Access Cass County Arrest Records
Cass County arrest records are public documents held by the Sheriff's Office in Cassopolis and by state agencies including Michigan State Police. This page explains how to search arrest histories, criminal data, and court cases for people in this southwestern Michigan county that borders Indiana to the south.
Cass County Overview
How to Search Cass County Arrest Records
Cass County is a rural county in the far southwest corner of Michigan, just north of Indiana. Cassopolis is the county seat. The county is largely agricultural with scattered small towns. Because there's no large city, the Sheriff's Office handles most of the law enforcement work and holds the primary arrest records for the area.
There are two main routes. For a statewide criminal history that covers all 83 Michigan counties, start with ICHAT at apps.michigan.gov. Each search costs $10 under the authority of MCL 28.241. ICHAT is quick and covers a wide range. For Cass County-specific records, including arrest reports and booking data, contact the Sheriff's Office directly at 269-445-8644 or visit casscountymi.org.
Cass County also sits close to the Michigan-Indiana border. If someone has records from both states, Michigan searches will not pick up Indiana convictions. Keep that in mind if you need a complete picture for someone who may have lived on both sides of the line.
Cass County Sheriff's Office
The Cass County Sheriff's Office in Cassopolis is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. They manage arrests, maintain the county jail, and handle records requests for most county law enforcement matters.
| Office | Cass County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 321 M-62 N., Cassopolis, MI 49031 |
| Phone | 269-445-8644 |
| Website | casscountymi.org |
Arrest reports and incident records held by the Sheriff's Office are subject to public access under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231. Submit a written FOIA request to the Sheriff's Office to get copies. They must respond within five business days. They can charge for staff time and copying, but fees must be reasonable. Requests can usually be submitted by mail or in person. Check the county website for the current FOIA submission process.
Keep in mind that arrest records and conviction records are different things. An arrest does not mean someone was found guilty. Michigan law makes this distinction clearly, and it matters when reading records you find.
Cass County Jail and Inmate Inquiries
The Cass County Jail is run by the Sheriff's Office in Cassopolis. It holds people arrested in the county who are waiting for court appearances or serving sentences under a year. To find out if someone is currently in the jail, call the Sheriff's Office at 269-445-8644.
For people in Michigan state prison or under MDOC supervision, check the OTIS database. OTIS is the Offender Tracking Information System maintained by the Michigan Department of Corrections. It is free and available at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2/otis2.html. You can search by name and get information about where someone is held, their sentence length, and expected release date. OTIS does not include county jail inmates, only people in MDOC custody.
Michigan Court Case Search for Cass County
Cass County court records are available through the statewide case search at courts.michigan.gov/case-search. This tool covers district and circuit courts statewide, including those serving Cass County. You can search by name or case number to find charges, case status, hearing dates, and dispositions.
Cass County's circuit court handles felony cases and major civil matters. District courts handle misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and small claims. If you need the actual documents from a case, contact the Cass County Circuit Court Clerk in Cassopolis. The online portal gives a useful overview but does not always include full file documents.
The Michigan court case search portal shown below is the same system you would use to pull up any criminal case filed in Cass County courts.
Searching by name returns all matching cases statewide, so you may see results from other counties if the person has records elsewhere in Michigan.
ICHAT Statewide Criminal History Search
ICHAT is Michigan's primary tool for criminal background searches. Run by Michigan State Police under MCL 28.241, it costs $10 per search and covers all 83 counties at once. You can access it at apps.michigan.gov and pay by credit card. Results come quickly and show felony and misdemeanor convictions.
ICHAT returns conviction records, not just arrests. Cases that were dismissed, not prosecuted, or ended in acquittal may not show up. Convictions that have been set aside under Michigan's Clean Slate law may also be absent. For Cass County specifically, ICHAT is a solid starting point. Follow up with the Sheriff's Office or circuit court clerk if you need more granular data.
Because Cass County is small, the volume of records is lower than in larger counties. A name search in ICHAT for a Cass County resident will often return a manageable number of results. If you get results from multiple counties, that just means the person had cases filed in more than one jurisdiction in Michigan.
Michigan FOIA for Cass County Records
MCL 15.231 gives you the legal right to request public records from Cass County government agencies. This includes the Sheriff's Office, Dowagiac Police Department, other local agencies, and the county clerk. Each agency handles FOIA on its own. You submit your written request directly to the agency holding the records you need.
The agency has five business days to respond. They can extend by ten days in certain cases with written notice. If a request will cost more than $50, they must provide an estimate first. You can appeal a denial to the agency head and then to the circuit court if the appeal fails. Fees must be itemized and reasonable.
For records held by Michigan State Police, such as incident reports from troopers patrolling Cass County roads, use the MSP FOIA portal at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia. That process is separate from local FOIA requests.
Sex Offender Registry for Cass County
Michigan's Sex Offender Registry is a public database searchable by name or location. It is governed by MCL 28.721 and maintained by Michigan State Police. Cass County addresses are searchable through mspsor.com. You can also use the direct search form at mspsor.com/Home/Search to search by zip code or city within Cass County.
The registry shows current address, photo, offense type, and tier classification. Tier levels range from one to three and determine how long a person must register. Higher tiers require longer registration periods and more frequent check-ins. Non-compliance with registration requirements is a felony under Michigan law.
The PSOR search form is shown below. This is the tool Michigan residents use to check the sex offender registry by location, including Cass County communities like Dowagiac and Cassopolis.
Registry data is updated as registrants report address changes, so results reflect current information in most cases.
Clean Slate and Expungement in Michigan
Michigan's Clean Slate law under MCL 780.621g creates automatic set-asides for many convictions after a waiting period. Seven years for most misdemeanors, ten years for some felonies. No filing is needed. The process runs automatically. When a conviction is set aside, it may no longer appear in ICHAT or public court searches.
Exclusions apply. Traffic offenses with serious consequences, crimes against minors, and major violent felonies do not qualify. For Cass County residents, the circuit court in Cassopolis handles manual expungement petitions for those who want to pursue set-aside earlier or for conviction types not covered by the automatic process. A local attorney can review eligibility before filing.
Nearby Counties
Cass County sits in southwestern Michigan surrounded by counties with their own records systems.