Michigan Court Records Search

Michigan Court Records & Case Lookup

Michigan ranks as one of the states whose judiciaries handle the highest number of cases annually. The state's judiciary sees an average of 2.5 million case filings in the trial courts and about 1,200 case filings in the Supreme Court every year. These include an average of 570,000 civil cases, 97,000 domestic relations matters, 31,000 juvenile matters, 1.4 million traffic violation suits, and 31,000 criminal cases.

Michigan court records are public documents. Unless restricted by a court rule or statute or has been sealed by the court, public access to court records in the state is permitted under Michigan Court Rule 8.199(E). Hence, anyone may be able to inspect and obtain any document, file, and information contained within a public court record in the state.

Most Michigan court records, including records of traffic, domestic, probate, civil, and criminal matters, and active cases may be accessed online through multiple databases provided by the state's judiciary. In addition, it is possible to look up court records through online repositories of court cases maintained by the clerks of courts in certain counties.

State of Michigan Court System

Michigan operates a court system that has three levels. These are the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and the trial courts. Each court performs certain roles according to the jurisdiction assigned to it by the Michigan Legislature or Constitution. The state's highest court, also known as the court of last resort, is the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court hears cases at its discretion and grants leave to matters of greatest complexity and public import.

The state's intermediate appellate court is the Court of Appeals. It serves as an error-correcting court, as it reviews cases from the trial courts. In Michigan, people are more familiar with the trial courts. These courts decide the facts and apply the law. Almost all cases start and are resolved at the trial courts. However, judgments in which parties to cases are not pleased may be appealed to the appellate court.

There are four Districts of the Court of Appeal in Michigan. Similarly, the state currently has 57 Circuit Courts, 103 District Courts, four Municipal Courts, and 78 Probate Courts.

Michigan Trial Courts

Michigan trial courts operate a two-tiered court structure, which includes two general jurisdiction courts and several other trial courts of limited jurisdictions. Generally, the state's trial courts comprise the Circuit Court, District Court, Probate Court, and Court of Claims. Some cities in Michigan also have Municipal Courts. Trials are primarily held in these courts, and there are juries and witnesses.

Circuit Courts in Michigan

In Michigan, the Circuit Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction. As the court with the broadest powers in the state, it hears all civil cases with claims of over $25,000, as well as all felony criminal cases. The Circuit Court also handles appeals from other trial courts, including the District Court.

The Circuit Court in Michigan has a Family Division whose jurisdiction includes all cases involving adoption, divorce, emancipation of minors, juvenile guardianship, paternity, and personal protection actions. In addition, the Family Division of the Circuit Court hears all matters regarding name changes, child neglect, child abuse, safe delivery of newborns, juvenile offenses and delinquency, and treatment and testing of infectious diseases.

The Family Division of the Michigan Circuit Court has an office known as the friend of the court office. This office primarily handles domestic relations matters where minors are involved.

District Courts in Michigan

Fondly called the people's court, the District Court is where people have the most contact with Michigan's judicial system. It is a court of limited jurisdiction with the authority to hear all civil matters with claims up to $25,000, most traffic violation cases, all misdemeanor criminal cases, and most traffic tickets. The District Court also hears small claims cases (up to $6,500) and landlord-tenant matters.

Probate Courts in Michigan

These are courts of limited jurisdiction in Michigan that administer estates and trusts, handle wills, and appoint conservators and guardians. They can also order treatment for developmentally disabled and ill individuals. Sometimes, the Probate Court may hear certain civil cases.

Court of Claims in Michigan

This is a court of general jurisdiction in Michigan. Except where the Circuit Court has jurisdiction, the Court of Claims handles claims and demands for money damages over $1,000 for cases filed against the State of Michigan or any of its departments.

Municipal Courts in Michigan

The Municipal Courts in Michigan are courts of limited jurisdiction and only operate in a few cities. In cities where they operate, Municipal Courts have jurisdiction over cases regarding misdemeanors, ordinance violations, some traffic violations, civil cases, and landlord-tenant matters up to $1,500.

What are the Specialty Courts in Michigan?

Michigan specialty courts are also known as problem-solving courts. They offer certain individuals various treatment-based programs. Typically, Michigan specialty courts ensure that any defendant who is eligible for its programs is identified at an earlier point in the judicial process. Once identified, such a defendant is referred to alternative rehabilitation programs to address the underlying issues (mental health and/or substance abuse) that led to their criminal behavior.

The most common problem-solving courts/programs in Michigan include the following:

• Drug Treatment Courts - These courts provide substance treatment services to offenders who are non-violent addicts. They include DWI courts, adult drug treatment courts, juvenile drug treatment courts, family dependency treatment courts, and tribal healing to wellness courts.
• Mental Health Courts - These courts divert certain defendants with mental illness into judicially coordinated, community-based treatment.
• Veterans Treatment Courts - These specialty courts are a hybrid integration of mental health court and drug court that serve military veterans and sometimes personnel in active duty. They primarily promote recovery sobriety, stability, and recovery through a coordinated response involving collaboration with state-wide and community partners. They primarily serve
• Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program (SSSPP) - This program is primarily focused on offering intensive probation supervision programs for high-risk felon offenders with a history of probation failures or violations.

As of February February 1, 2024, Michigan has 42 mental health courts, 27 veteran courts, and 141 drug treatment courts in various parts of the state.

Michigan State Court Records vs. Federal Court Records

Michigan State court records are court documents and information generated by courts within the state's judicial system, and in line with state law. Generally, these include court documents created and maintained by the state's trial courts, including Circuit Courts, Court of Claims, District Courts, and Probate Courts. Similarly, appellate court judgments and decisions of the Supreme Court constitute parts of Michigan court records.

Michigan State court records mostly include records of civil, criminal, probate, family law, and traffic cases. They are largely accessible to the public at the clerk of courts' offices in the courts where the cases are heard and online through various state-approved online resources.

Federal court records in Michigan, on the other hand, are generated by the federal courts in the state. While these courts are located in Michigan, they operate under the United States federal court system, and not the state's judicial system. Most federal court records in the state are created from cases challenging the constitutionality of the United States law and bankruptcy suits. They may be accessed using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), a centralized database for federal court records.

In Michigan, federal court records are created and maintained by the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

What Are Public and Non-Public Court Records in Michigan?

Public court records in Michigan are generally accessible to members of the public with little or no restriction. Where there are restrictions, such records can still be made available once the sensitive information is redacted.

On the other hand, non-public court records cannot be accessed by the public because they are restricted from disclosure by state statute, a court order, or court rule. Only parties involved in such cases, their attorneys, and the court may access Michigan non-public court records.

How To Seal or Expunge Michigan Court Records

In Michigan, court record expungement means removing a conviction from a criminal court record or shielding it from public access or view if certain preconditions are met and under certain circumstances. It is sometimes called setting aside. While some old criminal conviction records qualify for automatic expungement under the state's Clean Slate Act, anyone seeking court record expungement may still need or want to go through courts.

The following convictions qualify for automatic expungement under the Michigan Clean Slate Act:

• Misdemeanors punishable by a prison term of 93 days or more if 7 years have passed since the date of the sentence imposition. Not more than four misdemeanors may be expunged under this category.
• Misdemeanors punishable by less than 92 days imprisonment if 7 years have passed since the date of the imposition of the sentence. There is no limit to the number of misdemeanor convictions that may be set aside here.
• Felony convictions if 10 years have passed since the completion of any term of imprisonment with the state's Department of Corrections or the date of the imposition of sentence, whichever comes later. A person may only request the expungement of felony convictions twice

In Michigan, only certain criminal court records are generally eligible for expungement. These are largely misdemeanor convictions and convictions for some non-violent felonies. Under state law, the following convictions do not qualify for expungement either automatically or by filing a petition:

• Second-degree child abuse
• Offenses punishable by life imprisonment
• Third-degree criminal sexual conduct
• Felony domestic violence for individuals with previous misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence
• Terrorism-related offenses
• Internet sex crime offenses
• Human-trafficking related offenses
• Assault with the intent to commit criminal sexual offense

Steps Required to Expunge Criminal Court Records in Michigan

The Michigan criminal record expungement process can take several months, typically around 8 months. Anyone with an eligible conviction in the state should take the following steps to expunge their criminal court records:

• Identify the criminal conviction records that need to be expunged
• Once the conviction records are identified, obtain certified copies from
• Get a set of fingerprints (official) from any local police department, sheriff's office, or state police post
• Complete the appropriate Expungement or Set Aside Form (MC 227 Form)
• File the complete expungement MC 227 Form with the court where the conviction took place and schedule a hearing date

• After filing the form with the clerk of court, make sure to send copies of the petition and certain documents to the following government agencies and personnel:

  • Mail copies of the application and certified record of conviction to the Attorney General at:

    Office of the Attorney General

    Criminal Trials and Appeals Division

    P.O. Box 30212

    Lasing, MI 48909

  • Mail copies of the application, fingerprint card, certified record of conviction, and a $50 fee to the State Police at:

    Michigan State Police

    P.O. Box 30266

    Lasing, MI 48909-7766

  • Mail copies of the petition and certified record of conviction to the office of the prosecuting official
• During the hearing of the petition, the judge will either set aside the conviction or deny the application
• If the judge signs the set-aside request, the clerk of the court will serve copies of the order to agencies in the custody of the conviction record to set the record aside. Typically, they will be expunged within two months.

How Do You Access State of Michigan Court Records?

Anyone interested in looking up the State of Michigan court records may do so using the state judiciary-approved online repositories. While some electronic databases of court records are maintained at the state level, some counties also keep records of certain court cases online to facilitate public access. Alternatively, anyone may access Michigan court records in person at the courts.

Online Access to Michigan Court Records

Besides online repositories offered by some courts at the county level for public court record searches, the following state-level resources allow Michigan public court record searches:

• MiCourt Case Search - With this resource, interested persons may search Michigan court records for traffic, civil, probate, domestic (family/divorce), and criminal cases, depending on the type of court being searched. Users can conduct searches using case numbers or names of parties involved in the sought records.
• Court of Claims' MiCourt Search - This may be used to look up records maintained by the Michigan Court of Claims for cases that were pending or filed with the court after November 12, 2013. It allows court record search by name, case details, and calendar range.
• Odyssey Public Access (OPA) - This provides electronic access to the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan public court case records for criminal and non-criminal case records. Generally, users can search this portal using case numbers, names, and dates.

In-Person Access to State of Michigan Court Records

Anyone may visit the office of the clerk of court during working hours to inspect or obtain copies of public Michigan court records in their custody. While some clerks' offices will have record-specific request forms, and generally allow requesters to submit their applications using written requests. Depending on the court and county, certain fees may be charged for search and copying.

How To Request Judicial Administrative Records

Interested individuals may request Michigan judicial administrative records by submitting a written request to the administrative agency or unit of the court in the custody of that record. The written request should accurately describe the judicial administrative record being sought to enable the administrative agency to find the record. However, a reasonable fee may be charged for obtaining copies of such records.

How To Access Older and Archived Court Records in Michigan

Generally, the first place to look when finding an older or archived Michigan court record is the court where it was filed or heard. However, detailed information must be provided to help facilitate the search. This request may be submitted in person or by mail.

Older court records in the state that are no longer available in the courthouse may be found at the Archives of Michigan. The state Archives keep and provide public access to very old Circuit Court case files.