Washtenaw County Court Records Lookup

How to Search Washtenaw County Court Records

A court record search here starts with one key fact. Public case documents are not posted online in Washtenaw County. Online tools help you locate the case and its register of actions, and copies of the actual filings are ordered from the Trial Court Records Department for a fee. The register of actions is the chronological list of events in a case, from the first filing through the final judgment.

The main Washtenaw County tool is the Trial Court Name Search, which holds public case records for the 22nd Circuit Court and its divisions. Before you begin, gather a full party name or a case number. Older cases and district court matters may sit in a different system, so confirm the court that opened the file first. The county explains its viewing and copy process on the Trial Court Name Search page, which describes exactly what the public database contains.

The Trial Court Name Search screen lets you look up a party and pull the matching case history without an account.

Results from that search show the case number and its docket entries, which you then use to request certified or plain copies. Follow these steps to run a search from start to finish.

1. Choose the court that opened the case. Felonies, family cases, and probate matters sit with the Washtenaw County Trial Court, while most tickets and misdemeanors route to a district court.
2. Open the matching public search. Trial Court cases appear in the county Name Search, and many courts also feed the statewide MiCOURT Case Search.
3. Enter a party name or the case number. Search every spelling variation of a name, since the index works like a library card catalogue.
4. Read the register of actions. The result lists filings, hearings, and outcomes, but not the scanned documents.
5. Order the copies you need. Give the Records Department the case number, the party names, the document with its date, and whether the copy must be certified.

Washtenaw County Court Record Search Fields

The statewide public portal is MiCOURT Case Search, hosted by the Michigan Judicial Information Systems Division. It reaches participating courts across the state, and the case types a Washtenaw County search returns depend on the court you pick. Civil, traffic, criminal, domestic, and probate cases may appear when a court takes part. For Washtenaw users, MiCOURT is a public path to the Trial Court, the 14A and 14B District Courts, and the Ann Arbor 15th Judicial District Court.

You can open the statewide search directly and select the court you need before entering any name or number.

The MiCOURT Case Search portal presents a court selector first, then the fields for the search itself.

Each field below controls part of the lookup. Some are required, and others depend on the court and the search mode you choose.

Note: The 15th District public search hides date of birth and non-public cases, and staff will not release non-public case details over the phone.

Court Systems That Hold Washtenaw County Records

No single database covers every case in Washtenaw County. The right portal depends on which court heard the matter. The Trial Court Name Search covers Washtenaw County circuit-level civil, criminal, family, and probate cases. District court tickets, misdemeanors, and small civil claims live with the specific district court named on the citation or complaint. For Ann Arbor cases, the 15th District Court routes its public search to the state-hosted system and warns that cases closed before August 5, 2006 require a call to the court.

The county's Records Access page confirms that court records are public unless a statute, court rule, or local administrative order restricts them, and that recent circuit court files may be viewed at the main records office.

The Washtenaw County Records Access page lays out where records can be viewed and how to reach the records staff.

Those channels sit beside the district court tools, so pick the one that matches your case. The main public search channels are listed here.

• Trial Court Name Search for 22nd Circuit Court public case records.
• MiCOURT Case Search for participating Michigan courts statewide.
• 15th District Court case search for Ann Arbor public case records.
• 14A District Court online resources for case lookup and dockets at its four locations.
• 14B District Court in Ypsilanti Township for its misdemeanor and civil matters.

Types of Washtenaw County Court Records

Court records in Washtenaw County fall into several broad groups. The court that produced a file usually decides where the record lives and how it is accessed. Circuit civil cases involve claims over $25,000 and state matters given to the Trial Court. District civil files cover smaller claims, small claims, and landlord-tenant disputes. Criminal files split between the district courts, which handle misdemeanors and early felony steps, and the circuit court, which takes felony cases after bindover. The full case file and sentencing detail appear in the county's criminal court records.

Family, probate, and traffic matters round out the main categories. Divorce, custody, support, name changes, and personal protection orders run through the family division. Probate handles estates, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health cases, and wills. Traffic citations stay with the district court printed on the ticket. Michigan driver records are separate Secretary of State files and are not the same as a court traffic case.

• Civil cases, including complaints, judgments, garnishments, and liens.
• Criminal cases, with charges, pleas, disposition, and sentencing.
• Family cases, such as divorce, custody, support, and protection orders.
• Probate cases, covering estates, guardianships, and conservatorships.
• Traffic cases, held by the district court named on the citation.

What Washtenaw County Court Records Show

A public Washtenaw County court record centers on the register of actions rather than downloadable files. The search can help you find the case number and its events, yet the document images stay off the public web. A typical record still holds a wide set of fields that describe the case and its parties. Criminal cases add charge and sentencing detail, while civil and probate cases carry their own event lists.

The core fields you can expect to see are listed below with a short note on each.

Case Number

The unique court identifier used to order copies and track a file.

Court and Division

The court and the civil, criminal, family, or probate division handling it.

Filing Date

The date the case opened, plus later hearing and event dates.

Parties and Attorneys

Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, and counsel of record.

Charges or Claim

Offense description with the MCL citation, or the civil claim type.

Docket Entries

Motions, orders, hearings, adjournments, and other case events.

Disposition

The final outcome, such as a plea, judgment, or dismissal.

Financial Obligations

Fines, costs, restitution, and any balance due on the case.

Note: Date of birth, sealed matters, and other protected details do not appear in the public results, and juvenile records are generally kept out of view.

Copy Fees for Washtenaw County Court Records

Because case documents are not online, most people who need paperwork order copies from the Washtenaw County Trial Court. Fees depend on the copy type. A plain copy costs the least, while certified and exemplified copies add a set charge plus a per-page rate. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and are the ones courts and agencies usually require for official use.

The county publishes its charges on the Trial Court fee schedule, which also lists filing and service costs.

The Washtenaw County Trial Court Fees page sets out the current copy rates for court records.

The main copy charges for records held by the Trial Court are shown in the table below.

Public Access to Washtenaw County Court Records

Washtenaw County court records sit under a special access framework. They are maintained by the clerk under Michigan Court Rule 8.119, so court access follows court rules rather than the ordinary open-records process alone. The county states plainly that court records are public unless a statute, court rule, or local administrative order restricts them.

The court rules control how the clerk keeps and shares each file across the state.

For sheriff reports, jail booking data, and other law enforcement files, the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231, sets the public policy that people may learn about government affairs. Court files themselves are best requested through the court, since Michigan court access runs on court rules and local procedure. Use the public case search to find the case number and register of actions, then request document copies from the Records Department with the case number, party names, the document and its date, and any certification you need.

Sealed and Confidential Court Records

Some Washtenaw County court records stay closed to the public by law or by order. Juvenile court records are generally nonpublic under MCL 712A.28, open only to those with a legitimate interest or a court order. Adoption files, mental health proceedings, and protected personal identifiers such as Social Security and account numbers are also restricted or redacted under the court rules. Set-aside convictions come out of ordinary public display once granted.

Michigan's Clean Slate framework, under MCL 780.621, lets eligible convictions be set aside. A person clearing a record files in the court where the conviction occurred, which could be a district court or the 22nd Circuit Court in this county. The applicant obtains the certified record of conviction, confirms the statute and disposition, checks the waiting period, and files the correct application. If the court grants relief, the record leaves ordinary public criminal-history access, though unpaid restitution can affect an automatic set-aside.

In-Person Washtenaw County Record Requests

Records that are not available online can be viewed and copied in person. Circuit court records for the last 25 years may be reviewed at the main office of the Clerk of the Court-Court Services. Bring the case number from a name search, the party names, and the document you want, and staff can pull the file or prepare copies. The county details the request process on its Records Request page, and the same office handles related clerk of the court functions.

The records counter shows what to gather before a visit, from the case number to the certification choice.

Plan the trip around normal business hours, and use the contact channel below to confirm what a specific record requires.