Lake County Property Tax Records
Lake County property tax records are maintained by the Lake County Auditor and the Lake County Assessor, both based in Crown Point, Indiana, serving the most populous county in Indiana with cities including Hammond, Gary, East Chicago, Hobart, Schererville, and Crown Point itself. The county provides a dedicated online portal for searching tax bills and parcel data, along with separate assessor resources for valuation information. This page explains how to search Lake County property tax records, understand your assessment, file for deductions, and manage your tax bills.
Lake County Property Tax Quick Facts
Lake County Auditor and Assessor Offices
The Lake County Auditor is located at the Lake County Government Center, 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point, IN 46307. The auditor's phone number is 219-755-3120. The Lake County Assessor is LaTonya Spearman, located at 213 S. Court St., Crown Point, IN 46307. The assessor's office can be reached at 219-755-3100 or by email at Assessor@lakecountyin.org.
As the county notes in its public materials, you can contact the Auditor's Office at 219-755-3120 regarding exemptions and the Assessor's Office at 219-755-3100 regarding assessed values. This is an important distinction. If your question is about the value placed on your Lake County property, the assessor is the right contact. If your question is about a deduction, exemption, or tax duplicate issue, the auditor handles that. Knowing which office to call saves time in a county this large.
Lake County is one of the largest counties in Indiana by both population and number of parcels. The county government center in Crown Point is the hub for most property tax administrative functions. The assessor's office at 213 S. Court St. handles valuation for all Lake County parcels. Both offices are open during standard county business hours.
The Indiana Gateway for Government Units provides public access to tax data and local government financial reports for Lake County.
The Gateway portal allows Lake County property owners to view levy and budget data submitted by local units of government, which explains how tax rates are set for properties across the county.
Search Lake County Property Tax Records Online
Lake County provides a dedicated public access portal for searching property tax records at in-lake.publicaccessnow.com. The portal allows you to search for tax bills by owner name, parcel number, or address. This is the primary tool for looking up Lake County tax bills, payment status, and parcel information. No registration is required for basic searches. The portal is maintained specifically for Lake County and is the county's recommended starting point for property tax record lookups.
Lake County also uses the XSoft Engage platform at engage.xsoftinc.com/lake for property tax access. XSoft Engage is used by several Indiana counties and provides parcel search, assessed value lookup, and tax history in a web-based interface. Both the publicaccessnow portal and XSoft Engage draw from the same underlying Lake County property data. Using both and comparing results can sometimes help when one tool is not returning what you expect.
One important note about Lake County: the county does not issue Form 11 assessment notices the way most Indiana counties do. Instead, tax bills in Lake County serve as the notice of assessed value. This means your Lake County tax bill is both your payment demand and your notification of the assessed value used to calculate that bill. Review your bill carefully each year to catch any changes in assessed value. If the value looks wrong, that is when you contact the assessor at 219-755-3100.
Lake County Property Assessments
All Lake County real property is assessed as of January 1 each year under IC 6-1.1-4. Assessor LaTonya Spearman and her staff value all parcels at 100% of market value using state-approved guidelines. Lake County has an exceptionally diverse property base: urban residential and commercial properties in Hammond, Gary, and East Chicago; suburban properties in Schererville, Hobart, and Crown Point; and varying amounts of industrial and commercial land across the northwestern part of the county near Lake Michigan.
Lake County periodically conducts reassessment projects focused on specific areas. In 2025, the county undertook a reassessment covering properties in Hammond, Griffith, West Creek Township, and Cedar Creek Township. If your Lake County property is in one of these areas, your assessed value may have changed as part of this project. Check the publicaccessnow portal or contact the assessor at 219-755-3100 to get the current assessed value for your parcel. Because Lake County uses the tax bill as the assessment notice rather than issuing separate Form 11s, watching your annual bill is particularly important in years when reassessment activity is underway in your area.
If you disagree with your Lake County assessed value, you can file a Form 130 appeal with the assessor. Under IC 6-1.1-35, the Lake County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA) hears these cases. Unresolved appeals can go to the Indiana Board of Tax Review.
Deductions and Exemptions in Lake County
Lake County property owners can reduce their tax burden through several Indiana deductions. The homestead deduction under IC 6-1.1-12 is the most widely used and applies to owner-occupied primary residences. It provides a reduction in gross assessed value along with a supplemental homestead credit. For a Lake County homeowner, these two benefits together can significantly reduce the net assessed value subject to tax. You apply for the homestead deduction through the Lake County Auditor's Office at 219-755-3120.
Other deductions available to Lake County property owners include the over-65 deduction, the disabled veteran deduction, the mortgage deduction, and the blind or disabled person's deduction. Each has eligibility rules set under Indiana law. The auditor handles all deduction applications. Contact the auditor at 219-755-3120 for questions about exemptions. For assessed value questions, call the assessor at 219-755-3100. Deduction applications must generally be filed by December 31 of the year before they take effect. Missing that deadline means a one-year wait.
Tax exemptions for religious institutions, nonprofits, and government properties are also processed by the Lake County Auditor but follow a separate administrative path from individual deductions.
Lake County Tax Bills and Payment
Lake County property taxes follow Indiana's standard two-installment schedule. Spring bills are due May 10 and fall bills are due November 10. The billing and collection framework is set by IC 6-1.1-22. Because Lake County uses tax bills as the assessment notice, your bill contains more information than a typical Indiana county bill. Review the assessed value and deduction credits listed on your bill each year to make sure they look correct.
Payments in Lake County go to the Lake County Treasurer. For questions about the bill or late payments with penalties, contact the treasurer to get an accurate current balance. The online portal at in-lake.publicaccessnow.com shows tax bill information and may also support online payments depending on the county's current setup. Check the portal or call the treasurer's office for the most current payment options for Lake County taxes.
Lake County Tax Sales
Lake County properties with unpaid taxes can be subject to the tax sale process under IC 6-1.1-24. The Lake County Auditor manages the tax sale listing and related administrative functions. Delinquent Lake County properties are publicly listed before a tax sale, giving the owner an opportunity to pay and prevent the sale. After a sale, the owner has a redemption period to pay back the taxes and fees to reclaim the property. Contact the Lake County Auditor at 219-755-3120 right away if you have received any notice of a pending tax sale on your property.
Cities in Lake County
Lake County is home to several of Indiana's larger cities. All of the following qualify for their own property tax resource pages and are served by the Lake County Auditor and Assessor for property tax purposes.
Nearby Counties
Lake County borders several northern Indiana and Illinois-adjacent counties, each with its own property tax records system and courthouse offices.