Find Criminal History in Livingston County

Livingston County criminal history records are maintained by the 44th Circuit Court and the county clerk's office in Howell. This growing county in southeast Michigan handles criminal cases through its circuit court for felonies and the 53rd District Court for misdemeanors. You can search Livingston County criminal records online through MiCOURT or request copies directly from the clerk. The county also has its own paid search tool called LivingstonLive. This page explains each option and how to use them.

Livingston County Criminal Records at the Clerk's Office

Elizabeth A. Hundley serves as the Livingston County Clerk. The office is at 304 E Grand River Avenue in Howell, MI 48843. Call 517-546-1500 for record requests. The clerk manages all court records for the 44th Circuit Court, including criminal case files, sentencing orders, and judgments.

Standard copies cost $1.50 per page. Certified copies are $10 per document. If you need a certified copy of a Livingston County criminal record for court or legal purposes, expect to pay the base certification fee plus the per-page cost. The clerk accepts walk-in requests during business hours. Bring the case number or the full name of the person whose record you need. Mail requests are also accepted. Include payment by check or money order.

The clerk's office handles records from both criminal and civil cases. For criminal history, you can ask for copies of the complaint, arraignment documents, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and the register of actions. The register of actions gives you a full timeline of everything that happened in a case from start to finish. It is often the most useful document for a quick criminal history check.

Search Livingston County Criminal History Online

The MiCOURT portal for the 44th Circuit Court is the main free tool for searching Livingston County criminal cases online. You can search by name or case number. Results show case type, charges, filing dates, hearing schedules, and dispositions. No account is needed. MiCOURT covers both circuit and some district court cases in the county.

Livingston County also offers LivingstonLive, a paid online search tool. A name search costs $6 per name. Viewing a case history costs $2.50 per case. LivingstonLive provides more detail than MiCOURT for some records, including document images in certain cases. It covers records from the Livingston County court system. The paid option is useful when you need deeper detail that the free MiCOURT search does not provide.

ICHAT from the Michigan State Police is a statewide option. It costs $10 per name and covers all 83 counties. ICHAT shows felony convictions and serious misdemeanor convictions. Results come back right away. For Livingston County cases, ICHAT may show less detail than the county's own tools, but it gives you a statewide picture that local searches cannot.

You can also use state-level tools like the Michigan State Police ICHAT portal to search Livingston County criminal history records alongside records from all other Michigan counties.

Livingston County Courts and Criminal Cases

The 44th Circuit Court handles all felony cases in Livingston County. The courthouse is at 204 S Highlander Way in Howell, MI 48843. The court phone number is 517-546-9816. Felony arraignments, preliminary exams, plea hearings, trials, and sentencing all happen here. The court maintains files for every criminal case, and these are public records unless sealed by court order.

The 53rd District Court handles misdemeanors in Livingston County. It sits at 224 N First Street in Brighton, MI 48116. Call 517-548-1000 for information. Misdemeanor criminal cases include offenses like retail fraud, disorderly conduct, simple assault, and drunk driving. Records from the 53rd District Court are available through MiCOURT or by contacting the court clerk directly. Many criminal history searches in Livingston County miss district court records because people only check the circuit court.

Livingston County's population has grown fast over the past two decades. That growth has meant more cases in the courts. The 44th Circuit and 53rd District handle a solid volume of criminal matters each year. Most records from the past 15 to 20 years are on the digital systems. Older records may need to be pulled from physical files at the courthouse.

Livingston County Criminal Records and State Resources

Michigan's Clean Slate law covers Livingston County criminal records. Under MCL § 780.621, some misdemeanors are automatically expunged after seven years and certain felonies after ten years. Expunged records are removed from ICHAT, MiCOURT, and LivingstonLive. If a record no longer shows up, it may have been cleared through this process. You can also petition the 44th Circuit Court for expungement if the automatic process does not apply.

OTIS tracks Livingston County offenders who are in state prison or on parole. It is free. The Michigan Sex Offender Registry covers registered offenders in the county. Fingerprint-based checks under MCL § 28.241a cost $30 by mail or $50 to $70 at a LiveScan site. These tie results to one person through prints, not just a name match.

For police records in Livingston County, submit a FOIA request under MCL § 15.231 to the department that handled the case. Court records are not subject to FOIA. They are accessed through the clerk or through court-specific tools. Juvenile records are sealed under MCL § 712A.28 and are not available to the public.

Nearby Counties

Livingston County borders several other counties in southeast Michigan. Each has its own circuit court and criminal records system.