SULLIVAN, J.
For almost 30 years, this Court has held that the State must introduce into evidence proper certified and authenticated records of the defendant’s prior felony convictions in order to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of those prior convictions. . . . In the absence of a showing by the State that such records are unavailable, parol evidence alone is not sufficient to prove the fact of prior convictions. E.g., Washington, 441 N.E.2d at 1359-60; Morgan, 440 N.E.2d at 1090-91. Even though additional supporting evidence is required to prove the identity of the defendant and may be required to prove the proper sequence of the felony convictions, e.g., Tyson v. State, 766 N.E.2d 715, 718 (Ind. 2002); Baxter v. State, 522 N.E.2d 362, 365 (Ind. 1988); Coker v. State, 455 N.E.2d 319, 322 (Ind. 1983), proper certified and authenticated documentary evidence is required to establish that the prior convictions in fact occurred. See Powers, 617 N.E.2d at 547 (Dickson, J., concurring) (“The majority today concludes that where the existence of prior felonies is established by certified records, parol evidence may provide sufficient proof of the dates of commission. However, this holding does not modify the holding in Morgan . . . and Washington . . . that the evidence of habitual offender status is insufficient in the absence of proper available certified records of the prior felony convictions.”); Bell v. State, 610 N.E.2d 229, 235 (Ind. 1993) (“[T]he State must produce certified copies of records showing convictions of two prior unrelated felonies and supporting evidence to identify the defendant as the same person who was convicted of those crimes.” (citation omitted)); Beavers, 566 N.E.2d at 535 (holding that oral testimony considered in conjunction with documentary evidence was sufficient to establish proper sequence because “[t]he date upon which an offense may have been committed . . . . is not part of the fact of a prior conviction, the proof of which is restricted to authenticated documents”).
The issue here is not whether the State submitted documentary evidence – it clearly did – but whether the documentary evidence presented was sufficient to establish the fact of the alleged 2000 conviction.
In view of our insistence that proper documentary evidence be submitted to prove the existence of a prior conviction and the important rationale underlying that rule, [footnote omitted] we hold that a judgment must be signed by the trial judge to constitute substantial evidence of probative value sufficient to sustain a habitual-offender enhancement. Accordingly, the unsigned order of judgment was not probative of the fact of Dexter’s alleged theft conviction in 2000.
Here, the Court of Appeals held that the unsigned judgment was not sufficient evidence to prove the fact of the alleged 2000 conviction. But it went on to hold that the record contained other evidence of probative value sufficient to support the jury’s habitual-offender finding. Dexter, 945 N.E.2d at 226. We conclude otherwise.
First, the Court of Appeals found that a “rules of probation” form signed by both the defendant and the trial judge created a reasonable inference that “Dexter must have been convicted of the underlying offense before being placed on probation.” Id. But the cause number on the rules-of-probation form differs from the cause number on the unsigned judgment and the cause number in the information alleging Dexter to be a habitual offender. Moreover, the rules-of-probation form is not like a sentencing order because it does not itself impose the sentence. The form merely indicates the rules to be followed during probation and, in this case, lists the probation period as four years. There is nothing to indicate that four years of probation actually was imposed on Dexter, except for the unsigned judgment. The rules-of-probation form is not probative of Dexter’s alleged 2000 theft conviction.
Second, included in the record is a Presentence Investigation Report filed prior to sentencing on the 2005 convictions. The report includes Dexter’s criminal history and demonstrates that he had been convicted of Class D felony theft in 2000. But presentence reports may contain hearsay and other inadmissible evidence. Pointer v. State, 499 N.E.2d 1087, 1089 (Ind. 1986). They are also confidential under Indiana Code section 35-38-1-13. Due to the function of the jury during the habitual-offender phase of trial and the nature of presentence reports, this Court has held that such reports are irrelevant in a habitual-offender proceeding as a matter of law. Cornett v. State, 536 N.E.2d 501, 505-06 (Ind. 1989); Pointer, 499 N.E.2d at 1089-90. Accordingly, the presentence report is not probative of Dexter’s alleged 2000 theft conviction.
The only remaining “evidence” suggesting that Dexter was in fact convicted of theft in 2000 is the testimony of Kipp Scott, the Chief Probation Officer for Tippecanoe County. The habitual-offender enhancement cannot be sustained on this evidence. Parol evidence alone is not sufficient evidence to support a habitual-offender finding, and the State made no showing that proper documentary evidence was unavailable. Washington, 441 N.E.2d at 1359-60; Morgan, 440 N.E.2d at 1090-91; see also Davis, 493 N.E.2d at 168-69; Driver, 467 N.E.2d at 1187-88.
Dexter’s habitual-offender enhancement cannot stand on this record.
Shepard, C.J., and Dickson, Rucker, and David, JJ., concur.