Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Columbus is a city in Bartholomew County, Indiana, with about 52,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps police reports, council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Columbus offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 3 city office pages for Columbus, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Clerk, Police records, City Hall, Records requests and Questions.
City or county record: where Columbus records are kept
- Kept by the City of Columbus: police reports, council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Bartholomew County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Bartholomew County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Columbus City Clerk: council records and ordinances
The City Clerk keeps the official records of the city government: council and board agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions, and the city's contracts and other official documents. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for Columbus.
- Website: columbus.in.gov/city-clerk (page title: City Clerk | City of Columbus, Indiana)
- Phone: (812) 376-2500
- Address: 123 Washington St., Columbus, IN 47201
- Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Columbus police reports and records
Incident reports, crash reports and the other records of the Columbus police are requested from the department's records unit, usually in writing or through an online form. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted, and some states limit crash reports to the people involved and their insurers. The page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Columbus police records.
- Website: columbus.in.gov/police/divisions/records (page title: Records | Police)
- Phone: 877-472-6917
- Address: 123 Washington Street, Columbus, IN 47201
- Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Jail bookings and inmate lookups are usually handled by the county, not the city police. They are in the Bartholomew County public records guide under jail and inmate lookups.
Columbus City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: columbus.in.gov/city-departments (page title: City Departments | City of Columbus, Indiana)
- Phone: (812) 376-2500
- Address: 123 Washington St. Columbus, IN 47201
- Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Columbus
Indiana public records law applies to the city government of Columbus. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records, the police records unit for police reports and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Columbus website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Columbus offices listed above, and the city's own website is columbus.in.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
How do I get a police report in Columbus?
Request it from the Columbus police records unit at columbus.in.gov/police/divisions/records, phone 877-472-6917. Reports on open investigations and the names of victims and juveniles are usually withheld or redacted.
Where do I find Columbus city council minutes and ordinances?
From the City Clerk at columbus.in.gov/city-clerk, phone (812) 376-2500. The office keeps the official agendas and minutes, ordinances and resolutions.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Columbus?
Columbus cases are heard by the courts that serve Bartholomew County, and people arrested in Columbus are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Bartholomew County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Columbus?
From the office that holds it: the City Clerk for council and city records, the police records unit for police reports and the department that issued a permit or license for its records. Indiana public records law applies to city governments.