Search Allegan County Arrest Records
Allegan County arrest records are official public documents created when someone is taken into custody in this western Michigan county along Lake Michigan. The county seat is the city of Allegan, home to the county sheriff and the 57th Circuit Court. Arrest records can be found through the Allegan County Sheriff's Office, Michigan's statewide ICHAT system, and the Michigan court case search tool. This page covers how to use each of these resources.
Allegan County Overview
How to Find Allegan County Arrest Records
Allegan County covers a large area along Michigan's Lake Michigan shore and stretches inland across a mix of farmland and small towns. It borders Ottawa County to the north, Kent County to the northeast, and Van Buren County to the south. The county has a moderate population and sees regular law enforcement activity from both the county sheriff and local police departments in communities like Holland Township (shared with Ottawa), Otsego, and Plainwell.
To find arrest records in Allegan County, you have several options. The Allegan County Sheriff's Office at 269-673-0500 is your direct local contact. For statewide criminal history, use ICHAT at apps.michigan.gov. For case-level information including charges and dispositions, use the Michigan court case search. If you need state police records from the MSP post serving this area, use the MSP FOIA portal.
Each tool has different strengths. ICHAT is best for full history. The sheriff is best for local, current information. Court search is best for case details.
Allegan County Sheriff's Office
The Allegan County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement and jail authority in the county. You can reach the sheriff at 269-673-0500. The sheriff's website is at allegancounty.org. The office is located in the city of Allegan and operates the county jail. Booking records from the Allegan County Jail are public records under Michigan's FOIA law (MCL 15.231).
If you want to know whether someone is currently in the Allegan County Jail, call the jail line. The sheriff's office typically can confirm custody status over the phone. For a copy of a booking record or arrest report, you will need to submit a written FOIA request. The request should include the name of the arrested person, approximate date, and any other identifying details. The sheriff's office has five business days to respond under state law.
The Allegan County Sheriff handles patrol in the unincorporated parts of the county as well as contracting services to some smaller townships. Local city police departments in places like Otsego or Plainwell make their own arrests and maintain separate records, though those records are also available through FOIA requests to the specific department.
Allegan County also has a Michigan State Police post nearby. Incidents on state roads or involving state investigations may produce records at the MSP rather than the local sheriff. Use both sources depending on where the incident took place.
ICHAT: Statewide Criminal History Search
ICHAT is Michigan's main tool for public criminal background checks. It is run by the Michigan State Police and governed by MCL 28.241. A search costs $10 and gives you a person's full Michigan criminal history, including arrests that led to charges and convictions. Access ICHAT at apps.michigan.gov.
The search uses name and date of birth. Results are returned electronically and cover records from all 83 Michigan counties. If someone was arrested in Allegan County and later had cases in Kent or Kalamazoo counties, all of that shows up together in one ICHAT report. This makes ICHAT more useful than a single-county search when you want a complete picture.
ICHAT does have limits. It does not show arrests that did not result in formal charges. It excludes juvenile records. It excludes records that have been set aside under Clean Slate. And it is not a real-time system -- there can be a lag between when something happens in court and when it appears in ICHAT.
The Michigan court case search above lets you look up cases filed in the Allegan County 57th Circuit Court and local district courts for free.
Allegan County Court Records and the 57th Circuit
Allegan County's circuit court is the 57th Circuit Court, located in the city of Allegan. Felony criminal cases are heard here. Misdemeanors and traffic violations go to the Allegan County District Court. Both are searchable through the Michigan public case search tool at courts.michigan.gov/case-search/.
The case search is free. You can search by name or case number. Results include case type, charge descriptions, filing date, and outcome. If a person was arrested in Allegan County and charged, the case will show up in this system once it is filed. This is a good follow-up after you confirm an arrest through the sheriff or ICHAT.
Court records in Allegan County are public unless sealed by order of the court. Most adult criminal cases are open to the public. You can also visit the clerk's office in person at the Allegan County Courthouse to request records or review case files. The circuit court clerk can assist with obtaining certified copies of records if needed for legal or official purposes.
FOIA Requests for Allegan County Police Records
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231) gives the public the right to inspect and copy public records held by government agencies. This includes arrest records, jail logs, police reports, and incident reports held by the Allegan County Sheriff and local police departments in the county.
To make a FOIA request to the Allegan County Sheriff, submit a written request to the sheriff's office identifying the records you want as specifically as possible. Include the name, date, and type of record. The office must respond within five business days. They may fulfill the request, deny it with a written reason, or ask for an extension if the search is complex.
For Michigan State Police records related to Allegan County incidents, use the MSP FOIA portal at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia. You can also call MSP FOIA at 517-241-1934. The MSP post in the Holland area handles state police calls in the western part of the county. Requests to MSP follow the same five-business-day timeline.
Submit a FOIA request through the MSP portal for any records from state police activity in Allegan County.
OTIS: Michigan Department of Corrections Records
OTIS is the Michigan Department of Corrections' Offender Tracking Information System. It covers people who have been sentenced to state prison. If someone arrested in Allegan County was later convicted of a felony and sentenced to MDOC custody, they will appear in OTIS. You can search for free at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2/otis2.html.
OTIS shows photos, commitment offense, sentence length, MDOC facility, and parole status. It is updated regularly. OTIS does not include people held in county jails or those with misdemeanor sentences. It is limited to state prison cases. But for anyone who received a significant felony sentence following an Allegan County arrest, OTIS is a good resource.
Sex Offender Registry in Allegan County
The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is governed by MCL 28.721. It is maintained by the Michigan State Police and is free to search at mspsor.com. You can filter by county to see all registered sex offenders in Allegan County. Results include the offender's photo, current address, registration tier, and conviction offense.
Sex offenders convicted in Allegan County or who live in Allegan County must register with local law enforcement. The MSP registry is updated as registrants check in. If you need to find out whether someone living in Allegan County is a registered sex offender, the MSP registry is the official source. Third-party sites pull from this data but may not be current.
Michigan Clean Slate and Record Expungement
Michigan's Clean Slate law (MCL 780.621g) expanded expungement eligibility in 2021. Many misdemeanors and some felonies can now be set aside after a waiting period. Some convictions are set aside automatically after seven to ten years if the person has stayed out of trouble. When a conviction is set aside, it no longer appears in ICHAT or most public record searches.
For Allegan County residents with a prior arrest or conviction, the process to apply for a set-aside involves filing a petition with the 57th Circuit Court in Allegan. The court clerk's office has the forms. Fees may apply. If you were arrested but not convicted, the underlying arrest record may still appear in some databases, though it cannot legally be used against you in most contexts. Consulting a local attorney is the best step if you are pursuing expungement in Allegan County.
Note that set-asides do not apply to all offenses. Serious felonies, certain sex offenses, and some other categories are not eligible under current law. The Michigan Legislature website at legislature.mi.gov has the full statute with the current eligibility rules.