Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Ann Arbor, Michigan, in Washtenaw County, has about 123,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in Ann Arbor is a court case in the District Court, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the Michigan Secretary of State. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record and common questions.
Related guides: Ann Arbor public records, Washtenaw County traffic tickets, Ann Arbor arrest records, Ann Arbor warrants, Ann Arbor inmate search, Ann Arbor criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in Ann Arbor Goes
Tickets in Ann Arbor go to the District Court, which takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims and civil cases up to $25,000. A paid ticket, a dismissal and a trial all end up in that court's records.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.michigan.gov/search/?searchQuery=washtenaw+county.
Statewide, MiCOURT Case Search is the Michigan courts' statewide case search; not every court has joined.
Who Writes the Tickets in Ann Arbor
The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Ann Arbor (filed by the FBI as Ann Arbor Police Department) write the traffic tickets in and around Ann Arbor.
The FBI's agency list also places one other agency, three campus police departments and one state police unit in Washtenaw County (the arrest records guide names each one); the Washtenaw County State Police writes the tickets on the state highways.
The Driving Record and the Michigan Secretary of State
The driving record is a separate document from the court file. It is kept by the Michigan Secretary of State, which adds each conviction the court reports and handles suspensions; the court does not issue driving records.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the Michigan Secretary of State like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
An OWI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before the Secretary of State (see Ann Arbor DUI).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Ann Arbor?
With the District Court.
Who keeps my driving record in Michigan?
The Michigan Secretary of State. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in Ann Arbor?
The District Court, which takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, small claims and civil cases up to $25,000.
Is this the official Ann Arbor website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.