Michigan Public Records in 2026

Which Michigan office holds the record?

Michigan has 83 counties, but there is no single public database containing everything their offices maintain. The Michigan courts provide judicial information; the Michigan State Police maintain the state criminal history repository; and the Department of Corrections maintains information about people in its prison and supervision systems. A court case can exist without a matching public repository result, and a jail booking does not establish a conviction. Decide which event or document you need before choosing a search.

The county clerk is an important starting point for local vital records and circuit court files, but those functions operate under different access rules. For a divorce judgment, contact the court that entered it. For a state vital record, use the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ordering service. A state divorce record and the complete divorce case file are different products. Ask the recipient of your document which one it requires before paying.

Property work usually involves several local offices. The register of deeds records instruments such as deeds and mortgages. An assessor or equalization office maintains assessment information, while a treasurer handles the applicable tax records. The property records directory and recorded documents directory separate these routes. A parcel map helps locate land, but ownership questions may require the recorded instrument and its legal description.

For companies and professional credentials, begin with Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, commonly called LARA. Business registration, an occupational license and a local permit are separate records. A company's registered address is not necessarily the premises where it operates. Similarly, a professional's individual credential does not automatically establish the licensing status of a facility or business using that person's services. Search the authority responsible for the particular activity.

Michigan FOIA deadlines, fees and appeals

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act governs access to records of covered public bodies. Its definition of a public body excludes the judiciary, including county clerk employees acting as circuit court clerks. Consequently, sending a FOIA demand to obtain a court file can lead you down the wrong procedural path. Request judicial records through the court's access procedures, and use FOIA for covered executive and local government records.

Under MCL 15.235, an agency generally must respond within five business days after receiving a written request. It may issue one extension notice for up to ten additional business days. Electronic transmission has a specific receipt rule: receipt generally occurs one business day after transmission, with an additional provision for messages delivered to spam or junk folders. Keep the sent message and acknowledgment, and count business days from the legally applicable receipt date.

That response period should not be described as an unconditional delivery deadline. A response may grant access, deny access, grant part and deny part, or issue the permitted extension. Large productions can involve an estimate, deposit and further processing. Make the subject line unmistakable, identify the records and date range, and ask for electronic delivery where practical. The MiLEAP procedures illustrate how a state agency implements the law, but each custodian's instructions should be checked before submission.

The fee statute allows specified costs rather than an arbitrary search charge. Ordinary letter-size and legal-size paper copies are capped at ten cents per sheet. Permitted labor and other costs may still apply, so electronic records are not necessarily free. If a good-faith total estimate exceeds $50, the ordinary deposit rule allows up to half the estimate, with detailed itemization. Separate statutory fees can govern services such as certified records. Ask which fee authority applies and request the calculation before expanding the scope.

For a denial, MCL 15.240 provides an appeal to the head of the public body or a court action within 180 days of the final denial. The head ordinarily has ten business days to decide an administrative appeal, with one permitted extension of up to ten business days. Fee challenges have a separate process, including a 45-day court-filing period tied to the fee notice or appeal determination. Preserve the notice and consult the applicable provision promptly; the two deadlines are not interchangeable.

Court cases, calendars and copies

Start with MiCOURT Case Search and select the court with jurisdiction. The system's court-selection information warns that participating courts differ in coverage. Some courts apply a seven-year criminal sentencing filter, identified in the selection information. Do not assume that every participating court displays all historical cases, or that an older case absent from a public search has been erased. Ask the clerk about the particular court's online date coverage and access to older files.

A docket, a calendar and a filed document serve different purposes. Kent County's circuit court hearing schedule helps identify scheduled proceedings, while Genesee County's circuit court records office is a route to records held by that clerk. Livingston County Circuit Court and the broader Livingston courts directory help distinguish the relevant court. Saginaw County's Circuit Court Division provides another local starting point. Record the case number, court and party names before requesting copies; a common surname alone is a poor way to identify a file.

The Calhoun County District Court handles a different court's records from the county's circuit court clerk. The Calhoun circuit court clerk's instructions also illustrate why older searches may require staff help: some historical files are on microfilm, and archival name searches have their own process. A public online lookup does not guarantee that a historical document is digitized. Tell the clerk approximately when the case occurred and which document you need.

Use the Michigan trial court directory when you do not know the correct local court. Claims handled by the Court of Claims require that court's resources, and Supreme Court opinions are published decisions rather than a complete statewide trial case database. Michigan also has tribal courts with their own authorities and procedures. The court records directory can help you move between these systems without treating one search's boundaries as statewide limits.

Federal cases take a separate route through PACER. The Eastern District of Michigan's federal case system, Eastern District bankruptcy system and Western District bankruptcy system are separate from Michigan state courts. Check PACER's current access and billing rules before retrieving documents. A certified copy should come from the appropriate court clerk; a browser printout or search summary is not automatically equivalent to a clerk-certified record.

Criminal history through ICHAT and fingerprint checks

The State Police criminal history page explains the difference between a name search and a fingerprint-based check. ICHAT searches public information maintained in Michigan's central criminal history repository. State Police describe mandatory reporting for felonies and serious misdemeanors punishable by more than 93 days, drawing on agencies, prosecutors and courts throughout Michigan's 83 counties. The service is broader than a single county court search, but it is not a national criminal history search or a complete collection of every local incident.

A public ICHAT search costs $10, as confirmed in the Calhoun clerk's instructions for checking public criminal history. Follow the State Police link to the official service and review the identifying information before paying. Compare a possible match with the available identifiers and case information. A similar name is not sufficient to attribute someone else's record to the subject of a search, and a spelling difference can affect a name-based result.

State Police list important exclusions: ICHAT does not provide suppressed records, warrants, federal or tribal records, juvenile records, traffic records, other states' history or the excluded local misdemeanor information. A no-record response therefore has a defined meaning: the submitted search did not return a matching public record in that system. It does not establish that no court proceeding, arrest or out-of-state event ever occurred. Use the criminal records directory to identify other appropriate custodians when the question extends beyond ICHAT.

For your own fuller Michigan history, the State Police personal record-check procedure requires fingerprints and a $30 processing fee. It is a different service from the public name search and can include public and nonpublic information associated with the submitted fingerprints. The published procedure allows three to five weeks for processing and mail delivery. Follow the current mailing and identification instructions, especially if the response is needed for use outside the country or for a specific application.

Michigan's Clean Slate information explains automatic set-aside rules and their limits. Not every offense qualifies, and the presence of an old copy elsewhere does not establish its current public-record status. For an apparent discrepancy, identify the originating court and use the State Police correction or review procedures where appropriate. Do not present an old downloaded report as a fresh check without confirming its date and current status.

Arrest reports, local jails and the OTIS search

An arrest report belongs with the arresting police agency; a current jail booking generally belongs with the agency operating the jail. The court holds the resulting case, if one was filed. These records describe different stages of an event. An arrest can be followed by release, dismissal, acquittal, conviction or another disposition. A useful search follows the case to the relevant disposition rather than treating the booking allegation as the outcome.

Use official local entry points such as the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, Madison Heights Police Department or Sterling Heights Police Department to find the responsible records unit and current request procedure. These office pages are contact routes, not a promise of a public searchable report database. Supply an incident number if known, plus the date, approximate location and report type. Body-camera footage, dispatch records and the narrative report may require separate descriptions within the same request.

The Department of Corrections' Offender Tracking Information System, OTIS, covers people in state custody or supervision and certain discharged individuals. The department's OTIS explanation says information remains available for people within three years after discharge from supervision, while people beyond that period are not included. This makes OTIS unsuitable as a lifetime conviction index. It also means that an old case can remain relevant to a court search even though the person's OTIS entry is gone.

Check the status shown in the result before interpreting a facility or supervision entry. State prison information is different from a county jail's current custody information. Federal custody can be checked through the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. For a recent arrest or transfer, ask the relevant custodian about current status rather than inferring it from an older result in another system.

The Department of Corrections most-wanted page concerns its own wanted-person information. It is not a universal Michigan warrant clearance service. The wants and warrants directory identifies additional official routes. State Police expressly exclude warrant information from ICHAT, so purchasing that report does not answer whether a particular court has an active warrant.

Birth, death, marriage and divorce records

Michigan's state vital records service holds registered Michigan birth, death, marriage and divorce records dating back to 1867. This describes the state's record coverage, not a guarantee that every event was registered or that every old entry is complete. Provide the event location and date as accurately as possible. A county index can help establish those details before you order a certified record.

The state lists a $34 standard search fee, with additional charges depending on ordering method and service. Search fees are nonrefundable even if no matching record is found. A person aged 65 or older requesting their own birth record qualifies for a reduced $14 fee. Birth records have access restrictions, while registered birth records more than 100 years old are unrestricted under the department's published instructions. Use the current eligibility and identification requirements rather than assuming all vital records have identical access rules.

Check the department's current processing estimates before choosing a service. In-person ordering is by appointment, and online ordering, mail and other options have different procedures. An online order can add processing charges, so the basic search fee is not necessarily the checkout total. For a time-sensitive legal transaction, ask the receiving organization what certification is required before paying for expedited processing or a specialized certificate.

Local offices provide valuable alternatives. Delta County's birth instructions, death certificate information and marriage records page explain distinct services. Genesee County's vital records office provides ordering instructions, while its death, marriage and assumed-name search can help locate an indexed entry. Do not confuse a search result with a certified copy, or assume a local office charges the state's fee. The issuing office controls its own applicable procedure and charges.

For northern Michigan research, Grand Traverse County's death records database can identify entries, and its certified marriage-copy instructions explain a separate ordering task. Branch County genealogy and Livingston County genealogy provide research routes for family-history work. Muskegon County's birth, death and marriage page and St. Joseph County's death records page offer additional local starting points. Search coverage and the availability of older images should be checked within each service.

In Saginaw County, the death certificate instructions are separate from the marriage license instructions. Applying for a new license is not the same as ordering proof of an existing marriage. Kent County also maintains a clerk records search distinct from its register of deeds search. Use the Michigan vital records directory to locate the appropriate office, and use the court clerk when the document you actually need is a divorce judgment or another filing in the case.

Property assessments, taxes and recorded documents

Begin a land search with the county and the best available parcel identifier. Street addresses can change or describe only one part of a larger parcel. The legal description in a recorded deed, the assessor's parcel number and a map's displayed address should be compared rather than assumed to be interchangeable. When searching by an owner's name, try the name shown on the relevant instrument, including a trust or company name when applicable.

County register of deeds offices offer different search arrangements. Antrim County's public search options, Arenac County's register of deeds and Benzie County's register of deeds are official entry points. Genesee County's online records search instructions should be read alongside its register of deeds office page. In Grand Traverse County, use the records search instructions to identify the current service and its terms. Searching an index, viewing an image and ordering a certified instrument can be separate transactions.

Other official routes include the Hillsdale register of deeds, Huron register of deeds, Kalamazoo document-search instructions and Kent register of deeds search. Marquette County's online document-search page, Monroe County's deeds search and Muskegon County's record-search instructions help direct searches to their own recorded collections. Read each collection's coverage before deciding that an older mortgage, release or deed is absent. A grantor or grantee index may require a different search from an address-based parcel system.

For additional counties, start with Newaygo's register of deeds, Saginaw's register of deeds, Sanilac's register of deeds or St. Joseph's property-record search instructions. Sanilac also publishes a separate land transfers page. A transfer listing can lead to a transaction, but examine the recorded instrument for the parties, interests conveyed and legal description. A search result alone should not be treated as a complete title examination or proof that all liens have been released.

Assessment and mapping tools answer other questions. Benzie equalization, Chippewa equalization and Genesee equalization provide county assessment entry points. Genesee GIS, the Grand Traverse mapping gallery and Huron GIS help locate parcels and geographic information. In Kalamazoo County, use the parcel search for parcel information and the GIS resources for mapping. A displayed line is not a substitute for a survey, and an assessed value should not be described as a current market appraisal.

The Kent property search, Leelanau property search and Manistee property search provide additional county routes. Oceana's GIS map, Sanilac GIS and St. Joseph GIS can be useful for identifying land before requesting records. For taxes, use the relevant treasurer or the county's designated service, such as Marquette's delinquent real-property tax search, St. Joseph's property and tax search or Wayne County's tax-payment information. Confirm the tax year and whether the system concerns current or delinquent balances before relying on an amount.

Business entities, professional licenses and facilities

LARA's MiBusiness Registry Portal information describes the business filing system introduced in June 2025. It supports entity filings, annual reports and statements, and orders for certificates and copies. Use the current portal instructions instead of a saved link to a retired filing service. Entity names and identification numbers help distinguish similarly named businesses; an assumed or advertising name may differ from the entity's legal name.

The portal change also affects how records are ordered and filings are submitted. LARA announced that annual reports and annual statements must be submitted online through the new system, and certificate and copy orders are no longer accepted by telephone. For evidence of a particular filing, request that document or the appropriate certificate rather than treating a search summary as equivalent. A filing record reports what was submitted to the state; it does not establish the quality of a company's services.

Use Michigan's State License Search to identify the responsible regulator, then consult the license directory for relevant official sources. Specialized routes include LARA's acupuncture licensing information, the asbestos program, Department of Insurance and Financial Services resources and the educator credential search. Match the license type and credential holder as well as the name. Check whether the record concerns an individual, company or facility before drawing conclusions from its status.

Facility research can involve different collections from professional licensing. Michigan provides adult foster care and homes for the aged facility information and a camp search. A facility name can change while a location remains the same, so use the available identifiers and address together. For charitable organizations, the Attorney General's charitable trust search is a separate route from ordinary corporate filings. Registration in one system does not automatically resolve requirements administered by another agency.

Agricultural and other specialized businesses also have distinct regulators. Use the state's grain licensing information, nursery licensing and inspection information and pesticide application business licensing page for those activities. Mammography program information and notary services address still different record types. Where a search lacks a document or historical status, ask the responsible program for the specific public record rather than sending a broad request to every office within LARA.

Sex offender registry searches after the 2026 changes

Begin with the State Police sex offender registry page and its official public-search link. The public registry displays information authorized for public release, rather than the full law enforcement registration database. Compare identifying information carefully, and read the site's explanation of offense links: a linked statute may show its current wording rather than the wording in force when the conviction occurred.

The interpretation of missing entries changed materially in September 2026. In its September 11 statement, State Police reported removing registrants to comply with a September 9 Michigan Supreme Court order concerning the retroactive application of registration requirements to conduct before July 1, 2011. The department reported more than 20,000 removals as of September 11 and said its review was continuing. That dated figure is not a count of removals as of every later search.

A person disappearing from the public registry does not by itself establish that the underlying conviction was vacated or that no historical court record exists. State Police's September 2026 legal update discusses the order and the limits on disclosure from the nonpublic registry. Use the current public site for current public information and the appropriate court for accessible case records. Do not use an old screenshot as proof of a person's present registration obligations.

Unclaimed property searches and ownership claims

The Michigan Department of Treasury unclaimed property service covers assets turned over to the state, including dormant accounts, uncashed checks and other abandoned financial property. It is separate from county parcel records and the State Land Bank Authority, which concerns a different kind of property. A result under a familiar name is a lead to investigate, not automatic proof that the money belongs to you.

Use the official claim search and compare the reported name, address and holder information. Search former names or business names where relevant to your own claim. Follow the portal's instructions for proving the relationship between the claimant and the listed owner. An estate representative or other authorized claimant may need different supporting documents from the person originally named on an account.

Treasury's 2026 unclaimed-property announcement directs people to the official service. Keep the claim identifier and use the site's document-submission and status options for follow-up. Search and claiming instructions are different from the reporting requirements imposed on businesses that hold other people's property. A holder reporting date should not be interpreted as a deadline by which every owner must file a claim.

Driving records and voter information

Michigan's Secretary of State driving-record instructions list a $16 online driving record and mail options priced at $15 for an ordinary copy or $16 for a certified copy. The electronic record remains accessible through the account for seven days, so save the supplied file if you need to retain it. Check the required record type before ordering, especially when a court, insurer or other recipient requires certification.

Access to another person's driving or vehicle information is subject to restrictions. The Secretary of State's driver and vehicle records guidance explains the applicable privacy framework and request routes. A general interest in public records does not make every personal field public. Follow the agency's current application requirements for the particular request and do not assume that a vehicle plate lookup provides unrestricted access to owner information.

The Michigan Voter Information Center helps voters find their own registration and election information. Its voter lookup is a different service from requesting an election record or a permitted voter-data product. Use the voter records directory to identify official sources, and contact the appropriate election clerk for the actual record needed. A person's ballot choices are not public voter-registration information.

Make a request the custodian can locate and process

Begin with a specific record description: the contract and amendments for a named project, the incident report for an identified event, or the meeting minutes for particular dates. Include a case, parcel, license or incident number when available. Those identifiers often matter more than a long explanation of your research. For a record found in a search index, preserve the exact office and identifier so that the custodian can locate the underlying document.

Check whether the requested item is available through a standard service before submitting FOIA. A certified birth certificate, a clerk-certified court document and a personal fingerprint history check each have a designated process. A FOIA request does not automatically substitute for those procedures or bypass their eligibility requirements. If you need an existing agency record rather than one of those standard products, use the agency's published FOIA contact and describe the desired format.

For a broad collection, propose a manageable date range and ask for a cost estimate before authorizing substantial charges. Request electronic delivery where the records can be supplied that way, and ask the agency to identify any withheld portions and the legal basis. Keep the original wording, acknowledgment, extension, estimate and final response together. If you change the scope after receiving an estimate, confirm the revised request in writing so both sides know which records remain requested.

An unsuccessful search is also useful information when its limits are documented. Note the court selected, date coverage, name variations and filters used. If the likely record predates the online index, ask about older volumes, microfilm or archival custody. Do not keep repeating an identical online search when the real question is whether that database includes the relevant year or record category.

Michigan guides for specific searches

Michigan arrest records follows the path from a local police event to repository and court information, with attention to the final disposition.

Michigan background checks helps identify which public or authorized fingerprint service fits the purpose of a check.

Michigan birth certificates explains eligibility and ordering choices before a requester pays for a state search.

Michigan business search helps trace an entity's filings and distinguish registered business information from professional licensing.

Michigan death records addresses how to locate the event and choose the record needed for an estate or other transaction.

Michigan inmate search explains how custody and supervision information differ from a permanent criminal history.

Michigan people search brings together public-record routes while emphasizing identifiers that separate people with similar names.

Michigan public records law provides a closer look at request handling, itemized costs and the routes available after a denial.

Michigan sex offender registry explains the public-search service; read it alongside the September 2026 update above when assessing current coverage.

Michigan unclaimed property helps distinguish finding a possible match from establishing the ownership needed for payment.

County routes for local records

Choose the county connected to the event or land, which may differ from where a person lives now. For southeastern Michigan, use the Wayne County, Oakland County, Macomb County and Washtenaw County directories to identify local offices. City police records and municipal records can still require a city custodian even when the county is correctly identified.

In western Michigan, the Kent County, Ottawa County, Kalamazoo County and Allegan County pages provide local routes. The Ingham County and Genesee County directories cover additional central and southeastern searches. Use the office's jurisdiction, not simply the nearest courthouse, when deciding where to request a file.

For northern Lower Peninsula records, start with Antrim County, Alpena County or Alcona County when the event occurred there. Alger County provides an Upper Peninsula route. Older family-history searches may need a county clerk, register of deeds and court in succession. Keep each office's findings separate so that a land transaction, vital entry and court case are not mistakenly treated as the same record.

Changes to know in 2025 and 2026

The June 2025 MiBusiness launch replaced Michigan's previous business filing platform. For work in 2026, the practical change is to begin with the current LARA portal and its ordering instructions. Old filing bookmarks and telephone-order instructions may no longer describe an available service. Annual reports and statements now follow the online submission requirement described in LARA's portal notice.

The September 2026 registry change is more consequential than an ordinary website redesign. Current public results can differ substantially from earlier saved searches because of the Supreme Court order and State Police implementation. Date any conclusion based on the public registry, and avoid treating historical registration status as present status. The official statement and legal update linked above explain the change; neither should be replaced with an assumption that every underlying conviction disappeared.

Local tools also change independently of statewide services. Van Buren County's digital maps and data page leads to its parcel viewer, while other counties maintain their own assessment and recording systems. When a saved search link fails, return to the responsible county office's current page. Confirm that the new tool covers the same records and years before comparing its results with an older export.

What the FBI counted in Michigan in 2024

The FBI Crime Data Explorer counts offenses reported by local agencies, not convictions and not calls. For 2024 it recorded 39,250 violent offenses and 130,188 property offenses across 81 counties in Michigan, from 435 agencies that reported a full twelve months. Against the same count for 2023 that is down 5 percent in violent offenses and down 10 percent in property offenses, though the number of agencies reporting changes from year to year, which moves the totals on its own.

The count follows population, so the largest counties carry most of it. These reported the most violent offenses in 2024:

• Wayne County, 15,907 violent and 44,655 property offenses from 40 reporting agencies.
• Kent County, 2,955 violent and 11,478 property offenses from 10 reporting agencies.
• Macomb County, 2,456 violent and 10,264 property offenses from 15 reporting agencies.
• Oakland County, 2,449 violent and 11,060 property offenses from 50 reporting agencies.
• Genesee County, 2,223 violent and 5,340 property offenses from 21 reporting agencies.
• Kalamazoo County, 1,602 violent and 6,998 property offenses from 8 reporting agencies.

A county total is the sum of what its agencies sent in, so a county whose agencies reported fewer months looks quieter than it is. Each county page on this site carries its own figures and names the offices that hold the underlying reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there one free search for all Michigan public records?
No. Courts, State Police, Corrections, county clerks, registers of deeds and other agencies maintain different records. Some searches are free, while ICHAT and certified-record services have charges. Identify the needed record and custodian before choosing a database.

Does a clean ICHAT result prove that someone has no criminal history?
No. ICHAT searches public Michigan repository information and excludes categories identified by State Police, including suppressed, federal, tribal, juvenile and out-of-state records. A name-based result must also be interpreted using the submitted identifiers. It is not a universal clearance certificate.

Why is an old Michigan case missing from MiCOURT?
Coverage depends on the court, date range and public-access rules. Some courts identified in MiCOURT's selection information apply a seven-year criminal sentencing filter. Ask the court clerk about the specific case and historical records before concluding that the case no longer exists.

Must an agency deliver every requested record within five business days?
Michigan FOIA generally requires a response within five business days after legal receipt, with one extension of up to ten business days. That is not an unconditional promise of completed delivery. A response may involve a denial, partial grant, estimate or further processing.

Why did someone disappear from Michigan's sex offender registry in 2026?
State Police removed registrants following the September 2026 Supreme Court order concerning registration requirements tied to conduct before July 1, 2011. A missing entry does not alone establish that the underlying conviction was vacated. Consult the current public site and official update for the applicable limits.

Should I search OTIS or a county jail for a recent arrest?
Start with the agency responsible for the current custody. OTIS concerns Michigan Corrections custody and supervision, with a limited period after discharge. A local jail booking can be outside that coverage. Use the court record separately to determine the case outcome.