Ingham County, MI Courts and Public Records

The Ingham County Circuit Court, District Court, and Probate Court serve as the county's trial courts. The 30th Judicial Circuit Court handles felonies, civil claims above the District Court limit, and Family Division matters such as divorce and child custody.

Have the person's full name, the case number if you know it, and approximate dates ready before you search. Ingham County court records are kept by the court that handled the case.

Ingham County courts received 99,101 new cases in CY 2025 and disposed of 85,726, a clearance rate of 86.5%. Filings rose 6.5% from 93,023 in CY 2024.

The largest movement was in civil filings (22,991 to 24,229); the total also includes 50,370 civil infraction and parking filings; rows marked ~ are estimates.

Total filings in Ingham County rose 20.8% between CY 2021 and CY 2025, from 82,037 to 99,101.

Total filings rose 20.8% over five years, from 82,037 in CY 2021 to 99,101 in CY 2025. The largest annual change was +9.6% in CY 2024. The latest change of +6.5% was driven by civil filings, and dispositions were 85,726 against 99,101 filings.

Civil cases are the largest category in Ingham County, at 49.7% of filings in CY 2025.

Mental health cases grew fastest (+6.3%) and juvenile cases fell fastest (-12.2%); rows marked ~ are estimates.

Ingham County accounts for 2.70% of the 3,677,054 cases filed in Michigan courts in CY 2025, with 2.86% of the state's population.

Ingham County files cases at a lower rate per resident than Michigan (342.1 against 363.1 per 1,000), and its filings rose 6.5% against +7.9% statewide. Its criminal share of filings is below the state's and its civil share is above it; rows marked ~ are estimates.

These figures are Michigan statewide totals as reported to the FBI, not counts for Ingham County. Agency reporting may be incomplete, and county crime counts are not available here. Statewide violent and property crimes combined fell 8.7% from 2024 to 2025. In 2025, reporting agencies covered about 97.3% of Michigan's population, so year-over-year changes can partly reflect which agencies reported.

Rates use the Michigan 2025 population of 10,127,884. County-level rates are not published, so this section does not compare Ingham County with the state. The property crimes total includes arson, so it is larger than the sum of the property offenses listed above.

Ingham County court proceedings are held at the Ingham County Courthouse. Check your notice or case paperwork to confirm the courthouse assigned to your case before you go.

Addresses and phone numbers come from public directory listings and may change, so confirm them with the clerk before you visit.

Michigan's courts divide case types among the Circuit Court, District Court, Probate Court, and the Family Division. Check the charge or case paperwork to confirm the correct court for Ingham County.

Yes, most Ingham County court records are public, with exceptions set by Michigan Court Rules (MCR 8.119) and state law for juvenile, sealed, and other confidential records.

Public records

Most case files in the Circuit, District, and Probate Courts are open to the public under MCR 8.119, which governs court records and public access to them. The Michigan Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231 et seq.) also covers records of public bodies.

Restricted or confidential records

Juvenile, sealed, expunged, adoption, mental health, protective-order-restricted, and other confidential records are not publicly available.

Online access

Statewide court information is available at courts.michigan.gov, and that site is not specific to this county. Not every case or document is online, and restricted cases do not appear in search results.

In-person access

Visit the County Clerk's office at the courthouse to view or request Circuit Court records. District and Probate Courts keep their own records, so ask those offices for the records they hold.

Fees

This section lists no fees. Ask the court office about fees for copies before you request records.

Start with the statewide Michigan court website, then contact the court that holds your Ingham County case for records that are not available online.

1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, or juvenile.
2. Open courts.michigan.gov for statewide court information and links.
3. Search by name or case number where the court offers an online search for that case type.
4. Review the case information for status and scheduled dates.
5. Contact the court office that holds the case to request documents that are not online.

Confirm with each court which case types it can search online.

Traffic citations, criminal fines, and parking tickets follow different routes, so confirm payment with the court that holds your Ingham County case.

1. By phone: Call the District Court or the Clerk of the Circuit Court about a traffic or criminal case. Find the number on the county's official website or in the Michigan Courts trial court directory. Confirm accepted payment types and fees when you call.
2. In person: Visit the court office that holds your case at the county courthouse, and bring your ticket or case number. Confirm the office hours before you go.

Parking tickets are handled by the agency that issued them, not by the District Court.