Search Livingston County Court Records

How to Search Livingston County Court Records

Most Livingston County court records begin with one free tool. The state runs MiCOURT Case Search, and Livingston County uses it for Circuit Court, District Court, and Probate Court registers of action at no cost. A register of action is the running list of what happened in a case. It shows filings, hearings, and orders in date order. It does not always show the documents themselves.

Before starting, decide which court holds the case and gather a name or case number. Probate cases from before 2004 are not online, so those require a call to the Probate Court at (517) 546-3750. The steps below walk through a standard search.

1. Pick the court. Use the Circuit Court for felonies after bindover, divorce, name changes, and civil claims above the district limit. Use the District Court for misdemeanors, traffic tickets, landlord-tenant, and small claims. Use the Probate Court for estates, trusts, and guardianships.
2. Open MiCOURT Case Search in a browser.
3. Enter the case number if you have it. If not, search by first and last name or by business name.
4. Narrow the results using the case-type category, filing year, or case status filters.
5. Review the register of action for parties, the assigned judge, the next hearing, and charge or petition details where they are public.
6. Request a certified copy from the clerk if you need the actual pleading, order, or judgment, since document images are not posted online.

How Felony Cases Move Through Livingston County Courts

Adult felony cases do not stay in one court. They start in the 53rd District Court and finish in the 44th Circuit Court. The District Court page for criminal matters explains where each stage happens and how misdemeanors and felonies differ. A misdemeanor usually carries up to one year in jail and stays in District Court. A felony carries more than one year and moves up after a judge finds enough evidence.

The District Court criminal page at the county government site lays out arraignment, waivers, and warrant resolution for these cases. It is a good starting point for anyone tracking a case from arrest to sentencing.

Juvenile cases follow a separate track through the Circuit Court Family Division rather than the ordinary District Court criminal docket. The basic adult felony flow reads as a short chain.

Felony path: Arrest › District Court arraignment › preliminary examination › bindover to Circuit Court › plea or trial › sentencing

The Livingston County Judicial System

Michigan builds its trial courts in three parts, and Livingston County fits that plan exactly. The local trial courts are the 44th Circuit Court, the 53rd District Court, and the Livingston County Probate Court. Above them sit the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court, which hear appeals rather than open new cases. The state's own map numbers these courts C44, D53, and P47.

Nearly all in-person court business happens at the Judicial Center on South Highlander Way. The District Court sits in Suite 1, the Probate Court in Suite 2, and the Circuit Court Clerk in Suite 4. Chief Judge Matthew J. McGivney leads both the Circuit and District Courts, while Chief Judge Miriam A. Cavanaugh leads the Probate Court. The main courts and offices break down as follows.

• 44th Circuit Court - felony after bindover, higher civil, family, appeals, PPO, and name change matters. Phone (517) 546-3060.
• Circuit Court Clerk, Suite 4 - Circuit filings, records, copies, transcripts, and payments. Phone (517) 546-9816.
• 53rd District Court, Suite 1 - misdemeanors, early felony steps, traffic, small claims, and warrants. Phone (517) 548-1000.
• Probate Court, Suite 2 - estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and mental health. Phone (517) 546-3750.
• County Clerk - vital records, marriage, elections, and county record keeping. Phone (517) 546-0500.

Comparing Michigan's Three Trial Courts

Readers often mix up the three courts because all three sit in the same building. Each one has its own jobs, set by state law, and each holds its own records. The comparison below shows the split at a glance so you can send a request to the right counter the first time.

Types of Court Records Available in Livingston County

Livingston County court records cover the full range of cases the three trial courts hear. Some records live with the District Court, some with the Circuit Court, and some with the Probate Court. A single family can touch all three over the years, so knowing the categories helps you aim a search.

The main record groups appear below, each tied to the court that keeps it.

• Criminal records - complaints, warrants, pleas, and judgments of sentence, split between District and Circuit Courts.
• Civil records - contract, debt, and injury cases, plus small claims and landlord-tenant matters.
• Family and divorce records - divorce judgments, custody, support, and personal protection orders in the Circuit Court Family Division.
• Traffic records - civil infractions and traffic tickets filed in the 53rd District Court.
• Probate records - estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and letters of authority.

Searching MiCOURT for Livingston County Cases

MiCOURT lets you filter far more than a name. The state's developer documentation lists the fields the search accepts and the record parts it can expand. A precise search returns fewer results and finds the right case faster. The field table below reflects the official MiCOURT options.

What Livingston County Court Records Show

A court record is more than a name and a verdict. Each file gathers the pieces a case produces from start to finish. Knowing the parts helps you read a register of action and spot the facts that matter to you. The list below outlines the fields you will usually see in a Livingston County court record.

• Case number - a coded identifier that flags the court, year, and case type.
• Parties and attorneys - plaintiff and defendant, petitioner and respondent, and counsel of record.
• Judge and status - the assigned judicial officer and whether the case is open, closed, or disposed.
• Register entries - filings, motions, hearings, orders, pleas, and dismissals in date order.
• Charge and financial fields - offense details, fines, costs, restitution, and bond where public.

Document images are the one thing you will not pull up online. Court rule keeps those off the public internet, so pleadings and certified copies come from the clerk counter or a mail request.

Public Access Laws for Livingston County Court Records

Court records and general county records travel different legal paths in Michigan. Many Sheriff's Office reports flow through the state Freedom of Information Act. Court files do not, because the FOIA definition of a public body leaves out the judiciary. For court files, the public uses the case search system, the clerk counters, and written copy requests. The key statutes and rules appear below in plain terms.

Restricted and Confidential Livingston County Records

Not every court file is open. Michigan law shields several categories to protect children, patients, and people whose eligible convictions have been cleared. Juvenile case records are limited under MCL 712A.28, and diversion and consent-calendar matters carry extra protection. Adoption files are kept in separate locked storage and open only by court order for good cause or specific statutory access.

Mental-health records tied to probate and treatment cases are confidential under the Michigan Mental Health Code. Michigan also uses the term set aside for expungement. An eligible conviction that is set aside becomes nonpublic, though the state keeps a limited record for lawful uses. To view a sealed case, a person files a written motion and shows good cause, since a judge may seal a case only when no lesser step will work.

Note: A set-aside traffic conviction does not have to be removed from the Secretary of State driving record, so the court file and the driver record can differ.

Livingston County Court Fees and Copies

Copy fees stay modest and are set by court schedule rather than by open-records pricing. The Circuit Court Clerk charges the same rate for most plain copies and adds a flat fee to certify a document for legal use. Probate copies match the plain rate, and certified letters of authority carry their own charge. Payment for mailed Circuit Court copies goes to the Livingston County Clerk by in-state check or money order.

To order Circuit Court copies by mail, complete the record copy request form, add the fee, and enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. In-person index inspection at the Circuit Court Clerk's Office carries no fee.

Specialty Courts in Livingston County

Livingston County runs several problem-solving courts that focus on treatment instead of only punishment. These dockets sit inside the Circuit and District Courts and take referrals through defense attorneys. They serve county residents who are non-violent offenders and who meet a clinical standard set by the program's treatment team.

The county's main programs include the following.

• Adult Drug Court - accepts misdemeanor and felony defendants with a substance use disorder, presided over by Chief Judge McGivney and Judge Daniel B. Bain.
• Intensive Treatment Mental Health Court - serves people with serious mental illness, led by Judge L. Suzanne Geddis.
• Veterans Treatment Court - a problem-solving docket for justice-involved veterans.
• Juvenile Drug Treatment Court - serves youth with substance use disorders through the Family Division.

Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records

Vital records and case records split between two offices. Marriage licenses and certified marriage copies come from the County Clerk at the Historic Courthouse, while divorce judgments live with the Circuit Court Clerk as court files. Probate cases run through the Probate Court and cover estates, guardianships, and conservatorships. For the full walkthrough, see the marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page. A few probate terms help when reading these files.

Testator

A person who makes a will directing how their estate passes at death.

Executor

The personal representative named to carry out a will and settle the estate.

Conservator

Someone the Probate Court appoints to manage another person's finances.

Guardian

Someone appointed to make personal and welfare decisions for a protected person.

Courthouse Location and Contact Information

Two buildings anchor the county's court and record functions. The modern Judicial Center on South Highlander Way holds the trial courts and the case counters. The Historic Courthouse in downtown Howell holds the County Clerk, vital records, and the Register of Deeds. The cards below list both.

Legal Terms in Livingston County Court Records

Court files use words that carry exact meanings. A quick glossary keeps a register of action readable when the entries pile up. The terms below appear often across criminal, civil, and family cases in the county.

Arraignment

The first criminal appearance where charges and rights are read to the defendant.

Bindover

The transfer of a felony from District Court to Circuit Court after a probable cause finding.

Disposition

The outcome of a charge, claim, or whole case.

Register of actions

The dated list of every filing and event in a case.

Set aside

Michigan's term for making an eligible conviction nonpublic.

History of Livingston County Courts

Livingston County was formed from Shiawassee and Washtenaw Counties in 1833 and fully organized in 1836. The county took its name from Edward Livingston, U.S. Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson. Howell became the county seat for its central place in the county, and the courthouse has anchored downtown ever since.

The Historic Livingston County Courthouse was completed in 1890 to a design by architect Albert E. French, with Richardsonian styling and original Victorian furnishings. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and was restored and rededicated as a State of Michigan historic landmark on June 10 and 11, 1978. Voters approved that restoration in 1976, and today the County Clerk and vital records still run from the building, while the trial courts moved to the modern Judicial Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I search Livingston County court cases online?

Use MiCOURT Case Search, the free state portal. Livingston County posts registers of action for the Circuit, District, and Probate Courts there. Search by case number or by party name, then filter by case type, year, or status. The portal shows case activity, but it does not post document images, which court rule keeps offline.

Are Livingston County court records public under FOIA?

No. Michigan's Freedom of Information Act excludes the judiciary, so court files are not FOIA records. That exemption also covers County Clerk staff when they act as Clerk of the Circuit Court. For court files, use MiCOURT, the clerk counters, and the court copy request forms. General county agency records, such as many Sheriff's Office reports, do travel through FOIA.

How do I get a certified copy of a court record?

Contact the clerk that holds the case. For Circuit Court files, mail the record copy request form with the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope, or visit Suite 4 at the Judicial Center. Plain copies run $1.50 per page and certification adds $10 per document. Probate copies use the same page rate.

Why can I see a case listed but not the documents?

Michigan court rule MCR 8.119 limits public internet access to document images. MiCOURT shows the register of action, meaning the list of filings and events, but the actual pleadings, orders, and certified copies stay at the courthouse. You can view public documents at the clerk counter or request copies by mail.

How do I find a probate case from before 2004?

Older probate cases are not in the online search. Call the Probate Court at (517) 546-3750 with a file number or case name. Staff can pull the file, and copies cost $1.50 per page. Call ahead for closed files or large page counts, since the file may sit in storage and copying can take time.

Which Livingston County court handles my case?

It depends on the matter. Felonies after bindover, divorce, name changes, personal protection orders, and larger civil claims sit in the 44th Circuit Court. Misdemeanors, traffic tickets, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, and civil claims up to $25,000 sit in the 53rd District Court. Estates, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships go to the Probate Court. All three share the Judicial Center in Howell.

Can I check a Livingston County warrant online?

The 53rd District Court posts an open warrants PDF that lists case number, name, and birth year only. It does not show charges, bond, or photos. The court also accepts in-person appearances on felony, misdemeanor, and civil-infraction warrant matters on weekday mornings. Confirm any listing by calling the District Court at (517) 548-1000 before you rely on it.