How to Search Oakland County Court Records
The main public search tool for Oakland County Circuit Court and Probate Court records is Court Explorer. The Clerk runs it as the official portal to search, view, and order copies of public case files of the 6th Judicial Circuit Court and the Probate Court. Court Explorer covers Domestic cases such as divorce, custody, and parenting time; Civil cases such as contract, business, appeals, and general civil over $25,000; and Criminal felony case types. Records reach back to the early 1990s online, with older files held in the Clerk's Legal Records Division.
The county warns that Court Explorer is not the official court record and should not be used for criminal background checks. Personal Protection Orders, juvenile records, and Probate Mental Health files are not in Court Explorer. The official user guide for the portal walks through party-name search, case-number search, advanced filters, and the document order screen.
The county Clerk's Court Explorer landing page explains scope and fees and links the live portal at courtexplorer.oakgov.com. The page below shows the live Court Explorer search application that the public uses to look up cases.
That screen is the same one users see when they open Court Explorer to start an Oakland County court records search. The basic steps are short:
- Open the Clerk's Court Explorer page or go straight to courtexplorer.oakgov.com.
- Pick the court: Circuit or Probate.
- For Circuit Court, search by party name (last name then first name) or by exact case number. For Probate Court, an exact case number is required in Court Explorer.
- Use Advanced Search to narrow by Party Type, Case Year, or Case Type when the name search is too broad.
- Click a Party Name in the result list to open the Case Summary and Register of Actions for that case.
- Use Print Friendly Version for a clean docket print, or click Order Document next to any filing to buy a copy.
- For Probate, use the Case Number Look Up icon if the case number is not known; it transfers to the Michigan Courts site for a name lookup.
The result screen displays only the first 500 records at a time. If a name is common, the user can click Next 500 Records or narrow the criteria. Only non-archived cases are selectable from the result list; older archived files must be requested through the Legal Records Division.
The Oakland County Judicial System
Michigan runs a unified judiciary called "one court of justice." At the top sit the Michigan Supreme Court and the Michigan Court of Appeals, the intermediate appellate court. Trial-level work happens in three trial courts: circuit, district, and probate. Oakland County's primary felony, family, and major civil court is the 6th Judicial Circuit Court. District courts handle misdemeanors, most traffic, civil cases up to $25,000, landlord-tenant cases, small claims, and felony preliminary examinations. The Probate Court hears estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health, and developmentally disabled matters.
Oakland County has 33 of Michigan's 258 district court judges across its district courts. Appeals from district court and Probate Court often route to the 6th Circuit Court first, then to the Michigan Court of Appeals and, on discretionary review, to the Michigan Supreme Court.
Case flow: District Court › 6th Circuit Court › Michigan Court of Appeals › Michigan Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| 6th Circuit Court | Oakland County | Felonies, civil over $25,000, divorce and family, juvenile, appeals from district and probate. |
| District Courts | City or township jurisdiction within Oakland County | Misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, civil up to $25,000, landlord-tenant, felony preliminary exams. |
| Probate Court | Oakland County | Estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health, developmentally disabled matters. |
| Michigan Court of Appeals | Statewide | Direct appeals from circuit and some probate matters. |
Oakland County Courthouses
The county justice campus sits along North Telegraph Road in Pontiac. The 6th Circuit Court, Probate Court, Clerk Legal Records, Prosecutor, Indigent Defense Services, Sheriff's Office, and the Oakland County Jail all sit on the same campus. The district courts are spread across the county, mostly in Bloomfield Hills, Pontiac, Novi, Clarkston, Rochester Hills, Troy, and several local cities. The county's main switchboard is 248-858-1000 with a toll-free line at 888-350-0900.
The court campus has separate buildings and department numbers, so it helps to check a hearing notice or filing receipt for the exact "Dept" number before walking in. Weapons and cutting instruments are not permitted by court order inside Circuit and Probate Court.
6th Judicial Circuit Court
1200 N Telegraph Rd, Dept 404
Pontiac, MI 48341-0404
248-858-0344
Types of Court Records in Oakland County
Oakland County trial courts produce a wide mix of public records. The Circuit Court keeps domestic, civil, and felony criminal files. District courts keep traffic, misdemeanor, civil under $25,000, small claims, and landlord-tenant files. The Probate Court keeps estate, will, trust, guardianship, conservatorship, mental health, and developmentally disabled case files. Each record set has its own search path and its own access rules.
Court Explorer covers Circuit and Probate. District court records, traffic tickets, and small claims live with each local district court. Statewide criminal history, which is not the same as a court file, sits with the Michigan State Police.
- Court records — Circuit Court civil, criminal, and domestic case files searchable in Court Explorer with copies $1 per page and certified copies $10 per case plus $1 per page.
- Arrest records — Sheriff's booking files, jail roster, and incident reports through the Sheriff's Records Unit, with court charges in the Circuit or district court file.
- Marriage and divorce records — Marriage licenses issued by the Clerk; divorces filed and tracked in 6th Circuit Court Family Division.
- Probate records — Wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships filed through MiFILE in the Probate Court.
- Traffic court records — Citations, civil infractions, and misdemeanor traffic cases handled in the district court for the city or township where the ticket was issued.
What Oakland County Court Records Show
A typical Oakland County court file has the case number, court name, case type, filing date, party names, party type, attorneys, register of actions, hearing events, orders, judgments, and an Available Documents list for ordering. Court Explorer shows Case Summary, Party data, Register of Actions, and, for Probate, Available Documents.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The unique court file ID assigned by the Clerk; needed for Probate searches. |
| Court / Case Type | Court (Circuit, District, Probate) and case category (felony, civil, domestic, estate, etc.). |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant or petitioner and respondent, with attorney names when on file. |
| Register of Actions | Chronological docket showing each filing, motion, hearing, order, and event in the case. |
| Charges or Cause | Criminal charges with statute cites, or the civil cause of action stated in the complaint. |
| Disposition | Outcome such as dismissed, pled, judgment entered, sentenced, or transferred. |
| Sentence or Judgment | Final court order with terms such as fines, restitution, probation, jail or prison time. |
Public Access Laws for Oakland County Court Records
Michigan court records sit under court rules, not under the Freedom of Information Act. Administrative records of the Sheriff, Prosecutor, Clerk, and other county offices fall under FOIA. Court case files are governed by Michigan Court Rule 8.119 and the Michigan Trial Court Records Management Standards. Together those rules say public case records are open to view and copy unless a statute, rule, court order, or case law makes them nonpublic.
Restricted record types include juvenile files, adoption records, Probate Mental Health files, sealed records, set-aside or expunged convictions, and any document tagged with a protected personal identifying information addendum. The county Clerk uses SCAO form MC 97a to keep protected identifiers off the public file.
Key Michigan statutes:
MCL 15.231 — Michigan FOIA public policy statement that gives non-incarcerated persons the right to government records.
MCL 15.233 — Right to inspect, copy, or receive public records held by a public body.
MCL 712A.28 — Juvenile court record confidentiality rules.
MCL 780.621 — Application to set aside an eligible Michigan conviction.
Note: Court Explorer warns the data is not the official record of the court and should not be used as the basis for a criminal background check.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Some Oakland County court files are not open to the public. The Clerk's Court Explorer page calls out three local exclusions: Personal Protection Orders, juvenile files, and Probate Mental Health files. Each of those is restricted by a separate Michigan statute or court rule. Adoption records are also closed under MCL 710.67. Mental health records are closed under MCL 330.1748.
Set-aside (expungement) outcomes also limit public access. Michigan's Clean Slate automatic set-aside began in April 2023, with eligible misdemeanors and felonies clearing on a set schedule. Application-based set-asides under MCL 780.621g and related sections must be filed in the court of conviction. A traffic set-aside order does not always remove the entry from the Secretary of State driving record, as MCL 780.621c spells out.
Specialty Courts in Oakland County
Oakland County runs several specialty courts that mix court supervision with treatment and recovery services. The 6th Circuit Adult Treatment Court serves non-violent felony defendants with substance use disorder or co-occurring mental health and substance use issues. It is a post-adjudication program, meaning eligibility is set during the Pre-Sentence Investigation by the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The 6th Circuit also runs the Combat Veterans Treatment Court for U.S. military veterans on probation, with case management, mentoring, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and readjustment counseling. The Family Division operates a Juvenile Treatment Court for eligible youth. At the district court level, the 52-1 District Court hosts Drug Court, Sobriety Court, Veterans Court, Mental Health Court, and Community Courts. The 52-1 Drug Court was the first team certified by the State Court Administrative Office for its Sobriety Court program.
Oakland County Sheriff and Jail
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard. The county lists him as the longest-serving sheriff in Oakland County, in office since January 11, 1999, and as the leader of one of the largest sheriff's offices in the United States with more than 1,400 sworn and civilian employees. The Sheriff's main address is 1200 N. Telegraph Rd, Building 38E, Pontiac. Main line is 248-858-5000 and inmate information is 248-858-1800. The agency operates the Oakland County Jail at 1201 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac.
The Main Jail was built in 1973. The second floor is maximum security and houses about 440 inmates. The first-floor intake area handles new arrests with 109 beds in holding tanks and observation cells. The Annex direct-supervision facility, finished in March 1989, adds 487 beds. The East Annex, built in 2003, was repurposed for general population in 2010, moved into Corrective Services in 2022, and is currently closed. The Sheriff's Corrective Services Division admitted 12,247 prisoners in 2024.
For current custody status, the Sheriff links the CLEMIS Inmate Locator at apps.clemis.org/ClemisInmLoc. The page warns the data is presented without warranties and that charge or bond questions should go to the court of jurisdiction. See Oakland County inmate records for the full roster walkthrough and warrant records for outstanding warrants.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Court
Marriage licenses in Oakland County are issued by the Clerk's Vital Records office. The application is online, but the license must be picked up in person, and both parties must show valid ID. Michigan residents apply in the county where they live. Out-of-state couples apply in the county where the marriage will happen. Fees are $20 per couple for Michigan residents and $30 per couple for out-of-state residents, with a $5 add-on to waive the three-day waiting period. The full process is on the marriage and divorce records page.
Divorces are filed in 6th Circuit Court Family Division. Court Explorer covers Domestic cases such as divorce, custody, and parenting time. Filing fees are $175 without minor children and $255 with minor children. Probate Court handles estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health, and developmentally disabled matters, and now requires MiFILE for most filings; details and judges are on the probate records page.
- Testator
- The person who wrote a will and whose estate is governed by it.
- Executor / Personal Representative
- The person named in a will or appointed by the court to settle the estate.
- Conservator
- A person appointed by the Probate Court to manage the finances of someone who cannot.
- Guardian
- A person appointed to make personal and care decisions for a minor or incapacitated adult.
Oakland County Court Records Fees
Oakland County publishes copy and filing fees on the Clerk's Legal Records Fees and Forms page. Filing fees for the 6th Circuit Court differ by case type. Online orders through Court Explorer add a 3.5% credit-card service fee or a $2.50 ACH fee. Credit-card or bank statements show the charge as "g2gcharge.com." All sales are final with no refunds.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Regular court copy | $1.00 per page |
| Certified court copy | $10.00 per case number plus $1.00 per page |
| Civil case filing | $175 |
| Divorce without minor children | $175 |
| Divorce with minor children | $255 |
| Jury fee | $85 |
| Other motion fee | $20 |
| Marriage license (Michigan residents) | $20 per couple |
| Marriage license (out-of-state) | $30 per couple |
How to Read an Oakland County Court Record
A court file is a story told in date order. The first entry is usually the complaint, petition, or charging document. Each line after that is a docket event: motion filed, order signed, hearing held, plea entered, judgment issued. In a criminal case, a charge is just the prosecutor's claim. A conviction means a guilty plea or a guilty verdict that has been entered as a judgment. Charges that ended in dismissal, acquittal, or no probable cause are not convictions. That difference matters for background checks, employment, and set-aside eligibility.
The Court Explorer user guide flags common search quirks. Names should be searched last name then first name. Hyphens, periods, "LLC," "PC," and suffixes (JR, SR, I, II, III) should be left out. Company names that begin with "A" or "THE" should drop those words. The portal allows partial leading letters of a name, so "SMI" returns SMITH and "JA" returns JAMES.
Accuracy and Record Limits
Court Explorer reflects what the Clerk has entered into the court case management system. The page says clearly that the online data is not the official record of the court. The Sheriff's CLEMIS Inmate Locator page adds that jail charge or bond data can be up to 72 hours out of date depending on the day of the week. To rely on a fact in a court matter, get a certified copy from the Clerk and verify with the court of jurisdiction.
Note: Before any legal filing, hiring decision, or court appearance, confirm Oakland County case data against the originating court or Clerk record.
History of Oakland County Courts
Oakland County's modern court system took shape with Michigan's 1968 constitutional reorganization of the trial courts. The 48th District Court was established by the Michigan Legislature in 1969. The 52-3 District Court was created in 1968 with Judge Robert L. Shipper as its first judge. In 1974, the Legislature and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners added a second judgeship at the 52-3. Oakland County now holds 33 of Michigan's 258 district court judgeships.
The Circuit Court and Probate Court have rolled out modern tools in steady steps. Court Explorer now publishes Circuit and Probate public case data online. MiFILE is in active use for civil and domestic filings, with Probate Court fully on MiFILE as of June 12, 2025 under MCR 1.109(G)(3)(f). The Main Jail was built in 1973, the Annex was completed in March 1989, and the East Annex was opened in 2003 and later closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a Circuit Court case in Oakland County?
Use Court Explorer through the Clerk's Court Records page. Pick Circuit Court, then search by last name then first name, by business name, or by exact case number. Use Advanced Search to narrow by Party Type, Case Year, or Case Type. Click a Party Name in the result list to open the Case Summary and Register of Actions for that case.
Does Court Explorer show Probate Court cases?
Yes, but the only direct Probate search option is by exact case number. If the case number is unknown, click the Case Number Look Up icon to jump to the Michigan Courts site and search by party name. After entering the exact probate case number in Court Explorer, the screen shows the Case Summary and Available Documents.
How much do court copies cost in Oakland County?
Regular copies are $1.00 per page. Certified copies are $10.00 per case number plus $1.00 per page. Online orders carry a 3.5% credit-card service fee or a $2.50 ACH fee. Certified copies must be mailed and cannot be sent by email.
Where do I look for traffic tickets and small claims?
Those are district court matters, not Circuit Court. Use the district court for the city or township where the ticket or claim was filed. The county district court page links each division. The traffic court records page has the full breakdown.
More on the Oakland County Court Records FAQ page.