Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Sterling Heights, Michigan, in Macomb County, has about 134,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Sterling Heights starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court and a license case before the Secretary of State, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: Sterling Heights public records, Macomb County OWI, Sterling Heights arrest records, Sterling Heights warrants, Sterling Heights inmate search, Sterling Heights criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
The OWI Law in Michigan
In Michigan the offense is OWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Michigan is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect OWI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Secretary of State, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Michigan counts prior offenses within 7 years for a second offense; a third is a felony with no time limit.
Who Makes OWI Arrests in Sterling Heights
The Macomb County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Sterling Heights (filed by the FBI as Sterling Heights Police Department) make the OWI arrests in and around Sterling Heights.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Macomb County: the Macomb County State Police (state police); Macomb Community College (campus police); the Stony Creek Metropark Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority (other agency); the Macomb County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the 16 agencies in Macomb County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 12,850 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Macomb County does not break OWI out.
The Grosse Pointe Shores Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Macomb County, so its arrests are not broken out for Macomb County here.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Sterling Heights
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, held about 910 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at macombgov.org/departments/sheriffs-office/locate-inmate, phone 586-469-5151. The Sterling Heights inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Sterling Heights is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney in the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at macombgov.org/departments/prosecutors-office, phone 586-469-5350.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at macombgov.org/departments/clerk-register-deeds/court-records, phone 586-469-5353.
Statewide, MiCOURT Case Search is the Michigan courts' statewide case search; not every court has joined.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Secretary of State runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Michigan Secretary of State keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records an OWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the District Court, kept by the County Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Michigan Secretary of State.
More on each: Sterling Heights arrest records, Sterling Heights police reports and Sterling Heights court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Michigan?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Sterling Heights heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at macombgov.org.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Sterling Heights held?
At the county jail, run by the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after an OWI arrest in Michigan?
The Secretary of State, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does an OWI count as a prior in Michigan?
7 years for a second offense; a third is a felony with no time limit.
Is this the official Sterling Heights 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.