MI Court Case Search & Dockets

Michigan Courts • Public Case Search • Docket Records

MI Court Case Search & Dockets: Find Michigan Court Records

Need to look up a Michigan court case, check a hearing, read a docket, or find out what happened to an old criminal charge? The right place to search depends on which Michigan court handled the case.

Michigan has an official MiCOURT search for participating trial courts, a separate statewide appellate case-search system, and individual court systems for certain jurisdictions. Not every Michigan court record appears in one database.

Open Official MiCOURT Case Search Michigan Appellate Case Search

Critical distinction: MiCOURT Case Search is not the same as MiFILE. MiCOURT provides public case information for participating courts. MiFILE is primarily an electronic filing and service system, and its login page explicitly says it is not a public court-record search service.

Independent Michigan court-record information guide • Updated October 2026 • Always confirm case status, deadlines and official copies with the court of record.

The correct starting point

Which Michigan Court Search Do You Actually Need?

The word “court case” covers very different records. A traffic ticket from a district court, a felony trial in circuit court, a probate estate, and an appeal before the Michigan Supreme Court do not necessarily share one search system.

Trial courts MiCOURT Case Search

Start here for participating district, circuit and probate courts. Available categories can include criminal, civil, traffic, domestic and probate matters.

Search participating courts

Appeals Michigan Court of Appeals & Supreme Court

Use the judiciary’s appellate case-search system for appellate docket numbers, case activity, parties and appellate orders.

Open appellate dockets

Specific county Local Court / Clerk System

Some courts, especially courts operating different case-management systems, publish records through their own websites.

Find the Trial Court Directory on Michigan Courts

Federal cases Federal PACER System

Federal civil, criminal, bankruptcy and appellate cases are outside Michigan’s state trial-court search.

Search federal court records

Quick decision: If a document says “District Court,” “Circuit Court,” or “Probate Court,” begin with MiCOURT or that local court. If it says “Michigan Court of Appeals” or “Michigan Supreme Court,” use the appellate search.

Official public case lookup

How to Use Michigan MiCOURT Case Search

MiCOURT is the Michigan judiciary’s public case-search service for participating courts. The public entry page displays its conditions of use before continuing to the search interface.

1. Choose courtIdentify the court or filing county.

2. Enter detailsUse case number or participant name.

3. Verify matchCompare case type and parties.

4. Read recordReview docket and contact court if necessary.

Open the official service. Visit MiCOURT Case Search.
Read the Terms of Service. The page explains informational-only records, participating courts, restricted cases, the seven-year criminal filter and prohibited bulk/automated access. Select Continue if you accept the terms.
Identify the court to search. Use the court-selection options shown by the interface. If you know the county but not the district number, check the official Michigan Trial Court Directory.
Choose the available search method. Use the case number when you have it; otherwise use the participant’s first and last name where available.
Review matching cases carefully. Compare the court name, case number, filing year, case type and available party details.
Open the likely case. Read the available case history, event information, hearing information, disposition and other publicly displayed details.
Contact the court of record when necessary. MiCOURT itself says online information does not replace the official court record. Use the clerk for official confirmation, unavailable documents or certified copies.

Very important: MiCOURT does not promise coverage of every Michigan court. If your county or court is unavailable in the selection screen, that is a reason to use the local clerk’s record system—not evidence that the case does not exist.

Michigan Court Case Search by Name

A name search is useful when a person has lost a summons, needs to locate an old case number, or wants to check whether a court case was filed. The main risk is choosing a record belonging to somebody with the same or a similar name.

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Start with the complete legal name. Use the first and last name as it likely appears on the court filing.

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Use a county clue. Search where the ticket, incident, lawsuit, divorce or other case was filed.

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Narrow by time period. An approximate case year can help separate similar matches.

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Check name variations. Middle initials, suffixes, prior surnames and business-name punctuation can affect matches.

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Verify before relying on results. Compare the court, case type, party role, year and available disposition.

Searching a business or organization

If a Michigan civil case involves an LLC, corporation, partnership or other organization, try its legal name first. Where the search allows partial names, retry without punctuation or business suffixes such as “LLC” or “Inc.” Keep the likely county and civil case category consistent.

Do not treat a name match as proof: a matching result is only a lead. The filing year, court, case type and subsequent docket activity matter before you identify the correct person.

Michigan Case Number Lookup: What to Enter and Check

If a summons, ticket, judgment or attorney letter already contains the case number, use that number before searching by name. Michigan court identifiers may include a filing year, sequential number and case-type suffix.

Locate the case number on the original court paperwork.
Identify the court shown on that paperwork.
Open MiCOURT or the specific official court portal.
Enter the case number using the format the search system requests.
Check the case title, parties and filed date.
Open the case history or register of actions if available.
Record both the court name and case number for future requests.

Do not assume that a case number by itself identifies the court statewide. Different Michigan courts may use related numbering patterns. The correct court location is essential.

Appeals and higher courts

How to Search Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court Dockets

Michigan’s official appellate case-search system is separate from MiCOURT trial-court searching. It is intended for Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court case information.

Open the Michigan Judiciary Case Search page.
Select the available court or search category appropriate to the case.
Search using the appellate case number, case title, party or attorney information supported by the interface.
Open a result matching the parties and the court.
Review the docket for applications, briefs, orders, opinions, motions, hearing events and decisions.
Identify any listed lower-court case number when you also need the trial-court history.

Two dockets may matter: an appeal can have its own appellate docket number in addition to the original circuit or district court case number. To understand the complete procedural history, you may need both files.

Opinions are not the entire docket

A published court opinion answers only part of a research question. The docket can also show applications, procedural orders, submissions and later entries. Conversely, not every appellate case produces a published opinion.

Which Michigan Court Handles Which Case?

Choosing the correct court level is often more important than choosing the right search word. This comparison explains where common Michigan case categories are generally handled.

Michigan court	Typical matters	Where to search
District Court	Most traffic citations, misdemeanors, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, civil matters within district court jurisdiction and initial felony proceedings.	MiCOURT if participating; otherwise the local district court.
Circuit Court	Felony trials, major civil actions, family/divorce matters and appeals from lower courts.	MiCOURT or the individual circuit court/county clerk system.
Probate Court	Estates, guardianships, conservatorships and certain mental-health matters.	Participating probate records in MiCOURT or the county probate court; some matters are not displayed publicly.
Family Division	Divorce, custody, support and certain juvenile proceedings.	Circuit court family division; access varies by record category.
Court of Appeals	Appeals from trial courts and certain administrative or other decisions.	Michigan Judiciary appellate case-search system.
Supreme Court	Applications, appeals and other matters within the Michigan Supreme Court’s jurisdiction.	Michigan Judiciary appellate case-search system.
Federal Court	Federal civil, criminal, bankruptcy and federal appellate cases.	PACER or the appropriate federal court.

Understand what the court actually recorded

How to Read a Michigan Court Docket or Register of Actions

Michigan court docket information may be labeled “case history,” “register of actions,” “ROA,” or “docket.” The meaning is similar: it is the court’s chronological record of case activity. Reading only the first entry can give a misleading impression of the outcome.

Case numberThe identifier assigned by the court. Use it when requesting documents.

Case typeA classification for the court matter, such as civil, criminal, traffic, domestic or probate.

Filing dateThe date the case or particular document was recorded, not necessarily the incident date.

Party rolePlaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee or another recorded role.

HearingA scheduled or completed court event. Confirm current dates directly when attendance matters.

MotionA request for court action. Filing a motion does not mean it was granted.

DispositionThe recorded outcome or status of a charge, claim or case.

Judgment or orderA court determination. The written document may contain important details not shown in the docket summary.

Never confuse accusation with outcome: a criminal charge is not a conviction; a complaint is not a judgment; and a filed motion is not a granted order. Read the later docket entries and final disposition.

A limitation that changes search results

Michigan Criminal Case Search: Seven-Year Filter and Nonpublic Records

Michigan’s official MiCOURT Terms of Service explain that some participating courts apply a seven-year criminal sentence filter. For those courts, criminal conviction information may appear only when sentencing occurred within seven years of the search date.

The court-selection listing identifies applicable courts under a column labeled “7-Year Criminal Sentence Filter.” For a conviction older than that period, contact the court directly. An absent online result is not reliable proof that no historical court case exists.

Automatically set-aside convictions: Michigan has statutory rules for setting aside eligible convictions, including automatic set-aside provisions. Some records are restricted from public access after qualifying relief. Do not assume a nonpublic record is available simply because it was previously visible.

Records MiCOURT says it does not display

The official MiCOURT public-search notice expressly excludes a number of categories, including:

Family and juvenile protections

Adoption
Juvenile and child-protective proceedings
Juvenile guardianships
Parental waivers
Surrendered newborn child matters

Other non-displayed categories

Mental illness matters
Name changes
Personal protection orders and violations
Extreme risk protection orders
Wills
Certain additional protected proceedings

The official notice also excludes delayed registration of foreign birth, judicial admissions, treatment of infectious disease and young-adult voluntary foster-care matters. The exact availability of a record is governed by applicable law, court rules and orders.

Official technical warning: MiCOURT currently cautions that some attempted felony offenses may display an incorrect felony-level classification under MCL 750.92. The website advises users to confirm the actual charge classification with the trial court or statute rather than relying solely on that field.

Michigan County Case Searches: Why Local Court Systems Matter

A Michigan-wide search guide must account for local differences. Courts do not necessarily use identical case-management software, search fields or document-viewing options. Some major circuit courts have historically operated systems separate from the statewide judicial information system.

Location	Practical search consideration	What to do
Wayne County / Detroit	Circuit, district and probate cases use different court jurisdictions and may have distinct search arrangements.	Identify whether the case belongs to the Third Judicial Circuit, district court or probate court before using an official search.
Oakland County	Circuit, district and probate case records should not be treated as one interchangeable court.	Choose the relevant court and search platform from its official court website.
Macomb County	The 16th Judicial Circuit and local district courts handle different matters.	Use the specific filing court’s records route.
Kent County / Grand Rapids	Court categories and locally maintained case data may require different search systems.	Confirm the 17th Circuit or relevant district/probate court before searching.
Washtenaw County	Circuit and district cases are different records collections.	Match the court shown on the original case paperwork.
Other Michigan counties	Participating courts can be searched through MiCOURT; others may maintain separate access arrangements.	Check MiCOURT’s court listing and the official Trial Court Directory.

How to find the correct local court

Open the official Michigan Judiciary website.
Find the Trial Court Directory in the judiciary navigation.
Locate the county and court type.
Identify the court number and clerk or register responsible for the case.
Use its official court website or contact information to locate case search, register of actions or records-request instructions.
If the local website has no public remote search, ask the clerk how to inspect the public case history.

Michigan-specific tip: court district numbers are not the same as county names. If you have a ticket or hearing notice, the court designation printed on it is often the fastest way to identify the correct portal.

Michigan Court Search Shows No Results? Try These Fixes

When a case does not appear, investigate the search path before assuming that the case was never filed.

Problem	Possible reason	Action
Wrong court selected	The case was filed in a different district, circuit or county.	Compare the court name and number on the original paperwork.
Name not found	Spelling, suffix, former surname or search-field mismatch.	Try permitted variations and narrow by filing year.
Old criminal case missing	The participating court may apply the seven-year sentence filter.	Check the filter indicator and contact the court of record.
Protected case missing	Record category is excluded from online public results.	Use the court’s authorized access rules.
Appeal missing	Trial-court search does not substitute for appellate docket search.	Use Michigan Judiciary appellate Case Search.
Federal case missing	Federal courts use separate systems.	Use PACER and the appropriate federal court.
Docket found, PDF missing	Public case history does not guarantee online document-image access.	Request public inspection or copies from the clerk.

Official record access

How to Get Michigan Court Records, Docket Copies and Certified Documents

For a court record that you must use as official evidence, the online case summary may not be enough. The clerk of the court of record handles access to public case files and copies under Michigan Court Rule 8.119.

Michigan public court record fees

Under MCR 8.119(J), Michigan courts generally cannot charge a fee merely to access public case-history information or retrieve or inspect a public case document. A court may charge an authorized reproduction fee for producing copies, subject to the rule and applicable law.

Inspect public case history

The rule prohibits charging a fee merely to access public case history, subject to applicable access limitations.

Request paper or electronic copies

The court may charge authorized reproduction costs. Ask the specific clerk for its published copy procedure and applicable amount.

Certified documents

Specify that you need certification, not merely an ordinary copy. Confirm the correct procedure and any applicable certification fee.

Transcripts or recordings

Hearing recordings and transcripts have additional procedures; contact the court about availability and production costs.

Micro-steps to request a document

Record the case number, court, county, parties and approximate filing date.
Write down the exact document needed: judgment, order, sentencing document, divorce judgment, complaint or docket sheet.
Open the official judiciary website and find the Trial Court Directory.
Locate the clerk for the court where the case was filed.
Ask how to inspect the public record or obtain a copy.
Say explicitly if you need a certified copy.
Confirm any permitted reproduction, certification or transcript fee before payment.
Follow the clerk’s instructions for receiving the record.

Legal source: Michigan Court Rules PDF — look for Rule 8.119, Access to Records and Access and Reproduction Fees. The rule explains public inspection, restricted material and permitted copying charges.

MiCOURT, MiFILE, Criminal History and Federal PACER: Do Not Confuse These

System	Primary purpose	Use for public docket search?
MiCOURT	Public case information for participating Michigan trial courts.	Yes, subject to coverage and record-access restrictions.
Michigan Appellate Case Search	Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court case information.	Yes, for appellate matters.
MiFILE	Electronic filing and service of court documents.	No. MiFILE explicitly says it does not provide public court-record access.
Criminal-history / background-check systems	Criminal-history information under separate laws and eligibility rules.	Not a substitute for the official court docket.
PACER	Federal district, bankruptcy and appellate case records.	Yes, for federal cases, subject to PACER access and fee rules.

Official Michigan Sources and Research Materials

These sources provide the public search tools, legal access rules and technical limitations described in this guide.

Michigan Judiciary — MiCOURT Case Search & Terms Michigan Judiciary — Appellate Case Search Michigan Judiciary — Courts and Trial Court Directory Official Michigan Court Rules PDF SCAO Memo — MiCOURT and Automatically Set-Aside Convictions Michigan MiFILE — Filing System Notice US Courts — Federal PACER Case Search Michigan Legal Help — Court and Self-Help Information

Responsible use: MiCOURT prohibits bulk downloading, automated scraping and attempts to circumvent rate limits or access controls. Use the public search for legitimate individual lookups and follow the court’s Terms of Service.

Michigan case-search questions

10 FAQs About MI Court Case Search and Dockets

1. How do I search for a Michigan court case online?

Start with the official MiCOURT Case Search for participating Michigan trial courts. Accept the Terms of Service, select the appropriate court and search using the available case-number or participant-name fields. For Michigan appellate cases, use the judiciary’s separate appellate Case Search.

2. Is there one statewide search for every Michigan court case?

No. MiCOURT serves participating Michigan trial courts, while certain courts maintain separate public-search systems. Michigan Court of Appeals and Supreme Court cases use the judiciary’s appellate case-search system. Federal cases are searched separately through PACER.

3. Can I search Michigan court records by a person’s name?

Yes, participating MiCOURT trial courts support searching by participant name. Where available, enter the first and last name and compare the court, case type, filing date and other identifying details before deciding a result belongs to the correct person.

4. Is Michigan MiCOURT Case Search free?

Public case-history access is generally governed by Michigan Court Rule 8.119(J), which prohibits charging merely to access public case-history information or retrieve or inspect public case documents. Courts may charge permitted reproduction fees for copies and other authorized charges for related services.

5. How do I find a Michigan criminal case or conviction?

Find the appropriate district or circuit court and search its available public case system. Some MiCOURT courts apply a seven-year criminal sentence filter, and records restricted under applicable law may not appear. If a conviction is older or missing, contact the court of record.

6. Why is an older criminal case not showing in MiCOURT?

Some participating courts display criminal-conviction information only when sentencing occurred within seven years of the search date. MiCOURT identifies these courts with the 7-Year Criminal Sentence Filter indicator. A missing result can also involve a restricted record or a court outside that search system.

7. Can I search Michigan divorce, probate or juvenile court records?

Some domestic and probate case information may be available through participating MiCOURT courts. However, MiCOURT expressly excludes several protected categories, including juvenile and child-protective proceedings, adoption, name changes, wills and certain other nonpublic matters. Contact the appropriate court about authorized access.

8. How can I look up a Michigan Court of Appeals or Supreme Court docket?

Open the Michigan Judiciary appellate Case Search and use the available case number, party, attorney or court-search options. Review the appellate docket for applications, orders, opinions and case activity. A separate lower-court case number may be needed to research the original trial proceeding.

9. How do I obtain a certified Michigan court record?

Contact the clerk of the court that maintains the case. Provide the case number, parties and document requested, and explain that a certified copy is required. The clerk can explain the applicable copy, certification and delivery procedures under Michigan law and court rules.

10. What does it mean if my Michigan case search returns no results?

No result does not necessarily mean no case exists. You may have selected the wrong court, entered an incorrect name or case number, searched an appellate case through a trial-court system, encountered a nonparticipating court, or requested a record excluded from public display. Verify the filing court and contact its clerk if needed.