Find Arrest Records in Livingston County
Livingston County arrest records are kept by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office and the courts serving this growing southeast Michigan county. These records include booking information, charges, and court outcomes for anyone arrested in the county. You can reach the sheriff directly for current jail roster information, use Michigan's court case search for case history, or run an ICHAT query for a full statewide criminal history on someone connected to Livingston County. The county seat is Howell, where most court and law enforcement operations are based.
Livingston County Overview
How to Search Livingston County Arrest Records
Livingston County sits southeast of Lansing and northwest of the Detroit metro area. It has grown steadily over the past two decades. That growth means more residents, more activity, and more requests for public records each year. The county does not have its own public-facing jail viewer as of this writing, so the main ways to check on someone are direct contact with the sheriff's office, Michigan's court case search, and the statewide ICHAT tool.
For current custody status, call the Livingston County Sheriff at 517-546-2440. Jail staff can confirm whether someone is in custody and share basic booking details over the phone. For older arrests and case outcomes, the Michigan Courts case search at courts.michigan.gov/case-search is the fastest free option. It covers the 44th Circuit Court and the district courts that handle Livingston County matters. ICHAT at apps.michigan.gov gives you the most complete record for a $10 fee, pulling from fingerprint-linked records across all 83 Michigan counties.
Each source covers something different. Use the jail line for current status. Use the courts search for case history. Use ICHAT when you need a verified, full background picture.
Livingston County Sheriff's Office
The Livingston County Sheriff's Office is located in Howell, the county seat. The main phone number is 517-546-2440. The sheriff's website is at livgov.com/sheriff, where you can find contact information, information on jail services, and resources for submitting records requests.
The sheriff's office handles law enforcement for the county's townships and unincorporated areas. They run the county jail and maintain records on all arrests and bookings processed through the facility. The records division handles requests from the public for copies of incident reports, booking documents, and related materials. Some records are subject to exemptions under Michigan's FOIA statute, particularly those tied to open investigations or records that could compromise safety.
If you need to check on an active warrant in Livingston County, the sheriff's office records division is the right contact. They can confirm whether a warrant is on file. For people looking for someone currently in custody, calling 517-546-2440 and asking for the jail division will get you the fastest answer.
Here is a look at the Michigan Court Case Search, the main free tool for researching Livingston County criminal cases:
This tool is open to the public at no cost. You search by name, date of birth, or case number. Results include charge details, court dates, and final case dispositions for criminal matters in Livingston County.
Livingston County Jail Records
The Livingston County Jail is operated by the sheriff's office. It holds pretrial detainees, people serving short sentences, and those being held on warrants. The jail is in Howell. To ask about someone's custody status, call 517-546-2440 and ask for the jail division.
Jail records include booking sheets, intake forms, and custody logs. These are public records under Michigan law unless a specific exemption applies. To get copies, you submit a FOIA request to the sheriff's office. Your request should include the full name of the person, the date of arrest if you know it, and any case number you have. The office will search for the records and respond within five business days, as required by MCL 15.231.
The response will either provide the records, deny the request with a reason, or extend the time period if the search is complex. If records are withheld, the office is required to tell you which exemption applies. You can appeal if you believe the denial was improper. Fees are allowed under state law, and the office will give you a cost estimate before proceeding if any fees apply.
44th Circuit Court and Michigan Court Case Search
Livingston County's felony criminal cases go through the 44th Circuit Court, based in Howell. Misdemeanor cases and the early stages of felony cases run through the district courts serving the area. Both circuit and district court records are accessible through the Michigan Courts case search at courts.michigan.gov/case-search.
The case search is free. You don't need an account to use it. Enter a name, date of birth, or case number, and the tool returns case records from courts across Michigan. For Livingston County cases, you will see charges, hearing dates, judge assignments, and the final outcome of each case. If someone was arrested in Livingston County and prosecuted, the case search will typically show you what happened in court, even if the jail record itself requires a FOIA request to access in full.
The court search covers criminal, civil, and traffic cases. Not all records are public. Some juvenile and sealed cases are excluded. But for standard adult criminal matters in Livingston County, the tool is thorough and updated regularly.
Below is a view of the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, another public tool useful for Livingston County searches:
The registry at mspsor.com lets you look up registered offenders in Livingston County by name or location. It is free and updated by local agencies including the Livingston County Sheriff. It operates under MCL 28.721.
ICHAT Statewide Criminal History
ICHAT is Michigan's Internet Criminal History Access Tool, maintained by the Michigan State Police. You access it through apps.michigan.gov. Each search costs $10 and runs under MCL 28.241. The system pulls from fingerprint-linked records, which makes results more accurate and complete than a basic name search could be. If someone has been arrested or convicted anywhere in Michigan, ICHAT will have that record if it was properly reported to the state.
For Livingston County specifically, ICHAT covers any arrest or conviction processed in the county and reported to the Michigan State Police. This includes arrests by the sheriff's office, local police departments operating in Livingston County's cities and townships, and any state police involvement. The $10 fee gives you results right away. You pay by credit card through the state's portal. If you're checking your own record, ICHAT is also the tool to use, and you can dispute any inaccuracies through the same system.
ICHAT is commonly used by individuals, courts, licensing boards, and people who need a verified look at someone's Michigan criminal record. It is more thorough than what the court case search alone will show you, because it covers all charge types and all counties in one place.
FOIA Requests for Livingston County Records
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL 15.231 gives anyone the right to request public records held by government agencies in Michigan. For Livingston County, this means you can ask the sheriff's office for arrest records, booking documents, and incident reports.
To submit a FOIA request to the Livingston County Sheriff, contact the office at 517-546-2440 or through the county's official channels at livgov.com/sheriff. You can also mail a written request to the sheriff's office in Howell. Describe the records you want clearly. Include the name of the person, the date of the arrest, and any case number you have. The more detail you provide, the easier it is for the office to locate what you need.
The office has five business days to respond. They can grant the request, deny it with a reason, or extend the deadline if the search is taking longer than usual. If fees apply, they'll let you know the estimated cost before they start work. You can accept or decline at that point. Fee waivers may be available for requests that serve the public interest.
For state-level records involving the Michigan State Police, use the MSP FOIA portal at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia. The same five-business-day response window applies under the same state law.
OTIS and State Prison Records for Livingston County
The Michigan Department of Corrections runs OTIS, the Offender Tracking Information System, at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2/otis2.html. OTIS covers people who are currently serving prison sentences or are on parole in Michigan. If someone from Livingston County was convicted of a felony and sent to a state facility, OTIS will show their record. County jail inmates are not in OTIS. Only those under MDOC supervision appear.
Searching OTIS is free. You enter a name or MDOC number and get back information on the person's conviction, sentence, current facility if applicable, and parole status. It is a useful tool when the person you're looking for has a felony history that goes beyond the county level.
Clean Slate Expungement and Livingston County Records
Michigan's Clean Slate law under MCL 780.621g allows certain criminal convictions to be set aside after a waiting period. Some happen automatically. Others require a petition to the court. The law went into effect for automatic expungements in April 2023. Not all offenses qualify. Violent crimes and certain sexual offenses are excluded.
If a conviction has been set aside under Clean Slate, it may not appear in standard public record searches. ICHAT results for civilian searches will not show expunged records. Law enforcement queries still return the full record. For anyone researching Livingston County records, it's worth knowing that a clean ICHAT result doesn't always mean no history. It may mean prior records were expunged.
Legal aid organizations serving Livingston County can help people understand whether their record qualifies and how to petition if automatic expungement did not apply. The Michigan Courts website also has guidance on the Clean Slate process.
Cities in Livingston County
Howell is the county seat and the largest city in Livingston County. It falls below the population threshold for a dedicated city page here. Most arrest records for the county are processed through agencies and courts in and around Howell.
Nearby Counties
Livingston County borders several counties in southeast Michigan. Each has its own sheriff, jail, and records process.