Grand Traverse County Felony Records

Grand Traverse County felony records are processed through the 13th Circuit Court in Traverse City. The 13th Circuit covers Grand Traverse, Antrim, and Leelanau counties and maintains all criminal case records for felony charges filed within each. Whether you need to look up a case, check a conviction, or request court documents in Grand Traverse County, this guide covers the available search tools, courthouse contact details, and what you can expect to find in the records.

13th Circuit Court - Grand Traverse County

The 13th Circuit Court is based in Traverse City and handles all felony criminal cases for Grand Traverse, Antrim, and Leelanau counties. The main court number is (231) 922-4701 and the clerk can be reached at (231) 922-4760. Traverse City is the county seat and the largest city in the region, making the 13th Circuit one of the busier northern Michigan court systems.

The 13th Circuit Court has online access to civil and criminal case records. You can search by name, or by case year, number, and county. This is one of the more user-friendly local court record systems in northern Michigan. If you need older records or certified copies, contact the clerk's office at (231) 922-4760 for help with your specific request.

The statewide MiCOURT portal also covers Grand Traverse County and allows free case name searches. For a comprehensive criminal history check, use the ICHAT tool from the Michigan State Police, which draws from all Michigan courts for $10 per search.

Michigan Courts and Felony Record Tools

The Michigan Courts website is the statewide hub for court information, linking to directories for all 83 Michigan counties including Grand Traverse, SCAO forms, and MiCOURT case search tools.

This screenshot shows the courts.michigan.gov portal. Grand Traverse County residents can use this site to find 13th Circuit Court contact information, download SCAO court forms, and access MiCOURT for online case searches covering Grand Traverse and neighboring counties.

How to Search Grand Traverse County Felony Records

Grand Traverse County has multiple options for searching felony records. The fastest and most thorough option for a full criminal history is the ICHAT system at $10 per search. It pulls from Michigan State Police records across all counties and returns all non-expunged felony convictions and pending cases for the person you search. You need a full name and date of birth.

The 13th Circuit Court's own online search tool allows free case lookups by name or by case year and number. This gives you direct access to the local case database. The portal covers both civil and criminal records, including felony cases. For recent Grand Traverse County felony cases, this is a good first option before calling the clerk. MiCOURT at micourt.courts.michigan.gov provides an additional free search option covering the same cases through the statewide portal.

For in-person searches and certified copies, go to the clerk's office in Traverse City. The clerk can pull case files and provide copies at standard rates. Certified copies cost more than regular copies and require the clerk's signature and court seal. Plan to bring the name and approximate year of the case you need.

Note: Law enforcement records like arrest reports go through the Grand Traverse County Sheriff or local police, not the circuit court. FOIA requests for those records should be directed to the relevant law enforcement agency.

What Grand Traverse County Felony Records Contain

The felony case file at the 13th Circuit Court in Traverse City is a complete record of the criminal proceeding. It starts with the charging document and includes all filings by both sides, orders from the judge, and the final sentencing papers. If the case was resolved at trial, the file includes the jury verdict. If it ended in a plea, the plea agreement and factual basis are part of the record.

A standard felony record in Grand Traverse County shows the defendant's name and date of birth, the offense charged with its statutory citation, the case number and judicial assignment, all court dates with notes, the verdict or plea, and the sentence. Probation conditions, fines, and any restitution the court ordered for victims also appear in the record. Post-conviction motions and any appeal filings are added as the case continues beyond sentencing.

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL 15.231 gives the public access to most court records. The criminal history statute at MCL 28.241 governs how Michigan compiles and uses statewide criminal history data, including what flows from courts like the 13th Circuit.

Expungement in Grand Traverse County

If you were convicted of a felony in Grand Traverse County and want to seek expungement, you file a petition with the 13th Circuit Court under MCL 780.621. The process requires waiting a set period after completing your sentence and then filing the petition with the court. The judge sets a hearing, notifies the prosecutor, and rules on whether to grant the expungement.

Michigan's Clean Slate automatic expungement under MCL 780.621g may also apply to some Grand Traverse County felony convictions without requiring a petition filing. After the required clean period, eligible convictions are set aside automatically. Not all crimes qualify. Violent offenses, sex crimes, and offenses against children are excluded. Michigan Legal Help has free tools to check whether your specific conviction is eligible and walks through the filing steps for Traverse City courts.

Cities in Grand Traverse County

Grand Traverse County includes Traverse City and surrounding communities in northern Michigan. No cities in Grand Traverse County meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site.

Nearby Counties

Grand Traverse County is surrounded by these northern Michigan counties, each with its own circuit court handling felony cases.