| Circuit Court Clerk | Washtenaw County Trial Court Records (Clerk of the Court) |
|---|---|
| Probate Court | Washtenaw County Probate Court |
| Clerk address | Clerk of the Court, Court Services Division, 101 E. Huron St., Room 1106, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 |
| Phone | 14A-1 District Court (734) 973-4545 |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy fee | $10.00 plus $1.00 per page (MCL 600.2546), unless a more specific statute sets a different fee |
Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti) keeps circuit-court files with the Clerk of the Court – Court Services Division, which serves the county's Trial Court — Washtenaw combines circuit and district functions administratively, but felony, family, and larger civil cases are still filed and indexed as circuit-court matters. The clerk runs an online Trial Court Records name-search portal covering the last 25 years of circuit-court filings.
The 14A District Court (with locations across the county) handles misdemeanors, civil claims up to $25,000, landlord-tenant disputes, and traffic matters, and has its own online resources and forms separate from the circuit clerk. Washtenaw County's Probate Court is likewise a separate office, handling estates, guardianships, conservatorships, mental-health cases, and adoptions.
Because Washtenaw's trial-court name search and MiCOURT overlap in coverage, either can work for a circuit-court case; for a district or probate matter, go to that specific court's page instead.
Search Washtenaw County court records online
Circuit Court Clerk
Washtenaw County Trial Court Records (Clerk of the Court)
- Cost
- Free to search
- Coverage
- Circuit-court civil, criminal, and family-division case records for approximately the last 25 years
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Select the Circuit Court tab and search by party name or case number for the current register of actions. Older records are available in person at the Clerk of the Court, Court Services Division, 101 E. Huron St., Room 1106, Ann Arbor.
Probate Court
Washtenaw County Probate Court
- Cost
- Free to search; fees for copies
- Coverage
- Estates, guardianships, conservatorships, mental-health, and adoption-related case records
- Records
- Probate
Separate office from the circuit and district courts.
Other courts
14A District Court
- Cost
- Free to search
- Coverage
- Misdemeanors, civil claims up to $25,000, small claims, landlord-tenant, and traffic cases
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
14A-1 District Court is located at 4133 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor; other divisions serve other parts of the county.
What is available online
The Trial Court Records portal at tcweb.ewashtenaw.org covers circuit-court civil, criminal, and family cases for roughly the last 25 years. The 14A District Court and the Probate Court maintain their own separate records and, in the district court's case, its own forms and case-lookup resources. Michigan's statewide MiCOURT Case Search also indexes Washtenaw's circuit court.
Which clerk has your record
In Michigan, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Michigan page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts (57 statewide) | Felony criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family-division cases; Civil suits over $25,000 | County Clerk, acting as Clerk of the Circuit Court |
| District Courts (105 statewide) | Misdemeanor criminal cases and felony arraignments; Civil claims up to $25,000; Small claims and landlord-tenant cases | District Court Clerk or Court Administrator (varies by court; not always the county clerk) |
| Probate Courts (78 divisions statewide) | Decedent estates and wills; Guardianships and conservatorships; Trusts | Probate Register or Probate Court Clerk |
Request records in person or by mail
Washtenaw County clerk offices
Clerk of the Court, Court Services Division, 101 E. Huron St., Room 1106, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: 14A-1 District Court (734) 973-4545
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Circuit Court records. Search online through the Trial Court Records portal, or request certified copies in person or by mail from the Clerk of the Court, Court Services Division, 101 E. Huron St., Room 1106, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
District Court records. Contact the 14A District Court directly; forms and online resources are linked from the county's 14A District Court page.
Probate Court records. Contact the Washtenaw County Probate Court for estate, guardianship, and mental-health case copies and current fees.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Michigan |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy | $10.00 plus $1.00 per page (MCL 600.2546), unless a more specific statute sets a different fee |
MCL 600.2546 sets the default certified-copy and exemplification fee for circuit, district, and probate courts. Plain (uncertified) copy fees are set locally by each court or county and vary; some Michigan clerks charge a flat per-page photocopy fee while others provide free printouts from a public terminal. Confirm the plain-copy fee with the specific clerk before requesting copies.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Michigan court records are presumptively public under Michigan Court Rule 8.119, but several categories are restricted or excluded from routine searches:
The Michigan guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check on a circuit court case in Washtenaw County?
Use the Trial Court Records portal at tcweb.ewashtenaw.org, select the Circuit Court tab, and search by name or case number for the register of actions covering roughly the last 25 years.
Which office has my Washtenaw County divorce or felony case?
The Washtenaw County Clerk of the Court, Court Services Division, which keeps circuit-court civil, criminal, and family-division files.
Where do I find a Washtenaw County misdemeanor or traffic case?
The 14A District Court, which has its own website, forms, and case resources separate from the circuit court clerk.
Who keeps Washtenaw County probate and guardianship records?
The Washtenaw County Probate Court, a separate office from the circuit and district courts.
Sources
- Washtenaw County — Records Access — https://www.washtenaw.org/records-access
- Washtenaw County Trial Court Records (public access) — https://tcweb.ewashtenaw.org/PublicAccess/default.aspx
- Washtenaw County — 14A District Court — https://www.washtenaw.org/14a-district-court
- Washtenaw County — Probate Court — https://www.washtenaw.org/probate-court
- Michigan Courts — About the Courts — https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/
- MiCOURT Case Search — https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/
- Michigan Courts — Court of Appeals — https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/court-of-appeals/
- Michigan Court Rules (current rules, Chapter 8 — court records) — https://www.courts.michigan.gov/rules-administrative-orders-and-jury-instructions/current-rules-and-jury-instructions/michigan-court-rules/
- Michigan State Police — Criminal History Records — https://www.michigan.gov/msp/services/chr
- MCL 780.621 — Setting Aside Convictions ("Clean Slate") — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-780-621
- MCL 600.2546 — Certified Copy and Exemplification Fees — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-2546
- MCL 15.232 — Freedom of Information Act, definitions (judiciary excluded) — https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-15-232
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan — https://www.mied.uscourts.gov/
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan — https://www.miwd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Michigan counties.