FAQs

If you feel an individual possess a threat to himself or others, please call 911 immediately so that the Sheriff’s Office can investigate. If the individual holds a handgun permit and is found to have a propensity for violent or emotionally unstable conduct, then the Sheriff’s Office will notify the Indiana State Police Firearms Section and request a permit revocation hearing. The Sheriff’s Office will also take whatever immediate action is necessary to protect the individual or others from harm.

Yes. You should notify the Indiana State Police – Gun Permit Unit within 60 days of the address change. You can contact them using this link, CLICK HERE.

You can also use that form to request a duplicate copy of your gun permit.Last Updated: March 20, 2015

Indiana law does not require you to register your firearm.  If you purchase a firearm from a firearms dealer, the firearm will be registered to you in the federal database.  If you decide to sell the firearm at a later date, the Sheriff’s Office recommends you transfer the firearm through a federally licensed gun dealer (FFL) so that the database is updated to reflect the change in ownership.

Please complete the Indiana State Police handgun permit application online at: www.in.gov/isp/2829.htm

Indiana Code 35-47-2-3(m) and 35-47-2-3(l) prohibit law enforcement agencies from publicly disclosing the personally identifiable information of handgun permit holders.  The actual status of a handgun permit (e.g. valid or revoked) can only be released by the Indiana State Police Firearms Section.  While handgun permit status information is made available to our office for criminal justice purposes, the information is not part of our records system.  Please visit the Indiana State Police Firearms Section online at: https://www.in.gov/isp/2828.htm

Combined Public Communications (CPC) can be reached at 1-702-829-3001 or by visiting www.inmatesales.com

Inmates are generally allowed to receive standard-sized mail via the United States Postal Service. Click here for more details.

The person who is posting the bond must have a state-issued photo ID as well as the exact amount of the bond in cash or credit card. The credit card being used must belong to the person who is posting the bond. There is a non-refundable convenience charge on payments made with credit cards, based on the amount of the bond.

Bonds must be posted at the Clerk’s offices at the Vanderburgh County Courthouse on Monday through Thursday between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. After normal business hours, the sheriff’s office will conduct off-hour bonding on behalf of the County Clerk’s Office on Monday through Friday between 4:30 PM and 2:00 AM and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 AM.

A family member, the inmate’s attorney or the significant other must facilitate all the required paperwork. The Judge overseeing the inmate’s case and the Jail Commander must first approve (to ensure there are no safety or security issues). If the Judge agrees, a court order may be issued stating the date and time the inmate is to be transported. The family members or significant other must check to make sure the clerk’s office has an open time to conduct the marriage. The family members or significant other must give the Jail Commander notice so that he can make sure officers are prepared to transport and provide security at the clerk’s office when the marriage is to be conducted. Any fees required (i.e.: marriage license) are paid through the clerk’s office.

In order to maintain facility safety and security, this type of information is not disclosed.

The Sheriff’s Office is restricted by an Indiana Supreme Court ruling that prevents a Sobriety Checkpoint from being set up without sufficient basis. The location of a Sobriety Checkpoint must be based on empirical evidence and relevant statistics.

In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, if conducted properly, Sobriety Checkpoints do not constitute an illegal search and seizure. In 2002, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in the case of State v. Gerschoffer, finding Sobriety Checkpoints are constitutional when properly conducted. The Supreme Court set out a series of restrictions which provided Indiana law enforcement with a clear guide as to how Sobriety Checkpoints must be conducted.

While there are certainly rural areas of the county where drunk driving does occur; crime and crash statistics for those areas do not typically provide sufficient justification to allow for a Sobriety Checkpoint. For this reason, Sobriety Checkpoints are typically conducted within the city limits where higher concentrations of hit and run crashes are found. The Sheriff’s Office often conducts Sobriety Checkpoints jointly with the Evansville Police Department and the Indiana State Police. Federal grant dollars are used to pay deputies overtime to work the checkpoints, so no deputies are being “taken” or “pulled” from their normal patrol duties.

Because the Sheriff’s Office primarily patrols those areas of the county outside the city limits, our deputies routinely make drunk driving arrests in rural areas. If you are having an issue with intoxicated motorists outside the city limits or suspect one of our local drinking establishments is “over serving” patrons, send us a TIP (which can be submitted anonymously).

The money that was seized may be forfeited, which is a totally separate process from your criminal charges. You will be notified by the Courts of a date and time to appear.  At that time a Judge will determine if the money will be returned. 

This is a matter for the court to decide. The Sheriff’s Office cannot authorize you to perform community service at another location.

The offices of the Joint Narcotics Task Force (JTF) are not located within a publically accessible location. If you leave a message at either the Sheriff’s Office or the Police Department, one of our detectives will contact you.

It is possible. Arrangements may be made with the Vanderburgh County Probation Department. Additionally, if the circumstances are appropriate, with coordination with the court overseeing your probation and for a fee, you may be able to submit to your breath tests at the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office – Community Corrections Section.

Indiana law makes it a misdemeanor offense for an individual (regardless of age) to knowingly or intentionally visit a location where alcoholic beverages are being sold to minors.  This would include a location that merely charges an entrance fee or “cover” and then provides alcoholic beverages to minors inside. If your son were merely present at a location where minors were consuming alcohol (but not paying to attend the event) and he himself was not consuming alcohol, he would not likely face any charges.

Under Indiana law, no one under the age of 21 can possess, consume or transport an alcoholic beverage.  The law does make some provisions to allow an individual over the age of 19 to sell alcoholic beverages at a licensed premises.  Additionally, Indiana law grants limited immunity to minors who call 911 to report an alcohol related health emergency.

Any venue (be it a nightclub or a friend’s basement) that permits a teenager to drink is not acting in the best interest of the teen.  Study upon study has demonstrated a correlation between underage drinking and increased health risks.  Academic performance suffers and increased risk-taking (such as drunk driving, fighting, and sexual activity) often occurs.  Teenagers who abuse alcohol become young adults who abuse alcohol.

Yes. Enhanced security credentials are only valid for the year they were approved and an application must be completed annually. This is regardless of whether it is paid for business purposes or fee waived because of a board appointment or other government-related reasons. The APPLICATION is available on line.

If you are a frequent visitor to the Civic Center, you may qualify for Enhanced Security Credentials for use in entering the building. This link for the APPLICATION will take you to a downloadable PDF file. Please download, read carefully and submit as directed.

Lawyer Referral Service of the EBA (LRS) Telephone: 812.426.1712

The EBA’s Lawyer Referral Service provides referrals to local attorneys in specific practice areas for fee services.

Legal Aid Society of Evansville (Vanderburgh County Only): Telephone: 812.435.5173

The Legal Aid Society of Evansville serves low-income residents of Vanderburgh County in most areas of civil law. Residents may apply by telephone from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. on weekdays or apply in person during business hours.

Indiana Legal Services (Counties Outside of Vanderburgh) Telephone: 800.852.3477 or 812.426.1295

ILS serves low-income residents throughout Southwestern Indiana in most areas of civil law. They focus on housing, public benefits, and domestic violence-related divorces. Residents may apply by telephone on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Volunteer Lawyer Program of Southwestern Indiana (VLP)
(Pro Bono Services for Entire Region)
Intake: Legal Aid Society or Indiana Legal Services
Clients seeking pro bono services should be directed to the Legal Aid Society or ILS for intake and referral. VLP has no intake function.Last Updated: February 04, 2014

There are different classifications of sex offenders. Sex offenders and offenders against children are required to register one time annually. Sexually violent predators are required to register every 90 days. All classifications of sex offenders are required to report any change of address, employment, or school within 72 hours of making the change.

Yes, there are. Sex offenders are not permitted to obtain employment that involves being on school, daycare, or park property.

A convicted Felon – to include a Registered Sex Offender convicted of a Felony – is not allowed to be in possession of a firearm. A sex offender must notify the jurisdiction of County Sheriff, State Agency, or Metropolitan Police Department that manages that registrant’s sex offender registry of his or hers intent to leave the state prior to their departure. For a Sexual Violent Predator this is (3) days and for a Sex Offender this (7) days. That registrant must also notify the reciprocating agency, as well, upon his or her arrival. 

For more information click HERE.

Yes, sex offenders are allowed to utilize social media websites unless the individual has parole stipulations that state otherwise. However, all social media websites being utilized must be reported by the offenders.

As far as the sex offender registry is concerned, yes. The only time sex offenders are not allowed to be around children is if it is a stipulation of their probation or parole.

Vanderburgh County does not presently have an ordinance that regulates wide loads. No permit would be required as long as the route does not traverse a state-maintained highway. Since most routes through the county will necessitate at least crossing a state-maintained highway, a state permit would be required for a load that exceeds any one of the following dimensions: 8 feet 6 inches wide or 13 feet 6 inches tall or 53 feet long.

Permits may be obtained from the Motor Carrier Services Division Permit Unit of the Indiana Department of Revenue. Click here for more information.

County Clerk’s Office, 812-435-5160

Indiana requires that vehicles purchased out of state must have a VIN inspection performed before the vehicle can be titled and registered with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). The Sheriff’s Office performs this service free of charge. If the vehicle is parked or stored within Vanderburgh County (but outside the corporate limits of Evansville), the Sheriffs’ Office will respond to your location and perform a VIN check. Simply call 911 and request a VIN check.

Alternatively, if the vehicle is operable and equipped with a valid temporary license plate or paper tag, you may bring the vehicle to the Sheriff’s Command Post for inspection. No appointment is necessary. The Sheriff’s Office will perform this service regardless of your city or county of residence.

During extreme weather, you can monitor the VCSO Twitter Feed for local travel conditions or the State of Indiana’s County Travel Status site.

For Indiana Road conditions, you can call 1-800-261-7623 or check the INDOT web site. For Kentucky, you can check the KTC website, and for Illinois, go to the IDOT website.

Please visit the Off-Road Vehicle section of our website for more information.

The warrants on this website are generally current within the last few hours. No warrant can be considered valid from this website without direct confirmation by the Sheriff’s Office.

All warrants appearing on this site were active at the time they were published and they are published periodically throughout each day. Therefore, they cannot be confirmed from this website. All warrants must be confirmed for validity by the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office.

Warrants on this site may be a few minutes old and more than a decade old. In general, a warrant will remain active until it is served or called by the issuing court.

If it is a felony criminal warrant, you can turn yourself into the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office. If it is a misdemeanor warrant, you can turn yourself into the Sheriff’s Office or you can contact the County Clerk and ask that you have yourself added to the appropriate court’s calendar and appear as directed. If it is a writ, you can make arrangements with the entity that has had the writ issued or you can make arrangements with the County Clerk to have yourself added to the appropriate court’s calendar and appear as directed.

The warrants on this website should be limited to those that are still active. However, there have been infrequent cases where a warrant that is no longer active has been listed on this website. That is one reason why this list should only serve as a preliminary tool in checking for active warrants and that no warrant can be served solely based on it being listed here.