Decatur County Background Information
Decatur County is one of the 105 counties within the state of Kansas. Oberlin is the current Decatur County seat. In 2020, the population in Decatur County was 2,764.
It was formed in 1873.
It was named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr. He was a United States naval officer and commodore.
Decatur County Arrest Records
Arrest records are kept for all crimes across Decatur County and Kansas as a whole. In Decatur County, crimes are broken into two main types. Property crime and violent crime makeup these two sections. Property crimes can include things such as burglary, automobile theft, and larceny. Forcible rape, murder, aggravated assault, and robbery are all included in the violent crime section. Crimes for this county have not maintained frequent reporting, and as such, cannot be recorded. However, Decatur County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at:
Decatur County Sheriff’s Office
Troy M. Haas, Sheriff
120 East Hall Street #2
Oberlin, KS 67749
Phone: (785) 475-8103
Decatur County Criminal Records
The police in Decatur County must keep an up-to-date register of all sex offenders. These include anyone in Decatur County who is living, working, in prison, or attending school. As it is in the public interest, all Decatur County residents can access this list.
Every resident in Decatur County can search for nearby sex offenders. Users can search using a zip code and a radius. Citizens can also search by name for particular offenders. The searches also include any offender currently incarcerated or non-compliant.
Decatur County records their criminal activity in the form of criminal records. These records cover murders, rapes, burglaries, arson, motor vehicle theft, assaults, and crimes of a sexual nature. Decatur County criminal records include jail and inmate records and are regularly updated. Residents of Decatur County can use a search tool in order to access the records in question. Any nearby individual in jail can be looked up using the search tool in Decatur County.
Decatur County Court Records
The court clerk maintains every single court record in Decatur County. Citizens of Decatur County can obtain court records at:
Decatur County Courthouse
Brooke Graham, Clerk
120 East Hall Street
Courthouse
P.O. Box 89
Oberlin, KS 67749
Phone: (785) 475-8107
Fax: (785) 475-8170
When an appeal is made in Kansas, the Court of Appeals may review any lower court case decision. These lower courts are made up of the 105 superior or trial courts found across the state's 105 counties, including Decatur County.
NOTE - In Decatur County, court records are supplied one of three ways. The three delivery methods are fax, mail, or email. Only mail delivery is available for certified or official documents in Decatur County.
Decatur County Public Records
Vital records are kept on every resident in America, including Decatur County. Some vital records are amassed and given to the state government by Decatur County. These vital records can range from birth and death certificates to marriage licenses and divorce documents.
For example, in the state of Kansas, all marriage records are compiled by the relevant county clerks. A copy of every vital record is then forwarded to the Office of Vital Statistics. County clerks have also been in control of collecting birth and death records in the past in Kansas. Every vital record in Kansas, including those from Decatur County, is located in one central registry. Statistical analysis can be conducted further down the line by using these vital records.
The Kansas Open Records Act 1976 ensures that all Kansas and Decatur County residents can access and copy vital public records. Any public records, both state and local, can be accessed thanks to the Kansas Open Records Act 1976. This act was most recently amended back in 1994. Residents in Decatur County can obtain copies of public records in-person at:
Decatur County Clerk's Office
Nora Urban, Clerk
120 East Hall Street
Oberlin, KS 67749
Phone: (785) 475-8105
Fax: (785) 475-8150
On the other hand, records do cost in Decatur County. Birth record first copies in Decatur County cost $15. Death record first copies cost $15 in Decatur County. In Decatur County, a requester has to pay $15 for the first copy of their desired marriage record.
NOTE - There are a number of rules in Decatur County regarding obtaining records in-person. Firstly, the Decatur County office is open between 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. CST from Monday to Friday. The requester in question must also be able to show a photo ID. These can include driver's licenses, state IDs, and more. Requesters must also put each public record request in writing in Decatur County.
