GIS)

beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx²

Appealing a value

Request for Appeal is Form 130; the County Assessor is secretary of the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals; Form 131 petitions the Indiana Board of Tax Review⁶

Appeal guide

in.gov/…⁶

Tax due

2026 deadlines May 11 and November 10⁷

How property tax works in Indiana

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Filing

All filings go to the Clerk; attorneys must e-file⁹

Fees

Clerk document fee: not more than $1 per page for a copy; $1 per certificate (certification under seal) (IC 33-37-5-1 etc.)¹⁰

Criminal records and background checks

Online search

public.courts.in.gov/mycase⁹

Inmates

sheriff.howardcountyin.gov/inmateSearch²

How Indiana courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Howard County Clerk.⁸

Licenses

The Clerk issues marriage licenses⁸

Certified copies

Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county that issued the license (certified copies)¹⁵

Statewide index

Marriage License Public Lookup (Indiana courts, public.courts.in.gov/mlpl) has many but not all marriage records from 1993 to present; Indiana State Library 'Indiana Legacy' indexes marriages before 1850 and 1958-2017 (IARA wording; IDOH page says 1958-2018)¹⁶

Indiana marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the divorce (dissolution) was granted¹⁷

Online

Divorce case index searchable on mycase.in.gov; decrees not online; domestic-relations documents not online to public, non-confidential documents in person¹⁵

Indiana divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Howard County Health Department, Vital Records.¹¹

Fee

$10.00 per copy (mail: cash or money order/cashier check only; no personal checks)¹¹

How to order

Application by email or fax with valid driver’s license, or by mail¹¹

Who may order

Only persons with a 'direct interest': documented financial/legal interest or immediate kinship (parent, adult sibling, grandparent); IDOH J2 list also allows registrant 18+, adult child/grandchild, current spouse, aunt/uncle, court-appointed guardian, attorney, state/federal or social agency with documentation, step-parent; genealogy only if the person is over 75 and deceased¹⁸

Ordering an Indiana birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Howard County Health Department, Vital Records.¹¹

Fee

$10.00 per copy¹¹

State price

State (IDOH): $8.00 first certificate, $4.00 each additional copy in same order¹⁹

Ordering an Indiana death certificate

Probate records and wills

Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the estate case is heard (filed wills and estate documents)¹⁵

Online

Estate cases (EM/ES/EU): non-confidential orders online; other documents in person²⁰

Finding a will or probate case in Indiana

Business names (DBA)

Kept by the Howard County Recorder.⁵

Held

Business name filings are held by the Recorder⁵

State

Entities registered with the Secretary of State (corporations, LLCs, LPs, LLPs, nonprofits) file assumed names with the Secretary of State through INBiz, not at the county²¹

Voter records

Kept by the Howard County Voter Registration.²²

Public or restricted

Voter registration records are generally public records under APRA, except declinations, the registration-agency identity, Address Confidentiality Program participants, and proof-of-citizenship documents; full SSN redacted²³

Historical records

Deeds from

Recorder collection dates back to 1844⁵

Vital from

Health Department records from 1875, sketchy to 1920; genealogy document $10.00; 75 years or older¹¹

Genealogy

howardcountymemory.net²⁴

State archives

Indiana State Archives (IARA), 6440 E. 30th St., Indianapolis, IN 46219; (317) 591-5222; [email protected]²⁵

Good to know about Howard County records

• Military discharge records are the only closed Recorder records; DD214 copies free to the veteran or next of kin⁵
• The county website sits on in.gov rather than its own domain²⁶
• Center Township has its own elected assessor²⁷
• Recorder is self-funded from user fees⁵

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page

in.accessgov.com/…²

Where to send it

Online county form; Sheriff has a separate page²⁹

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in Indiana with a full guide: Allen County, Bartholomew County, Boone County, Clark County, Delaware County, Elkhart County, Floyd County, Hamilton County, Hancock County, Hendricks County, Johnson County, Lake County, LaPorte County, Madison County, Marion County, Monroe County, Porter County, St. Joseph County, Tippecanoe County, Vanderburgh County, Vigo County, Warrick County. Every county in the state: Indiana county list. Looking for another Howard County? Howard County, Maryland.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026
2. Howard County: Online Records SearchHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
3. Howard County: Online Records SearchHoward County, INchecked November 8, 2026
4. INDIANA COUNTY RECORDER’S FEE SCHEDULEHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
5. Howard County: RecorderHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
6. Howard County: AssessorHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
7. Howard County: TreasurerHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
8. Howard County: ClerkHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
9. Howard County: Circuit CourtHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
10. Indiana Trial Court Fee ManualIndiana Supreme Court, Indiana Office of Court Serviceschecked November 7, 2026
11. Howard County: Vital RecordsHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
12. Howard County: Superior Court IHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
13. Howard County: Superior Court IIHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
14. Howard County: Superior Court IVHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
15. How to Request Public RecordsIndiana Judicial Branchchecked November 7, 2026
16. Census & Vital Records (Search Archives Holdings)Indiana Archives and Records Administrationchecked November 7, 2026
17. Vital Records: MarriagesIndiana Department of Healthchecked November 7, 2026
18. Vital Records: General FAQsIndiana Department of Healthchecked November 7, 2026
19. Vital Records: Order CertificatesIndiana Department of Healthchecked November 7, 2026
20. Public Access to Court DocumentsIndiana Judicial Branchchecked November 7, 2026
21. How do I file an Assumed Business Name (DBA)?IN.gov State Information Centerchecked November 7, 2026
22. Howard County: Voter RegistrationHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
23. 2026 Indiana Voter Registration GuidebookIndiana Election Divisionchecked November 7, 2026
24. Howard County: ResourcesHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
25. Ordering Records from the ArchivesIndiana Archives and Records Administrationchecked November 7, 2026
26. Howard County: HomeHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
27. Howard County: Center Township AssessorHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
28. Howard County Sheriff’s OfficeHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
29. Public Records Request | Howard County Sheriff’s OfficeHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
30. Howard County: AuditorHoward County, Indianachecked November 7, 2026
31. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026