How to Search Wayne County Court Records
The main online tool for Wayne County circuit court cases is Odyssey Public Access, reached through the Third Judicial Circuit case search page. The page warns that Odyssey is unofficial, that documents filed by parties are not online, and that the system should not be used for background checks. Public access includes case search results, registers of action, and civil judgments. For paper files or certified copies, the court directs users to the Wayne County Clerk Records Division on the lower level at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, where public kiosks also offer access.
Detroit-area district cases are handled by the 36th District Court. The court keeps its own case inquiry system with public registers of action for cases filed from 1990 to the present. Plan a search with a case number when possible. Court warnings say name searches can be unreliable because two people can share a name and date of birth, and offenders may use aliases.
- Open the Third Circuit case search page and read the access limits.
- Accept the terms to move into the Odyssey portal.
- Enter a case number or party name and narrow by date or court division.
- Review the register of actions for filings, hearings, and disposition entries.
- For 36th District Court cases, use the case inquiry tool instead of Odyssey.
- For probate matters, go to Wayne County Probate Court Case Access.
- Request a certified copy from the Clerk Records Division if a sealed document or raised seal is needed.
Curious what Odyssey looks like in practice? The Odyssey Public Access portal redirects through a login/default page during inspection, which is why kiosks at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center remain a useful backup.
The Odyssey access screen sets expectations: search results, registers of action, and civil judgments are public, but party-filed documents are not online and the system is not a substitute for a certified record.
The Wayne County Judicial System
Michigan runs a single statewide system called the One Court of Justice, introduced in 1963 by Article VI, Section 1 of the Michigan Constitution. The Michigan Judicial Branch page describes one supreme court, one court of appeals, and several trial courts. Wayne County's general jurisdiction trial court is the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan. The Third Circuit's official home page calls it the largest circuit court in Michigan, with 57 judges and three operating divisions covering civil, criminal, and family matters arising in Wayne County.
The Wayne County Clerk serves as Clerk of the Third Judicial Circuit Court. The clerk's office keeps the case file. Below the circuit are the District Courts, which hear most misdemeanors, civil cases within statutory limits, traffic, landlord-tenant, small claims, arraignments, and preliminary exams. Grosse Pointe communities keep municipal courts. Probate matters go to the separate Wayne County Probate Court.
Case flow: District / Municipal Court › Circuit Court › Michigan Court of Appeals › Michigan Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan Supreme Court | Statewide highest court | Discretionary review of appeals |
| Michigan Court of Appeals | Intermediate appellate | Wayne County is in the First District at Detroit |
| Third Judicial Circuit | General trial court for Wayne County | Felonies, civil over $25,000, divorce, custody, PPOs |
| Wayne County Probate Court | Probate trial court | Estates, guardianship, conservatorship, mental health, trusts |
| 36th District Court | Detroit limited jurisdiction | Misdemeanors, traffic, civil to statutory cap, landlord-tenant, small claims |
| Other District Courts | Suburban Wayne County | Same as 36th but in 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and other numbered courts |
| Grosse Pointe Municipal Courts | Local retained courts | Local ordinance and limited civil matters |
The State of Michigan calls trial courts the place where facts get decided. The Michigan Judiciary site shows the same model in plain terms, with court rules, forms, and trial court resources for users who want to compare what each level does.
The Third Circuit home page anchors most circuit case work in Wayne County. It links eFiling, jury, forms, and the case search portal. The site also flags fraud alerts when fake parking-ticket text scams target users.
Wayne County Courthouses
Wayne County does not run one big courthouse. It runs a cluster. Most circuit and clerk work happens at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on Woodward Avenue. The Probate Court sits in the same building on a different floor. Criminal detention shifted to the new Wayne County Criminal Justice Center on Russell Street. The 36th District Court handles Detroit district matters from a third building on Madison Street. The Register of Deeds keeps its land records office in Greektown.
Coleman A. Young Municipal Center
Third Circuit / Clerk / Probate
2 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 967-6938
Wayne County Criminal Justice Center
Adult Detention Facility
5301 Russell Street
Detroit, MI 48211
(313) 224-0797
36th District Court
Detroit District
421 Madison Street
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 965-2200
Each address has its own purpose. The Clerk's main office is in Suite 201 at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, the Records Division is in Room LL-61 on the lower level, and the Probate Court is at 1305/1307 of the same building. Personal Protection Orders are filed in Suite 928. The Sheriff describes the Criminal Justice Center as a state-of-the-art building that replaced older facilities, with the courthouse, detention, and offices under one roof.
The Third Circuit posts a strict prohibited items list for all court buildings. Smart glasses, AI glasses, and recording devices are not allowed. The court cites MCR 8.110 and the Chief Judge's authority to confiscate items at entry, which it says will not be returned. Plan ahead so a phone case, lighter, or pepper spray does not derail a court visit.
Types of Court Records Available in Wayne County
Wayne County records cover the full range of trial court work. The Clerk Records Division splits coverage by date and court. Civil and domestic records, including divorce cases, run from 1942 to the present. Criminal records from 1942 through 1983 outside Detroit are kept by the Records Division. Detroit criminal records and post-1983 criminal records sit at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice records room at (313) 224-2502. Files from 2010 forward can be viewed in person at the records room, while older files come from the archives.
Different courts produce different files. The Third Circuit produces civil, family, and felony case records. The 36th District Court and other district courts produce misdemeanor, traffic, and limited civil files. Probate Court handles estates, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health, and trusts. The Register of Deeds keeps land records but those are not court files.
- Civil and divorce records — available from 1942 through the Clerk Records Division.
- Felony criminal records — handled by the Third Circuit Criminal Division, with the older split for Detroit and pre-1983 files.
- Family and divorce filings — divorce, custody, support, parenting time, and PPOs filed at Suites 201 and 928.
- Probate records — estates, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health, trusts, and wills filed for safekeeping.
- Traffic court records — issued mainly by the 36th District Court and 25 other Wayne County district and municipal courts.
- Juvenile records — handled through the Clerk Juvenile Court Services with restricted public access.
- Land records — kept by the Wayne County Register of Deeds at 400 Monroe.
What Wayne County Court Records Show
Most Wayne County case files share a core set of fields. The Third Circuit Odyssey portal lists case search results, registers of action, and civil judgments. The 36th District Case Inquiry System defines the register of actions as the permanent case history with essential information about a specific case. The Wayne County Sheriff inmate portal adds a booking and bond layer for in-custody data, with a sample profile showing charge description, docket number, court date, and crime class.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Identifier used by the court and clerk to track the file. |
| Filing Date | Date the complaint, petition, or charge was filed with the court. |
| Parties | Names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel. |
| Charges / Cause | Charge text or civil claim that sets the dispute or offense. |
| Register of Actions | Permanent docket showing each motion, order, hearing, and filing. |
| Hearing Data | Date, time, courtroom, judge, magistrate, or referee assigned. |
| Disposition | Final or current outcome for a charge, claim, or motion. |
| Sentence / Judgment | Court order resolving claims, fines, jail, restitution, or relief. |
Court records do not always show every field online. The Third Circuit warns that filed documents are not on Odyssey. The 36th District Court says document images are not in the case inquiry system. For images, request copies from the Clerk Records Division, use the public kiosks at the lower level, or file a records request through the Wayne County Clerk Records page.
Public Access Laws for Wayne County Court Records
Michigan public-record access runs along two tracks. Government and administrative records fall under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act. Court records fall under court rules, Michigan Supreme Court administrative orders, and State Court Administrative Office standards. Wayne County's own pages stress that online case data is a public service, not a certified record.
Key Statutes:
MCL 15.231 — Michigan FOIA short title and policy. State public policy gives all persons, except those in correctional custody, the right to full information about government affairs.
MCL 15.233 — Right to inspect, copy, or receive public records. The practical request section for non-court county records.
MCL 15.234 — FOIA fees. Sets the categories for labor, copies, and mailing charges public bodies may bill.
MCL 15.235 — FOIA response, denial, and appeal timing. Sets the response window and review steps.
MCL 15.243 — FOIA exemptions. Covers privacy, certain law-enforcement investigatory records, and records exempt under other statutes.
For court files, the lead rule is MCR 8.119, which sets clerk duties and public access rules for trial court records. MCR 1.109 governs filing standards and protected personal identifying information. The Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Order 1999-4 sets the state's Trial Court Records Management Standards, which Wayne County trial courts must follow.
The 1999-4 order requires the State Court Administrator to set standards for data, case records, and other trial court records. It anchors the way local courts handle public access, retention, and electronic filing.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every Wayne County file is open to the public. The Third Circuit Odyssey portal limits public output to case search results, registers of action, and civil judgments. The 36th District case inquiry tool shows ROAs and schedules but no document images. Beyond portal limits, certain case types stay closed by law.
Restricted categories include juvenile delinquency, child protective, abuse and neglect, adoption files, mental health treatment, sealed cases, set-aside or expunged convictions, protected personal identifying data under MCR 1.109, PPO records with sensitive addresses, and certain law-enforcement investigatory files exempt under MCL 15.243. The Wayne County Probate Court has a Mental Health Developmentally Disabled department for involuntary treatment matters, where privacy rules sit on top of probate court rules.
Michigan's set-aside path is in MCL 780.621. Application changes took effect April 11, 2021. Automatic Clean Slate under MCL 780.621g took effect in April 2023. Convictions excluded from set-aside are listed in MCL 780.621c. Applications go to the convicting court, with a $50 Michigan State Police fee under MCL 780.621d.
Specialty Courts in Wayne County
The 36th District Court runs Specialty Courts through its Probation Department and has been recognized nationally for its treatment court programs. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Screening and District Courts Division says assistant prosecutors handle felony preliminary exams, misdemeanors, and state traffic violations across 25 district and municipal courts. The division includes a Pre-Trial Diversion Program, Pre-Exam Program, Behavioral Health Program, Drug Court, and Check Enforcement Program.
Wayne County Probate Court has its own specialty desk through the Behavioral Health Unit, which works on involuntary mental health treatment cases, mental health pick-up and transport orders, and developmentally disabled matters. The unit's email is bhudept@wcpc.us. Emergency mental health filings continue even on remote-only days.
Wayne County Sheriff and Jail Information
Sheriff Raphael "Ray" Washington leads the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. The main jail and detention point is the Adult Detention Facility inside the new Wayne County Criminal Justice Center at 5301 Russell Street, Detroit. The Sheriff's SheriffConnect home page lists the office line at (313) 833-0864 and notes inmate information at (313) 224-0797. The site warns that the general email is not for legal pleadings because no one authorized to accept process monitors the inbox.
For day-to-day case work, the Sheriff says charge, court case, and bond type information must come from the court of jurisdiction. The inmate inquiry portal at inmateinquiry.waynecounty.com shows name, subject number, booking number, in-custody status, total bond, booking origin, charges, court date, docket number, and crime class. Use the full Wayne County inmate records page for visitation, bond, mail, commissary, and proof of incarceration details, or jump to warrant records for outstanding warrant guidance.
The Clerk page anchors most non-jail record work. It states Cathy M. Garrett's role as Wayne County Clerk and Clerk of the Third Judicial Circuit and links the Records Division and Civil Court Services pages.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
The Wayne County Clerk issues marriage licenses through the eVitals system and eScheduler appointments. Marriage records and certified copies are handled at the One-Stop Shop Vital Statistics Records Office at 400 Monroe Street, Suite 610. Divorce cases are civil/family circuit court files. The Clerk says civil records, including divorce records, are available from 1942 through the Records Division. For the full process, see the Wayne County marriage and divorce records page or jump to the Wayne County Probate Court records page for estate and guardianship cases.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- Person named in a will to administer the estate.
- Personal representative
- Appointed by the probate court to handle an estate when there is no will or to perform the executor's role.
- Conservator
- Court-appointed manager of another person's finances.
- Guardian
- Court-appointed person responsible for an adult or minor's care.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will.
Wayne County Court Records Fees
Fees vary by court and copy type. The Clerk's Records Division charges $2.00 per page for uncertified Xerox copies. Certified or authenticated copies add a $10.00 seal charge plus a per-page fee. Credit and debit payments add $2.50. Visa credit is not accepted; debit is fine. Mail payments must be money orders. The GovPayNow Pay Location Code for Wayne County is 6223. Online certified ordering moves through VitalChek.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Uncertified copy per page | $2.00 |
| Certified/authenticated copies | $10.00 seal + per-page fee |
| Credit/debit payment fee | $2.50 |
| Civil filing fee | $175.00 |
| Divorce, no children | $175.00 |
| Divorce, with children | $255.00 |
| Jury demand | $85.00 |
| Motion | $20.00 |
| Marriage license, county resident | $30.00 |
| Marriage license, both nonresident | $40.00 |
| Certified marriage copy | $24.00 first / $7.00 each additional |
Probate filings have their own schedule, posted on the Wayne County Probate Court fees page. Common probate petitions cost $175, small estates run $25 plus inventory and certification, and certified probate documents are $10 plus $1/page. Out-of-state checks are not accepted at probate.
Note: Civil credit card bonds at the jail include an 8% processing fee through Government Payment Services, Inc.
How to Read Wayne County Court Records
Wayne County dockets use common Michigan court terms. A complaint starts a civil case. A petition starts probate or PPO cases. A motion asks the court to act in an open file. A bench warrant comes from a judge, often after a failure to appear. A disposition is the outcome of a charge or claim. A judgment is the binding court decision.
The most common mix-up is charge versus conviction. An arrest record shows what a police agency reported. A court file may later end in dismissal, acquittal, deferred adjudication, or a guilty plea. Use the register of actions for the case path, then check the disposition field for the final outcome. Sheriff inmate detail pages show charge description, docket number, court date, and crime class, but a charge that appears at booking can be reduced or dismissed in court.
For Detroit district matters, the 36th District Court warns that information is not a certified court record and should not be used for background checks. For state custody status, the Michigan Department of Corrections OTIS search shows offenders by name, number, or status.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online tools update on different schedules. Odyssey reflects court activity that the Clerk has entered. The 36th District case inquiry covers cases from 1990 onward but limits court schedule searches to 1,000 proceedings, so the court tells users to search by name in the case inquiry tool first. The Wayne County Sheriff inmate search reflects bookings as the jail registry unit processes them.
Note: Always verify a Wayne County court record with the Clerk Records Division or the originating court before relying on it for a legal, employment, housing, or licensing decision.
History of Wayne County Courts
Wayne County is Michigan's most populous county. The Third Judicial Circuit identifies as the largest circuit court in Michigan. Detroit historically had Recorder's Court for city criminal cases. That court was merged into Wayne County Circuit Court in the late 1990s as part of state trial court reform. The current Clerk Records page still splits criminal coverage by date and area, with 1942 through 1983 outside Detroit at the Clerk Records Division, and Detroit and post-1983 criminal records at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice records room.
The opening of the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center marks the biggest recent change. The Sheriff describes the CJC as a new state-of-the-art facility that combines a criminal courthouse, adult and juvenile detention, more than 1,400 office spaces, and a central utility plant. Probate Court has rolled out new local forms, including WCPC 262 for guardian's financial disclosure effective September 15, 2025, and wcpc96 for emergency or adjournment filings effective May 1, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Wayne County Circuit Court records?
Start at the Third Judicial Circuit case search page and accept the Odyssey Public Access terms. The system provides case search results, registers of action, and civil judgments for public cases. Filed documents are not online. For paper files, use the public kiosks in the lower level of Coleman A. Young Municipal Center or contact the Wayne County Clerk Records Division.
Are Odyssey results official records?
No. The Third Circuit says Odyssey information is a service, not an official court record. The court does not certify Odyssey records or search results and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Certified copies must be requested from the Clerk Records Division or the originating court.
Where is the Wayne County Clerk Records Division?
The Records Division is at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Room LL-61, 2 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48226. The phone number is (313) 224-5530, the fax is (313) 967-3712, and the email is wcrecordroom@waynecountymi.gov. Online certified ordering uses VitalChek.
How do I find a Wayne County inmate?
Use the Wayne County Sheriff inmate inquiry at inmateinquiry.waynecounty.com. The form accepts name, subject number, booking number, in-custody status, booking date range, and housing facility. Call inmate information at (313) 224-0797 for non-public detail. See the inmate records page for full guidance.
What does a Wayne County marriage license cost?
The fee is $30.00 when one or both applicants are Wayne County residents and $40.00 when both are non-Wayne County residents. Certified copies cost $24.00 for the first copy and $7.00 for each additional copy bought at the same time. Marriage license records work is at 400 Monroe Street, Suite 610. More on the marriage and divorce records page.
Can I clear a Michigan conviction?
Michigan allows eligible convictions to be set aside under MCL 780.621 and related statutes. Application changes took effect April 11, 2021, and automatic Clean Slate took effect in April 2023. File the application in the convicting court. The $50 Michigan State Police processing fee under MCL 780.621d applies to non-automatic applications.
More on the Wayne County Court Records FAQ page.