How to Search Grand Traverse County Court Records
The county's public search path is not one universal database. It is split into a civil portal and a criminal portal, both linked from the county's Civil and Criminal Records Search page. The civil case search holds records from 1967 through 1985 as an index only, and records from 1986 to the present with full case information and a register of actions. That database updates nightly. The criminal case search is felony only. Misdemeanors are not in it, and Public Act 193 of 2020 may keep some records out of view.
Before you start, decide the case type and gather what you have. A last name works alone, or you can pair a name with a case year and case number. Both portals share the same county dropdown, which lists Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau. One rule trips up new users. If you enter a partial last name, the first name field must be left blank.
- Decide whether the case is civil, a circuit felony, a district court traffic or misdemeanor matter, or a protected file like a personal protection order.
- Open the civil portal or the criminal portal for cases that belong to the 13th Circuit Court.
- Enter a last name, or a name plus case year and case number, then choose Grand Traverse from the county dropdown.
- Submit the query, then open the matching case to view the header and register of actions.
- If the record is missing, use the records office terminal, email, or phone; for a personal protection order, call the clerk directly.
The county's Court Cases page routes users to the criminal database and to the district court's own traffic and misdemeanor tools.
That page matters because district court business and circuit court business are searched in different systems, so the case type decides the tool.
For live hearing timing rather than a case index, the county's Court Calendar page links into the statewide Michigan court-display system.
The calendar shows scheduled dates for the district court judges across the three-county district, and the full docket of filings still lives in the Grand Traverse County court dockets.
Grand Traverse County Court Records Search Fields
Both county portals use the same small set of fields, so learning one teaches you the other. Name and case-number fields are optional, but the county dropdown must be set before a search will run. The submit button on the civil form reads Submit Query, and the criminal form uses a Submit button. The civil search fields are shown below.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Name | Text | No | Partial last name allowed; if used, first name must be blank. |
| First Name | Text | No | Leave blank when using a partial last name. |
| Case Year | Text | No | Four-digit ccyy format. |
| Case Number | Text | No | Use with case year or a name. |
| County | Dropdown | Yes | Select County, Antrim, Grand Traverse, Leelanau. |
| Submit Query | Button | Yes | Submits the search. |
The criminal portal repeats the pattern for felony cases that were bound over to circuit court. Older criminal cases without an index are not online at all, and staff keep those on microfilm at the records office.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Name | Text | No | Partial last name allowed; if used, first name must be blank. |
| First Name | Text | No | Leave blank when using a partial last name. |
| Case Year | Text | No | Four-digit ccyy format. |
| Case Number | Text | No | Use with case year or a name. |
| County | Dropdown | Yes | Select County, Antrim, Grand Traverse, Leelanau. |
| Submit | Button | Yes | Submits the search. |
Misdemeanor and traffic files sit in the 86th District Court instead, and the county's Criminal Division page describes that lower-court docket.
Because felony records and misdemeanor records live in two places, a full criminal history in Grand Traverse County often means checking both the circuit portal and the district court.
Types of Grand Traverse County Court Records
The county's record universe is mostly court files, plus the vital records and registers the clerk keeps. Civil and felony circuit files are the most searchable online. Family and juvenile matters are partly public and partly restricted. Probate files are the least digitized of the core categories and often need an office visit or a file review.
Which court made the record tells you where it lives. Circuit records flow through the county clerk's records office. District records stay with the 86th District Court. Probate estates and guardianships sit with the Probate Court. The main categories are these.
- Civil records: damage suits, contract and business claims, appeals from district court, and civil cases over $25,000.
- Criminal records: felony cases only in the circuit database, since misdemeanors stay in district court.
- Family records: divorce with minor children, support, paternity, name changes, adoption, and personal protection orders.
- Probate records: wills, decedent estates, guardianships, conservatorships, trusts, and involuntary treatment matters.
- Traffic and misdemeanor records: district court civil infractions and misdemeanor citations.
- Juvenile records: kept by family court records, with limited public access and adoption files excepted.
Traffic and low-level criminal citations are the busiest daily docket, and the district court's 86th District Court page is the front door for them.
That court covers Grand Traverse, Antrim, and Leelanau, so a citation record may be tied to any of the three county sessions.
Its Traffic Division page explains appearance windows, payment options, and default rules for civil infraction tickets.
Because tickets and driver actions route through the district court and the Secretary of State, the ticket file itself is detailed on the Grand Traverse County traffic court records page.
What Grand Traverse County Court Records Show
A case record has two parts. The header carries the identity of the case, and the register of actions lists every filing in date order. A civil header names the parties, the judge, the case type, and the disposition. A criminal header adds offense, plea, conviction, and sentencing fields. The 2-column table below reflects the fields captured from live county case records.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The county database key plus the case-year and case-number used to pull the file. |
| Filing Date | When the case was opened, along with closed, reopened, and expired dates. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, attorneys, any alias, and the attorney P-number. |
| Judge | The judge assigned and the division handling the case. |
| Charge or Claim | Offense, degree, description, and associated charge on criminal files. |
| Proceedings | Dated docket entries for motions, orders, hearings, and judgments. |
| Disposition | The final outcome, such as judgment, dismissal, or nolle prosequi. |
Court records use terms that are easy to misread. A few of the most common ones are defined here.
- Plaintiff
- The person or business that files the civil action.
- Disposition
- The final result of the case.
- Bindover
- The transfer of a felony from district court to circuit court.
- Nolle prosequi
- The prosecutor's dismissal of a charge.
- PPO
- A personal protection order restricting contact.
Public Access Framework for Grand Traverse County Court Records
Access here starts from a presumption of openness. Michigan's Freedom of Information Act treats the records of public bodies as open unless a listed exemption applies. The Act's request and fee rules under MCL 15.235 govern how a county office responds, and the exemptions under MCL 15.243 list what can be withheld. Court files carry their own rule. MCR 8.119 governs how Michigan courts keep and give access to case records.
In practice, the clerk holds civil records back to April 26, 1859, and no ID is required to view them. Anyone can use the free public terminals, the online portals, or a written request. Probate records follow MCL 600.1427, which keeps probate register records public except where law or a court order makes them confidential. Fees apply for copies, but viewing is open.
Note: Personal protection orders are removed from the online civil search, so those files must be handled by phone with the county clerk's office.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Grand Traverse County
Not every court file is open. Juvenile case records carry limited public access, and adoption files are kept but never posted online. Mental-health and involuntary treatment matters at the Probate Court have narrower access than ordinary civil files. Probate filings also require redacted copies when a will or codicil holds a birth date, Social Security number, or financial account number.
Convictions can be set aside under Michigan law and stop appearing in public systems. The automatic set-aside statute, MCL 780.621g, clears qualifying offenses, and the procedures in MCL 780.623 set the limits. Criminal-history sharing is separately controlled by MCL 28.242a. To confirm the status of a record, the county points readers through a short checklist.
- Check whether the conviction still shows on a Michigan State Police record check, ICHAT, or the court of conviction.
- Use the county's Automatic Set-Asides page for plain-English guidance.
- Expect fingerprints and a fee for a Michigan State Police personal record check.
- Remember that a set-aside record still exists under law even when it stops appearing in public-facing systems.
In-Person, Mail, and Email Record Requests
When a file is not online, or a certified copy is needed, the clerk's records office is the fallback. Free public research terminals sit at the Hall of Justice, and plain copies run $0.50 per page. The county's Records Request page accepts requests by mail, by email or online form, and in person. A mail request should list the plaintiff and defendant names, the case number, the document title and date, a mailing address, and payment. Divorce, name change, and other family files are maintained by the Grand Traverse County Clerk alongside the circuit records.
Copy costs are set by fee schedule, and new civil cases carry a state-mandated e-filing charge. The most common fees are shown below.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certified court copy | $10 plus $1 per page |
| Plain copy at public terminal | $0.50 per page |
| Recent register of action | $3 |
| Register of action from 1994 or earlier | $10 |
| Civil e-filing system fee | $25 on a new civil case |
The county posts its civil Filing Fees separately from copy fees, so a filer and a records requester see different price sheets.
Payment for records copies can be made by cash, check, money order, or credit and debit card in the contexts the county lists.
Circuit & Family Court Records
280 Washington Street, Suite 206
Traverse City, MI 49684
231-922-4710
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.