Search Marquette County Criminal History
Marquette County criminal history records can be searched through the county clerk's office and several state databases. As the most populated county in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Marquette County has a higher caseload than its neighboring UP counties. The 25th Circuit Court handles felony cases here, and the county clerk manages all court record requests. This guide explains how to pull criminal records from Marquette County through both online and in-person methods.
Marquette County Quick Facts
Marquette County Clerk and Criminal Records
Linda M. Talsma is the Marquette County Clerk. The office is at 234 W Baraga Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855. The phone number is (906) 225-8330. The clerk serves as Clerk of the 25th Circuit Court. All criminal record requests for felony cases in Marquette County go through this office.
Marquette County charges $10 for a record check. Certified copies cost $14. These fees are specific to Marquette County and may differ from what other counties charge. If you need copies of specific documents from a criminal case file, such as charging documents, plea records, or sentencing orders, the per-page copy fee applies on top of the record check fee. Bring the case number or defendant's name and date of birth when you visit.
Mail requests are accepted too. Send a written request with the case details and a check or money order payable to the Marquette County Clerk. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow one to two weeks for mail processing. The office will send back the documents they find.
Marquette County is the hub of the Upper Peninsula. The city of Marquette has Northern Michigan University, a regional hospital, and serves as the commercial center for the UP. This means the 25th Circuit Court handles more criminal cases than most other UP counties. Court records go back decades, though older records may not be available online. For cases from before the digital era, in-person or mail requests to the clerk are the best route.
Marquette County Criminal History Online
The MiCOURT case search is free and covers Marquette County courts. Search by name or case number. MiCOURT shows charges, case type, hearing dates, and disposition details for the 25th Circuit Court and district courts in Marquette County. No account is needed.
MiCOURT is the single best free tool for searching Marquette County criminal records online. It covers both felony and misdemeanor cases. The 96th District Court handles misdemeanors in the county, and those records show up on MiCOURT as well. The system updates regularly but may lag a day or two behind actual court actions.
The Michigan State Police criminal history page below links to ICHAT and other statewide tools that include Marquette County records.
ICHAT costs $10 per search. It checks the statewide criminal history database maintained by the Michigan State Police. ICHAT covers all counties including Marquette. It returns felony and serious misdemeanor conviction records. The search is name-based. You need the full name and date of birth. Results are immediate. ICHAT is the tool most commonly used for quick background checks in Michigan.
Note: Marquette County's $10 record check fee and $14 certified copy fee are set locally and may change, so call ahead to confirm current costs.
State Resources for Marquette County Criminal Records
The OTIS offender tracking system covers Marquette County. Marquette is home to the Marquette Branch Prison, one of Michigan's major state correctional facilities. OTIS tracks all inmates and parolees in the state system. You can search by name to see if someone from Marquette County is in prison, where they are held, and when they might be released. OTIS is free.
Below is the OTIS search page, which is especially relevant for Marquette County given the local prison facility.
The Michigan Sex Offender Registry tracks registered sex offenders in Marquette County. Search by name, zip code, or address. Free to use. Shows photos, addresses, and conviction info. The Michigan State Police maintain the registry.
Fingerprint-based background checks are handled by the Michigan State Police under MCL § 28.241a. The fee is $30 by mail or $50 to $70 at a LiveScan vendor. Marquette has LiveScan locations in the city. Fingerprint checks give the most accurate results because they match to one person.
Marquette County Expungement Under Clean Slate
Michigan's Clean Slate law affects Marquette County records. Under MCL § 780.621, certain misdemeanors are automatically set aside after seven years and some felonies after ten years. The automatic process runs without the person needing to petition the court.
Details about the Clean Slate program are on the Michigan State Police page below.
For convictions that are not automatically expunged, you can file a petition with the 25th Circuit Court. Forms and a filing fee are required. A hearing may be scheduled. The prosecutor can object. The judge reviews the nature of the offense, your conduct since the conviction, and public safety concerns. Serious violent crimes and certain sex offenses cannot be expunged.
Juvenile records in Marquette County are sealed under MCL § 712A.28. These records are not available through any public search tool.
Marquette County Police Records and FOIA
Police records in Marquette County are kept by the department that handled the case. The Marquette County Sheriff's Office, Marquette City Police, Ishpeming Police, Negaunee Police, and Michigan State Police posts all maintain their own files. For arrest reports and incident records, file a FOIA request under MCL § 15.234.
Write the request with dates, names, and locations. The agency has five business days to respond. Copy fees are typically $0.10 per page. The MSP FOIA portal handles state police records from posts in the Marquette County area. Given that MSP covers a lot of ground in the Upper Peninsula, their records may be relevant to incidents in rural parts of Marquette County.