Choose the right Michigan record search before paying for ICHAT
Michigan criminal-history information is spread across several official systems. The Michigan State Police runs ICHAT for public statewide criminal-history searches, Michigan courts provide case information through MiCOURT and local trial courts, and the Department of Corrections operates OTIS for people under MDOC supervision. These tools answer different questions, so the fastest search starts by choosing the right one.
Michigan has several different kinds of criminal records
One of the easiest mistakes is treating an ICHAT result, court docket and corrections record as if they were the same document. They are not.
Criminal-history record
State repository information collected from Michigan law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors and courts.
Court case
Charges filed in court, docket activity, hearings, disposition, sentencing and locally maintained court documents.
Arrest or incident record
Records created by the law-enforcement agency investigating an incident or making an arrest.
Local custody record
Current detention and booking information is usually maintained locally rather than through the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Corrections record
Prisoners, parolees and probationers who meet the coverage rules of Michigan’s OTIS system.
Federal criminal case
Federal prosecutions are outside ICHAT and Michigan trial-court systems and generally use PACER.
Michigan ICHAT is the official public statewide criminal-history search
The Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center operates the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT).
ICHAT performs a name-based search of public criminal-history information maintained by Michigan State Police.
Open official Michigan ICHATICHAT costs $10 per public name search
Michigan State Police currently lists the ordinary public ICHAT fee at $10 for each name-based criminal-history search.
$10
Current ordinary ICHAT price for one online public criminal-history search.
Guest search available
Michigan’s current ICHAT instructions allow a one-time search as a guest without requiring ordinary user registration.
Registration available
Users who expect to perform additional searches can create an ICHAT account.
Michigan also offers qualifying government agencies and nonprofit charitable organizations fee-waived ICHAT access for eligible employee or volunteer screening programs after obtaining the required agency authorization.
How to run a Michigan ICHAT search
Open the official ICHAT site
Use Michigan State Police’s ICHAT portal rather than a commercial background-search site.
Choose guest access or sign in
A one-time search can be performed as a guest. Register if you expect to use ICHAT repeatedly.
Enter the person’s identifying information
MSP states that online criminal-history searches require the subject’s first name, last name, gender and date of birth.
Add known name variations
Use aliases, prior names or maiden names when known and when the ICHAT search workflow allows them. This is especially useful when older records may exist under another legal name.
Pay the search fee
Complete the $10 search payment and verify the identifying information before final submission.
Review the descriptors, not just the name
Compare date of birth, aliases and available physical or identifying descriptors before concluding that the record belongs to the person you intended to search.
Use the court for the underlying case
If the ICHAT result identifies a conviction or court location, use MiCOURT or the court of conviction to obtain the detailed case record.
What information can appear in a Michigan criminal-history record?
MSP describes a Michigan criminal-history record as containing identifying information and qualifying criminal-history data.
| Information type | Michigan criminal history | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Name and aliases | May be included | Prior names can help distinguish similarly named people. |
| Date of birth | Used as an identifier | Important for avoiding false name matches. |
| Personal descriptors | May be included | MSP records can contain identifying physical descriptors. |
| Misdemeanor convictions | Can appear when reportable and public | Not every local misdemeanor is included in ICHAT. |
| Felony arrests | Can be part of Michigan CHRI | Arrest should not be confused with conviction. |
| Felony convictions | Can appear | Verify important outcomes with the court. |
What ICHAT does not show
This is one of the most important parts of a Michigan criminal-history search. A clean ICHAT result is not a nationwide “no criminal record” certificate.
Suppressed records
Information that has been lawfully suppressed or made nonpublic does not appear in ordinary ICHAT.
Warrant information
MSP specifically states that warrant information is not available through ICHAT.
Federal records
Federal criminal cases require federal court or FBI resources where legally appropriate.
Other states
Criminal history maintained by another state is outside Michigan ICHAT.
Tribal records
MSP lists tribal criminal-history information among records not included in ordinary ICHAT.
Traffic records
ICHAT is not a Michigan driving-record or ordinary traffic-history search.
Juvenile records
ICHAT does not display juvenile criminal-history information to ordinary public users.
Local misdemeanors
MSP states that local misdemeanors outside the statewide reporting scope are not included.
What does “no record” in ICHAT actually mean?
A no-record response means the public ICHAT search did not return qualifying public Michigan State Police criminal-history information matching the submitted search.
It does not necessarily mean:
- the person has never been arrested anywhere
- the person has no criminal record in another state
- the person has never had a federal criminal case
- the person has no suppressed or set-aside conviction
- the person has no juvenile history
- no local court record exists
- no county-jail record exists
- no traffic-related case exists
Use MiCOURT when you need the actual Michigan court case
The official MiCOURT Case Search provides online access to case information for participating Michigan courts.
Open MiCOURT Case SearchDepending on the court, public case information may include criminal cases, traffic matters and other case categories.
Use MiCOURT to look for
- court case number
- criminal charge information
- case status
- hearing and docket activity
- sentence information where available
- court location
- case disposition
- related public case history
A Michigan court case can disappear from MiCOURT because of the seven-year filter
This is an important Michigan-specific detail.
MiCOURT says some participating courts display criminal-conviction case numbers and information only when sentencing occurred within the previous seven years.
MiCOURT identifies affected courts with a check mark in the “7-Year Criminal Sentence Filter” column.
Another current MiCOURT display issue to know
MiCOURT’s current terms warn of a temporary display issue involving certain attempted felony offenses under MCL 750.92. The search can label an attempted offense as “FELONY” even in circumstances where Michigan law classifies the attempt as a misdemeanor.
Which Michigan trial court handles a criminal case?
Michigan’s trial-court structure matters because the court that handled the case is usually the best source for official documents.
Misdemeanors and early felony proceedings
Michigan district courts handle adult misdemeanor offenses and the beginning stages of criminal proceedings, including arraignments, bail, probable-cause conferences and preliminary examinations.
Felony trial-level cases
Circuit courts handle criminal cases involving felony charges after the matter reaches the circuit-court stage.
Use Michigan’s Trial Court Directory to find the appropriate court, website, address and contact information.
How to find an older Michigan criminal court record
For an important matter, provide the clerk with the case number if known, full defendant name, approximate filing or sentencing year and date of birth when the court legally accepts it for record identification.
How to get your own complete Michigan criminal-history record
If you need to know what Michigan State Police has associated with your own identity, the more complete route is the fingerprint-based personal records check.
MSP says this search can return criminal-history information associated with your fingerprints, including public and nonpublic information.
| Requirement | Current MSP procedure |
|---|---|
| Michigan resident fingerprint card | Michigan Applicant Fingerprint Card, RI-008 |
| Nonresident fingerprint card | FBI Applicant Fingerprint Card FD-258 or similar accepted card |
| MSP processing fee | $30 |
| Payment | Check or money order payable to State of Michigan |
| Response | One original certified/notarized response |
| Extra originals | $1 each |
| Typical processing guidance | 3–5 weeks including mail delivery |
Mail personal-review materials to
Michigan State PoliceCriminal Justice Information Center
P.O. Box 30266
Lansing, MI 48909-7766
Where to get fingerprinted for a Michigan personal record review
Michigan residents can contact a local law-enforcement agency and ask to be fingerprinted on Michigan Applicant Fingerprint Card RI-008.
MSP recommends calling before visiting because fingerprinting availability and hours differ between police departments and sheriff offices.
A local law-enforcement agency may capture fingerprints using Live Scan equipment, but for the personal-record procedure described by MSP it can provide the printed fingerprint card rather than electronically submitting those prints through an ordinary applicant program.
A person living outside Michigan can ask a law-enforcement agency where they live to fingerprint them on an FBI FD-258 card.
View MSP fingerprint instructionsEmployment and licensing fingerprint checks follow a different process
Michigan requires fingerprint-based checks for certain occupations, licenses, employers and programs when authorized by state or federal law.
Get Form RI-030 from the requesting organization
The employer or licensing agency provides the Live Scan Fingerprint Background Check Request form.
Complete the required applicant sections
MSP currently instructs applicants to complete the applicable sections of RI-030.
Visit an approved Live Scan agency
The provider collects fingerprints and the applicable state/FBI fees, plus any vendor service charge.
The result goes to the authorized requester
MSP states that results for this process are returned to the employer or licensing agency identified on the request.
How to correct an inaccurate Michigan criminal-history record
The correct agency depends on which part of the criminal-history record is wrong.
| Error | Contact first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest information is wrong | Arresting law-enforcement agency | The arrest segment originated with that agency. |
| Charge information is wrong | Prosecuting attorney shown in the record | The charging segment is tied to prosecution reporting. |
| Court outcome is wrong | Court shown in the judicial segment | The court is the authoritative source for its disposition. |
| Agency cannot update electronically | MSP Criminal History Help Desk | MSP provides correction tools including the Judicial Correction Worksheet. |
Michigan State Police currently provides RI-027 Judicial Correction Worksheet for a court that cannot electronically update judicial information on a criminal-history record.
MSP criminal-history correction contact
Phone:
517-241-0606
Fax: 517-241-0866
Email:
msp-crd-crimhelp@michigan.gov
Michigan Clean Slate can change what appears publicly
Michigan expanded conviction set-aside laws through its Clean Slate legislation. Certain eligible convictions can be set aside automatically, while other records may require an application process.
Michigan State Police recommends three practical ways to find out what still appears:
- request your fingerprint-based personal record review
- run an ICHAT public search
- check directly with the court of conviction
Automatic set-aside timing
Michigan’s automatic set-aside framework generally provides a waiting period of 10 years for qualifying felony convictions from the applicable statutory event, and 7 years for qualifying misdemeanor convictions, subject to eligibility rules and statutory exclusions.
Not every conviction is eligible for automatic set aside, and limits apply to the number and types of convictions that can qualify.
Michigan Clean Slate informationUse OTIS for Michigan prison, parole and probation information
The Michigan Department of Corrections Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) is useful when you are trying to locate someone who is or recently was under MDOC jurisdiction.
Open Michigan OTISOTIS includes information concerning:
- prisoners currently under MDOC jurisdiction
- parolees
- probationers supervised by MDOC
- people discharged from supervision within the last three years
What OTIS does not include
- people discharged from supervision more than three years ago
- county-jail-only inmates
- people held in city lockups
- people sentenced only to a county jail
- some information protected from disclosure under Michigan FOIA
- a person’s complete criminal-history record
Michigan county-jail records must usually be searched locally
County jails are operated by counties rather than MDOC. That means someone held in a county jail may not appear in OTIS.
For recent local custody, identify the county of arrest and look for the official sheriff website. Common labels include:
- inmate search
- jail roster
- current inmates
- booking search
- jail information
- inmate locator
Michigan’s Public Sex Offender Registry is a separate specialized search
Michigan State Police maintains the state’s Sex Offender Registry and a separate public internet registry.
Michigan Sex Offender RegistryIf you need more information about a listed offense, MSP advises using the county of conviction to locate the court file. If the county is unknown, ICHAT can sometimes help identify where a Michigan conviction occurred.
When to use a Michigan State Police FOIA request
ICHAT is the faster official tool when the information you need is an ordinary public Michigan criminal-history search.
For other qualifying Michigan State Police records, use the MSP Public Records Request Portal.
Michigan FOIA generally allows people to request copies of or inspect qualifying public records. The request should describe the records with enough detail for the agency to locate them.
MSP FOIA submission options
Public Records Request Portal
The MSP online request portal uses a free MiLogin account and allows users to submit and track their request.
MSP Records Resource Section
517-241-1935
Public-record request
Michigan State PoliceAttn: Records Resource Section
P.O. Box 30634
Lansing, MI 48909
Michigan ICHAT does not include federal criminal records
Federal prosecutions are separate from Michigan state criminal-history and trial-court systems.
Use the federal judiciary’s PACER service for federal district and appellate court cases.
If you are looking for someone in federal custody, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.
Michigan State Police criminal-history contacts
Michigan State Police headquarters map
The Michigan State Police headquarters and Records Resource Section are located in Dimondale. This map is useful for location reference, but do not travel there simply to obtain an ICHAT result—ICHAT is available online.
Michigan criminal-history search tips that save time
Start with ICHAT for statewide history
It is usually faster than guessing which of Michigan’s 83 counties may contain a reported record.
Use MiCOURT for case details
ICHAT is a criminal-history search; MiCOURT and the court file tell you what happened in the case.
Check the seven-year filter
An older conviction may be missing online because the participating court limits visible criminal cases.
Search former names
Maiden names and previous legal names can matter when looking for older Michigan records.
Your own record? Use fingerprints
A fingerprint Personal Record Review is stronger than repeatedly running a public name search.
OTIS is not ICHAT
OTIS is about corrections supervision. It does not provide a person’s complete Michigan criminal history.
Recent jail stay?
Search the county sheriff or jail because county detainees may never appear in OTIS.
Set-aside record?
A conviction can stop appearing publicly even though a restricted government record is retained.
Wrong disposition?
Correct the information with the court or agency that originally reported that part of the record.
Questions people commonly ask about Michigan criminal-history records
1. How much does a Michigan ICHAT criminal-history search cost?
Michigan State Police currently lists the standard public ICHAT name search at $10 per search.
2. Can anyone use Michigan ICHAT?
ICHAT provides public access to qualifying Michigan criminal-history information. Current ICHAT instructions also allow a one-time guest search, while repeat users can register.
3. What information do I need for an ICHAT search?
MSP states that an online criminal-history search requires the subject’s first and last name, gender and date of birth. Additional known names can help identify the correct person.
4. Does ICHAT show every Michigan criminal record?
No. ICHAT excludes suppressed records, warrant information, federal records, tribal records, traffic records, juvenile records, criminal history from other states and certain local misdemeanors.
5. Does ICHAT include all 83 Michigan counties?
MSP says qualifying felonies and serious misdemeanors punishable by more than 93 days are required to be reported to the statewide repository by agencies, prosecutors and courts across Michigan’s 83 counties. Results still depend on proper reporting and public-access rules.
6. How do I see my own complete Michigan criminal history?
Use the fingerprint-based Personal Record Review process. MSP currently charges $30, and the resulting record can include public and nonpublic Michigan criminal-history information associated with the submitted fingerprints.
7. Why is an old conviction missing from MiCOURT?
Some Michigan courts use a seven-year criminal-sentence filter in MiCOURT. For those courts, contact the court directly when sentencing occurred more than seven years ago.
8. Is OTIS a full Michigan criminal background check?
No. MDOC says OTIS is not appropriate for a complete criminal background check. It primarily covers people currently under MDOC supervision or discharged within the previous three years.
9. How do I correct a wrong Michigan criminal-history record?
Contact the agency responsible for the incorrect segment: the arresting agency for arrest information, the prosecutor for charging information, or the court for judicial information. MSP’s Criminal History Help Desk can assist when the reporting agency cannot update the record electronically.
10. Does a Clean Slate set-aside mean the record was completely destroyed?
Not necessarily. A qualifying set-aside can remove a conviction from ordinary public access, while Michigan law allows certain nonpublic records to be retained for authorized purposes.
Official Michigan resources used for this guide
- Michigan State Police — Criminal History Records
- Michigan State Police — ICHAT
- MSP — Search, Expunge, Modify or Update Criminal History
- MSP — Find Out What Remains on Your Record
- Michigan Judiciary — MiCOURT Case Search
- Michigan Judiciary — Trial Courts
- Michigan Department of Corrections — OTIS
- Michigan State Police — Sex Offender Registry
- Michigan State Police — FOIA Requests
- Michigan State Police — Criminal Justice Information Center
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search
- Federal Bureau of Prisons — Inmate Locator