Oakland County Arrest Records Search
Oakland County arrest records are maintained by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and can be searched online through the CLEMIS inmate locator, which shows who is currently held at the Oakland County Jail in Pontiac. This page covers every major search tool available for arrest and jail records in Oakland County, from the free CLEMIS portal to statewide databases and formal records requests.
Oakland County Overview
How to Search Oakland County Arrest Records
There are two main ways to search Oakland County arrest records. The first is the CLEMIS inmate locator, which is free and shows people currently held at the county jail. The second is ICHAT, a statewide background check run by the Michigan State Police that covers criminal history beyond just current detainees. Most people start with CLEMIS because it's fast and doesn't cost anything. If you need deeper history, ICHAT is the right tool.
For court case records tied to an arrest, Michigan courts use a central online search at courts.michigan.gov/case-search/. You can look up criminal cases by name or case number without calling the courthouse. This works for both circuit and district court filings in Oakland County. Keep in mind that an arrest doesn't always lead to a court case, so the CLEMIS system and court search serve different purposes.
Oakland County is one of the largest counties in Michigan, with a population of roughly 1.27 million. The jail system in Pontiac handles bookings from multiple law enforcement agencies operating across the county, including city police departments in Troy, Southfield, and other communities. Any person booked into the Oakland County Jail by any of those agencies will show up in the CLEMIS system.
CLEMIS Oakland County Jail Inmate Locator
CLEMIS stands for Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information System. The Oakland County inmate locator built on this platform is one of the more detailed jail search tools available in Michigan. It's updated throughout the day as bookings come in and releases go out, so the data you see reflects the current state of who is in custody.
To use the locator, go to apps.clemis.org/ClemisInmLoc. From the entry page, you can search by name, look up a booking number if you have one, or view all current inmates in one list. The name search is usually the fastest route if you know who you're looking for.
Each inmate record in the CLEMIS system includes physical descriptors, a mugshot when one is available, the charges the person is facing, which agency made the arrest, the booking date and time, current housing assignment within the jail, bond and bail details, any upcoming court dates, and a release date if one has been set. That's a solid amount of information for a free public tool. Not every record will have a mugshot, and some fields may be blank depending on how far along the booking process is.
The portal entry page gives an overview of the search options before you begin.
From this portal, you can move directly to a full list of everyone currently in custody at the Oakland County Jail.
The all-inmates view at apps.clemis.org/ClemisInmLoc/ExtMain/ExtAllCurrInmates/ loads the full list without requiring a search term. This is useful if you want to browse recent bookings or verify that someone has been released.
Oakland County Sheriff's Office Contact and Records Unit
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard, is the primary law enforcement agency managing county jail operations and arrest record access. The main office is at 1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Building 38E, Pontiac, MI 48341. General questions can be directed to 248-858-5000. For inmate-specific questions, call the dedicated inmate information line at 248-858-1800. You can also email prisonerinfo@oakgov.com for written inquiries about people in custody. The full sheriff's office website is at oakgov.com/government/sheriff.
The Records Unit handles official records requests separately from the jail line. It's located on the east side of the main jail at 1201 N. Telegraph Rd., Pontiac, MI 48341. The direct phone number for records is 248-858-5011, and the fax is 248-858-1012. You can also email requests to ocsorecords@oakgov.com. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Records Unit maintains incident reports, traffic citations, inmate jail files, and gun registration records. More information is at oakgov.com/government/sheriff/corrections/records-unit.
Walk-in requests are accepted during business hours. Mailed requests should be sent to the address above with a clear description of what you need. For larger records requests, a FOIA submission may be required (covered below).
Oakland County Jail Facilities in Pontiac
The Oakland County Jail is one of the larger county detention facilities in Michigan. It sits at 1201 North Telegraph in Pontiac and operates across several connected sections with a combined capacity of over 1,400 beds. The facility is managed by the Corrections Division of the Sheriff's Office under Commander Captain Thomas Vida, Jr.
The main jail building houses general population and maximum-security inmates on the second floor, which holds around 440 people. The intake section has 109 holding and observation cells used when someone first comes in. The Annex, a direct supervision facility attached to the main building, holds around 487 inmates. The East Annex, added in 2022, is a satellite facility with capacity for approximately 398 additional inmates. A medical clinic within the complex holds 7 cells for people needing health care. Jail details and facility information are available at oakgov.com/government/sheriff/corrections/oakland-county-jail.
The size of this facility means bookings happen around the clock. People arrested anywhere in the county, whether by the sheriff's deputies, city police, or other agencies, are processed through this intake system. The CLEMIS locator reflects those bookings as they're entered.
Oakland County Court Records and Case Search
Criminal cases that result from arrests in Oakland County are handled by the 6th Circuit Court or one of the county's district courts, depending on the charge. The 6th Circuit Court at 1200 N. Telegraph, Pontiac, handles felonies and more serious matters. District courts handle misdemeanors, ordinance violations, and preliminary matters in felony cases before they move to circuit court.
Oakland County has multiple district courts. The 50th District Court serves Pontiac. The 52nd District Court operates through several divisions covering communities across the county. There are additional district courts serving specific cities and townships within Oakland County. Each has its own clerks and schedules, though all feed into the statewide case search system.
You can search Oakland County court cases at courts.michigan.gov/case-search/. This tool covers both circuit and district court records. You don't need an account. Search by name or case number. Results show case type, filing date, charges, and case status. The Oakland County Court website at oaklandcountycourt.org has additional local information including court schedules and local rules.
FOIA Requests for Oakland County Arrest Records
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, found at MCL 15.231 et seq., gives the public the right to request government records, including arrest reports, incident logs, and booking documents. In Oakland County, FOIA requests for sheriff's office records go to the Records Unit at the address and email listed above. Requests for court records go through the specific court that handled the case.
A FOIA request should describe the record you want as clearly as possible. Include names, dates, case numbers, or report numbers if you have them. The agency has five business days to respond, though extensions can apply. They may charge fees for search time and copying under MCL 15.234. If a record is denied, the law gives you the right to appeal and, if needed, seek review in circuit court.
Some records are exempt from FOIA. Active investigation files, records that would endanger a witness, and certain juvenile records are typically withheld. Arrest records tied to charges that were later expunged may also be restricted under Michigan's Clean Slate laws at MCL 780.621g. If a request comes back denied, the denial letter should state which exemption applies.
For Michigan State Police records related to Oakland County incidents, the MSP has its own FOIA portal at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia.
Using the MSP FOIA portal is the right path when the arrest involved state troopers or when you need records from a statewide database rather than county sources.
Michigan Statewide Databases Covering Oakland County
ICHAT is Michigan's internet criminal history access tool, run by the Michigan State Police under MCL 28.241. It covers criminal conviction records statewide, which means it can show Oakland County convictions alongside records from other counties. Each search costs $10 and is paid online. ICHAT is not a real-time jail roster, it's a conviction history tool. Access it through apps.michigan.gov. This is useful if you need a broader look at someone's record beyond what's currently visible in CLEMIS.
OTIS, the Offender Tracking Information System, is maintained by the Michigan Department of Corrections. It shows people who are or have been in state prison custody. If someone was arrested in Oakland County and later sentenced to a state facility, their record may appear in OTIS at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2/otis2.html. OTIS does not cover people held only in county jail.
Michigan's Sex Offender Registry, maintained under MCL 28.721, is searchable at mspsor.com. You can search by name or location to find registered offenders in Oakland County communities. The registry includes address information, offense details, and registration status. It's a separate system from the jail locator and covers both people who are incarcerated and those living in the community.
The Michigan Legislature website at legislature.mi.gov is the place to look up the full text of any statute mentioned here or in other official sources. If an agency cites a specific MCL code, you can verify its exact language there.
Cities in Oakland County
These cities within Oakland County have their own arrest records pages with local courthouse and contact details.
Nearby Counties
Oakland County borders several other Michigan counties, each with its own arrest records and jail search tools.