Goshen Jail Mugshots and Booking Records

Goshen jail mugshots are processed and maintained by the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office, which operates the county jail serving all of Elkhart County. Goshen is the county seat of Elkhart County in northern Indiana, and arrests made by Goshen Police or county deputies all flow through the Elkhart County booking system. Under Indiana Code 36-2-13-5, the sheriff must photograph every person they arrest, making booking photos part of the public record. IC 5-14-3-5 makes that record accessible to the public. This page covers where to find Goshen jail mugshots, how to contact the sheriff, and what statewide tools are available.

Elkhart County Sheriff and Jail

The Elkhart County Sheriff's Office operates the jail that handles bookings for Goshen and all of Elkhart County. The sheriff's website is at sheriff.elkhartcounty.com. For current inmate information, contact the sheriff's office directly or check their website for any online search tools.

When someone is arrested in Goshen, the Goshen Police hand them off to the Elkhart County booking system. Staff record the person's information, document charges, take fingerprints, and photograph the detainee. That photograph is the booking photo or mugshot. Bond is usually set at the first hearing before an Elkhart County judge.

For full details on the Elkhart County Jail, including contact information, visitation rules, and records access, see the Elkhart County page on this site. The sheriff's office is the primary records source for all Goshen jail bookings.

Goshen Police Department Records

The Goshen Police Department serves Goshen city limits. Their main line is 574-533-4151. The department's website is at goshen.in.gov. For incident reports related to city arrests, the police department is the right first contact.

City police document the arrest and prepare incident reports. The actual booking process, including the mugshot, takes place at the Elkhart County Jail. So if you need the booking photo, the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office is the right agency to contact, not the city police.

Indiana's public records law at IC 5-14-3-5 makes arrest records public. Both the city police and the county sheriff must respond to written requests within seven days. The most direct path to a current inmate's booking photo is through the sheriff's office, which controls the jail records.

Indiana INjail Portal

Indiana's statewide INjail portal at public.indianajail.gov aggregates current inmate data from county jails across the state. You can search by name to find someone held in Elkhart County. The portal is free and does not require an account.

The INjail portal works best for current detainees. For older records or past arrests, contacting the Elkhart County Sheriff directly or searching through Indiana MyCase is more reliable. Historical inmate records may not appear in the live portal.

VINE Notifications and SAVIN

The VINE system lets you register for custody notifications for someone held at the Elkhart County Jail. Sign up at VINELink.com or call 1-866-959-VINE (8463). You can choose phone, email, or text alerts. The service is free. You will be notified when the inmate is released, transferred, or if there is any other change in their status.

The Indiana SAVIN portal at indianasavin.in.gov provides custody searches across both county jails and state prisons. It is a useful complement to VINE when you need to locate someone who may have moved from a county jail to a state facility.

Court Records in Elkhart County

Cases that come from Goshen arrests go to Elkhart Circuit Court or Elkhart Superior Courts. Indiana's free online court records tool, MyCase, lets you search by name or case number. You can see what charges were filed, when hearings are scheduled, and how cases ended up. MyCase does not display mugshots but connects the jail booking to the court record.

MyCase updates regularly. Even if someone posted bond and left the jail, their case remains in MyCase until it closes. This makes it useful for tracking what happened after the initial arrest. For people serving state prison sentences after conviction, the IDOC Offender Locator at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov shows their current prison location.

Public Records Law and Expungement

Arrest records are public in Indiana under IC 5-14-3-5. Agencies must provide arrest data including booking photos when requested in writing. Exceptions under IC 5-14-3-4 apply to active investigations, juvenile records, and other protected categories. Agencies that deny a request must state which exception applies.

Expungement under IC 35-38-5-5 removes past arrest records from public access after a court grants the petition. Once expunged, those records do not appear in routine searches. IC 10-13-3-27 governs limited criminal history records, which require a different process than standard arrest record requests.

The Indiana Public Access Counselor at in.gov/pac handles complaints about denied records requests. Their opinion on mugshot and warrant access is a helpful reference for understanding what agencies must release and what they can legally withhold.

Nearby Cities

Goshen is the main qualifying city in Elkhart County. Other Indiana cities with pages on this site include the following.