Michigan OWI Record Search: Trace the Booking, Court File and Driver’s-License Action
A Michigan DUI arrest can create several records that update on different schedules: a county-jail booking, a district-court case, a possible circuit-court file, a police or crash report, and a separate Secretary of State licensing action. Searching only one database can leave a family with an incomplete or misleading picture.
This guide explains how to confirm custody, locate the correct court, understand bond and arraignment, identify an OWI or high-BAC charge, protect the 14-day chemical-test-refusal deadline, check license status, obtain the crash or arrest report, and prepare for visitation, release, interlock or restoration steps.
One Michigan DUI arrest can produce six different records
Each record has a different custodian, purpose and update time. A blank result in one system does not prove that no arrest, case or license action exists.
County jail booking
May show booking time, facility, arresting agency, listed charge, bond and release status. It is the best first source after a recent arrest.
District-court case
Usually contains the initial OWI complaint, arraignment, bond terms, pretrial dates and misdemeanor proceedings. A felony also begins with district-court stages.
Circuit-court case
Relevant when a felony OWI, serious-injury, death or qualifying repeat case is bound over from district court.
Secretary of State record
Shows points, restrictions, suspension, revocation, interlock requirements and other driver-record actions reported to the state.
Police or crash report
May contain the stop, observations, testing, crash facts, witnesses and property information. Request it from the agency that holds the record.
ICHAT criminal history
A paid Michigan State Police name-based criminal-history search. It is not a live jail roster, warrant search, court calendar or driver-license record.
What to do during the first 24 hours after a Michigan DUI arrest
Follow this sequence so the family does not lose time searching the wrong county, calling the wrong court or paying an unverified bond request.
Record the arrest location and agency
Write down the driver’s full legal name, date of birth, arrest time, roadway or city, police agency, vehicle location and any incident number. The arrest county—not the driver’s home address—normally determines the jail and first court.
Confirm the booking facility
A city police department may transport the driver to a county jail or another holding facility. Search the official county inmate page and call the published jail number if the booking is too new to appear.
Ask which court will conduct arraignment
Record the district court, case number if assigned, scheduled appearance, judge or magistrate, bond type and release conditions. Michigan generally uses a district judge or authorized district-court magistrate for this stage—not a county commissioner.
Locate every paper issued to the driver
Separate the citation, bond paperwork, temporary permit, vehicle-tow information and any chemical-test-refusal notice. Photograph both sides and keep the originals together.
Calculate the refusal-notice deadline immediately
If the paperwork alleges refusal of the post-arrest chemical test under implied-consent law, mark 14 calendar days from the service date and follow the hearing instructions without waiting for the first criminal hearing.
Verify whether the driver may legally drive
Do not rely on a verbal assumption. Read the officer-issued papers, check the Michigan driving record or license status, and follow any temporary-permit or restriction language exactly.
Secure the vehicle and personal property
Call the arresting agency or listed tow company. Ask what identification, registration, insurance, owner authorization, release form and payment are required before traveling to the lot.
Protect health and medication needs
Notify jail medical staff through the facility’s official route about dangerous withdrawal, serious illness, self-harm risk or time-sensitive medication. Call 911 for an active medical emergency outside the jail.
Prepare for bond and release conditions
Confirm the exact bond form, payment location and other holds. Ask whether release conditions prohibit alcohol, cannabis or controlled substances, require testing, restrict driving or require pretrial reporting.
Begin tracking both criminal and license matters
The court case and Secretary of State action are connected but separate. Create two folders and two deadline lists so a criminal hearing does not distract from a licensing deadline.
Information to gather before searching
- Driver’s full legal name and aliases
- Date of birth
- County and city of arrest
- Arresting police agency
- Approximate arrest and booking time
- Ticket, incident or complaint number
- Driver-license number, when authorized
- Vehicle plate, VIN and registered owner
- Chemical-test notice service date
- Any temporary permit or confiscation receipt
- Jail booking or inmate number
- Court name and case number
How to locate a person jailed after a Michigan DUI arrest
Michigan has no single statewide county-jail roster. Search the sheriff or detention system for the county where the arrest occurred.
Start with the arrest county
Search the county sheriff’s official website for “inmate lookup,” “inmate inquiry,” “jail tracker” or “current inmates.” A municipal arrest often becomes a county-jail record.
Use fewer fields first
Begin with surname and first name. A middle name, suffix, hyphen, booking date or date-of-birth mismatch can hide a valid result.
Copy the complete custody details
Record the inmate number, booking date, housing facility, arresting agency, listed charge, court, bond amount and current custody status.
Call when the search is blank
Ask whether the person remains in intake, was released, transferred, hospitalized or booked under a different spelling. Online records can trail the live booking system.
Official county starting points
| County or area | Official custody route | What to do after opening it | Useful contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne / Detroit | Wayne County Inmate Inquiry | Enter last and first name → leave extra filters blank initially → open the matching subject → copy booking number, facility, charges and bond → verify the court separately. | Use the sheriff or facility contact shown on the official booking page. |
| Oakland | Oakland County Jail Inmate Information | Open the inmate-information section → use the linked official lookup → confirm name and booking details → call if the web result is incomplete or delayed. | 248-858-1800 prisonerinfo@oakgov.com |
| Macomb | Macomb County Locate an Inmate | Follow the JailTracker link → search the legal name → open the correct booking → record inmate number and case details → use the sheriff’s bond page before paying. | 586-469-5100 |
| Kent / Grand Rapids | Kent County Inmate Lookup | Open Jail Viewer → search current bookings → verify the identifying information → note the facility and booking number → recheck by phone before traveling. | 616-632-6300, option 1 |
Find the Michigan DUI court case and hearing date
Use the court record to confirm the filed charge, case number, judge, bond conditions, hearing schedule and final disposition. A jail charge is preliminary and can later be changed.
Official MiCOURT search path
- Choose the district court associated with the arrest location when known.
- Search the name exactly as shown on the booking or citation.
- Match the date of birth, court, filing date and offense before assuming it is the correct person.
- Copy the case number, charge, judge, next event, bond and disposition.
- Call the clerk when the court is not available online or an event description is unclear.
District court
Handles misdemeanor OWI cases and the initial stages of felony cases, including arraignment and preliminary proceedings.
Circuit court
Handles a felony after bindover, including circuit arraignment, motions, plea, trial and sentencing.
Judge or magistrate
A district judge or authorized district-court magistrate may conduct the initial arraignment and address bond. Michigan does not use a county commissioner as the normal criminal arraignment officer.
Local court-search tips for major Michigan counties
Detroit and Wayne County
Detroit misdemeanor and preliminary matters commonly involve the 36th District Court. Wayne County felony cases that proceed after bindover may appear in Third Judicial Circuit records.
- Address: 421 Madison Street, Detroit, MI 48226.
- Traffic and criminal information: 313-965-5033.
- Bond or cashier questions: 313-965-5228.
Oakland County
Use MiCOURT for the appropriate district court. For circuit-court records, Oakland County provides Court Explorer as an informational case-access tool.
Court Explorer itself warns that it is not a certified criminal-background report. Obtain a certified record from the clerk when legal proof is required.
Kent County
District-court misdemeanor cases can be searched through MiCOURT by selecting Kent County and the relevant district. Felony circuit records use Kent County’s court-record search.
- 17th Circuit Court: 180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
- General clerk line: 616-632-5220.
- Criminal records: 616-632-5480.
No result in the expected court?
- The prosecutor may not have filed the case yet.
- The name may be entered differently.
- The selected district may not have territorial jurisdiction.
- The court may not publish the case online.
- A felony may have moved from district to circuit court.
- The case may be nonpublic, suppressed or corrected.
How to interpret a Michigan OWI court record
| Case entry | What it generally means | What to verify next |
|---|---|---|
| Arraignment | The charge is formally addressed, rights and counsel are discussed, a plea is entered as permitted, and release conditions may be set. | Bond, no-use order, testing, travel, driving and next hearing. |
| Pretrial | A conference addressing evidence, motions, negotiations and scheduling. | Whether appearance is required and whether any bond condition changed. |
| Probable-cause conference | An early felony-stage conference in district court. | Preliminary-examination date, waiver, amendment or resolution. |
| Preliminary examination | A district-court proceeding addressing whether the felony case should continue to circuit court. | Bindover, dismissal, waiver or amended charge. |
| Bindover | The felony case moves to circuit court. | New circuit case number and circuit arraignment date. |
| Plea or verdict | A conviction, acquittal or negotiated outcome may have been entered. | Exact offense of conviction—not only the original charge. |
| Dismissed | The listed count or case did not result in a conviction at that stage. | Whether another count, refiled matter or civil license action remains. |
| Sentencing | The court imposes the criminal judgment and conditions. | Jail, probation, treatment, testing, costs, immobilization and compliance dates. |
Michigan calls most DUI offenses OWI—not simply “DUI”
“DUI” is a common search term, but Michigan statutes and court records usually use OWI, OWVI, high BAC, zero tolerance or controlled-substance wording.
OWI at 0.08 or more
For a driver age 21 or older, a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 or above can support the statutory alcohol-level offense. A person can also be arrested below 0.08 when the evidence indicates impairment.
0.17 or more
Michigan’s high-BAC provision applies at 0.17 or above for a qualifying first offense and carries enhanced criminal and driver-license consequences.
Zero tolerance
A driver under 21 may face zero-tolerance consequences at 0.02 or more but below the standard 0.08 OWI threshold, subject to statutory exceptions and the case facts.
OWVI
Operating while visibly impaired focuses on whether alcohol, drugs or another intoxicating substance visibly reduced the ability to operate normally.
OWI involving drugs
A court record may refer to operating under the influence of a controlled substance or operating with the presence of specified drugs. The precise statutory subsection matters.
Child endangerment
An OWI involving a passenger under 16 can carry separate child-endangerment treatment. Search the full charge and subsection rather than relying on a short jail label.
Common first-conviction Michigan driver-license consequences
The table summarizes standard Secretary of State offense-code entries for a first conviction. Prior convictions, commercial driving, injury, death, child endangerment, multiple counts or other sanctions can produce a different result.
| Conviction category | Points | Typical first-conviction license action | Important practical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard OWI alcohol | 6 | 30-day suspension followed by 150 days of restricted driving. | The criminal court sentence and Secretary of State action are separate parts of the result. |
| High BAC, 0.17 or more | 6 | 45-day suspension followed by 320 days of restricted driving with an approved ignition interlock for restricted operation. | Installation alone does not authorize driving before the restricted privilege becomes effective. |
| OWI involving drugs or specified drug presence | 6 | 30-day suspension followed by 150 days of restricted driving for the standard first-conviction entry. | Confirm the exact offense code because OWI and OWVI drug entries differ. |
| OWVI involving alcohol | 4 | Generally 90 days of restricted driving for a first conviction. | A restriction is not permission to drive anywhere; follow the printed permitted purposes. |
| OWVI involving drugs or combined intoxicants | 4 | Generally 180 days of restricted driving for a first conviction. | The court description and driving-record code should be compared. |
| Under-21 zero tolerance | 4 | Generally 30 days of restricted driving for a first violation. | A second violation and an OWI-level BAC produce more serious consequences. |
| OWI child endangerment | 6 | The standard first entry includes 90 days of suspension followed by 90 days of restricted driving. | The passenger’s age and precise conviction subsection are critical. |
Michigan implied-consent refusal: protect the 14-day hearing window
A refusal action is an administrative driver-license matter separate from guilt or innocence in the OWI prosecution.
Potential one-year suspension
Michigan State Police explains that a first refusal of the requested chemical test can result in an automatic one-year license suspension if the administrative process is not successfully challenged.
Potential two-year suspension
A second refusal within seven years can produce a two-year suspension. The driver’s history and the official notice determine the applicable action.
Immediate response checklist
- Find the officer’s report or implied-consent notice and identify the exact date of service.
- Read the hearing-request instructions printed on the notice.
- Count 14 calendar days from service; do not count from arraignment or release.
- Submit the hearing request through the method stated on the current form and retain proof of submission.
- Keep the criminal court papers and administrative hearing papers in separate folders.
- Verify license status before driving while the hearing is pending.
After opening the statute, use the page search for “14 days.” After opening the form, review the hearing-rights section and compare it with the version actually served in the case.
Check the Michigan driving record and license status
The court docket may show the criminal result, but the Secretary of State driving record is the better source for points, suspension, restriction, revocation and interlock-related entries.
Order a certified driving record online
The current online certified-copy fee is $16. Michigan states that the completed online document remains available in the account for seven days, so save it promptly.
- Sign in or create the required MiLogin account.
- Complete identity authentication.
- Select the option to request the driving record.
- Pay the displayed fee.
- Open “View Transaction Documents” after payment.
- Download and securely save the record within seven days.
What to review on the record
- Current license status and effective dates.
- Suspension, restriction or revocation entries.
- OWI or OWVI conviction code and points.
- Implied-consent refusal action.
- Ignition-interlock requirement or violation.
- Reinstatement eligibility and unresolved actions.
- Whether another state, court or financial-responsibility issue remains.
High-BAC ignition-interlock steps
A qualifying first high-BAC conviction can allow restricted driving after the initial suspension only when the driver meets the Secretary of State requirements, including use of an approved breath-alcohol ignition-interlock device.
Confirm the effective date
Read the Secretary of State notice and driving record. Do not install a device and assume the restricted period has started.
Choose an authorized provider
Use Michigan’s current manufacturer list. Ask each provider for installation, calibration, removal, lockout, missed-test and service-center costs.
Keep every service record
Save installation documents, monthly reports, repair invoices and proof of any vehicle or battery problem that could create a disputed event.
License restoration after revocation or unresolved sanctions
Repeat alcohol or drug convictions may lead to revocation or denial rather than a simple fixed suspension. In that situation, time passing alone does not necessarily restore the license.
Michigan OHAO restoration preparation
The Office of Hearings and Administrative Oversight handles many driver-license appeals and restoration hearings. Current restoration materials may require substantial proof of sobriety and safe driving eligibility.
- Current driving record and eligibility date
- Completed hearing-request application
- Qualified substance-use evaluation
- Required drug-screen or urinalysis documentation
- Three to six community-support letters when applicable
- Treatment, counseling or recovery documentation
- Support-group evidence when relevant
- Medication form for relevant prescribed substances
- Ignition-interlock report when required
- Copies of every submitted document
Use the current OHAO instructions because evidence standards, forms and submission routes can change. Mailing address listed for hearing materials: OHAO, P.O. Box 30196, Lansing, MI 48909. Fax: 517-335-2190.
Bond, release and arraignment after a DUI booking
Confirm every payment instruction with the jail and court through a published government number. A roster amount alone may not reveal the bond type or other holds.
Identify the exact bond
Ask whether release is personal recognizance, unsecured, conditional, 10%, cash, surety or another court-ordered form.
Check every case and hold
An unpaid warrant, probation matter, detainer or separate case can delay release even after the OWI bond is addressed.
Read release conditions
Conditions may address alcohol or drug use, testing, vehicle operation, contact, travel, treatment or pretrial reporting.
“I am calling about [full legal name and booking number]. Please confirm the court, case number, arraignment status, complete bond amount, exact bond type, accepted payment method, release conditions and whether any other hold prevents release.”
Macomb County bond example
The sheriff’s bond instructions say callers should prepare the inmate’s name or number, case number and bond amount. Payment method and release-processing instructions are provided on the official county page.
Bond information line listed by the county: 586-307-9612. Release processing may take time after payment.
Visitation, calls, medication and vehicle recovery
Before arranging a jail visit
- Confirm the current housing facility and inmate number.
- Check whether visits are on-site, remote video or both.
- Register only through the vendor linked by the sheriff.
- Use the exact visitor name shown on government identification.
- Review age, minor, clothing, device and arrival rules.
- Reconfirm the visit after a court trip, transfer or release update.
Calls, commissary and deposits
Phone, tablet, commissary and video accounts may be separate. Wait for the official inmate number and verify the purpose of the account before paying. Money placed in a commissary account normally does not pay a court bond.
Health or withdrawal concern
Call the jail and ask for the approved medical-information route. Give the condition, medication name, prescribing provider and immediate risk. Do not bring medication to the lobby unless facility staff specifically instruct you to do so.
Recovering the vehicle
- Obtain the tow company and release authority from the arresting agency.
- Ask whether a police hold must be lifted first.
- Confirm accepted ID, registration, insurance and owner authorization.
- Request the current tow, storage and after-hours charges.
- Photograph the vehicle and property at pickup.
Obtain the arrest report, crash report and criminal-history record
These are three separate requests. Order only the record that answers the question you have.
Arrest or incident report
Request it from the arresting police department or sheriff’s records or FOIA unit. Include the driver, date, location, report number and specific record types sought.
UD-10 traffic crash report
When the incident involved a reportable crash, Michigan State Police’s Traffic Crash Purchasing System may provide the crash report after processing.
ICHAT
Use Michigan State Police ICHAT for a public name-based Michigan criminal-history search. It currently costs $10 per name search and does not provide warrants or every record category.
Michigan State Police crash-report steps
- The current listed report price is $15.
- A report can take approximately 3 to 30 days after the crash to become available.
- Prepare the crash date plus the requested driver or crash-identification details.
- Traffic Crash Reporting Unit: 517-241-1699.
- Email: CrashTCRS@michigan.gov.
If Michigan State Police holds the incident record
Email: MSPRecords@Michigan.gov
Records Resource Section: 517-241-1934
Mail: P.O. Box 30634, Lansing, MI 48909.
Do not submit the same request through several channels. Active-investigation, privacy and other statutory exemptions may limit or delay disclosure.
Michigan ICHAT steps
Prepare the first and last name, date of birth and gender requested by the system. Compare any result with the court docket because a name-based match can involve another person with similar information.
ICHAT does not provide warrants, federal, tribal, juvenile, traffic, suppressed, out-of-state or every local misdemeanor record.
“Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, I request available public records concerning the arrest of [name] on [date] at or near [location], report number [number if known], including the incident report, arrest report and related publicly releasable records held by your agency. Please provide an itemized estimate before costs exceed $[amount].”
What the driver should verify immediately after release
- Next court date, time and appearance method
- Correct mailing and email address on file
- Bond and pretrial-reporting instructions
- No-alcohol, no-drug or testing condition
- Whether driving is currently authorized
- Temporary-permit expiration date
- 14-day refusal-hearing deadline
- Vehicle release and property pickup
- Testing or assessment appointment
- Interlock or immobilization requirement
- Travel or contact restrictions
- Separate civil, insurance or crash obligations
Can a Michigan first OWI conviction be set aside?
Michigan allows an application to set aside certain eligible first OWI convictions, but it is not automatic and not every alcohol- or drug-driving conviction qualifies.
Basic application timing
The current Michigan court form for an eligible first OWI violation generally requires at least five years after sentencing or discharge from incarceration, probation or parole—whichever occurred last—and no intervening conviction during the required period.
Driving record remains separate
A criminal-court set-aside does not automatically erase the conviction from the Secretary of State driving record or undo an already completed licensing action. Check both records separately.
Michigan DUI record and license contacts
Michigan Department of State
Customer service: 888-767-6424
Listed telephone hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Administrative address: Richard H. Austin Building, 430 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, MI 48918.
Use the online service or appointment locator before visiting. The administrative building is not automatically the correct location for a hearing or transaction.
Michigan State Police Headquarters
7150 Harris Drive, Dimondale, MI 48821
Mailing address: P.O. Box 30634, Lansing, MI 48909
Main phone: 517-332-2521.
Headquarters is not a county jail, local court, bond counter or vehicle-release location.
Criminal-history assistance
Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center help desk: 517-241-0606.
Use this contact for ICHAT or state criminal-history process questions—not current jail custody.
Traffic Crash Reporting Unit
Phone: 517-241-1699
Email: CrashTCRS@michigan.gov.
Use this contact for Michigan traffic-crash report purchasing or availability questions.
Michigan Department of State administrative office map
This map identifies the Secretary of State’s Lansing administrative address. It is not a substitute for checking the transaction page, branch locator or OHAO hearing instructions before traveling.
Common Michigan DUI-record search mistakes
Searching only MiCOURT
The court docket does not replace the jail roster, driving record, police report or refusal notice.
Waiting for arraignment to address refusal
The implied-consent hearing deadline runs separately and can expire before meaningful criminal-court progress occurs.
Calling the home county
Custody and court jurisdiction generally follow the arrest or offense location, not the driver’s residence.
Reading the booking charge as final
The prosecutor, plea process or court decision may change or dismiss the original listed count.
Paying a reinstatement fee too early
A fee does not clear another suspension, revocation, refusal action, interlock requirement or unresolved hold.
Removing an interlock without approval
Unauthorized removal or missing reports can create additional compliance problems.
Using ICHAT as a warrant search
Michigan State Police states that warrants are not available through public ICHAT.
Buying from an unofficial “court” site
Navigate from Michigan Courts, a county government, MSP or the Secretary of State rather than a search-engine advertisement.
Driving based on an old paper
Verify the current record and effective dates; later actions can change an earlier status.
10 essential answers about Michigan DUI arrest records
These ten title-specific answers cover the most important jail, court and license questions raised by a Michigan DUI or OWI arrest.
1. Where can I find a Michigan DUI arrest from today?
2. Why does Michigan use OWI instead of DUI?
3. How do I find the court date for a Michigan OWI case?
4. Does a DUI arrest automatically suspend a Michigan license?
5. How long do I have to appeal a Michigan chemical-test refusal?
6. What is the license action for a first standard Michigan OWI conviction?
7. How do I check whether a Michigan license is suspended or restricted?
8. Can I obtain the DUI police or crash report online?
9. Can family pay bond and immediately pick up the driver?
10. Can a Michigan DUI conviction be expunged or set aside?
Official Michigan action portals
Use these portals for live searches, purchases, filings and status verification after reading the instructions above.
Jail and court actions
- MiCOURT Case Search — select the correct court, search the party or case number, and verify hearings with the clerk.
- Michigan Trial Court Directory — choose district or circuit court, locate the clerk, then call with the case number.
- Wayne County Inmate Inquiry — search name, open the booking and copy facility and bond details.
- Oakland County Jail Information — use the official lookup and call when the result is delayed.
- Macomb County Inmate Lookup — follow JailTracker and verify the bond through the sheriff.
- Kent County Inmate Lookup — search Jail Viewer and recheck status before visiting.
License and records actions
- Order a Michigan driving record — sign in, authenticate, pay and save the document within seven days.
- OHAO hearing information — identify the hearing type and submit all current required evidence.
- Michigan ICHAT — enter identity information, pay the search fee and compare any match with the court record.
- MSP records requests — use only when MSP holds the requested incident record.
- Purchase a crash report — sign in through MiLogin and search after processing time has passed.
- Authorized interlock providers — compare current providers, costs and service locations before installation.