How to Search Mackinac County Court Records
The main online tool for Mackinac County court records is MiCOURT Case Search, run by the Michigan Judiciary. Depending on the court, it may show civil, traffic, criminal, domestic, and probate cases. Coverage depends on which court took part and the case type, so a name that returns nothing online may still have a paper file at the courthouse.
Before you start, gather what you know. A case number is the fastest key because it skips spelling problems and common-name confusion. If you only have a name, use the full legal last and first name, then narrow by court type or filing year. The official Mackinac County courts page lists the local courts and links each division.
- Open MiCOURT Case Search and choose the court that matches the record: circuit for felonies, divorce, and larger civil cases; district for misdemeanors, traffic, and small claims; probate for estates and guardianships.
- Search by case number first if you have one from a notice, ticket, or pleading.
- If searching by name, enter the full legal last and first name, then narrow by court type or year.
- Read the result as a register of actions. It may list docket events, hearing dates, parties, and status, but document images can be restricted.
- If nothing appears, call the court that owns the case or visit the clerk counter. For a certified copy, request it from the clerk of that court.
The county homepage is a useful starting point for phone numbers and department links when the online search comes up short.
The official Mackinac County homepage gates every department, court, and public office through one navigation menu.
From that homepage a searcher can reach the clerk, the sheriff, and each court division without hunting across separate sites, which matters in a rural county where one office often answers several record questions.
Mackinac County Court Search Fields
MiCOURT Case Search uses a small set of fields. The live search interface was blocked during research, so treat the list below as the fields the official page and application text describe rather than a guaranteed screen. One point is confirmed: a date-of-birth search is reserved for users approved by the State Court Administrative Office, so an ordinary public search may not offer it.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court / Court type | Selector | Varies | Case availability depends on court type; civil, traffic, criminal, domestic, and probate are listed. |
| County / Court location | Selector | Varies | Choose Mackinac County or the correct local court when available. |
| Case number | Text | No | Use the number printed on papers, notices, or citations. |
| Party name | Text | No | Public name search is generally allowed; exact fields were not viewable. |
| Date of Birth | Secured field | Restricted | Available only to SCAO-approved users through secured search. |
Note: MiCOURT is a search tool, not a certification service, so a printed page from it is not a certified court copy.
The Mackinac County Judicial System
Michigan runs three trial courts, and all three serve Mackinac County from the same building. The 11th Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction court. The 92nd District Court is the limited-jurisdiction court that handles the highest volume of public contact. The 6th District Probate Court is separate and deals with estates, guardianships, and related matters. Above them sit the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court.
Felony cases often begin in district court with an arraignment and preliminary steps, then move to circuit court after bindover. Divorce and family matters belong to the Family Division of Circuit Court. Appeals from district court also go up to circuit court.
Case flow: 92nd District Court › 11th Circuit Court › Michigan Court of Appeals › Michigan Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| 11th Circuit Court | General, trial court with the broadest powers | Felonies, divorce and domestic relations, civil over $25,000, district-court appeals |
| 92nd District Court | Limited jurisdiction | Misdemeanors, traffic, civil up to $25,000, small claims, landlord-tenant, preliminary felony steps |
| 6th District Probate Court | Probate and family-related | Estates, guardianships, conservatorships, name changes, adoptions, mental-health |
| Family Division of Circuit Court | Domestic relations | Divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, juvenile |
The county courts landing page lists these divisions along with the Friend of the Court and juvenile services.
That single page is the cleanest map of who handles what, which spares callers from guessing which court holds a Mackinac County court record.
Circuit, District, and Probate Courts Compared
Readers often mix up the three Mackinac County trial courts. The quickest way to tell them apart is by the money limit on civil cases and by whether a case is criminal, family, or estate work. The table below sets them side by side.
| Feature | Circuit Court | District Court | Probate Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | Over $25,000 | Up to $25,000 | Estate value based |
| Criminal | Felonies, serious misdemeanors | Misdemeanors, felony first steps | None |
| Family | Divorce, custody, support | None | Some guardianship, older juvenile |
| Local court | 11th Circuit | 92nd District | 6th Probate |
Types of Court Records Available in Mackinac County
The Mackinac County court records available to the public cover several case families, and each one comes from a specific court. Some records are open in full, while family, juvenile, and mental-health files carry restrictions. Knowing the record type helps you pick the right search path.
These are the main Mackinac County court records people request:
- Criminal records - felony files in circuit court and misdemeanor and traffic files in district court.
- Civil records - lawsuits, judgments, garnishments, and evictions split by the $25,000 limit.
- Family and divorce records - handled by the Family Division of Circuit Court.
- Probate records - estates, guardianships, and conservatorships at the 6th Probate Court.
- Traffic records - citations and civil infractions filed with the 92nd District Court.
What Mackinac County Court Records Show
A Mackinac County court record is built around the register of actions, a dated list of every filing and event in a case. The exact fields depend on the case type, but most records share a common core. No live Mackinac sample was viewable during research, so the fields below reflect the typical Michigan case record, not an observed county screen.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court's unique key for the case, printed on notices and papers. |
| Filing Date | When the complaint, petition, or citation was filed. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or the People of Michigan and a defendant in a criminal case. |
| Charges / Cause | The offense and statute, or the civil claim being made. |
| Disposition | The outcome, such as a plea, verdict, dismissal, or judgment. |
| Sentence / Judgment | Any fines, costs, restitution, probation, or money owed. |
Online results may show these register entries without the underlying document images, which often stay at the clerk counter.
Public Access Laws for Mackinac County Court Records
Two systems govern access in Mackinac County. Court files follow Michigan court rules, and the clerk controls how case records are viewed and copied. County-held records that are not court files, such as sheriff administration or policies, follow the Freedom of Information Act through the County Clerk as FOIA Coordinator.
Key Statutes:
Michigan FOIA, MCL 15.231 - the state declares that people are entitled to full information about government affairs, subject to exemptions.
Michigan Court Rule 8.119 - clerks maintain court records, and access follows court rules rather than county FOIA alone.
Set-aside statute, MCL 780.621c - qualifying convictions can be set aside, but a traffic set-aside does not remove the item from Secretary of State driving records.
For county records that are not court files, the FOIA path runs through the County Clerk at Room 10 in the courthouse, with a five business day response window.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every Mackinac County court record is open. Juvenile files tied to the Family Division are not public like adult cases, and access usually belongs to parties, parents, attorneys, and authorized agencies. Adoption files at the Probate Court are confidential. Mental-health matters carry medical privacy limits.
Sealed cases and set-aside convictions may be hidden or stripped of detail in public search tools. To view a restricted file, an eligible person can petition the court that holds it, and personal identifiers like Social Security numbers, minor names, and protected addresses are often redacted even in open records.
Specialty Courts in Mackinac County
Larger Michigan counties run problem-solving courts such as drug court, sobriety court, or veterans treatment court. During research, no dedicated specialty court operating solely in Mackinac County was found in official sources. The county courts page lists the Friend of the Court, juvenile services, and MDOC probation, but not a separate treatment court.
Anyone hoping for a treatment or diversion outcome should ask the prosecutor, defense counsel, probation, or the sentencing court whether an option applies to their case. County records also show recent opioid-settlement planning, which is public-health work rather than a court program.
Mackinac County Sheriff and Jail
The Mackinac County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Edward M. Wilk, works from the same government complex on South Marley Street. The county jail has a rated capacity of 28 inmates and is certified by the Michigan Department of Corrections. No official online county jail roster was found in county sources, so current custody is confirmed by phone.
For a full walkthrough of custody lookups, see the county Mackinac County inmate records page, and for active warrants and how to resolve one, see the warrant records page. Sentenced state prisoners appear in the Michigan Department of Corrections OTIS system rather than the local jail.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Marriage licenses and county vital records run through the County Clerk, while divorce case files live with the Circuit Court Family Division. Probate work, including estates and guardianships, belongs to the 6th District Probate Court. See the marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page for the full process and fees.
The 6th District Probate Court page locates the Probate and Family Court on the first floor of the courthouse.
Because probate and family history overlap in this county, older juvenile or family records sometimes need careful routing between the probate and circuit clerks.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out a will, called a personal representative in Michigan.
- Conservator
- Someone appointed to manage the finances of a protected person.
Mackinac County Court Records Fees
Copy fees depend on which office holds the record. Court copies come from the clerk of the court that owns the case. County records released under FOIA follow a separate schedule, and land records at the Register of Deeds have their own rates.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standard FOIA copy per sheet | Up to $0.10 |
| Register of Deeds copy per page | $1.00 |
| Register of Deeds certification | $5.00 per document |
| Register of Deeds search fee | $0.50 per year searched |
| Probate certified copy of order | $11.00 |
The county FOIA rules add labor in 15 minute increments and may ask for a deposit when a request is expected to top $50.
How to Interpret Mackinac County Court Records
Reading a court record means telling a charge apart from a conviction. A charge is only an accusation. A conviction is a finding of guilt after a plea or trial. A case can also end in a dismissal, which means no conviction was entered. Disposition codes and docket abbreviations vary, so ask the clerk if an entry is unclear.
A local snapshot for context: the county information page describes a small, rural county spread across more than a thousand square miles.
That scale explains why one courthouse handles so many record types, and why a phone call ahead often saves a long drive to St. Ignace.
Mackinac County Courthouse and Contacts
The courthouse at 100 S. Marley Street brings the clerk, courts, prosecutor, sheriff, and jail under one roof. Because a January 2026 plan discussed moving the Circuit Court Clerk to the second floor, visitors should confirm the current floor and room before arriving.
Mackinac County Courthouse
100 S. Marley Street
St. Ignace, MI 49781
Clerk (906) 643-7300
6th District Probate Court
100 S. Marley Street, First Floor
St. Ignace, MI 49781
(906) 643-7303
Local officials beyond the courthouse are listed on the county's own pages, which helps when a matter touches a city or township.
The city government page names St. Ignace and Mackinac Island officials.
Township contacts sit on a companion page for residents outside the two cities.
The township government page lists the county's townships and their local officials.
These local pages matter because ordinance and local-government questions sometimes start at the city or township before reaching the district court.
Accuracy, Updates, and Holidays
Online court data can lag behind the paper file. A payment, a recall, or a new order may not appear right away, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the office that holds the record. Court closings also affect access.
The county holiday schedule lists the days county offices close.
Note: Check the county holiday list and call ahead before driving to St. Ignace, since bridge, ferry, and winter weather can add hours to a courthouse trip.
History of Mackinac County Courts
Mackinac County has a territorial-era court lineage. The present Mackinac Island City Hall is the original Mackinac County Courthouse, built in 1839. Mackinac Island served as the county seat from 1818 to 1882 before St. Ignace took that role.
The county courthouse history page tells the story of that first 1839 building.
That island-first history is why old genealogy and land records sometimes reference the county's earlier seat rather than the current St. Ignace courthouse. A more recent reform, the 1998 creation of the Family Division of Circuit Court, folded former probate juvenile work into circuit court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I search Mackinac County court records online?
Start with MiCOURT Case Search, the statewide Michigan Judiciary tool. It may show civil, traffic, criminal, domestic, and probate cases depending on the court. If a case does not appear, call the court that owns it, since coverage and document access vary and older files may only exist on paper.
Which court handles felony cases in Mackinac County?
Felonies are prosecuted in the 11th Circuit Court, but they usually begin in the 92nd District Court with an arraignment, probable-cause conference, and preliminary examination. After bindover, the felony file moves to circuit court, where the plea, trial, disposition, and sentence are recorded.
Is there a Mackinac County jail roster online?
No official online county jail roster was found in county sources during research. To confirm whether someone is in custody, call the Mackinac County Jail at (906) 643-7325 or the Sheriff's Office at (906) 643-1911. Sentenced state prisoners can be found in the Michigan Department of Corrections OTIS system.
How do I get a certified copy of a court record?
Certified copies come from the clerk of the court that holds the case, not from an online search. Contact the County Clerk for circuit files, the 92nd District Court for district files, and the 6th District Probate Court for estate and guardianship files. Fees apply, and a probate certified order copy is listed at $11.
Can I file a FOIA request for county records?
Yes. The County Clerk is the FOIA Coordinator. A written request by letter, fax, email, or in person is accepted, and no special form is required. The county responds within five business days, with a possible ten business day extension. Court case files, though, follow court rules rather than the FOIA process.
What is the difference between a charge and a conviction?
A charge is an accusation filed by the prosecutor. A conviction is a finding of guilt entered after a plea or trial. A case can also close with a dismissal, which leaves no conviction. Reading a disposition carefully tells you which outcome a Mackinac County court record reflects.