Arrests made in Elkhart County are processed at the facility found at:
26861 C.R. 26
Elkhart, IN 46517
which books adults charged with both felonies and misdemeanors.
Sheriff’s deputies process their own arrests here, along with officers from town and city police departments in the county that have no holding facility. Each new arrival is photographed, fingerprinted, searched, checked for outstanding warrants and screened for medical and mental health needs before a housing assignment is made. Indiana law requires a DNA sample from every adult arrested for a felony, so a cheek swab is part of booking on felony charges.
Troopers with the Indiana State Police and other state officers also bring arrests to this jail. Federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals and ICE, may hold people here as well.
Indiana law does not allow local governments to restrict cooperation with federal immigration officials. A 2025 state law (House Enrolled Act 1393) also directs jails to alert the sheriff when there is probable cause to believe a person booked on an unrelated charge is not lawfully in the country, and the sheriff then passes that information to federal immigration authorities. Families can check whether a person has been moved into federal immigration custody with the ICE Online Detainee Locator.
Names of people arrested are drawn from the sheriff’s official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide jail list. Depending on the county, the list may include a booking photo, the charges filed and the agency that made the arrest. For anything missing or unclear, call the Elkhart County Corrections Center at 574-891-2100.
Getting through intake can take a couple of hours on a quiet day or most of a day when the booking area is crowded, since each person waits their turn behind those who arrived earlier.
Commercial bail is legal in Indiana, and bail agents must be licensed by the Indiana Department of Insurance. Under Indiana Criminal Rule 26, courts are encouraged to release lower-risk defendants without money bail, often after a pretrial risk assessment, so some people are released on their own recognizance or with supervision instead. A person arrested without a warrant must have a judicial probable-cause review within 48 hours, and the initial hearing must be held promptly. Steps for posting bond are on our Bail page.
The quickest way to confirm a recent arrest is to call the Elkhart County Corrections Center at 574-891-2100.
Some jails offer an automated phone lookup by name, while others connect you to a staff member. Have the person’s full name and date of birth ready, since staff may ask for it to make sure they have the right record.
Records for a new arrest often take a few hours to appear while intake is underway.
You can also search recent bookings online through the Elkhart County Corrections Center Booking Roster.
Once someone is arrested and advised of their Miranda rights, the arresting officer drives them to the county jail run by the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office, or in some places to a city lockup first, to be booked.
Intake is a series of steps rather than a single event. Defense lawyers generally tell clients to say nothing about the charge during this time, because conversations and phone calls in the jail can be recorded and offered as evidence later.
Staff take a mugshot and fingerprints and ask a long list of questions about personal background and well-being. Anyone arrested for a felony in Indiana must also give a DNA sample, usually with a cheek swab. Records are checked for warrants in Elkhart County, elsewhere in Indiana and nationwide.
In drunk-driving cases, a driver who refuses a chemical test faces suspension of their license, and officers can seek a warrant to have blood drawn by medical staff.
New arrivals are searched and may be strip-searched, which can include squatting and coughing in front of an officer of the same sex. Many jails also use a metal detector or body scanner.
Expect questions about health problems, current medications, allergies, alcohol or drug use and withdrawal risk, thoughts of self-harm, tattoos, gang ties and any enemies in custody. The answers guide where the person is housed and whether they need medical or mental health attention.
Everything the person has with them is inventoried and stored until they are released. If they sign a release form, some items can be picked up by a relative or friend.
Stored items typically include street clothes, cash, wallets, phones, keys, jewelry, piercings, watches and belts. Eyeglasses may be held if staff see them as a safety concern, and shoelaces are taken out of any shoes the person keeps.
The person is given a chance to call someone to explain the arrest and start arranging bond or bail. People who are not released may be screened for pretrial release before their initial hearing.
Anyone held until court receives a jail uniform, footwear, bedding, a towel and basic hygiene supplies from the Elkhart County Corrections Center.
Before moving to a housing unit, most people shower and may be treated for lice or scabies.
Plan on anywhere from about an hour to a full day or longer. Busy nights, staffing levels and the person’s own cooperation all affect the pace.
Someone who arrives very drunk, high or combative may be kept in a holding cell until they calm down, which pushes the rest of intake back.