Howard County Divorce Decree Records

Howard County divorce decree records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts at the Howard County Courthouse in Kokomo, Indiana. If you need to find or get a certified copy of a divorce decree filed in Howard County, the clerk's office is the place to go. Case information is searchable online through Indiana's MyCase system, but certified copies require a direct request to the Howard County Clerk, either in person or by mail. This page covers what you need to make that request and what to expect from the process.

Howard County Clerk of Courts Office

The Howard County Clerk is Debra C. Stewart. Her office is at Room 202, 104 N. Buckeye Street, Kokomo, IN 46901. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The clerk's office handles a broad range of official functions. As the official records describe, the office is responsible to "accept new court filings on all case types, issue marriage licenses, take child support payments, provide child support histories, accept payment for traffic tickets, accept payment of fines and fees and judgment payments." Divorce decrees are stored as part of the court case filings that the office receives and keeps.

Howard County is part of Judicial District 8, which covers Cass, Fulton, Howard, and Miami counties. The Indiana Judicial Branch page for Howard County is at in.gov/courts/local/howard-county/.

Search Howard County Divorce Records Online

The primary tool for online searches is Indiana's MyCase public case search portal. MyCase shows case information for dissolution of marriage cases filed in Howard County, including party names, case numbers, filing dates, and docket entries. It does not let you download or view the actual divorce decree document. For the certified document, you must contact the clerk's office.

Search MyCase by entering the names of one or both parties, or the case number if you know it. For older Howard County cases that may not appear in the online system, call the clerk at 765-456-2000. Staff can look up the case in the office's internal system and explain how to proceed.

The Indiana courts public records guidance explains how to make a formal records request and what exemptions may apply to certain types of court documents.

Requesting a Certified Howard County Divorce Decree

Certified divorce decrees in Howard County are not available online. You must request them directly from the clerk's office in Kokomo. No Indiana court system allows certified copies to be downloaded, emailed, or electronically transferred.

In-person requests are the most efficient option. Visit Room 202 at 104 N. Buckeye Street in Kokomo during office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Bring the names of both parties as they appeared in the original case, an approximate year or date for the divorce, and the case number if you have it. Photo ID is useful. Most in-person requests are handled the same day.

For mail requests, write to Howard County Clerk, 104 N. Buckeye Street, Room 202, Kokomo, IN 46901. Include all relevant case information, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment. Call 765-456-2000 before mailing to verify the fee and payment methods accepted by the office.

Howard County Divorce Record Fees

Indiana sets a uniform standard for court copy fees statewide. Since July 1, 2021, the copy rate is $1.00 per page and the certification fee is $3.00 per document. A one-page certified divorce decree costs $4.00. Each extra page costs $1.00 more. To get the exact total before sending payment, call the clerk's office and ask them to look up the case and count the pages in the decree.

Howard County generally accepts cash, money orders, and cashier's checks. Whether the office accepts credit or debit cards may vary. Avoid personal checks. For mail requests, money orders are the safest payment option. Bring exact change or a money order if you plan to visit in person.

Note: If a divorce decree was filed many years ago, the original record may have been archived. Archived records can take longer to retrieve, so call ahead if you are searching for an older case.

Indiana Laws and Howard County Divorce Records

Under Indiana Code IC 31-15-2-6, at least one spouse must have lived in Indiana for six months and in Howard County for three months before filing a dissolution petition. That residency requirement determines which county keeps the record. IC 31-15-2-10 imposes a 60-day waiting period from the date the petition is filed before the court can issue a final decree. Once the judge signs the decree and the clerk files it, it becomes the official record stored at the Howard County Clerk's Office.

IC 5-14-3, Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, makes divorce decrees generally available to the public. Anyone can request a copy regardless of whether they were a party to the case. Portions of a file that contain Social Security numbers, financial affidavits, or court-sealed material may not be accessible. The Indiana courts public records page explains what is available and how to navigate exceptions.

For free help with the divorce process or finding legal aid in the Kokomo area, Indiana Legal Help is a good starting point. The Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center has forms and step-by-step guides for dissolution of marriage cases filed without an attorney.

The Howard County Clerk's resource page in Kokomo is the official point of contact for court records, including divorce decree requests and case searches.

Cities in Howard County

Kokomo is both the county seat and the largest city in Howard County, and it is where the courthouse and clerk's office are located. Other communities include Russiaville, Greentown, and Alto. Kokomo does not have a dedicated city page on this site. All divorce filings and decree requests for Howard County are handled through the clerk's office in Kokomo, regardless of which city or town a resident lives in.

Nearby Counties

Each of these neighboring county clerks handles divorce decree records for their own area.