Public records are now available online for Pike County residents according to an announcement of Pike County Probate Judge Wes Allen.

The service is free and also provides additional security for historical documents between 1970 and 2003.

“Our team worked hard to find the right online search solution to adequately serve the needs of the public,” Allen said. “We have been working a long time to have our public records before the year 2003 digitized. This new system enables us to make that a reality. We were able to do this at no additional cost to taxpayers.”

Public records of Pike County can now be searched and viewed online through the official probate office website at www.pikeprobate.com. Searchable public records include deeds, mortgages, incorporations, UCC, miscellaneous records and elections – all of which were available to the public before the new database but required customers to visit the courthouse during normal business hours.

To further assist customers, three public computer workstations are available to customers at the Pike County Courthouse. Public records have been recorded digitally since 2003, but records before that were not available in an electronic format, Allen said. Searchable data now includes records back to 1970 and is available to the public free of charge. Printed copies of the documents are available for a fee from the probate office and standard fees apply for certified copies of recorded documents.

“This project is in line with our strategic vision to make government more effective and efficient,” Allen said. “We want to provide customers options when conducting business with their courthouse,” Allen explained. “I believe this option provides a more convenient way for taxpayers to interact with their probate office.”

Some records such as marriages and divorces are not available online and can only be found at the courthouse. No marriages have been recorded though in the office since 2015, when Allen discontinued the issuance of all marriage licenses.

Another important aspect of digital records is the security digital copies provide, Allen said.

“We now have digital copies of these documents that are securely stored off-site in case the original records were ever compromised,” Allen said, referring to disasters such as fire or water damage.

The official public records can be found in the Pike County Probate office Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.