Michigan criminal records are spread across several official systems. Trial-court case information is available through MiCOURT Case Search, statewide public criminal-history information is maintained by the Michigan State Police through ICHAT, prison and supervision records are available through the Michigan Department of Corrections’ OTIS system, county-jail records remain local, and older or certified court files may require direct contact with the court that handled the case. This guide explains which source to use, what each system includes, and why one database can show a record that another does not.
First, identify the Michigan criminal record you need
Michigan does not maintain every criminal-justice record in one public database. Court cases, criminal-history records, police reports, county-jail records and state-corrections information originate in different systems.
Trial-court criminal case
Start with MiCOURT Case Search. Contact the trial court if the record is older, filtered or a certified document is required.
State criminal history
Use ICHAT for publicly available Michigan criminal-history information maintained by MSP.
Incident / arrest report
Contact the police department, sheriff or MSP office that created the report.
Local jail custody
County jails are locally operated and are not comprehensively represented in OTIS.
Prison / parole / probation
Use OTIS for qualifying people currently or recently under MDOC supervision.
Federal criminal case
Use PACER and the Eastern or Western District of Michigan rather than Michigan state systems.
Which Michigan court handles criminal cases?
Misdemeanors and felony beginnings
Michigan district courts handle many misdemeanor cases and preliminary stages of felony matters.
Felony trials and serious cases
Circuit courts are Michigan’s trial courts of general jurisdiction and handle felony proceedings.
Check the court named on the case
Court structure and online participation can vary, so confirm the exact court of record before ordering documents.
How to search Michigan criminal court cases with MiCOURT
The official MiCOURT Case Search provides public case-history information from participating Michigan trial courts.
Open the official MiCOURT Case Search
Accept the terms of service and continue to the public search.
Select the court or search scope
Michigan court participation and available case types vary, so make sure the relevant court is included.
Search by party or case information
Use the most precise identifiers available. A case number is generally more reliable than a common name.
Review the full case history
Check charges, court events, sentencing information and the final disposition.
Contact the court for anything missing
MiCOURT is informational and does not replace the official record maintained by the court.
Important Michigan limitation: some courts use a 7-year criminal-sentence filter
MiCOURT warns that some courts only display case numbers and criminal-conviction information when sentencing occurred within seven years of the search date.
Participating courts that use this rule are identified in MiCOURT’s court listing with a check mark in the 7-Year Criminal Sentence Filter column.
How to read a Michigan criminal court result
| Item | What it tells you | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Identifies the specific court proceeding. | Make sure the court and defendant match. |
| Charge | The offense alleged in the case. | A charge is not automatically a conviction. |
| Charge level | May identify misdemeanor or felony classification. | Michigan currently warns of a display issue involving some attempted-felony charges. |
| Disposition | How the case or charge ended. | Look for conviction, dismissal, acquittal, plea or other resolution. |
| Sentence | Court-imposed penalty or supervision. | Check jail, prison, probation, fines or other terms. |
| Event history | Chronological court activity. | Later entries can change the meaning of earlier filings. |
Michigan ICHAT statewide public criminal-history search
The Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) is operated by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.
ICHAT is a name-based search of public criminal-history information maintained by MSP.
Current ICHAT cost
Michigan currently charges $10 per public ICHAT search.
Information needed for the search
MSP says an online search uses:
- first name
- last name
- gender
- date of birth
What Michigan ICHAT includes — and what it does not
Michigan State Police requires law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors and courts in all 83 Michigan counties to report qualifying felonies and serious misdemeanors punishable by more than 93 days to the state criminal-history repository.
| Record type | ICHAT? | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan felony criminal history | Yes, if public | Subject to reporting and public-access rules. |
| Serious Michigan misdemeanors | Yes, if public | Qualifying misdemeanors punishable by more than 93 days are reported. |
| Suppressed / nonpublic records | No | Not displayed through public ICHAT. |
| Warrant information | No | ICHAT is not a warrant-search service. |
| Federal criminal history | No | Use federal systems such as PACER where appropriate. |
| Tribal criminal records | No | Outside ordinary ICHAT coverage. |
| Out-of-state criminal history | No | Michigan directs users to the other state. |
| Traffic records | No | Driving and traffic information uses other systems. |
| Juvenile records | No | Juvenile information is not provided through ordinary ICHAT. |
| Certain local misdemeanors | No | May remain in local court files rather than the public state repository. |
How to get your own fingerprint-based Michigan criminal-history record
Michigan provides a fingerprint-based process for individuals who want a more complete personal criminal-history review, including public and nonpublic information associated with their fingerprints.
The Michigan State Police currently lists a $30 processing fee for this personal fingerprint-based criminal-history search.
ICHAT
Name-based, $10 per search, and limited to publicly releasable Michigan information.
Fingerprint search
Uses fingerprints and can return both public and nonpublic Michigan information tied to those prints.
Michigan arrest reports and police records
An ICHAT result is not the same thing as a police incident report. If you need the report created during an arrest or investigation, contact the law-enforcement agency that generated the record.
This may include:
- Michigan State Police
- county sheriff’s office
- city police department
- university police
- other local law-enforcement agency
Michigan FOIA requests for police and public records
Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act allows qualifying public records to be inspected or copied upon written request, subject to exemptions.
Michigan State Police provides a dedicated Public Records Request Portal for MSP records.
Check whether the record already has a dedicated online system
MSP specifically directs criminal-history users to ICHAT and crash-report users to its crash system before using FOIA.
Identify the agency that has the record
A city police report should normally be requested from that city, not automatically from Michigan State Police.
Describe the existing record sufficiently
Give dates, names, incident numbers, location and record type where possible.
Use the appropriate public-record request process
MSP uses its Records Request Portal through MILogin and also publishes alternative request methods.
Michigan county-jail records
County jails are operated locally. Michigan Department of Corrections explicitly states that OTIS does not contain people held only in county jails or city lockups.
For local custody, use:
- the county sheriff’s inmate search
- the county jail or detention-center website
- the relevant local custody-information service
- the sheriff’s records division where no online search exists
Michigan OTIS offender search
The Michigan Department of Corrections operates the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS).
OTIS contains information about:
- current Michigan prisoners
- parolees
- probationers under MDOC jurisdiction
- certain discharged offenders for three years after supervision discharge
What OTIS does not contain
- county-jail-only inmates
- city-lockup detainees
- people convicted but not yet sentenced
- certain FOIA-exempt information
- people off MDOC supervision for more than three years
- a complete Michigan criminal history
Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry
Michigan State Police maintains the Public Sex Offender Registry for qualifying registrants. The public system allows searches by name, registration or MDOC number, address, city, county and ZIP code, along with geographic-radius searches.
Michigan Sex Offender Registry
Removal from the registry does not itself erase the underlying criminal conviction. Michigan State Police notes that an underlying conviction may still appear in court records, prosecutor files, police records or criminal-history records where otherwise public.
Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court records
Trial-court searching does not tell the whole story when a criminal judgment has been appealed. Michigan appellate records can contain later orders and opinions affecting the trial-court result.
Michigan Court of Appeals
Search appellate case information and opinions through the Michigan judiciary’s appellate resources.
Michigan Supreme Court
Supreme Court orders and opinions can provide the final state appellate history for qualifying cases.
Federal criminal cases in Michigan
Michigan state systems do not include federal prosecutions. Federal cases are divided between the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan.
Eastern District of Michigan
Use the Eastern District and PACER for federal criminal matters filed in that federal district.
Western District of Michigan
Use the Western District and PACER for federal matters filed in western Michigan.
How to get certified Michigan criminal court records
MiCOURT provides informational case-history access, but it is not a substitute for the official court file.
For certified copies, pleadings, judgments, orders or records that are missing online, contact the clerk of the court that handled the case.
General Michigan certified-copy fee
Michigan law generally provides a fee of $10 plus $1 per page for certified copies and exemplifications of circuit, district and probate court records when no different fee applies.
Find the court of record
Use MiCOURT, ICHAT or the case paperwork to identify the court and county.
Contact the court clerk
Ask whether the document can be ordered remotely or must be obtained in person.
Specify whether certification is required
A simple informational copy and a certified copy are different products.
Confirm the current fee
Local procedures and statutory fees can change or vary depending on the record requested.
What to do when an older Michigan criminal case is missing online
An older case can be absent from online search for several reasons, including MiCOURT’s court-specific seven-year criminal-sentence filter, local retention practices, sealing or set-aside status, or because the court does not display the information remotely.
Search MiCOURT
Confirm that the relevant court participates and check whether it uses the 7-year criminal filter.
Search ICHAT if appropriate
Public statewide criminal-history information may identify the county of conviction.
Contact the trial court
Ask the clerk whether an older file remains public and how to inspect or order it.
How to correct inaccurate Michigan criminal-history information
If a Michigan criminal-history record appears inaccurate, determine whether the problem originates with the court or the MSP criminal-history repository.
MSP provides procedures to search, modify or update criminal-history records and also publishes a Judicial Correction Worksheet for situations where a court cannot electronically update the criminal-history record.
Obtain the record you are disputing
Use ICHAT or a fingerprint-based personal record search, depending on the issue.
Compare it with the court file
Obtain the judgment, register of actions or other record showing the correct disposition.
Contact the correct source
A court-data problem may need correction by the court; a repository issue may require MSP assistance.
Criminal History / ICHAT Help Desk: 517-241-0606
Michigan Clean Slate and criminal-record expungement
Michigan generally uses the term set aside for what is commonly called expungement. A set-aside conviction is removed from ordinary public view, although law enforcement and some authorized agencies may continue to access qualifying information.
Automatic Clean Slate set-asides
Michigan’s automatic process took effect in 2023. Michigan State Police runs the automated process and communicates eligible set-asides to courts.
| Conviction category | Automatic limit | General waiting period |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor punishable by less than 92 days | No numerical limit | 7 years |
| Misdemeanor punishable by 93 days or more | Up to 4 | 7 years |
| Felony | Up to 2 | 10 years |
Automatic eligibility also depends on offense type, absence of disqualifying pending charges, waiting periods and other statutory conditions.
Application-based set aside
Michigan’s current application process can allow qualifying applicants to seek set aside of:
- up to 3 felonies in a lifetime
- unlimited misdemeanors
- no more than 2 assaultive crimes
- only one qualifying felony punishable by 10 or more years
- certain qualifying traffic convictions
Application waiting periods
- 7 years for multiple felonies
- 5 years for a single felony or certain serious misdemeanors
- 3 years for most other misdemeanors
Michigan State Police application processing
The application process generally requires fingerprints, the application, certified court documents and a current MSP processing fee of $50. MSP advises allowing approximately 8 weeks for its criminal-history processing and mail delivery.
Michigan juvenile criminal records
Juvenile cases are not treated like ordinary adult public criminal-history records. Michigan State Police specifically states that ICHAT does not include juvenile records.
MiCOURT also excludes several juvenile and child-related case categories from public display.
Michigan criminal-history offices and contact information
Criminal Justice Information Center
Administration:
517-284-3021
Criminal History / ICHAT:
517-241-0606
Michigan DOC
Grandview Plaza206 E. Michigan Ave.
P.O. Box 30003
Lansing, MI 48909
Toll-free:
877-886-5401
Local:
517-373-4467
Map: Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center area
Use official online or mail procedures for criminal-history requests unless Michigan State Police specifically instructs you to appear in person.
Michigan criminal-record search tips that save time
Use MiCOURT and ICHAT for different jobs
MiCOURT shows court-case information. ICHAT is the state criminal-history repository search.
Watch for the 7-year filter
An older conviction may stop displaying online even though the local court still has the case.
ICHAT is not nationwide
It excludes federal, tribal and other-state criminal history.
Warrants are not in ICHAT
Use the appropriate court or law-enforcement agency for warrant questions.
County jail is not OTIS
A recent detainee may appear only in the local sheriff’s inmate system.
OTIS has a 3-year post-supervision limit
People discharged more than three years ago generally disappear from OTIS public results.
Check the final disposition
A charge, arrest or arraignment tells you what was alleged — not how the case ended.
Fingerprint yourself when identity matters
A personal fingerprint check is stronger than a name-only ICHAT match.
Check Clean Slate before assuming a record was deleted
An absent public result may reflect an automatic or court-ordered set aside.
Using Michigan criminal records for employment, housing or screening
A public court search or ICHAT result is not automatically equivalent to a legally compliant consumer background report.
Employment, housing, licensing, credit and other regulated decisions can involve additional federal or state requirements depending on who performs the search and how the information is used.
Michigan criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Where can I search Michigan criminal court cases online?
Use the official MiCOURT Case Search for public case-history information from participating Michigan trial courts.
2. How much does a Michigan ICHAT criminal-history search cost?
Michigan State Police currently charges $10 for a public name-based ICHAT criminal-history search.
3. Does ICHAT include every Michigan criminal record?
No. ICHAT excludes suppressed records, warrants, federal and tribal records, traffic records, juvenile records, out-of-state records and certain local misdemeanors.
4. Why can’t I find an older Michigan criminal conviction on MiCOURT?
Some Michigan courts apply a seven-year criminal-sentence display filter. Contact the court of record directly for older case information.
5. Does OTIS show Michigan county-jail inmates?
No. Michigan DOC states that OTIS does not include people held only in county jails or city lockups. Use the local sheriff or jail system instead.
6. How long does an offender stay visible in OTIS after supervision ends?
OTIS generally includes discharged offenders for up to three years after their supervision discharge date.
7. How do I get my own complete Michigan criminal-history record?
Michigan State Police provides a fingerprint-based personal criminal-history process. The current MSP processing fee is $30 for the personal record search described by MSP.
8. How do I get a certified Michigan criminal court record?
Contact the clerk of the court that handled the case. Michigan law generally lists a certified-copy charge of $10 plus $1 per page when no different fee applies.
9. What is Michigan Clean Slate?
Michigan Clean Slate allows qualifying convictions to be set aside either automatically after statutory waiting periods or through an application filed with the court.
10. Are federal criminal cases included in Michigan ICHAT or MiCOURT?
No. Federal criminal cases use the federal court system. Search PACER and the Eastern or Western District of Michigan as appropriate.
Official Michigan sources used for this guide
- MiCOURT Case Search
- Michigan Courts
- Michigan State Police — Criminal History Records
- Michigan ICHAT
- Michigan State Police FOIA Requests
- Search, Expunge, Modify or Update Michigan Criminal History
- Michigan Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS)
- Michigan Department of Corrections FAQ
- Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry
- Michigan State Police — September 2026 Registry Change
- Michigan Attorney General — Expungement Assistance
- Michigan Clean Slate
- U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court — Western District of Michigan
- PACER Federal Court Records