2023 Indiana Code › Title 35. Criminal Law and Procedure › Article 34. Bringing Criminal Charges › Chapter 1. Indictment and Information › 35-34-1-2. Contents; Requisites; Form

Sec. 2. (a) The indictment or information shall be in writing and allege the commission of an offense by:
(1) stating the title of the action and the name of the court in which the indictment or information is filed;
(2) stating the name of the offense in the words of the statute or any other words conveying the same meaning;
(3) citing the statutory provision alleged to have been violated, except that any failure to include such a citation or any error in such a citation does not constitute grounds for reversal of a conviction where the defendant was not otherwise misled as to the nature of the charges against the defendant;
(4) setting forth the nature and elements of the offense charged in plain and concise language without unnecessary repetition;
(5) stating the date of the offense with sufficient particularity to show that the offense was committed within the period of limitations applicable to that offense;
(6) stating the time of the offense as definitely as can be done if time is of the essence of the offense;
(7) stating the place of the offense with sufficient particularity to show that the offense was committed within the jurisdiction of the court where the charge is to be filed;
(8) stating the place of the offense as definitely as can be done if the place is of the essence of the offense; and
(9) stating the name of every defendant, if known, and if not known, by designating the defendant by any name or description by which the defendant can be identified with reasonable certainty.
(b) An indictment shall be signed by:
(1) the foreman or five (5) members of the grand jury; and
(2) the prosecuting attorney or the prosecuting attorney's deputy.
(c) An information shall be signed by the prosecuting attorney or the prosecuting attorney's deputy.
(d) An indictment or information shall have stated upon it the names of all the material witnesses. Other witnesses may afterwards be subpoenaed by the state, but unless the name of a witness is stated on the indictment or information, no continuance shall be granted to the state due to the absence of the witness.
(e) The indictment or information shall be a plain, concise, and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. It need not contain a formal commencement, a formal conclusion, or any other matter not necessary to the statement. Presumptions of law and matters of which judicial notice is taken need not be stated.
(f) The indictment may be substantially in the following form:
IN THE __________ COURT OF INDIANA, 20____
STATE OF INDIANA
vs.
CAUSE NUMBER _______
A _________ B _________
The grand jury of the county of _________ upon their oath or affirmation do present that AB, on the _________ day of __________ 20____ at the county of _________ in the state of Indiana (HERE SET FORTH THE OFFENSE CHARGED).
(g) The information may be substantially in the same form as the indictment, substituting for the words, "the grand jury of the county of _________, upon their oath or affirmation so present" the following: "CD, being duly sworn on his oath or having affirmed, says." It is not necessary in an information to state the reason why the proceeding is by information rather than indictment.
(h) This section applies to a traffic offense (as defined in IC 9-13-2-183) if the traffic offense is:
(1) a felony; or
(2) a misdemeanor.
As added by Acts 1981, P.L.298, SEC.3. Amended by Acts 1982, P.L.204, SEC.19; P.L.320-1983, SEC.11; P.L.158-1994, SEC.1; P.L.2-2005, SEC.119; P.L.85-2013, SEC.115; P.L.161-2018, SEC.117.