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Indiana County
Jasper County, Indiana
Rensselaer's Saint Joseph's College legacy and the Grand Prairie - from Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer (the beloved Catholic liberal arts college that operated in Rensselaer from 1889 until its devastating closure in 2017 - the campus's sudden shutdown shocked the higher education community and left a significant void in northwest Indiana's educational and cultural landscape) to Jasper County's position in the Kankakee Grand Prairie (the flat, fertile agricultural landscape of northwest Indiana - the drained Kankakee marshes that became some of the most productive farmland in the world - defines the county's economic and physical character).
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Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Jasper County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via in.gov/counties/jasper.
Sheriff: Jasper County Sheriff’s Office – 2171 North McKinley Avenue, PO Box 296, Rensselaer, IN 47978 | (219) 866-7344 | Fax (219) 866-4949. North Sheriff’s Annex – SR 10 and County Road 600 W, DeMotte, IN (hours vary; closed all major holidays). Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-231 and SR-10 serve Rensselaer, the county seat, in northwestern Indiana within the Chicago metropolitan region. Jasper County is the third-largest county by area in Indiana.
Notes: Jasper County was created February 7, 1835, established March 15, 1838, named for Sgt. William Jasper, a celebrated Continental Army scout in the American Revolutionary War. The county seat was originally called Newton, then renamed Rensselaer in 1844, honoring James Van Rensselaer. Benton County split off from Jasper in 1840; Newton County was later revived in 1859 with a smaller area, leaving Jasper in its present form.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Jasper County Courthouse – W. Washington Street, Rensselaer, IN (built 1898, architects Grindle & Weatherhogg and Heinzmen Brothers; National Register of Historic Places since 1983; part of the Rensselaer Courthouse Square Historic District).
Notes: Jasper County has a genuinely early anti-slavery history: as early as 1825, the majority of the county’s population opposed slavery, well ahead of the broader national abolitionist movement. Rensselaer’s other National Register listings include the Oren F. and Adelia Parker House and the Rensselaer Carnegie Library.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Jasper County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via in.gov/counties/jasper.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Rensselaer Carnegie Library (Rensselaer) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Rensselaer Courthouse Square Historic District, the Oren F. and Adelia Parker House, and the Rensselaer Carnegie Library are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, notably early anti-slavery sentiment documented in Jasper County by 1825 is among the standout local historical facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Jasper County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via in.gov/counties/jasper.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Jasper County Animal Control & Shelter – (219) 866-5756.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Jasper County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via in.gov/counties/jasper.
NOTES: Jasper County is the thirty-eighth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, notably early anti-slavery sentiment documented in Jasper County by 1825 is among the standout local historical facts covered 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 Jasper County
Jasper County is northwest Indiana’s Grand Prairie agricultural county – the flat, fertile Kankakee farmland and the closure of Saint Joseph’s College define a community navigating both agricultural abundance and post-institutional transition.
Rensselaer (the county seat, population ~6,000) lost a significant community anchor with Saint Joseph’s closure in 2017 – the empty campus has prompted discussions about adaptive reuse.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Jasper County Assessor at 115 W. Washington Street, Suite 201, Rensselaer, IN 47978, phone 219-866-4915. IN residential deductions reduce assessed value.
Courts & Legal
Jasper County Circuit Court at 115 W. Washington Street, Rensselaer, IN 47978, phone 219-866-4927, 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)
115 W. Washington St., Rensselaer, IN 47978
(219) 866-4930
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
115 W. Washington St., Rensselaer, IN 47978
(219) 866-4930
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Jasper County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Rensselaer Courthouse Square Historic District is a significant local historical resource.
Local societies
No dedicated Jasper County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
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
Jasper County Circuit Court 115 West Washington Street, Suite 300, Rensselaer, IN 47978 (219) 866-7766; Guardianship/Probate: (219) 866-4922
Jasper County was created February 7, 1835 and established March 15, 1838, named for Sergeant William Jasper, a Revolutionary War hero. It’s Indiana’s 3rd-largest county by area, part of the Chicago metro region. The 1898 Jasper County Courthouse anchors the Rensselaer Courthouse Square Historic District (National Register of Historic Places).
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 Jasper 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 Jasper 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
601 W. Clark St., Rensselaer, IN 47978
(219) 866-3806
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
115 W. Washington St., Rensselaer, IN 47978
(219) 866-4930
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Jasper County Health Dept
(219) 866-4962
IN FSSA — Northwest Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Franciscan Health Rensselaer
franciscanhealth.org/rensselaer (Rensselaer — quality community hospital)
Franciscan Health Crown Point
franciscanhealth.org/crown-point
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Jasper County Health Department – 105 W. Kellner Boulevard, Rensselaer, IN 47978 | (219) 866-4917 | Fax (219) 866-4108.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Rensselaer
Population: 34,000
Area: 560 sq mi
Established: 1838
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Jasper County residents.
