Find Ann Arbor People Records
Ann Arbor is the county seat of Washtenaw County and home to more than 123,000 residents, making it one of the larger cities in Michigan for people search activity. Because Ann Arbor is the county seat, the main courthouse and clerk office are right in the city. That means many of the records you need for a people search in Ann Arbor are kept locally rather than in a distant county office. This guide covers the courts, county offices, and state tools you can use to look up public records on people in Ann Arbor.
Ann Arbor at a Glance
Ann Arbor Court Records Search
The 22nd Judicial Circuit Court sits in Ann Arbor and handles all major cases for Washtenaw County. This includes felonies, large civil disputes, family law matters, and appeals from lower courts. Because Ann Arbor is the county seat, the circuit court building is in the city. Court records are public under MCL 600.1420. Anyone can look up cases without stating a reason. You just need a name or case number.
The Washtenaw County courts page at washtenaw.org/Courts has information about the circuit court, probate court, and district courts serving the county. The 15th District Court covers Ann Arbor specifically for misdemeanors, traffic offenses, small claims, and civil cases under $25,000. Both courts are open to public records requests.
For online searches, MiCOURT at micourt.courts.michigan.gov is the statewide tool that pulls case data from participating courts across Michigan. Type in a name and the system returns all matching cases. Results include case type, filing date, party names, and current status. This tool covers the Washtenaw County circuit court and district courts. It is free to use and available to anyone. For an Ann Arbor people search through court records, MiCOURT is the fastest starting point.
Note: The 15th District Court in Ann Arbor handles most misdemeanor and traffic cases for city residents, while the circuit court processes felonies and major civil matters.
Washtenaw County Clerk Records
The Washtenaw County Clerk at washtenaw.org/County-Clerk maintains court filings, vital records, and other public documents. The office is located in Ann Arbor since the city is the county seat. You can request copies of court records, marriage licenses, and other filed documents through this office. Staff can search by name and pull records for you while you wait, though older records may take a day or two to retrieve from archives.
Vital records are a key part of many Ann Arbor people searches. The county clerk has birth and death records for events that occurred in Washtenaw County, along with marriage licenses filed locally. Certified copies cost between $15 and $25 depending on the record type. You can request them in person, by mail, or through the state MDHHS system at michigan.gov/mdhhs. Birth records are restricted for 100 years and death records for 50 years in Michigan.
The county also maintains property and recorded document searches. Deeds, liens, and other recorded filings tied to Ann Arbor addresses are on file with the Register of Deeds. These can be useful in a people search when you want to confirm property ownership or see what legal filings are tied to a specific person or address in the city.
City of Ann Arbor Government Resources
The City of Ann Arbor has its own government website at a2gov.org with information about city departments, services, and local government operations. The city handles its own police reports, ordinance enforcement, and other local records that may come up in a people search. The Ann Arbor Police Department can provide copies of incident reports for events within city limits.
The Ann Arbor city government homepage at a2gov.org is the central resource for local services and department contacts.
Use this site to find the police department, city clerk, and other offices that may have records relevant to your search.
Under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231), you can request public records from any city department in Ann Arbor. Put your request in writing and send it to the department that holds the records. The city has five business days to respond. Be as specific as you can about what you need. Include names, dates, and document types. The city may charge a small fee for copies, but the first $20 in search labor is often waived for individuals.
Note: Ann Arbor's city clerk can direct you to the right department for FOIA requests if you are unsure where specific records are kept.
Criminal Background Check in Ann Arbor
ICHAT from the Michigan State Police is the primary tool for running a criminal history check on someone in Ann Arbor. Under MCL 28.261a, this database is open to the public. Each search costs $10. Visit apps.michigan.gov/ICHAT and enter a name. The system pulls criminal conviction records from courts and law enforcement agencies across Michigan. It is not limited to Washtenaw County, so you get a statewide picture.
OTIS from the Michigan Department of Corrections is a free tool at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2. It tracks current inmates, parolees, and people on probation in the state system. Search by name and you get photos, sentence information, and expected release dates. This is helpful for an Ann Arbor people search when you suspect someone may have served time in a Michigan state facility.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff at washtenaw.org/Sheriff handles the county jail and local law enforcement in unincorporated areas. If someone was booked into the county jail, the sheriff's office would have booking records. Their website has contact information for requesting records and checking on current inmates in custody.
Access Public Records in Ann Arbor
Between the city government, the county offices, and the state databases, there are many paths to public records for an Ann Arbor people search. The county clerk in Ann Arbor is the best starting point for court records and vital documents since the office is right in the city. State tools like MiCOURT, ICHAT, and OTIS cover court cases, criminal history, and corrections records from your computer. City departments handle local police reports and other municipal records through FOIA requests.
One advantage of Ann Arbor being the county seat is that you do not need to travel to a different city to visit county offices. The circuit court, county clerk, Register of Deeds, and sheriff's office are all accessible in or near the city. This makes in-person record requests more convenient than in cities where the county seat is farther away. For most routine searches, though, the online tools cover what you need without a trip to any office.
Ann Arbor People Search Resources
| Resource | Type | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| MiCOURT Case Search | Court Records | Free |
| ICHAT Criminal History | Criminal Records | $10 per search |
| OTIS Offender Search | Corrections Records | Free |
| Washtenaw County Clerk | Court Files/Vital Records | Varies |
| Washtenaw County Sheriff | Jail/Booking Records | Free |
| MDHHS Vital Records | Birth/Death/Marriage | Varies |
People Search in Nearby Cities
Ann Arbor is in the southeast part of Michigan. The closest major cities with their own people search pages are Lansing, the state capital to the northwest, and Detroit to the east in Wayne County. Each of these cities falls in a different county, so their records go through separate court systems and clerk offices.
Washtenaw County People Search
For a broader view of records in the area, the Washtenaw County people search page covers all county offices, courts, and resources. Ann Arbor is the county seat, so the county page describes many of the same offices you can visit right in the city. It also covers other communities in Washtenaw County that share the same court and clerk system.