Newaygo County
Newaygo County is located in west-central Michigan, within the state's Lower Peninsula. The county was established in 1851 and takes its name from the Newaygo River, a term believed to originate from a Native American word meaning "much water." It has an estimated population of 50,130 and spans roughly 862 square miles. White Cloud, serves as the county seat. Other notable cities include Newaygo, Grant, and Fremont, the county's largest city. Newaygo County has a judicial system that comprises the Circuit, District, and Probate Courts.
The Circuit Court is part of the 27th Judicial Circuit. It handles felony trials, civil cases with claims exceeding $25,000, and family law matters such as divorce, custody, and juvenile cases. It has a Family Division that deals with paternity, adoption, and juvenile delinquency cases. On the other hand, the District Court which is part of the 78th District Court oversees misdemeanors, preliminary hearings for felonies, civil disputes up to $25,000, small claims up to $6,500, and landlord-tenant cases. The Probate Court has exclusive jurisdiction over estates, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships.
Public court records in Newaygo County are accessible under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. These public documents, maintained by designated court clerks, contain information on cases handled by the trial courts. Examples of information included in Newaygo County public court records are judgments, motions, dispositions, witness lists, complaints, and names of involved parties. The county's court clerks typically keep the following court records:
- Criminal records
- Civil records
- Family law records
- Probate records
- Traffic and small claims records
Requests for District or Circuit Court documents can be submitted in person or online. The County Clerk can be reached at:
1087 E Newell Street,
White Cloud, MI 49349
Phone: (231) 689-7235
Alternatively, Newaygo County uses the MiCOURT Case Search portal for online public record searches by case number or party name. However, confidential records such as those on juvenile and adoption cases remain restricted.
