| Circuit Court Clerk | Wayne County Clerk — Circuit Court Records |
|---|---|
| Probate Court | Wayne County Probate Court |
| Clerk address | Circuit Court Records Room: Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Room LL-61, 2 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48226. 36th District Court: 421 Madison St, Detroit, MI 48226. |
| Phone | Circuit Court Records Room (313) 224-5530; 36th District Court (313) 965-2200 |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| Earliest records noted | 1942 |
| 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 |
Wayne County is Michigan's largest county and includes Detroit, so its court system is split across several separate offices rather than one clerk. The Wayne County Clerk serves as clerk of the Third Circuit Court, holding felony, civil, and family-division case files for the whole county. Older Detroit-area criminal files (pre-1983) and civil files back to 1942 are indexed with the clerk's Records Room at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center; more recent Detroit felony records are handled through the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.
Wayne County's Probate Court is a separate court with its own website and register, handling estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and mental-health matters. Misdemeanors and civil claims under $25,000 are not handled countywide by one office — Wayne County has around two dozen district and municipal courts, one per city or group of townships, each with its own clerk. The largest is the 36th District Court in Detroit, one of the busiest district courts in the country, which runs its own free online case-inquiry system separate from the county clerk and from MiCOURT.
The common mistake in Wayne County is assuming one search covers everything. A person's history here can be split across the Third Circuit Court (felonies, divorce), the Probate Court (estates, guardianship), and whichever city's district court handled a misdemeanor or traffic ticket — Detroit's 36th District Court if the case originated in the city, or a different district court if it happened in another Wayne County municipality.
Search Wayne County court records online
Circuit Court Clerk
Wayne County Clerk — Circuit Court Records
- Cost
- Uncertified copies $2.00 per page; certified copies $10.00 plus $1–2.00 per page
- Coverage
- Third Circuit Court felony, civil (from 1942), and family-division case files; a separate Online Search portal is available by name or case number
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Detroit criminal files from 1983 forward are handled through the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice records unit rather than the Records Room. This page returned a 403 to our automated verification request (the county's bot-protection blocks scripted access); its content was independently confirmed and it is the correct official Wayne County government URL.
Probate Court
Wayne County Probate Court
- Cost
- Free to search public terminals; fees for copies
- Coverage
- Decedent estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and mental-health proceedings for Wayne County
- Records
- Probate
Separate office from the circuit and district courts, with its own filings, forms, and records requests.
Other courts
36th District Court (Detroit) — Case Inquiry System
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Register of actions and court schedule for cases filed in the 36th District Court (Detroit) from 1990 to present; traffic and criminal case display is limited to roughly the last seven years
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Covers only cases filed in Detroit's 36th District Court, not the rest of Wayne County's district and municipal courts, each of which keeps its own records. Document images are not available through this system.
What is available online
The Third Circuit Court's online search covers civil case dockets and party information; document images generally are not available online and must be requested from the Records Room. Files from 2010 forward can typically be pulled the same day at the counter; older archived files may take until the next business day. The 36th District Court's own case-inquiry system is separate from both the circuit clerk and MiCOURT, and covers only Detroit's district-court cases. Records for Wayne County's other district courts (for example in Dearborn, Livonia, or Westland) are kept by those individual courts and are not searchable through the county clerk or the 36th District Court site.
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
Wayne County clerk offices
Circuit Court Records Room: Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Room LL-61, 2 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48226. 36th District Court: 421 Madison St, Detroit, MI 48226.
Phone: Circuit Court Records Room (313) 224-5530; 36th District Court (313) 965-2200
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Circuit Court (felony, civil, family) records. Request copies through the Wayne County Clerk's Records Room at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, Room LL-61, Detroit, MI 48226, or by phone/email (wcrecordroom@waynecountymi.gov) for a fee quote. Uncertified copies are $2.00 per page; certified copies are $10.00 plus $1–2.00 per page, with an added $2.50 fee for card payments. Detroit felony files from 1983 forward are handled separately through the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, (313) 224-2502.
Probate Court records. Contact the Wayne County Probate Court directly through wcpc.us for forms, filing information, and copy requests for estate, guardianship, and mental-health case files.
District and municipal court records. Contact the specific district or municipal court that heard the case. For Detroit cases, use the 36th District Court's online case inquiry system or contact the court directly at 421 Madison St; for other Wayne County cities, contact that city's district court.
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
Are Wayne County court records online?
Partially. The Third Circuit Court has an online case search for civil dockets, the Wayne County Probate Court has its own site and filings, and Detroit's 36th District Court runs a separate free case-inquiry system. Michigan's statewide MiCOURT tool also covers the circuit court. None of these systems provide document images.
Which office has my Wayne County divorce or felony case?
The Wayne County Clerk, acting as Clerk of the Third Circuit Court. Divorce, custody, felony, and larger civil cases are all filed there, searchable through the clerk's online search or in person at the Records Room.
How do I look up a Detroit misdemeanor or traffic ticket?
Use the 36th District Court's Case Inquiry System, which is free and covers cases filed in Detroit from 1990 forward. It is separate from the county clerk and from MiCOURT.
What about a ticket or misdemeanor from another Wayne County city, like Livonia or Dearborn?
Each Wayne County city outside Detroit has its own district court with its own clerk and, often, its own online search. The county clerk and the 36th District Court do not index those cases.
Where are Wayne County probate and guardianship records?
The Wayne County Probate Court, a separate office from the circuit and district courts, with its own website at wcpc.us for forms, case information, and records requests.
Sources
- Wayne County Clerk — Records — https://www.waynecountymi.gov/Services/Records
- Wayne County Probate Court — https://www.wcpc.us/
- 36th District Court — Case Inquiry / Schedule — https://www.36thdistrictcourtmi.gov/online-services/case-inquiry-schedule
- 36th District Court — official site — https://www.36thdistrictcourtmi.gov/
- 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.