Public-resource hub · Scott County
Consumer Protection — Scott County, Indiana
A plain-language directory of every public agency, court portal, license-search tool, and live-alert feed a Scott County resident might need before, during, or after a consumer dispute. No paywalls. No advertising. Source-cited. Not legal advice.
County seat is Scottsburg. Scott County is one of the smallest by area in Indiana but has well-documented public-health and consumer-protection needs — it was the epicenter of the 2015 HIV outbreak that drew national CDC attention and prompted a permanent state response.
Population source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census — Census QuickFacts →
Step 1
Where to file a complaint
Pick the agency that matches the dispute. State and federal agencies handle the bulk of formal consumer-protection cases — small claims is the right venue for under-$8,000 money disputes between residents/businesses.
Indiana Attorney General — Consumer Protection
The state's main consumer-complaint intake. Online form, mail-in option, and toll-free hotline 1-800-382-5516. Covers most retail, contractor, and credit disputes statewide.
Non-governmentBBB Central Indiana
Search businesses, file a complaint, or see complaint history. BBB doesn't prosecute — it documents, mediates, and rates — but the public record it builds is useful before you sign anything.
License lookupIndiana Professional Licensing — eVerification
Search the licensing & discipline status of doctors, dentists, nurses, contractors, real-estate agents, accountants, cosmetologists, and 40+ other regulated professions. File a discipline complaint per board.
FederalFTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov
The Federal Trade Commission's consumer-fraud intake. Best venue for cross-state scams, robocalls, identity theft, and online-purchase fraud. Reports feed the federal Consumer Sentinel Network.
Federal · financeCFPB Consumer Complaint Portal
For banks, credit cards, mortgages, debt collectors, payday lenders, and credit-reporting agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau forwards your complaint to the company and gets a response on the public record.
Small claimsScott County Small Claims · mycase.in.gov
For money disputes up to $8,000 (Indiana small-claims cap), file in the township small-claims court. Use mycase.in.gov to look up the right docket and existing cases. Filing fees apply; lawyers optional.
Step 2
Search public records before you sign
Five minutes here will tell you whether a contractor is licensed, whether a business is registered, whether it's been sued, and whether the address has an EPA or OSHA history. Free, public, no account required.
Indiana mycase — civil & criminal records
Search civil suits, judgments, and criminal cases across all 92 counties. Filter to Scott County for local results. Free, no sign-in required.
CountyScott County official site
Navigate to Recorder, Assessor, Clerk, and Auditor departments for property records, deeds, tax history, marriage records, and clerk filings specific to Scott County.
Business entityIndiana Secretary of State — Business Search
Verify any LLC, corporation, or registered business: legal name, registered agent, formation date, status (active / inactive / withdrawn), and principal office. If a contractor isn't here, that's a red flag.
License verifyContractor / Professional License Verification
Indiana doesn't require a state-level general-contractor license, but plumbers, electricians, HVAC, real-estate, healthcare, and many trades do. Verify before money changes hands.
Public safetyIndiana Sex & Violent Offender Registry
Search by name, address, or ZIP within Scott County. Statutory registry maintained under the Indiana sheriffs' association on the icrimewatch.com platform.
Federal courtsPACER — Federal Court Records
For lawsuits in federal court (bankruptcy, federal civil claims, federal criminal). Free to search; per-page fees apply for documents. Includes the Southern District of Indiana, which covers Scott County.
EnvironmentalEPA ECHO — Enforcement & Compliance
Look up any address or facility for Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and hazardous-waste enforcement history. Filter to Scott County, IN. Free, no account.
Workplace safetyOSHA Establishment Inspection Search
OSHA inspection history for any worksite. Search by city, ZIP, or company name. Useful for evaluating an employer or a contractor's safety record before you hire or take a job.
Step 3 · Live
Active alerts & recalls
Pulled in real-time from federal and state feeds when this page loads. If a section is empty, that means there's nothing currently active for Scott County or the relevant national feed. (If everything is empty, the home server may be temporarily offline.)
NWS active weather alerts — Scott County
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Source: National Weather Service via the TCG Live Data Service
USGS earthquakes — past 24h, regional
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Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program via TCG home server proxy · filtered to Scott County bounding box (lat 38.55-38.83, lon -85.95--85.55)
Recent federal recalls (FDA / NHTSA / CPSC)
Live recall feeds rotate frequently. The links below open the official searchable databases:
- FDA Recalls & Safety Alerts — food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics
- NHTSA Recalls — vehicles, tires, child seats (search by VIN)
- CPSC Recalls — consumer products, appliances, toys
Direct links to authoritative federal databases. Always verify recall status against the manufacturer's published list.
Indiana AG — consumer alerts & press
The Attorney General publishes scam alerts, settlements, and consumer warnings on the office's news page:
Step 4
Know your rights — Indiana consumer law in plain language
These are summaries, not legal advice. Each section links to the actual Indiana Code at iga.in.gov. If your situation is messy, talk to a lawyer (see the footer).
Indiana Lemon Law IC 24-5-13
If you buy a new motor vehicle (under 18,000 lbs gross weight, mainly for personal use) and the same defect cannot be repaired after a "reasonable number of attempts" within the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, the manufacturer has to either replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price (less a usage adjustment). The law applies to manufacturer defects covered by the original warranty — not buyer's remorse, not normal wear, not used-car as-is sales.
Deceptive Consumer Sales Act IC 24-5-0.5
Indiana's main "broad" consumer-protection statute. It bans uncured and incurable deceptive acts in any consumer transaction — misrepresenting the source, quality, sponsorship, condition, or price of goods or services; passing off used goods as new; bait-and-switch advertising; high-pressure tactics targeting senior citizens; and roughly two dozen other specific practices. Remedies include actual damages, treble damages (capped) for incurable acts, attorney's fees, and AG enforcement actions.
Home Improvement Contracts Act IC 24-5-11
Any home-improvement contract over $150 must be in writing and must contain: the contractor's name, address, and telephone; a reasonably detailed description of the work and materials; the contract price (or the basis for calculating it); the start date; signatures of both parties; and notice of the homeowner's right to cancel a door-to-door contract under the Home Solicitation Sales Act. A contract that doesn't meet those requirements is not binding on the homeowner.
Home Solicitation Sales Act — 3-day cancellation IC 24-5-10
If a salesperson sells you something at your home (door-to-door, in-home demo, hotel-room presentation), you have until midnight of the third business day after signing to cancel the contract in writing — for any reason, no penalty. The seller has to give you a written notice of that right at the time of sale. If they didn't, the cancellation period extends until they do. Doesn't apply to sales you initiated yourself or to most insurance / real-estate / motor-vehicle sales.