What District Court Clerks Do in Oakland County
Each Oakland County district court has its own clerk's office that handles filings, fines, traffic tickets, civil suits up to $25,000, small claims, landlord-tenant cases, and misdemeanor case management. District court clerks issue citations data, schedule arraignments, accept bond payments, post bench warrants, and keep registers of actions for cases in their court. They are separate from the Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds, which is the Legal Records office for the 6th Circuit Court and the office for vital records, marriage licenses, and land records.
Felony cases that begin in a district court for arraignment and preliminary examination move up to the 6th Circuit Court after bindover. District court records on those cases stay in the originating district court for the pre-bindover phase. See 6th Circuit Court for the trial court overview and County Clerk and Register of Deeds for the primary clerk page.
Oakland County District Court Locations
Oakland County hosts pages for the 48th District Court, the 50th District Court, and the four divisions of the 52nd District Court. The county also links to city-run district courts in Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Royal Oak, Oak Park, Southfield, Farmington Hills, and Waterford. The 48th District Court was established by the Michigan Legislature in 1969. The 52-3 District Court was established in 1968.
| Court | Location | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| 48th District Court | 4280 Telegraph Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 | 248-647-1141 |
| 50th District Court | 70 N Saginaw, Pontiac, MI 48342 | 248-758-3800 |
| 52-1 District Court (Novi) | 48150 Grand River Ave, Novi, MI 48374-1222 | 248-305-6460 |
| 52-2 District Court (Clarkston) | 5850 Lorac Dr, Clarkston, MI 48346 | 248-625-4880 |
| 52-3 District Court (Rochester Hills) | 700 Barclay Circle, Rochester Hills, MI 48307 | 248-853-5553 |
| 52-4 District Court (Troy) | 520 W Big Beaver Rd, Troy, MI 48084 | 248-528-0400 |
| 43rd District Court | Ferndale, Hazel Park, and Madison Heights locations | Local court phone |
| 44th District Court | Royal Oak / Berkley | Local court phone |
| 45th District Court | Oak Park | Local court phone |
| 46th District Court | Southfield | Local court phone |
| 47th District Court | Farmington Hills | Local court phone |
| 51st District Court | Waterford | Local court phone |
The 48th District Court serves Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield Township, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake Village, and Sylvan Lake. The 50th District Court covers Pontiac. The 52nd District Court divisions split coverage of the rest of Oakland County's cities and townships.
District Court Clerk Duties
District court clerks have a busy public-facing role. They keep court files current, accept paper or electronic filings under MiFILE where required, process traffic ticket payments, issue and recall bench warrants on judge orders, schedule arraignments and preliminary examinations, and handle informal hearing requests on civil infractions.
- Accept criminal complaints, citations, civil complaints, summons, and protective-order petitions.
- Maintain the case register of actions for each open case.
- Collect fines, costs, and bond payments by case and party.
- Schedule arraignments, preliminary examinations, pretrial conferences, and bench trials.
- Issue bench warrants on judge order and process recalls or quashes.
- Process small claims, landlord-tenant, and civil infraction filings.
- Coordinate with probation departments on compliance hearings and specialty court cases.
How to File in an Oakland County District Court
Filing in an Oakland County district court depends on the case type. Civil infractions, including most traffic citations, can often be paid online without filing anything. A request for an informal hearing must be filed before the deadline on the citation. Misdemeanor and felony criminal cases are filed by the prosecutor or the citing officer; the defendant's first step is arraignment, set by the court after the case is filed.
- Identify the correct district court based on the city or township where the case happened or where the citation was issued.
- Pull the local district court page from the county District Courts landing page.
- For civil infractions, choose Pay Online, Request an Informal Hearing, or Request a Formal Hearing before the deadline.
- For small claims or civil cases under $25,000, file a complaint and pay the filing fee at the clerk's office.
- For landlord-tenant cases, file a complaint and any required notice forms with the local clerk.
- For criminal cases, attend the scheduled arraignment with photo ID and any case paperwork.
- For appeals from district court, file a Claim of Appeal with the 6th Circuit Court Clerk's Legal Records Division.
Online Tools and MiFILE
Several Oakland County district courts use MiFILE for eFiling on civil and landlord-tenant cases. The 52-1 District Court page lists MiFILE alongside online ticket search, online payments, and arraignment information. The 52-3 District Court has its own walk-in arraignment process and online tools. Online tool availability varies by court, so checking the local district court's page is the right starting step.
The county district courts page also publishes a current scam warning: courts will never solicit payment through a link in a text message claiming to be from the Michigan DMV. Tickets in Oakland County are paid through the court's own portal or in person. For a court-by-court walk-through, the local district court's website is the official source.
Walk-In Arraignments
The 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills holds walk-in arraignments Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Walk-ins check in at the Clerk's Office before going to a courtroom. The 52-3 page also reminds users that courtrooms are open to the public, that remote proceedings are streamed only in limited situations, and that proceedings cannot be recorded or reproduced without written permission from the judge of record.
Other Oakland County district courts have their own walk-in or arraignment schedules. For a person with a bench warrant or a missed court date, calling the issuing district court's clerk to confirm walk-in arraignment hours is the fastest way to plan. Walking into court before an arrest usually offers more bond flexibility than waiting for a traffic stop.
District Court Case Types
Oakland County district courts hear a broad range of case types within their statutory jurisdiction. The 6th Circuit Court is the felony trial court; the district courts handle the entry points and the lower-tier civil work.
| Case Type | What District Court Handles |
|---|---|
| Misdemeanors | Arraignment, plea, pretrial, bench or jury trial, sentencing for offenses up to one year. |
| Civil infractions | Traffic and non-traffic civil infractions, with payment or hearing options. |
| Felony preliminary exams | Probable cause hearings before bindover to the 6th Circuit Court. |
| Civil cases up to $25,000 | Contract, tort, debt collection, and other civil matters within the dollar limit. |
| Small claims | Less formal civil claims for limited dollar amounts. |
| Landlord-tenant | Eviction complaints, money judgments, and orders of eviction. |
| Specialty court | Drug Court, Sobriety Court, Veterans Court, Mental Health Court, and Community Courts where the local court offers them. |
County Clerk vs District Court Clerks
The Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds, currently Lisa Brown, is a countywide elected office focused on 6th Circuit Court legal records, vital records, marriage licenses, and land records. District court clerks are not separately elected; each district court runs as its own court under Michigan court rules, with a court administrator and clerk staff appointed by the court.
The two clerks do different jobs. A divorce is filed with the County Clerk through 6th Circuit Court Family Division. A traffic ticket is filed with the local district court clerk. A felony arrest report sits with the Sheriff's Records Unit, but the arraignment and preliminary exam paperwork is with the district court clerk until bindover. After bindover, the case file moves to the County Clerk's Legal Records Division for the 6th Circuit Court phase.
Beware Text Scams
Oakland County district courts have posted a live warning about text-message scams claiming to be from the Michigan DMV. The text usually asks for payment of a fine or ticket through a link. The county notice says courts will never solicit payment through a link in a text message. Anyone who receives that kind of message should not click the link and should not enter card information. To pay a real Oakland County traffic ticket, find the issuing district court on the citation and use its official online payment tool.
Note: District court tickets in Oakland County are paid through the court's official website or in person; courts do not collect payments through unsolicited text-message links.