Hammond Jail Mugshots and Booking Records
Hammond jail mugshots are held by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, which processes bookings for all of Lake County at the jail in Crown Point. Hammond is the largest city in Lake County and one of the largest in Indiana's northwest region. All Hammond Police Department arrests go to the Lake County Jail for booking, fingerprinting, and photographing. Indiana Code 36-2-13-5 requires the sheriff to photograph arrested persons, and those records are public under IC 5-14-3-5. The Lake County Sheriff provides a free online inmate search that makes it easy to find Hammond booking records without calling the jail.
Hammond Quick Facts
Lake County Sheriff Inmate Search
The Lake County Sheriff's Office provides a public inmate search at lcso.org/inmate-search. You can search by name to find current detainees from Hammond or anywhere in Lake County. Results include charges, bond amounts, and booking dates. This tool is free and does not require registration.
The jail is at 2293 N. Main Street, Crown Point. The Lake County Sheriff's website is at lakecountysheriff.com. For questions about a specific inmate, visitation, or bond, calling the jail directly is the fastest option.
The Lake County Jail handles bookings from Hammond, East Chicago, Griffith, Crown Point, and other cities and towns across the county. Given Hammond's size, it contributes a significant share of the county's booking volume. For full Lake County Jail information and contact details, see the Lake County page.
Hammond Police Department
The Hammond Police Department's page is at gohammond.com. For city arrest records and incident reports, start with the Hammond PD.
Hammond Indiana Police Department page, the starting point for public records requests and contact information related to Hammond arrests and jail mugshots.
Hammond officers make arrests and prepare incident reports. After the arrest, the person is transported to the Lake County Jail in Crown Point for booking and photographing. The booking photo is a county record held by the sheriff. If you need the actual mugshot, contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office directly or use the online inmate search at lcso.org.
Under IC 5-14-3-5, arrest records are public in Indiana. The Hammond Police and the Lake County Sheriff must respond to written records requests within seven days. You do not need to state a reason for requesting arrest records.
Indiana INjail Portal
Indiana's statewide INjail portal at public.indianajail.gov pulls current inmate data from county jails across the state, including Lake County. If you are not sure which facility is holding someone, the statewide search can cover multiple counties at once. The tool is free.
Indiana INjail statewide portal for searching Hammond and Lake County jail mugshots and inmate booking records.
The Lake County Sheriff's own inmate search at lcso.org is often more detailed for Lake County specifically. The INjail portal is more useful for a broad search or when you need to check across multiple counties.
VINE and Custody Notifications
The VINE system provides free custody notifications for Lake County Jail inmates. Sign up at VINELink.com or call 1-866-959-VINE (8463). You can choose to get alerts by phone, email, or text message. VINE notifies you when the inmate is released, transferred, or has any custody change.
Indiana SAVIN at indianasavin.in.gov provides custody searches across the full Indiana corrections system. It covers both county jails and state prisons. If someone moved from the Lake County Jail to a state facility, SAVIN can help locate them. The IDOC Offender Locator at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov covers only those in Indiana state prisons.
Court Records After a Hammond Arrest
Hammond arrests lead to cases in Lake Circuit Court or one of the Lake Superior Courts. Indiana's free online court records system, MyCase, lets you search by name or case number. You can see charges filed, hearing schedules, and case outcomes. MyCase is updated regularly and covers both active and closed cases.
Even after someone is released from the Lake County Jail, their court case remains in MyCase. This makes it useful for tracking what happened after the booking. For people convicted and sent to state prison, use the IDOC Offender Locator for their current location.
Public Records Laws and Expungement
Indiana makes arrest records public under IC 5-14-3-5. Both the Hammond Police and the Lake County Sheriff must provide arrest data on request. Booking photos are part of that public record. Written requests must be answered within seven days. Exceptions under IC 5-14-3-4 include active investigations, juvenile records, and a few other protected categories.
Expungement under IC 35-38-5-5 allows courts to seal past arrest and conviction records. Once expunged, those records do not appear in routine public searches. IC 10-13-3-27 governs limited criminal history dissemination, which is a broader and more restricted process than standard arrest records requests.
If a records request is wrongly denied, the Indiana Public Access Counselor at in.gov/pac can review the denial and issue an opinion. Their published guidance on mugshot and warrant access is a practical reference for what agencies must and cannot withhold.
Nearby Cities
These Lake County cities also have pages with local jail and booking information.