Choose the right Michigan criminal-record system before you search
Michigan criminal court records are not kept in one universal database. Trial-court cases are maintained by local district and circuit courts, many can be searched through MiCOURT, statewide public criminal-history records come from Michigan State Police ICHAT, corrections information comes from MDOC OTIS, and federal criminal cases use PACER. This guide shows how those systems fit together and what to do when an online search appears incomplete.
Which Michigan criminal-record system should you use?
“Criminal record” can mean very different things. Someone searching for a court docket, arrest report, statewide background record or prison status should not expect the same government database to answer every question.
Court case and docket
Use MiCOURT or the court that handled the case to find case history, charges, hearings, dispositions and public court documents.
State criminal history
Use ICHAT when you want public criminal-history information maintained by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.
Arrest / incident report
Police reports normally come from the agency that created them, not automatically from the court or ICHAT.
Local jail booking
County jails are operated locally. Michigan does not use OTIS as a statewide replacement for county-jail rosters.
Prison / parole / probation
OTIS covers qualifying people under Michigan Department of Corrections supervision and certain recently discharged offenders.
Federal case
Federal criminal prosecutions are searched through PACER rather than Michigan state-court systems.
Michigan district court vs. circuit court criminal cases
Understanding Michigan’s two main criminal trial-court levels makes record searching much easier. A felony case can appear in both district and circuit court because it begins in district court before a possible bindover to circuit court.
Misdemeanors + early felony proceedings
Michigan district courts generally handle misdemeanors punishable by no more than one year of imprisonment, along with ordinance violations.
District courts also handle important early stages of felony cases, including arraignments, probable-cause conferences and preliminary examinations.
Felony trial-level records
After a felony is bound over from district court, circuit court generally has jurisdiction over the felony case, including trial, plea and sentencing proceedings.
This means one felony investigation can generate a district-court case history before continuing as a circuit-court case.
How to search Michigan criminal court cases with MiCOURT
MiCOURT Case Search is the Michigan Judiciary’s public trial-court case-search platform. Criminal, traffic, civil and other case types may be available depending on the court selected.
MiCOURT supports case searches by information such as a case number or participant name. Search availability and historical coverage can vary by court.
Open official MiCOURT Case Search
Start at Michigan’s official court site rather than a commercial people-search service.
Select the correct court or location
If you know where the case was filed, choosing the correct district or circuit court reduces false matches and makes the result easier to interpret.
Search by case number when possible
A case number is more reliable than a common name. If you only have a name, use as much identifying information as the search interface permits.
Review the register / docket history
Look beyond the first charge. Follow hearings, plea events, dismissals, sentencing and final disposition information.
Contact the court when MiCOURT stops short
MiCOURT expressly says its online information is informational and does not replace the official court record. Older or restricted online information may require contacting the court directly.
The MiCOURT 7-year criminal sentence filter
One of the most important Michigan-specific limitations is that some courts apply a seven-year criminal-sentence filter.
MiCOURT explains that participating courts with this filter may display case numbers and criminal-conviction information only when sentencing occurred within seven years of the date of the search.
MiCOURT identifies affected courts in its court list with a check mark under “7-Year Criminal Sentence Filter.” For an older case at one of those courts, contact the court of record directly.
How to read a Michigan criminal court docket
A case search can be misleading when someone looks only at the original charge. The docket or register of actions shows how the case progressed.
| Docket information | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Unique court identifier. | Correct court, filing year and defendant. |
| Complaint / charge | Offense alleged by the prosecution. | A charge is not the same as a conviction. |
| Arraignment | Early hearing addressing the charge and other procedural matters. | Do not interpret an arraignment as a finding of guilt. |
| Probable-cause conference | Felony pretrial proceeding in district court. | Check whether the case proceeds to preliminary examination or another resolution. |
| Preliminary examination | Proceeding used in qualifying felony cases before circuit-court bindover. | Look for waiver, dismissal or bindover. |
| Bindover | The felony matter moves from district court to circuit court. | Search the resulting circuit-court record. |
| Plea / verdict | How guilt may be determined. | Check which specific charges remain after amendments or dismissals. |
| Sentence | Court-ordered consequences after conviction. | Confinement, probation, fines, restitution or other terms. |
| Dismissal | Charge or case was dismissed. | Confirm whether all counts or only some counts were dismissed. |
What to do when an older Michigan criminal case is not online
MiCOURT should be treated as a convenient search layer, not the only possible source of a court record.
Inspecting, copying and certifying Michigan court records
Michigan Court Rule 8.119 provides a particularly useful rule for public access: a court may not charge someone merely to access public case-history information or retrieve and inspect a public case document.
Public access
Eligible public case records can generally be inspected without an access fee, even when the record is stored offsite or electronically.
Reproduction cost
Courts may charge reasonable reproduction costs for copies of documents. Local procedures can affect the exact cost of an ordinary copy.
Official certification
Michigan’s statewide rule for certified copies generally provides for $1 per page plus a $10 certification fee.
| Need | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Read a public case file | Inspect the official record | Michigan court rules prohibit a fee merely for public access/inspection. |
| Personal reference copy | Plain reproduction | Usually sufficient when formal authentication is unnecessary. |
| Official/legal use | Certified copy | Certification verifies the copy against the official court record. |
| Filed transcript copy | Ask the court clerk | Different statutory copy rules can apply to transcripts. |
Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court criminal case records
A criminal case may continue beyond the circuit court. Michigan’s appellate courts use a separate statewide case-search system for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals matters.
The Michigan Judiciary’s Cases, Opinions & Orders search can be used to locate appellate docket information, orders and opinions.
Michigan ICHAT statewide criminal-history search
The Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) is operated by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center. It is the state’s principal public name-based criminal-history search.
The current ICHAT fee is $10 per search.
What information does ICHAT cover?
Michigan State Police says all felonies and serious misdemeanors punishable by more than 93 days are required to be reported to the state repository by law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors and courts across Michigan’s 83 counties.
| Record type | ICHAT public search? | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan felony convictions | Generally yes | Subject to public-record and suppression/set-aside rules. |
| Michigan felony arrests | Can be included | Read the disposition; an arrest is not a conviction. |
| Serious misdemeanor convictions | Generally yes | State-reporting rules focus on qualifying misdemeanors. |
| Warrant information | No | MSP expressly excludes warrants from ICHAT. |
| Juvenile records | No | Juvenile information is not included in the public ICHAT result. |
| Federal criminal records | No | Use PACER/federal resources. |
| Tribal records | No | Not part of ICHAT’s public search. |
| Traffic records | No | Driving-record systems are separate. |
| Other states | No | ICHAT is a Michigan repository, not a nationwide background check. |
| Local minor misdemeanors | May not appear | MSP specifically notes that local misdemeanors are not included. |
Michigan State Police Criminal History / ICHAT help: 517-241-0606.
How to check your own complete Michigan criminal-history record
If the record concerns you personally and you need more than the public ICHAT result, Michigan State Police provides a fingerprint-based personal record-review process.
MSP currently lists a $30 processing fee for a fingerprint-based personal record check that can include both public and nonpublic criminal-history information associated with the fingerprints submitted.
Follow MSP’s personal record-review instructions
Use the Criminal History Records section for the current fingerprint procedure and forms.
Obtain fingerprints as instructed
Fingerprints allow MSP to match the record to a specific person rather than relying only on a name and date of birth.
Submit the required materials and fee
Follow MSP’s current submission instructions because forms, approved fingerprint methods and processing requirements can change.
Review both public and nonpublic entries
This is especially useful when checking whether a conviction has been properly set aside or when preparing to dispute an error.
What to do if a Michigan criminal record is wrong
Michigan State Police says corrections generally must come from the agency responsible for the inaccurate segment of the criminal-history record.
Contact the arresting agency
If the arrest segment is incorrect, start with the law-enforcement agency listed for that arrest.
Contact the prosecutor
Errors in a prosecution/charge segment should be addressed with the prosecuting attorney’s office identified in the record.
Contact the court
If the judicial disposition or court information is wrong, contact the court that reported the information.
MSP Criminal History Help Desk:
517-241-0606
Email:
msp-crd-crimhelp@michigan.gov
Michigan warrant searches
ICHAT is not a public Michigan warrant database. Michigan State Police expressly says warrant information is excluded from ICHAT.
Warrant information can instead depend on the court and law-enforcement agency involved. If you know the criminal case, review available court information and contact the court of record. Local sheriff or police agencies may also provide warrant information under their own procedures.
Michigan court record standards also recognize public requests for copies of arrest or bench warrants. When a court supplies such a copy, it must be marked to make clear that the document is a copy rather than an executable warrant.
Michigan arrest records and police reports
A police incident report is not automatically the same thing as the later court docket. If a Michigan city police department, county sheriff or Michigan State Police unit generated the report, that agency is usually the logical place to start.
For records maintained by Michigan State Police, use MSP’s official Public Records Request process.
Michigan FOIA requests for police and agency records
Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act provides a process for requesting many public records maintained by state and local government agencies, subject to statutory exemptions.
Identify the correct public body
Send the request to the government agency that maintains the record.
Describe the record clearly
Include incident number, date, location, names and record type when known.
Use the agency’s preferred submission method
MSP accepts public-record requests through its online portal and also publishes email, fax and mail options.
Expect exemptions or redactions where required
Some investigative, personal, confidential or statutorily protected information may be withheld or redacted.
Email:
MSPRecords@michigan.gov
Phone:
517-241-1934
Fax: 517-241-1935
Attn: Records Resource Section
P.O. Box 30634
Lansing, MI 48909
Michigan county jail records are local, not OTIS records
County jails and Michigan state prisons are separate systems. The Michigan Department of Corrections specifically says OTIS does not contain people held only in county jails or city lockups.
To find a recent local booking:
Michigan prison, parole and probation records with OTIS
The Michigan Department of Corrections Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) contains information about prisoners, parolees and probationers currently under MDOC supervision, as well as qualifying people discharged from supervision within the previous three years.
OTIS does not include everything
- county-jail-only prisoners
- city lockup detainees
- people arrested but not yet sentenced
- people discharged from MDOC supervision more than three years ago
- information exempt from public disclosure
- a person’s complete criminal history
Very old Michigan prison records
MDOC says its computerized prisoner records generally date back to 1980. For older historical prison information, the department directs researchers toward the Archives of Michigan.
Michigan juvenile records are not handled like ordinary adult cases
MiCOURT expressly excludes juvenile and child-protective proceedings from its public case-search results. ICHAT also excludes juvenile records from its public criminal-history search.
Juvenile matters can be subject to different confidentiality and access rules. Contact the responsible court when you have a legitimate reason to determine whether a specific juvenile record is publicly accessible.
Michigan Clean Slate, set-asides and expunged criminal records
Michigan commonly uses the term “set aside” for what many users call expungement. A set-aside generally removes a qualifying conviction from public view, although law enforcement and certain authorized entities can retain access to nonpublic information.
Automatic Michigan Clean Slate process
Michigan State Police runs an automatic process for qualifying convictions. Eligible convictions can be automatically set aside without requiring the person to file an individual court application.
| Conviction category | Automatic-set-aside limit | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor punishable by less than 92 days | No numerical limit under the automatic rule | 7 years |
| Misdemeanor punishable by 93 days or more | Up to 4 eligible convictions | 7 years |
| Eligible felony | Up to 2 eligible convictions | 10 years |
Eligibility involves more than the waiting period. Certain categories of offenses are excluded, and pending charges or intervening convictions can affect automatic eligibility.
Michigan Clean Slate information Michigan AG expungement assistance
Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry
The Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry is a separate government database maintained by Michigan State Police. It should not be confused with MiCOURT, ICHAT or OTIS.
The public registry allows qualifying searches by name and geographic information for offenders who are legally required to appear on the public registry.
Federal criminal court records in Michigan
Michigan state-court searches do not include federal prosecutions. Federal cases are searched through the federal judiciary’s PACER system.
Eastern District of Michigan
Covers federal cases filed in the Eastern District. The court states that most electronic records can be accessed through PACER.
Western District of Michigan
Covers federal cases filed in the Western District, including divisions serving western and northern Michigan.
If you do not know which federal district has the case, use the PACER Case Locator, which searches a nationwide federal case index.
How to find the correct Michigan court
Michigan has 83 counties, but criminal-court organization is based on judicial districts and circuits rather than a single “one court per county” model.
Use the Michigan Trial Court Directory to locate the appropriate district or circuit court and obtain its official website, address and contact information.
When you are unsure which court to contact
- identify the county where the alleged offense occurred
- check whether the case is a misdemeanor or felony
- search the district court for early felony proceedings
- search circuit court after felony bindover
- save any case number found in MiCOURT
- contact the clerk when online historical coverage is unclear
Michigan Hall of Justice map and statewide court headquarters
The Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing is headquarters for Michigan’s judicial branch and houses the Michigan Supreme Court. It is useful for statewide judicial and appellate matters, but ordinary district- and circuit-court record copies should usually be obtained from the local court that maintains the case.
Michigan Hall of Justice
925 W. Ottawa StreetLansing, MI 48915
Use the Michigan Trial Court Directory for local district and circuit courthouse addresses.
MSP Headquarters
7150 Harris DriveDimondale, MI 48821
Main phone:
517-332-2521
Criminal History / ICHAT:
517-241-0606
Map: Michigan Hall of Justice, 925 W. Ottawa Street, Lansing, Michigan 48915. For a trial-court record, verify the local court location before traveling.
Michigan criminal court search tips that save time
Start with the court level
Misdemeanor cases generally remain in district court; felonies can move from district to circuit court.
Use the case number
Once found, save it. It is usually the quickest way to return to the correct file or order a copy.
Check the 7-year filter
An old criminal conviction can be absent from MiCOURT because the selected court applies the online filter.
Use ICHAT for statewide history
MiCOURT answers court-case questions. ICHAT is the Michigan State Police statewide public criminal-history tool.
Search the county jail for recent custody
OTIS is not a county-jail roster and does not list everyone recently arrested.
Follow felony bindover
If a district-court felony docket ends with bindover, continue searching the circuit court.
Inspect before buying copies
Michigan court rules allow public inspection without an access fee; determine which documents you actually need first.
Police report follows the agency
Request an incident report from the law-enforcement agency that created it rather than from the court by default.
Read the final disposition
Initial charges can be amended or dismissed. The final disposition matters more than the first docket entry.
Using Michigan criminal records for employment, housing or other decisions
Public court information is useful for research, but employment, housing, licensing, credit and other eligibility decisions can trigger additional state and federal requirements.
Michigan criminal court records: frequently asked questions
1. Is Michigan MiCOURT free to use?
Yes. MiCOURT provides public online case-search access without a case-search fee. Courts may charge when you request reproduced or certified documents.
2. Why can’t I find an old Michigan criminal conviction in MiCOURT?
Some courts use a seven-year criminal-sentence filter. MiCOURT says cases sentenced more than seven years before the search may not be displayed for courts using that filter. Contact the court directly for older case information.
3. What is the difference between MiCOURT and ICHAT?
MiCOURT searches participating Michigan court case history. ICHAT is the Michigan State Police statewide public criminal-history system. They are separate databases serving different purposes.
4. How much does a Michigan ICHAT search cost?
Michigan State Police currently lists a $10 fee for each public name-based ICHAT criminal-history search.
5. Can I get my own complete Michigan criminal record?
Michigan State Police provides a fingerprint-based personal record-review process. MSP currently lists a $30 processing fee, and the result can include public and nonpublic Michigan criminal-history information associated with the fingerprints submitted.
6. Does ICHAT show Michigan warrants?
No. Michigan State Police specifically states that warrant information is not available through ICHAT. Warrant questions should be verified with the responsible court or law-enforcement agency.
7. Does OTIS show everyone in a Michigan jail?
No. OTIS is a Michigan Department of Corrections system. It does not contain people held only in county jails or city lockups. Search the appropriate county sheriff or jail system for local custody.
8. Are Michigan juvenile criminal records available through MiCOURT?
MiCOURT states that juvenile and child-protective proceedings are excluded from its public search. ICHAT also excludes juvenile records from its public criminal-history search.
9. How much is a certified Michigan court record?
Michigan’s statewide court-record standards generally provide for a certified-copy charge of $1 per page plus a $10 certification fee, unless another specific rule or statute applies.
10. Does MiCOURT include federal criminal cases?
No. Michigan state-court cases and federal cases use separate systems. Federal criminal cases are searched through PACER and the appropriate U.S. District Court.
Official Michigan criminal-record sources
Fees, access rules, portal interfaces and government procedures can change. Verify important information with the government agency maintaining the original record.
- Michigan Judiciary — MiCOURT Case Search
- Michigan Judiciary — Trial Court Directory
- Michigan Judiciary — Cases, Opinions & Orders
- Michigan Court Rule 8.119 — Court Record Access
- Michigan State Police — Criminal History Records
- Michigan State Police — ICHAT
- MSP — Search, Correct or Update Criminal History
- Michigan State Police — FOIA / Public Records Requests
- Michigan Department of Corrections — OTIS
- Michigan State Police — Michigan Clean Slate
- Michigan Attorney General — Expungement Assistance
- Michigan State Police — Sex Offender Registry
- PACER — Federal Court Records
- U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Michigan Records
- U.S. District Court — Western District of Michigan