Washtenaw County Arrest Records
Washtenaw County arrest records are kept across several agencies, including the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, the 22nd Circuit Court, and the county's district courts in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. This page explains how to search those records, look up current inmates, pull court case data through the county's public access portal, and request documents under Michigan's FOIA law. Whether you need a current jail roster, a court case history, or a full criminal background, the right starting point depends on what you're looking for.
Washtenaw County Overview
How to Search Washtenaw County Arrest Records
Washtenaw County has a strong online presence when it comes to public records. The county's trial court system has a free web portal where anyone can search by name, case number, case type, or date range. For people in custody at the county jail, the Sheriff's Office handles booking and inmate information. And for a statewide criminal background that covers all 83 Michigan counties, ICHAT is the go-to tool.
Start with the court portal if you need case history. Go to the Sheriff's Office for current inmates. Use ICHAT if you need a formal criminal history report. Each tool serves a different purpose, and knowing which one fits your need saves time.
Washtenaw County reported 21,564 total crimes in 2017. That's a significant volume of records spread across multiple courts and law enforcement agencies, which is why the county built a unified court access portal. Most public users find what they need there without having to file a formal records request.
Washtenaw County Trial Court Records Portal
The county's public trial court records system is one of the more useful tools in Michigan at the county level. The portal at tcweb.ewashtenaw.org covers cases filed in the 22nd Circuit Court, the 14A and 14B District Courts in Ypsilanti, the 15th District Court in Ann Arbor, and the Probate Court. You can search by name, case number, case type, or a date range. Results show case status, parties, charges, and scheduled hearings.
This portal is free. No account is needed. It works well for checking whether someone has an open or closed criminal case in the county. You won't get every document in the file, but you'll get enough to know what's there and whether you need to go to the clerk for more.
The screenshot below shows the Washtenaw County trial court records search portal, which covers cases from the circuit, district, and probate courts.
The portal is the fastest way to check case status for any Washtenaw County court. It does not require a login and there is no fee to search.
For certified copies of court documents, contact the 22nd Circuit Court Clerk at 101 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 48107. Phone: (734) 222-3270. FOIA requests for court records are handled by the clerk's office, and copy fees are 4 cents per page for black-and-white copies and 9 cents per page for color. Those rates apply under the county's FOIA fee schedule.
Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office and Inmate Search
The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is headquartered at 2201 Hogback Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. The main line is 734-971-8400. For inmate information, call (734) 585-7247. For inmate visitation scheduling, the number is (734) 973-4487. The Sheriff's Office website is at washtenaw.org/departments/sheriff.
The county jail is managed by the Sheriff's Office. It holds people who are awaiting trial on local charges, serving short sentences, or being held on warrants from other jurisdictions. Booking information for current inmates is available through the Sheriff's Office by phone or through the county's records request process.
The screenshot below shows the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office page, which is the starting point for inmate inquiries and official public records requests related to arrests.
The Sheriff's Office handles FOIA requests for arrest records, incident reports, and booking logs. Requests can be submitted in person at the Hogback Road address or by mail.
| Agency | Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 2201 Hogback Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 |
| Main Phone | 734-971-8400 |
| Inmate Info Line | (734) 585-7247 |
| Visitation Line | (734) 973-4487 |
| Website | washtenaw.org |
Arrest records held by the Sheriff's Office are public under MCL 15.231. The agency can withhold information tied to active investigations or redact certain personal data, but the basic facts of most arrests are available upon request. Response time for routine records requests is five business days, with a possible ten-day extension.
Washtenaw County Courts
Washtenaw County has several courts that handle different parts of the criminal process. Felony cases go to the 22nd Circuit Court. Misdemeanors and preliminary felony hearings are handled by the district courts, depending on where in the county the offense occurred.
The 15th District Court in Ann Arbor handles cases from the city of Ann Arbor. It's at 301 E. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI 48107. Phone: (734) 222-6600. The 14A District Court covers the eastern part of the county from 415 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti, MI 48197, reachable at (734) 484-6690. The 14B District Court, also serving the Ypsilanti area, is at 7200 S. Huron River Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Call (734) 483-1333 for that one. Probate Court is at 122 S. Main St., Chelsea, MI 48118.
The 22nd Circuit Court at 101 E. Huron St. handles felony cases and most civil matters. That court's records go back decades and are part of the public access portal. For older records not available online, the clerk can pull paper files from storage. There may be a delay for archival requests.
The Michigan courts statewide case search at courts.michigan.gov/case-search also covers Washtenaw County cases. It lets you search by name or case number across all 83 counties at once. It shows less detail than the county portal, but it's useful if you're not sure which county a case was filed in.
Washtenaw County Website and Records Access
The county's main website at washtenaw.org is the hub for most official information. From there you can find links to court records, the Sheriff's Office, county departments, and the FOIA request process. The site is reasonably well organized for a county of this size.
The screenshot below shows the Washtenaw County homepage, which connects to court records, the Sheriff's Office, and other county services.
From the homepage, you can navigate directly to the Sheriff's Office, the trial court records portal, and the county's FOIA submission page.
FOIA requests for county records can be submitted to the specific department that holds the records. For the Sheriff's Office, use the contact info above. For court records, go to the clerk of the court where the case was filed. Each department handles its own requests rather than routing everything through a central office.
Michigan ICHAT and Statewide Criminal History
ICHAT, the Internet Criminal History Access Tool, is run by the Michigan State Police under MCL 28.241. It covers criminal records from all 83 Michigan counties, so a Washtenaw County arrest that resulted in a conviction will show up in an ICHAT report along with any other Michigan convictions the person may have. The search costs $10 and requires a name and date of birth. You run it at apps.michigan.gov.
ICHAT shows felony convictions and misdemeanor convictions with sentences over 92 days. It does not show arrests that didn't lead to a conviction, and it doesn't include juvenile records. For a full criminal history tied to a specific person, ICHAT is the most reliable official source in Michigan.
Keep in mind that ICHAT and the county court portal serve different purposes. The county portal shows all case types including dismissed charges and open cases. ICHAT shows only convictions. If you need to know whether someone was arrested, use the court portal. If you need a conviction report, use ICHAT.
Third-party aggregator sites like michigan.staterecords.org/washtenaw pull together public record data from multiple sources and can be a useful starting point, though they may not be as current as the official county portal.
The screenshot below shows the StateRecords page for Washtenaw County, which aggregates public arrest and court record data.
StateRecords pulls from public data, but for official or certified records you'll need to go to the county court clerk or the Sheriff's Office directly.
OTIS, Sex Offender Registry, and Other State Tools
The Michigan Department of Corrections runs OTIS, the Offender Tracking Information System, at mdocweb.state.mi.us. OTIS covers people currently serving time in a Michigan state prison or on parole. This is different from the county jail population. If someone was convicted of a serious felony and sent to a state facility, OTIS is where you'll find them. The search is free.
Michigan's Sex Offender Registry is maintained by the Michigan State Police at mspsor.com under MCL 28.721. Registrants in Washtenaw County are searchable by name, address, zip code, or county. The registry is free and open to the public. It shows the registrant's current address, offense details, and registration status.
MSP also handles FOIA requests for state-level records through their portal at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia. If your records request involves a state agency rather than a county office, that's the right place to start.
Michigan FOIA Law and Expungement in Washtenaw County
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231, gives the public a legal right to request most arrest records and booking logs. The law applies to all county agencies in Washtenaw County, including the Sheriff's Office and the courts. Agencies must respond within five business days, with an optional ten-day extension for large or complex requests. They can charge fees for copying and labor, though the county's rates (4 cents per page black-and-white, 9 cents color) are among the lower rates in Michigan.
Michigan's Clean Slate law, MCL 780.621g, allows automatic expungement of many convictions after a waiting period of seven to ten years. Automatic set-asides began processing in 2023. Once a record is set aside, it no longer appears in most public searches. Law enforcement agencies can still access expunged records, but the general public cannot. If you think a prior Washtenaw County conviction may qualify, consult an attorney or contact the Michigan State Police for guidance.
Arrest records and criminal history reports are different things. An arrest means someone was taken into custody. It does not mean they were charged or convicted. A person can have an arrest record with no criminal history if the case was dismissed. Both types of records follow different access rules, and the distinction matters when you're trying to find out what's actually on file.
Full text of Michigan statutes, including MCL 15.231, MCL 28.241, and MCL 780.621g, is at legislature.mi.gov. That's the official source for statute language.
Cities in Washtenaw County
Ann Arbor is the county seat and the largest city in Washtenaw County. It has its own records page with city-specific information about local law enforcement and court access.
Ypsilanti is the county's second-largest city but falls below the page threshold. Ypsilanti cases are handled by the 14A and 14B District Courts noted above.
Nearby Counties
Washtenaw County borders several other Michigan counties. Each has its own courts, sheriff's office, and records access system.