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.
Otsego County, Michigan, has about 26,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Otsego 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: Otsego County public records, Otsego County arrest records, Otsego County warrants, Otsego County inmate search, Otsego 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 Otsego County
The Otsego County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Gaylord make the OWI arrests in Otsego County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Otsego County: the Otsego County State Police (state police); Kirtland Community College at Gaylord (campus police); the Otsego County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the two agencies in Otsego County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 561 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Otsego County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Otsego 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 Otsego County Sheriff's Office, held about 33 people on an average day in 2020 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at otsegocountymi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3509/Inmate-List-2-20-26. The Otsego County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The Prosecuting Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at otsegocountymi.gov/199/Prosecuting-Attorney, phone 989-731-7432.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at otsegocountymi.gov/222/Case-Lookup, phone 989-731-0201.
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: Otsego County arrest records, Otsego County police reports and Otsego County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Michigan?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Otsego County heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at otsegocountymi.gov/222/Case-Lookup.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Otsego County held?
At the county jail, run by the Otsego 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 Otsego 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.