Search Mackinac County Arrest Records
Mackinac County arrest records are held by the Mackinac County Sheriff's Office in St. Ignace and the county's circuit and district courts. Whether you are looking for records from the mainland or from Mackinac Island, this page walks you through the tools and offices that handle public records requests in this Upper Peninsula county at the Straits of Mackinac.
Mackinac County Overview
How to Search Mackinac County Arrest Records
You have a few solid options for finding arrest records tied to Mackinac County. The Michigan Court Case Search is free and covers all courts in the county. ICHAT gives you a full Michigan criminal history for $10. And you can always contact the sheriff's office in St. Ignace for local records.
Start at courts.michigan.gov/case-search. Search by name and filter to Mackinac County. The results show criminal filings in the 50th Circuit Court and the 92nd District Court. Case numbers, charges, and dispositions are all visible.
Mackinac Island presents a unique situation. The island has its own police department, but criminal cases are processed through the Mackinac County court system in St. Ignace. Records from island arrests are part of the same county database.
Third-party sites like michigan.staterecords.org compile public record data from across the state, but always verify anything important through official sources.
Mackinac County Sheriff's Office
The Mackinac County Sheriff's Office in St. Ignace handles law enforcement for the county. Deputies patrol the mainland portions of the county. The office maintains arrest records for cases handled by county deputies.
| Agency | Mackinac County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 100 S. Marley St., St. Ignace, MI 49781 |
| Phone | 906-643-7328 |
| Website | mackinaccounty.net |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM |
To get arrest records from the sheriff, submit a written FOIA request. The office follows MCL 15.231. They must respond within five business days. Fees for copies apply, and some records tied to active cases may be withheld.
The Mackinac County Jail holds those arrested and awaiting arraignment or trial. For those sentenced to state prison, they are transferred to MDOC facilities and can be found through OTIS.
Inmate and Jail Information for Mackinac County
People arrested in Mackinac County are initially held at the county jail in St. Ignace. If sentenced to more than a year, they move to a state prison. MDOC's OTIS tool tracks all state inmates.
OTIS is the Michigan Department of Corrections' online inmate search system. You can look up anyone currently serving time in a Michigan prison, including those who were arrested in Mackinac County.
Search OTIS for free at mdocweb.state.mi.us. You can search by name or MDOC number. Results include facility name, sentence length, and projected release date. This does not cover local jail holds. Call the sheriff's office directly at 906-643-7328 for local jail status.
Michigan Court Case Search for Mackinac County
The free Michigan Court Case Search at courts.michigan.gov/case-search is the most direct way to find criminal case records for Mackinac County. It covers both the circuit and district courts here.
Enter a full name and select Mackinac County as the filter. Results include case numbers, charges filed, court dates, and outcome. This is official data from the Michigan State Court Administrative Office.
Both felony and misdemeanor cases appear. Traffic offenses processed through the district court also show up. The tool does not require a login and is available 24 hours a day.
The state court case search lets you pull Mackinac County criminal records by name. It is a reliable, free tool that pulls directly from court filing systems.
ICHAT Criminal History for Mackinac County
ICHAT is the Internet Criminal History Access Tool run by Michigan State Police. It costs $10 per search and returns a statewide criminal history record. The authority for this tool is MCL 28.241.
To search, go to apps.michigan.gov. You need a full name and date of birth. The report covers Michigan felony and misdemeanor convictions, including those from Mackinac County courts. Arrests without a conviction may not appear.
ICHAT results are based on fingerprint-confirmed records from MSP files. This makes them more reliable than court name searches alone, which can miss aliases or return multiple records for common names.
Results come back fast, usually within minutes of payment. You can save or print the report for your records.
FOIA Requests in Mackinac County
Michigan's FOIA law, MCL 15.231, gives you the right to request public records from government agencies. In Mackinac County, that includes the sheriff's office, the county clerk, and local courts.
Write a clear request describing what you want. Be specific about names, dates, and case numbers if you have them. Mail or deliver it to the right office. The agency has five business days to respond and can charge fees for copying or staff time.
For Michigan State Police records, including records from the UP post that covers the Straits area, use the online portal at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia. That covers state police records separately from county sheriff records.
If your request is denied, you can file an appeal. The first step is an appeal to the head of the same agency. After that, you can take it to circuit court if still denied.
Clean Slate and Sex Offender Registry in Mackinac County
Michigan's Clean Slate law, MCL 780.621g, lets eligible individuals apply to have convictions set aside. Once a record is expunged, it no longer appears in ICHAT results for the public. Law enforcement still has access.
Not every crime qualifies. Crimes against minors, certain sexual offenses, and serious felonies are not eligible. Talk to a lawyer if you think you may qualify for expungement under Clean Slate.
The Michigan Sex Offender Registry covers all registered offenders in the state. You can search by name, county, or zip code at mspsor.com. The registry is public under MCL 28.721 and includes current address, photo, and offense type.
The PSOR search form lets you filter the sex offender registry by location, making it easy to check for registered offenders in Mackinac County or a specific zip code.
Additional Resources for Mackinac County Records
The Mackinac County Clerk handles court records and official county documents. The clerk is located at the courthouse in St. Ignace. Certified copies of records can be ordered in person or by mail.
The Michigan Legislature website at legislature.mi.gov has the full text of all Michigan laws. This is where you can look up MCL 15.231 (FOIA), MCL 28.241 (ICHAT), MCL 28.721 (sex offender registry), and MCL 780.621g (Clean Slate) in full detail.
Mackinac County includes both mainland territory and Mackinac Island. The island is accessible only by ferry or air, which creates some logistical differences for those seeking in-person records. All court and county records, however, are maintained at the St. Ignace courthouse regardless of where the arrest occurred.
For legal aid in the Upper Peninsula, check with the Michigan Legal Help program or the State Bar of Michigan's lawyer referral service. These programs can connect you with attorneys familiar with criminal records and expungement in Mackinac County.