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 on September 23, 2026.
Chippewa County, Michigan, has about 36,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Chippewa County 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: Chippewa County public records, Chippewa County arrest records, Chippewa County warrants, Chippewa County inmate search, Chippewa County 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 Chippewa County
The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Sault Ste. Marie make the OWI arrests in Chippewa County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Chippewa County: the Chippewa County State Police (state police); the Chippewa County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the three agencies in Chippewa County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 456 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Chippewa County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Chippewa County
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office, held about 110 people on an average day in 2020 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at chippewacountymi.gov/sheriff-correctional-facility, phone 906-635-6883. The Chippewa County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Chippewa County is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney in the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at chippewacountymi.gov/proscuting-attorney, phone 906-635-6342.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at chippewacountymi.gov/clerk.
Statewide, MiCOURT Case Search is the Michigan courts' statewide case search; not every court has joined.
The License Case
An OWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Secretary of State. The driving record, kept by the Michigan Secretary of State, carries the result of both.
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: Chippewa County arrest records, Chippewa County police reports and Chippewa County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Michigan?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Chippewa County heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at chippewacountymi.gov/clerk.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Chippewa County held?
At the county jail, run by the Chippewa 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 Chippewa County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.