Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Indiana County
Hancock County, Indiana
Greenfield and Indianapolis eastern suburbs - from Greenfield's heritage as the birthplace of Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley (the beloved Indiana poet who wrote "Little Orphant Annie" and "When the Frost is on the Punkin" was born in Greenfield in 1849, and his boyhood home is preserved as a museum on the National Register of Historic Places) to Hancock County's rapid growth as an Indianapolis eastern suburb (the county's proximity to I-70 and the Indianapolis metro has fueled residential and commercial development, making Hancock one of Indiana's consistently fastest-growing counties).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Hancock County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via hancockcoingov.org.
Sheriff: Hancock County Sheriff’s Office – Greenfield, IN. Confirm current phone via hancockcoingov.org.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-40 (the historic National Road, built through the county around 1835) and I-70 serve Greenfield, the county seat, about 25 miles directly east of Indianapolis’s Monument Circle.
Notes: Hancock County was created March 1, 1828, from Madison County, named for John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence. Greenfield was chosen as county seat April 11, 1828, when the county’s population stood at 400. Greenfield was incorporated as a city in 1876 (population 2,023), and its greatest growth period began in 1887 with the discovery of natural gas, making it a boomtown for 20 years.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hancock County Courthouse – Greenfield, IN. A statue of James Whitcomb Riley stands in front of the courthouse, unveiled November 26, 1918, funded largely by pennies contributed by schoolchildren across the country.
Notes: Greenfield is genuinely the birthplace of James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916), the beloved “Hoosier Poet” and “Children’s Poet,” author of roughly 1,000 poems including the classics “Little Orphant Annie” and “The Raggedy Man.” His boyhood home is preserved as the James Whitcomb Riley Boyhood Home and Museum, operated by Greenfield’s Parks and Recreation Department, alongside the adjacent Mitchell Home. The annual Riley Festival, held the first Thursday in October around his birthday, is one of Indiana’s largest craft fairs with more than 460 exhibitors. Hancock County has historically been called part of Indiana’s “genius belt,” also home to artists Will Vawter and Dick Black, composer Earl K. Smith (“Down by the Old Mill Stream”), and Rev. Charles O’Donnell, later president of Notre Dame.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Hancock County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via hancockcoingov.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Hancock County Public Library (Greenfield) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The James Whitcomb Riley Boyhood Home and Museum, Riley Park (including the relocated 1856 Chapel in the Park), the annual Riley Festival, and Tuttle Orchards are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, deeply celebrated legacy of James Whitcomb Riley – one of America’s most beloved poets – is among the standout local cultural facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Hancock County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via hancockcoingov.org.
Office: Hancock County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via hancockcoingov.org.
NOTES: Hancock County is the thirty-first county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, deeply celebrated legacy of James Whitcomb Riley is among the standout local cultural facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Hancock County
Hancock County is Indianapolis’s eastern suburban county and a fast-growing corridor along I-70 – Greenfield’s small-city character and James Whitcomb Riley heritage anchor a county whose proximity to the Indianapolis metro drives residential growth, commercial development, and a diversifying economy.
Greenfield (the county seat, population ~23,000) is Hancock County’s governmental and commercial hub and one of central Indiana’s growing suburban cities, offering residents easy access to Indianapolis while maintaining its own distinct community identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Hancock County Assessor at 9 E. Main Street, Greenfield, IN 46140, phone 317-477-1102. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Hancock County Circuit Court at 9 E. Main Street, Greenfield, IN 46140, phone 317-477-1109, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
9 E. Main St., Greenfield, IN 46140
(317) 477-1109
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
9 E. Main St., Greenfield, IN 46140
(317) 477-1109
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Hancock County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The James Whitcomb Riley Birthplace and Museum Home, Greenfield – a significant local historical resource tied to the county’s most famous native.
Local societies
No dedicated Hancock County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories, though it falls within the coverage area of the Genealogical Society of Marion County.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Hancock County Circuit Court 9 East Main Street, Room 202/302, Greenfield, IN 46140 (317) 462-1109
Hancock County is part of the Indianapolis metro area, seated in Greenfield, birthplace of poet James Whitcomb Riley.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Indiana has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is governed by Indiana Code Title 29. Indiana offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the gross probate estate (less liens, encumbrances, and funeral expenses) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after death. The affidavit must be signed and recorded with the county recorder’s office before a personal representative is appointed. No court filing is required.
Devolution of Real Estate Affidavit – a separate affidavit specifically for transferring real property, available 7 months after death, with no value limit on the real estate, recorded with the county recorder.
Unsupervised Administration – a simplified probate track available when the estate is solvent and all inheritors agree; fewer court appearances and filings than supervised administration.
Supervised Administration – full court oversight, used for contested, complex, or insolvent estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and for Issuance of Letters (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Personal Representative (if intestate) with the Hancock County Circuit Court.
The court reviews the will for compliance with Indiana Code § 29-1-5-3 (in writing, signed by the testator, witnessed by at least 2 credible witnesses).
The court issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly 3 months from first publication) to file claims.
The personal representative marshals assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and distributes the estate.
File a closing statement or final accounting to formally close the estate.
What it costs
Indiana does not have a state estate or inheritance tax.
Filing fees vary by county – confirm current amounts with the Hancock County Circuit Court.
Indiana has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit – a minimum 45-day wait; Unsupervised Administration – roughly 6-9 months if uncontested; Supervised Administration – 9-12+ months.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
123 E. Main St., Greenfield, IN 46140
(317) 477-1147
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
9 E. Main St., Greenfield, IN 46140
(317) 477-1109
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Hancock County Health Dept
(317) 477-1125
IN FSSA — Central Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Hancock Regional Hospital
hancockregional.org (Greenfield — excellent community hospital)
Community Health Network (Indianapolis)
ecommunity.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Hancock County Health Department – confirm current contact via hancockcoingov.org.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Greenfield
Population: 80,000
Area: 306 sq mi
Established: 1828
Tier: 2
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Hancock County residents.
