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Free Background Checks in Michigan for Looking Up Public Records: The Best MI Criminal and Arrest Records Search Engines Online

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In Michigan, an official background check is used by law enforcement to determine how to charge arrested people. Employers, landlords, and financial institutions also use official background checks. These checks report on data included in a person's criminal history record.

An unofficial background check can't be used for official business, but it may be helpful in learning more about:

  • Neighbors.
  • Friends.
  • Enemies.
  • Co-Workers.
  • Relatives.

Accessing public records is the first step in an unsupervised background check. Individuals must understand what agencies maintain records and how access to such information is regulated.

 Free Background Check Michigan

1. TruthFinder - The leading background check provider

  • Great for criminal records, job history, and social media
  • Self-monitoring and dark web search
  • Data is accurate
  • Not the best user experience
  • Extra costs and no pay-per report

TruthFinder offers comprehensive criminal record data, as well as a decent understanding of work history and social media profiles. A self-monitoring option is also available, which allows you to check your information on the dark web and see if you've been part of a data breach. You may hide your data from other TruthFinder users as long as you are a paying member.

They have a positive user experience as well.

2. Intelius - Best service for criminal background checks

  • Easy to use
  • Excellent customer service
  • No canceling fees for their services 

Intelius is a fantastic tool for finding out the identity of unknown phone numbers that keep calling or texting you. A site like Intelius can reveal where a call is originating from if you get a strange unknown phone number calling or texting you.

This is one of the greatest background check sites for people who still have someone from their past contact them or get continually spam calls from scammers.

You may conduct a reverse address search and you can also search for individuals by their names. You can learn who lives at a certain address and other information about them. Intelius is more expensive than the competition, but it is well worth the investment. Because it obtains data from criminal records, it is widely recognized for its criminal record checks.

3. Instant Checkmate - Most user-friendly background check site

  • Private searching
  • Over 1 billion searches
  • Great mobile app/web interface

Instant Checkmate is the FBI of background checks. It's essentially the center of public records, with almost 1.5 billion total searches and over 70,000 5-star ratings from real Instant Checkmate users.

Any contact, neighbor, date, or other people may be checked for background information; not only are criminal records from the state and county investigated but also court proceedings.

With just one person's name, you may discover their previous location history, social media profiles, date of birth (and place), and even phone number hints. This is quite useful in reconnecting with old friends/schoolmates.

The cherry on top is that you can personalize the results to make them more precise.

Instant Checkmate is 100 percent secure—so not a single individual you look up will be informed.

4. Spokeo - Most affordable background check service

  •  Some services are completely free
  • Great for finding lost connections

Spokeo's reverse email lookups are excellent, which can be useful in a variety of circumstances. Spokeo.com may expose the sender's identity if you have someone harassing you and attempting to defraud you via email.

Spokeo is also useful for looking up long-lost family members and friends. Its background search tool can find specific contact information, including phone numbers and location histories, social media profiles, and other essential details.

Michigan Free Background check and Public Records

So what solutions does Michigan offer for background checks?

The best method to access public records is to use a local state and county record repository. Depending on state legislation, virtually all state and county public record information is accessible to the general public. The benefit of utilizing local record sources for a background check is that they are free to view and come directly from the source. The disadvantage, however, is that the data comes only from a single state or county. To obtain a more comprehensive background check, you'll need a national check. And it's simple with Truthfinder, which provides a zero-cost basic scan in almost no time at all.

Michigan Public Record Policies:

The Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231 et seq.) is a Michigan legislation that allows the public access to certain public records of government bodies, as well as the ability to pay fees. It establishes authorities and responsibilities for certain public officials and offices, remedies and penalties, and repeals existing laws. -http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(y1o1dzi3gf2bj24dbw2kakdp))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-act-442-of-1976

Michigan Public Records Databases.

Michigan Court Records: The Circuit Court Search tool allows users to access electronic court records via the public. There are three different ways to search for information: using a Party Name, a Docket Number, or an Attorney Case List -http://courts.mi.gov/opinions_orders/case_search/pages/default.aspx

Michigan Public Records: While the information on this website is public record, Michigan and federal legislation restricts its release. This site -https://webinquiry.courts.michigan.gov/WIGroups/Agree?name=COC - does not provide access to this nonpublic data.

Michigan Criminal Records: The Michigan State Police (MSP) criminal history record database is available to everyone for $10.00 per search using a Visa, MasterCard or Discover credit or debit card. The name and birth date of the individual must be entered at least -https://apps.michigan.gov/

Michigan Arrest Records: The Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) is a federal system that tracks offenders who are already under supervision or have just completed their sentence -https://www.michigan.gov/corrections/0,4551,7-119-1409---,00.html

Michigan Vital Records: The Michigan Department of Public records dates back to 1867 at the State of Michigan Vital Records Office. There are birth, death, and marriage certificates as well as divorce papers dating back to 1897 -https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71551_4645---,00.html

Michigan Public Record?

The term "public records" refers to government-generated paperwork or information. These records are required by legislation to be kept. Any documents or papers submitted to a government agency are public records. Many public records may be requested by anybody who is interested in obtaining them. Some have age limits, while others do not. Public record requests offer the opportunity to obtain a wide range of data and material.

Michigan Public Record Resources.

Michigan's court records are published on a unified system that allows individuals to search them from any location. Although the state has a single online portal for court records, each county maintains its own website with customized interfaces for users. There is a growing number of jurisdictions that use the Michigan Court System Website athttps://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/CaseSearch/Terms to conduct a state-wide docket search (see below).

Recorder’s Office Records: To access recorded documents, a direct court search is necessary. County records are shown below.

Criminal Records: For a criminal Michigan background check, the state uses ICHAT athttps://apps.michigan.gov/. Guest search and registration are available.

Business Lookup: You can use the entity name or the person's name atcofs.lara.state.mi.us/SearchApi/Search/

Incarceration Records: The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) provides information about offenders to the public via its online database, which is accessible athttp://mdocweb.state.mi.us/OTIS2/otis2.html.

Sexual Offender Registry: You can search through various records of sexual offenders by name or address radius athttp://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=55242.

Official Resources for Top Counties in Michigan

Wayne County: Detroit

Court Records:Check for criminal and noncriminal charges.https://cmspublic.3rdcc.org/default.aspx

Recorder’s Office Records:https://www.waynecountylandrecords.com/recorder/web/

Arrest Records:http://sheriffconnect.com/operations/jails/search-jail-inmates.html

Oakland County: Pontiac

Court Records: circuit and probate records athttps://courtexplorer.oakgov.com/OaklandCounty

Recorder’s Office Records:https://ocmideeds.com/

Mugshots Records: Incarceration recordshttps://www.oakgov.com/sheriff/Corrections-Courts/Inmate-Locator/Pages/default.aspx

Macomb County: Mt. Clemens

Court Records: CourtView / eAccess for Public Court Records athttps://circuitcourt.macombgov.org/circuitcourt-courtview

Recorder’s Office Records: The Arizona Department of Revenue has a searchable database of properties available for sale. You may access it at https://hosted.uslandrecords athttps://hosted.uslandrecords.com/cgibin/homepage?County=8025

Arrest / Mugshots Records:https://apps.macombgov.org/InmateLocator/

Kent County: Grand Rapids

Court Records:https://www.accesskent.com/Courts/63dc/search.htm

Office Records:https://www.accesskent.com/deeds/

Arrest Records:https://www.accesskent.com/InmateLookup/

Property Records: GIShttps://gis.kentcountymi.gov/public/publicviewerjs/

Genesee County: Flint

Court Records:http://www.co.genesee.mi.us/roaccsinq/default.aspx

Recorder’s Office Records:https://geneseecountymi-web.tylerhost.net/web/user/disclaimer

Washtenaw County: Ann Arbor

Court Records:https://tcweb.ewashtenaw.org/PublicAccess/default.aspx

Recorder’s Office Records:https://rod.ewashtenaw.org/recorder/web/

Ingham County: Mason

Court Records:https://courts.ingham.org/CourtRecordSearch/

Recorder’s Office Records:https://mi2laredo.fidlar.com/MIIngham/DirectSearch/#/search

Ottawa County: Grand Haven

Court Records:https://www.miottawa.org/CourtRecordLookup/

Recorder’s Office Records:https://www.miottawa.org/Deeds/noLogin.action

Arrest Records:https://www.miottawa.org/InmateLookup/

Property Records:http://gis.co.ottawa.mi.us/

Kalamazoo County: Kalamazoo

Court Records:http://districtindex.kalcounty.com/Default.aspx

Recorder’s Office Records:https://clerkregister.kalcounty.com:8443/eaglerecorder/web/

Arrest / Mugshots Records:http://jail.kalcounty.com/

Property Records:https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=659542cd5d0c47ce9b8ad8c623499b81

Saginaw County: Saginaw

Court Records:https://secure.saginawcounty.com/CourtInformation/CourtCaseSearch.aspx

Recorder’s Office Records:https://tapestry.fidlar.com/Tapestry2/Default.aspx

Arrest Records:https://www.saginawcounty.com/departments/public_safety/sheriff/jail.php

Property Records:https://app.fetchgis.com/?currentMap=saginaw

Livingston County: Howell

Court Records:https://livingstonlive.livgov.com/CourtRecordValidation/

Recorder’s Office Records:https://livingstonlive.livgov.com/Deeds/

Property Records:https://www.livgov.com/gis/Pages/GIS-viewer.aspx

Muskegon County: Muskegon

Court Records: Online case search:https://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/1523/Online-Case-Search

Recorder’s Office Records:https://www.muskegonrecords.com/recorder/web/

Arrest / Mugshots Records:https://muskegon.policetocitizen.com/Inmates/Catalog

Property Records:http://www.muskegoncountygis.com/PropertyViewer/

St. Clair County: Port Huron

Court Records:https://www.stclaircounty.org/dcs/search.aspx

Recorder’s Office Records:https://www.stclaircounty.org/Offices/equalization/search.aspx

Property Records:https://maps.stclaircounty.org/Html5/index.html?viewer=Public_Pcls

Jackson County: Jackson

Court Records:https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/CaseSearch/Terms

Recorder’s Office Records:https://countyfusion3.kofiletech.us/countyweb/login.do?countyname=Jackson

Warrant List:https://1832.co.jackson.mi.us/D12/warrant/WarrantList.pdf

Property Records:http://gis.co.jackson.mi.us/Landing/

Berrien County: St. Joseph

Court Records:https://webinquiry.courts.michigan.gov/WIGroups/Agree?Name=BERRIEN

Recorder’s Office Records:https://regofdeeds.berriencounty.org/countyweb/login.do?countyname=BerrienDeeds

Arrest Records:https://www.berriencounty.org/558/Inmate-Search

Property Records:https://beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=346&LayerID=4427&PageTypeID=1&PageID=2614

Monroe County: Monroe

Court Records:https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/CaseSearch/Terms

Recorder’s Office Records:https://tapestry.fidlar.com/Tapestry2/

Property Records:https://cityofmonroegis.monroemi.gov/Apps/GISViewer/

Calhoun County: Marshall

Court Records:http://www.calhouncountymi.gov/government/district_court/register_of_actions_lookup/

Recorder’s Office Records:https://countyfusion7.kofiletech.us/countyweb/login.do?countyname=CalhounMI

Property Records:https://app.fetchgis.com/?currentMap=calhoun

Allegan County: Allegan

Recorder’s Office Records:https://bsaonline.com/?uid=380

Property Records:https://gis.allegancounty.org/portal_webadaptor/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2ec1c68c8edc4ef595f41cc10596f3eb

What can be included in a typical background check?

  • Personal info: Personal information such as your educational and work history, as well as criminal records and prior addresses, is frequently regarded as personal information.
  • Social connections: A background check also looks for social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  • Professional and civil records: Civil and professional records, such as a person's real estate and other assets, may be found in civil registry records.

What won’t a consumer background report uncover?

  • Credit score: A credit score will not generally appear on a consumer background check, but a landlord may submit a request for it.
  • Financial records: Unless you're performing a financial background check, consumer financial records aren't part of the consumer background check.
  • Medical records: Your doctor is required by law to keep your personal health records confidential.
  • Phone records: Your personal phone records will not be released, even if your cell phone numbers are revealed.

Free Background Check Michigan FAQS

Michigan vs Nationwide Background Check?

A national background check will produce data from every state in which a person may have been investigated for a reason. A state-level search will only provide information from the specific state. Although a nationwide check is simple to accomplish, it delivers a more comprehensive set of data than does a state-level search.

What Information Does a Michigan Background Check Reveal?

The report will contain whatever information is required by the type of background check requested.

A typical background check includes:

  • Court records
  • Warrants
  • Driving Records
  • Credit Reports

Convictions, whether felonies or misdemeanors

  • Arrests
  • Personal DetailsSocial Media Profiles
  • Employment Verification
  • Education InformationSex Offenses
  • Incarceration Records

How Long Does a Background Check Take in Michigan?

A background check on an internet portal may take only a few minutes, but other checks will frequently take much longer. The time it takes courthouses to process searches, especially those involving archived records, is one of the most significant bottlenecks to conducting a background check.

History of Michigan Background?

The length of time for a background check is determined by the record types and locations being checked. Different jurisdictions have varied rules regarding what sorts of information firms conducting background checks can include in their reports. Background check companies are sometimes prohibited from sharing criminal history, such as charges or convictions for felonies or misdemeanors that occurred more than seven years ago.

Free Michigan Public Records Online?

In Michigan, you can use state and local resources to acquire free public records. For example, a local sheriff's department may have an official website that provides public documents. This may be a valuable source of information when looking for arrest records in the proper county. Counties provide a variety of free public record possibilities.

How do background checks work?

Background checks contain nothing that is private. That implies it's publicly accessible. The problem there is figuring out where to look for it and having the time to do so. Background checks take care of all that data scraping for you. This may include information purchased from corporations like Facebook and Twitter. 

The other benefit is that all of the information is gathered in a handy report for quick comprehension.

How long does a background check take?

Background checks are usually required by most businesses and law enforcement agencies. Background checks generally take two to four business days but, in some circumstances, can last up to a week. In many cases, an online background check firm may give immediate access to information.

Do background checks reveal social media information?

Although Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are private social media platforms, your personal information is accessible to anybody outside of the people you allow on to see it. However, anything you published publicly before making the account private, such as old tweets indexed by Google, may still be viewed. 

Final thoughts: Free background check Michigan

The best background check services make it simple for you or your business to conduct a background check on someone. These solutions give you a reliable method to get the information you need before employing someone.

The best-rated service business, such as Truthfinder, provide high-quality and correct information, which is why it takes first place on our list. The website is simple to use and allows you to access someone's social media accounts, assets, prior locations, and other information.

You can also use Truthfinder to monitor the dark web and get the disclosure information required for legal use of the collected data.