Search Kokomo 72 Hour Booking Records

Kokomo is the county seat of Howard County, and 72 hour booking records for all Kokomo arrests are maintained by the Howard County Sheriff at the county jail. The Kokomo Police Department has the authority to arrest people within city limits, but they do not keep booking records. Under Indiana Code, the county sheriff is responsible for the jail and its records. This page covers how to use the Howard County inmate search, what the booking process looks like, and which state and local tools are available to the public.

Howard County Jail Inmate Search

The Howard County Sheriff's Office provides an inmate search tool at sheriff.howardcountyin.gov/inmateSearch. This lets you look up people currently in custody at the Howard County Jail. You can search by name and view each person's charges, booking date, and bond information. Results reflect the current inmate population and update as people are booked or released.

The Howard County Jail is at 1800 West Markland Avenue, Kokomo, IN 46901. Because Kokomo is the county seat, the jail is located within the city, which makes it convenient for in-person inquiries. The main jail phone is 765-456-2020. If you cannot find someone through the online search, a direct call to the booking desk is your best option. Jail staff can confirm whether someone is in custody and provide basic booking information.

The Kokomo Police Department is at 100 S. Union Street, Kokomo, IN 46901, phone 765-457-1105. The department's website is at cityofkokomo.org/police-department. City police handle arrests within Kokomo city limits, but once someone is transported to the county jail, the sheriff's office takes over custody and record keeping. The Howard County Sheriff's website at sheriff.howardcountyin.gov is the right starting point for most jail-related searches.

The screenshot below shows the Howard County Sheriff inmate search tool, which displays current bookings for Kokomo and surrounding Howard County.

The search shows booking dates, charges, and bond amounts for Howard County Jail inmates, including those arrested in Kokomo.

Kokomo Arrest and Booking Process

Every arrest in Kokomo follows the same basic path. A Kokomo Police officer or Howard County deputy makes the arrest. The person is transported to the Howard County Jail on Markland Avenue. Jail staff handle intake: photographs, fingerprints, charge entry, and a check against warrant databases. The record created at that point is the booking record that shows up in the online search.

From that moment, the 72 hour clock runs. Indiana law says anyone in custody must have an initial hearing before a judge within 72 hours. At that hearing, the court sets bail or releases the person. Serious charges can lead to high bail or no bail. Misdemeanor arrests often allow for quicker release on a set bond without waiting for a hearing. The 72 hour limit is a constitutional protection. It prevents police from holding someone indefinitely without judicial review.

Under Indiana Code 36-2-13-5, the county sheriff must run the jail and keep its records. IC 11-8-2-5 spells out the documentation requirements. Both statutes make the Howard County Sheriff the legal custodian of every booking record for every person arrested in Kokomo and brought to the county jail.

All persons listed in booking records are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Indiana Public Records Law and Kokomo Bookings

Indiana's Access to Public Records Act is at IC 5-14-3. The law applies to all government records, including jail booking data. Standard adult booking records are public. That means anyone can request or view a person's name, booking date, charges, and arresting agency without needing to explain why or prove a legal interest. The default position is openness.

There are exceptions. Juvenile records are sealed. Active investigative records may be withheld while an investigation is ongoing. Records that have been expunged or sealed by court order are no longer public. But absent one of these specific exceptions, the booking record for any adult arrested in Kokomo is available to the public through the Howard County Sheriff's Office.

If you want a certified copy of a booking record, you can request one directly from the sheriff's office. There is typically a small per-page fee for printed records. Basic online lookups at the inmate search portal are free. If the sheriff's office denies a records request that you believe should be granted, you can seek guidance from the Indiana Public Access Counselor. The PAC office provides free advisory opinions and helps members of the public navigate records disputes.

Statewide Resources for Kokomo Arrest Records

Beyond the Howard County site, Indiana offers several statewide resources for tracking bookings and custody status.

The Indiana County Jail Public Portal is a statewide database that aggregates jail booking data from participating counties across Indiana. If you need to search without knowing which county someone was arrested in, or if the Howard County site is temporarily unavailable, this portal can help. Enter the person's name and it will check across all participating county jails.

VINELink is the statewide victim notification tool. Victims and family members can register for automatic alerts when a specific person's custody status changes, such as a release, transfer, or bond posting. Registration is free online or by calling 866-959-VINE (8463). VINELink works for all Indiana county jails including Howard County, and it sends notifications by phone, text, or email.

For cases where someone has already been sentenced and moved to a state prison, the IDOC Offender Search is the tool to use. Pre-trial detainees at the Howard County Jail are not in the IDOC system. But once they are convicted and transferred to state DOC custody, that search is where you will find them. For recent Kokomo arrests, the county jail portal is the right starting point.

Court records for Howard County cases are at the MyCase public portal. You can search by name or case number to find filed charges, scheduled hearings, and case outcomes. MyCase does not replace the inmate search for real-time booking data, but it tracks the court case after the initial booking. It is especially useful for checking upcoming hearing dates or finding out what charges were formally filed by the prosecutor.

The screenshot below shows the Kokomo Police Department website, where you can find contact information and department news.

The Kokomo Police Department handles city arrests, but booking records are housed at the Howard County Jail managed by the county sheriff.

Nearby Indiana Cities

These north-central and central Indiana cities also use county jail systems for all bookings and 72 hour holds.