What can you actually search for free in Michigan?
Michigan offers several useful free public-record searches, but there is an important distinction: the official statewide Michigan State Police criminal-history background check is not normally free. You can search many Michigan court cases through MiCOURT at no charge, check correctional records through OTIS, search the Public Sex Offender Registry, and review appellate cases for free. If you need a statewide name-based Michigan State Police criminal-history report, use ICHAT, which currently costs $10 per search for ordinary public users.
MiCOURT Case Search
Public trial-court case lookup for participating Michigan courts.
MSP ICHAT
Statewide public name-based Michigan criminal-history search.
MDOC OTIS
Prisoner, parolee and probationer information within OTIS coverage.
Your fingerprint record
Personal Michigan criminal-history review with public and nonpublic information.
Michigan free public criminal record lookup: what is really free?
| Official source | Cost | What it provides | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiCOURT Case Search | Free | Public criminal case information from participating Michigan trial courts. | Not every historical case is necessarily visible online. |
| Michigan appellate case search | Free | Supreme Court and Court of Appeals case information. | Not a trial-court criminal-history report. |
| MDOC OTIS | Free | Current/recent prisoners, parolees and probationers within OTIS coverage. | Not a complete criminal history and excludes county-jail-only cases. |
| Public Sex Offender Registry | Free | Published information on qualifying Michigan registrants. | Not every person convicted of a sex-related crime appears publicly. |
| MSP ICHAT | $10 | Public Michigan State Police criminal-history information. | Not free for ordinary public searches and not nationwide. |
| Fingerprint personal record review | $30 | Your public and nonpublic Michigan criminal-history information linked to your fingerprints. | Only provided to the person fingerprinted. |
Use MiCOURT Case Search for a free Michigan court-record lookup
The Michigan Judiciary MiCOURT Case Search provides free public access to case information from participating Michigan trial courts.
Depending on the court being searched, MiCOURT can include:
- criminal cases
- traffic cases
- civil cases
- case numbers
- charge information
- case events
- disposition information
- sentencing information where publicly displayed
Which Michigan court should you search?
Michigan criminal cases can pass through more than one court. Knowing the court level makes a free search much easier.
Misdemeanors
District and qualifying municipal courts handle adult misdemeanor criminal cases, ordinance matters and many lower-level criminal proceedings.
Felony beginning
Michigan felony proceedings normally begin in District Court, including warrants, arraignment, probable-cause conference and preliminary examination.
Felony trial case
When a felony proceeds beyond the preliminary stage, the trial-level felony case is handled in Circuit Court.
How to search Michigan criminal court records for free
Open MiCOURT Case Search
Accept the Michigan Judiciary terms of service and continue to the public search.
Select the appropriate court
Search the county and court where the criminal matter was handled. If you do not know the court, use the Michigan Trial Court Directory to identify local courts.
Search using the strongest identifier available
A case number is usually the most precise. Otherwise use the person’s legal name and compare results carefully.
Check the charge level and case history
Review whether the case is identified as misdemeanor or felony and follow the docket through its later events.
Find the final disposition
Do not stop at an arrest or original charge. Look for dismissal, plea, conviction, acquittal, sentence or set-aside activity.
Contact the court when the online record is incomplete
The official court file can contain documents or historical information that MiCOURT does not display publicly.
Some Michigan courts use a 7-year criminal sentence filter
This is one of the most important MiCOURT limitations. Michigan Courts warns that some participating courts display criminal-conviction information only when sentencing occurred within the previous seven years.
MiCOURT identifies these courts in its court list using the “7-Year Criminal Sentence Filter”.
This distinction is especially important when researching older convictions for employment history, genealogy, expungement or personal record review.
How to get the actual Michigan criminal court file
Michigan does not have one statewide copy office for every trial-court record. Once you locate the case, request documents from the court of record.
Save the case number
Copy it exactly from MiCOURT or the court’s own case-management system.
Identify the court
Note the District, Municipal or Circuit Court and the county where the case was handled.
Ask for the exact document
Examples include the complaint, register of actions, judgment of sentence, dismissal order, plea record or certified disposition.
Ask about copy and certification fees
Michigan trial courts can have different procedures and copy charges, so verify the fee directly with that court.
ICHAT: Michigan’s official statewide public criminal-history check
The Internet Criminal History Access Tool , commonly called ICHAT, is operated by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.
Michigan State Police describes ICHAT as a name-based search of public criminal-history information in the state repository.
MSP’s public-record guidance states that an online ICHAT search uses identifying information including:
- first name
- last name
- gender
- date of birth
What Michigan ICHAT can show
Michigan law requires law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors and courts in all 83 Michigan counties to report qualifying criminal-history information to the state repository.
MSP specifically states that all felonies and serious misdemeanors punishable by more than 93 days must be reported.
Arrests and convictions
MSP criminal-history records include qualifying felony arrest and conviction information.
Public conviction history
Qualifying misdemeanor convictions and reportable serious misdemeanor history can appear in the state repository.
What ICHAT does not include
An ICHAT “no public record” result should not be interpreted as proof that the person has never had any legal or criminal-justice contact.
| Record type | Included in public ICHAT? | Where to look instead |
|---|---|---|
| Suppressed / set-aside public record | No | Access depends on legal authority; record subject can use personal review. |
| Active warrant information | No | Contact the court or responsible law-enforcement agency. |
| Federal criminal case | No | PACER / federal court. |
| Tribal record | No | Relevant tribal court or justice system. |
| Out-of-state criminal history | No | Search the other state’s official system. |
| Juvenile record | No | Juvenile access rules apply. |
| Traffic record | No | Michigan driving/court record system as applicable. |
| Some local misdemeanors | No | Search the local District/Municipal Court. |
When can a Michigan ICHAT search be free?
Ordinary public users currently pay $10 per search. Michigan State Police does, however, provide a fee-waived ICHAT program for qualifying government agencies and federally recognized nonprofit charitable organizations when conducting eligible employee or volunteer screening.
For example, MSP guidance states that searches for purposes such as housing, license or student applicants can still require the regular fee even for an organization that qualifies for waived employee/volunteer checks.
Get your own complete Michigan criminal-history record
If you want to see both public and nonpublic Michigan criminal-history information associated with your fingerprints, use the Michigan State Police personal records check rather than ordinary ICHAT.
If you live in Michigan
Contact a local law-enforcement agency
Ask to be fingerprinted on a Michigan Applicant Fingerprint Card, RI-008.
Complete the fingerprint card
The agency may capture fingerprints electronically but must provide the printed fingerprint card for this personal-review procedure.
Write a cover letter
Explain that the fingerprints are being submitted for personal record review, visa, immigration or another applicable personal purpose.
Include the $30 MSP fee
Current MSP instructions require check or money order payable to the State of Michigan.
Mail the packet
Send the fingerprint card, cover letter and payment to the Criminal Justice Information Center.
Michigan State Police — CJIC
P.O. Box 30266
Lansing, MI 48909-7766
MSP currently advises allowing approximately 3–5 weeks for processing and mail delivery.
If you live outside Michigan
Obtain fingerprints from a law-enforcement agency where you live using an FBI Applicant Fingerprint Card FD-258 and follow MSP’s mailed personal-record instructions.
What if a Michigan criminal record is incorrect?
First determine whether the mistake is in the court file or the Michigan State Police criminal-history repository.
Contact the court of record
Obtain the correct judgment, dismissal, register of actions or other official document. Courts can update judicial information sent to MSP.
Use MSP correction procedures
A fingerprint personal record review helps identify exactly what the state repository currently associates with you.
Michigan OTIS offender search is free
The Michigan Department of Corrections Offender Tracking Information System is a free search for qualifying correctional records.
OTIS contains information about:
- prisoners
- parolees
- probationers under MDOC supervision
- people discharged from supervision within approximately the last three years
OTIS does not contain
- county-jail-only inmates
- city lockup records
- people convicted but not yet sentenced
- complete criminal histories
- people off MDOC supervision for more than three years
Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry is also free
Michigan State Police operates the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry .
The public registry supports searches by:
- first and last name
- registration number
- MDOC number
- street address
- city
- county
- ZIP code
- neighborhood radius
Public results can include name, date of birth, photograph, aliases, offense information, address, employment, campus and vehicle information where legally published.
Search Michigan criminal appeals for free
A trial-court conviction may later be appealed. The Michigan Judiciary provides a free appellate Case Search for Michigan Supreme Court and Court of Appeals matters.
Check the appellate record when a criminal case shows:
- notice of appeal
- application for leave to appeal
- remand order
- reversal
- resentencing
- later Supreme Court activity
Police reports and arrest records are usually local
MiCOURT and ICHAT do not replace the original police incident report. If you need the law-enforcement report itself, contact the agency that created it.
Examples include:
- Michigan State Police post
- county sheriff
- city police department
- university police department
- other investigating agency
Michigan State Police FOIA is not the same as ICHAT
Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act allows requests for many qualifying public records maintained by public bodies. MSP provides an online Public Records Request Portal through MiLogin.
However, MSP specifically provides criminal histories through ICHAT, so a person looking for a standard Michigan criminal-history check should normally use the criminal-history system first.
FOIA is more useful for records such as:
- qualifying MSP incident reports
- agency correspondence
- administrative records
- policies and public agency documents
- other identifiable MSP records
Michigan Clean Slate can remove qualifying convictions from public view
Michigan calls this relief a set aside, often informally called expungement. The state’s Clean Slate laws created both application-based relief and automatic set-asides.
Michigan’s automatic process began on April 11, 2023.
Current Michigan automatic set-aside periods
| Eligible conviction category | General automatic waiting period | Quantity limit |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor punishable by less than 92 days | 7 years | No statutory lifetime numerical limit under this automatic category. |
| Misdemeanor punishable by 93 days or more | 7 years | Up to 4 qualifying convictions. |
| Felony | 10 years | Up to 2 qualifying convictions. |
For qualifying felonies, the 10-year period runs from the later of sentencing or completion of a Michigan Department of Corrections term of imprisonment.
For qualifying 93-day-or-more misdemeanors and felonies, there must generally be no pending criminal charges in the MSP database and no new recorded criminal conviction during the applicable waiting period.
Some Michigan convictions require an application to set aside
A conviction that is not automatically cleared may still qualify for application-based set aside.
Applications are filed with the court where the conviction occurred. When applying in multiple courts, separate applications are required for each court.
The Michigan State Police portion of the current application process requires:
- fingerprints
- set-aside application
- certified judgment of sentence, probation order or register of actions
- $50 MSP processing fee
MSP currently advises allowing approximately 8 weeks for its portion of processing and mail delivery.
Why a Michigan criminal-record search may return nothing
Wrong court
A felony may have records in both District Court and Circuit Court.
Older than online coverage
A court may apply the MiCOURT seven-year criminal sentence filter.
Set aside
A qualifying Clean Slate conviction may no longer be publicly displayed.
Local misdemeanor
Some local misdemeanor information is not included in public ICHAT.
Out-of-state or federal
Michigan databases do not provide a nationwide criminal record search.
Name mismatch
Maiden names, prior legal names, middle names or spelling differences can affect name-based searches.
Try this troubleshooting sequence
- Verify the person’s full legal name and known former names.
- Determine the county where the arrest or prosecution occurred.
- Check District Court for misdemeanors and early felony proceedings.
- Check Circuit Court for felony trial records.
- Check whether the court uses MiCOURT’s seven-year filter.
- Contact the court directly for older records.
- Use ICHAT when statewide Michigan public history is needed.
- Search OTIS if correctional supervision is relevant.
- Check federal or other-state systems separately when appropriate.
Federal criminal cases in Michigan are separate
Michigan ICHAT and MiCOURT do not provide federal court criminal records. Michigan has two federal judicial districts:
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
Use PACER for federal criminal dockets and available federal court documents.
Michigan free criminal-record search tips
Start with MiCOURT
It is free and often enough when you already know the county or likely court.
Do not pay $10 too early
If you only need one known case, locate it through the court before buying ICHAT.
Check both court levels for felonies
District Court handles the early felony process; Circuit Court handles the felony trial case.
Older case? Call the clerk
MiCOURT’s seven-year filter can hide older online conviction information at participating courts.
OTIS is not a RAP sheet
Use it for correctional status rather than a complete background check.
Use fingerprints for your own full record
The $30 MSP personal review includes nonpublic history tied to your submitted fingerprints.
Check Clean Slate status
An old qualifying conviction may have been automatically set aside.
Search the appeal
The trial-court disposition may have been changed by the Court of Appeals or Supreme Court.
Get the certified disposition when it matters
A website result is not a substitute for an official court record used for legal or administrative purposes.
Using free Michigan public records for employment or tenant screening
A free MiCOURT search, OTIS result or Sex Offender Registry page is not automatically equivalent to a legally compliant consumer report for employment, housing, credit, insurance or another regulated decision.
Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements and Michigan law may apply depending on the source, purpose and decision being made.
Michigan free criminal record search: frequently asked questions
1. Can I search Michigan criminal records for free?
Yes, you can search many public Michigan court cases for free through MiCOURT, and OTIS and the Public Sex Offender Registry are also free. The Michigan State Police ICHAT statewide criminal-history search currently costs $10 per ordinary public search.
2. Is Michigan ICHAT free?
Not for ordinary public users. Michigan State Police currently charges $10 per ICHAT search. Qualifying government agencies and nonprofit charitable organizations can receive fee-waived access for certain employee and volunteer screening.
3. What is the best free Michigan criminal court search?
Start with MiCOURT Case Search. It provides public case information from participating Michigan trial courts at no search charge.
4. Does ICHAT show every Michigan criminal record?
No. ICHAT excludes suppressed records, warrant information, federal records, tribal records, traffic records, juvenile records, some local misdemeanors and criminal history from other states.
5. How much does a Michigan fingerprint personal record review cost?
Michigan State Police currently charges a $30 processing fee. Fingerprints are required, and the response includes public and nonpublic Michigan criminal-history information associated with those fingerprints.
6. Is Michigan OTIS a complete criminal background check?
No. OTIS focuses on qualifying Michigan Department of Corrections prisoners, parolees and probationers and certain recently discharged individuals. It is not a person’s complete criminal history.
7. Why can’t I find an old Michigan conviction in MiCOURT?
Some courts apply a seven-year criminal sentence filter to public MiCOURT results. Contact the court directly when the sentencing date is older than the online display period.
8. Does Michigan Clean Slate remove records from ICHAT?
Qualifying convictions set aside under Michigan law become nonpublic and should no longer appear as ordinary public ICHAT criminal-history information. Certain authorized agencies can still access nonpublic set-aside information where Michigan law permits.
9. Can I search federal criminal records through Michigan ICHAT?
No. ICHAT does not include federal criminal records. Use PACER for federal court cases in Michigan.
10. How do I obtain a certified Michigan criminal court record?
Find the case and identify the court of record, then request the required document directly from that court. Copy, search and certification procedures can vary by court.
Official Michigan sources used for this guide
- Michigan Judiciary — MiCOURT Case Search
- Michigan Judiciary — Trial Courts
- Michigan Judiciary — Appellate Case Search
- Michigan State Police — Criminal History Records
- Michigan State Police — Internet Criminal History Access Tool
- Michigan State Police — Find Out What Remains on Your Record
- Michigan State Police — Search, Expunge, Modify or Update Criminal History
- Michigan Department of Corrections — OTIS Offender Search
- Michigan State Police — Public Sex Offender Registry
- Michigan State Police — Freedom of Information Act Requests
- Michigan State Police — Conviction Set Aside Information
- Michigan State Police — Michigan Clean Slate
- Michigan Attorney General — Expungement Assistance
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search