Oakland County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Oakland County is a principal county of the Detroit metropolitan area, it was formed in 1819 and organized in 1820. It was created by Governor Lewis Cass, and its county seats are Pontiac and Waterford. There are an estimated 1,200,000 residents living in Oakland County, and its largest city is Troy. It is the second most populous county in Michigan aside from being one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S. in 2010. The Circuit, Probate, and District Courts perform several statutory duties in laying a foundation for a free and fair court system in service to the Oakland County population.

The Sixth Judicial Circuit Court and Probate Court are both situated in Pontiac. The Probate Court is versed in attending to guardianship, conservatorship, mental health/disability, wills, and trust cases. The Circuit Court, on the other hand, is a court of general jurisdiction serving as a court of appeal for the District Courts and Probate Court. In addition, it presides over civil and criminal matters. The District Courts have jurisdiction over landlord/tenant, small claims, civil claims, traffic, land contract forfeiture, parking violation, felony, and misdemeanor cases. Each District Court has a probation department that utilizes and coordinates appropriate community resources necessary for the rehabilitation of offenders; this serves as an alternative to sentencing. The District Courts are located in the 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 50th, 51st, and 52nd districts.

The Clerk/Register of Deeds Office in the legal records division is responsible for maintaining and recording civil, domestic, felony criminal, and business case types in Oakland County. Some of the court records are archived in the courthouse and others are electronically stored. The MiCourt Case Search (district and probate court records) web page provides the public with adequate information on court records. You can also search or purchase court records by mail or email on Court Explorer (circuit and probate courts). Mental health, juvenile, adoption, and sealed court records are inaccessible to the public without special permission. The table in this article shows the number of cases that were filed and disposed in Oakland County Circuit Court comparing FY2022 and FY2023. Total new filings for FY 2022 was 19,412 and in FY 2023, 21,349, there were more caseloads in FY 2023, suggesting an increase in crime committed by Oakland County residents. Also, there were more case dispositions in 2023 (20,225) than in 2022 (19,220).

Oakland County courts - the Circuit Court, Probate Court, and District Courts employ practical steps in curtailing the level of crime in the county. The county has made a shift from the traditional method of storing records to using modernized technology in disseminating and recording court documents. This technology is a means of assisting judges in their dealings with court caseloads and other court staff in making sure the needs of the public are met when obtaining copies of court records.