Search Ingham County Court Records

Ingham County court records are kept across two courthouses, one in Lansing and one in Mason. The 30th Circuit Court is the main trial court and it serves the most populous county in Michigan's Lower Peninsula outside of the metro Detroit area. You can search Ingham County court records online through MiCOURT or the county's own search portal. This page covers the courts, how to search, what records contain, and where to get help.

Ingham County Court System

Ingham County has a dual courthouse system. The 30th Circuit Court operates from two locations: the Veterans Memorial Courthouse at 313 W. Kalamazoo in Lansing, and the Mason courthouse at 101 E. Maple St. in Mason, which is the official county seat. Most major civil and criminal matters are handled in Lansing because of the city's larger population and caseload. If you are not sure which building handles your case, call the clerk at (517) 676-7201.

The county also has three District Courts. The 54A District Court serves Lansing at 124 W. Michigan Ave. The 54B District Court serves Mason at 101 E. Maple St. The 55th District Court handles cases from East Lansing and some surrounding areas at 700 N. Clippert. Each handles misdemeanors, traffic cases, and civil matters under $25,000. The Probate Court is at the Lansing courthouse and handles estates, guardianships, and probate matters.

County Clerk Barb Byrum manages the official county records office. You can reach that office at (517) 676-7201. The Ingham County website has full department listings, contact pages, and links to county services.

The Ingham County homepage provides access to county department contacts, including the clerk's office and the 30th Circuit Court information.

Search Ingham County Court Records Online

Ingham County offers two online search options for court records. The first is MiCOURT, Michigan's statewide tool. Go to micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/ and select Ingham County to search by name or case number. The second is the county's own portal at courts.ingham.org/CourtRecordSearch/, which covers records from the Ingham County court system directly. Both are free and open to the public.

One thing to keep in mind: PPO records, which are personal protection orders, are not available online in Ingham County. If you need to look up a PPO, you have to contact the court in person or by phone. This is a local policy specific to Ingham County courts. All other standard case types, including criminal, civil, and family cases, appear in both the statewide MiCOURT system and the county's own search portal.

Under MCL 15.232, Michigan court records are presumed public. Ingham County courts follow this rule along with MCR 8.119 and MCR 1.109, which set standards for record keeping and access. The Michigan Constitution Article 1, Section 23 also protects the right to open courts.

The Ingham County courts website at courts.ingham.org provides case search access, court contacts, and local filing information for the Lansing and Mason courthouses.

The Ingham County Court Record Search portal at courts.ingham.org/CourtRecordSearch/ lets you look up cases directly from the county's own database.

What Ingham County Court Records Contain

Court records in Ingham County hold all the documents filed during a case. For a criminal case, that means the complaint, arraignment record, bail information, motions, plea or verdict, and sentencing order. Civil case files have the complaint, the answer, any motions, discovery records where allowed, and the final judgment. Each type of case adds its own layer of documents. Family law cases include divorce petitions, parenting plans, child support worksheets, and property settlement agreements.

Because Ingham County includes the state capital, Lansing, the courts also handle a higher volume of cases than most Michigan counties outside of the major metro areas. This means a wide variety of case types appear in the records, from routine traffic matters in the District Courts to complex civil litigation in the Circuit Court. Probate Court records cover wills admitted to probate, estate inventories, guardianship petitions, and final accounting documents.

Personal protection order records exist in the system but are not viewable online, as noted above. If you need a PPO record, call the Circuit Court at (517) 483-6500 or visit the courthouse. All other records follow the standard public access rules under MCR 8.119.

Note: Financial documents in family and probate cases may be partially redacted to protect account numbers and other sensitive personal data under MCR 1.109.

Fees for Ingham County Court Records

Plain copies of Ingham County court records cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies are $10.00 plus $1.00 per page. These fees apply at all Ingham County courts. You pay at the clerk's window when you pick up your copies. For mail-in requests, include a check made out to the court, your record request in writing, and a return envelope with postage. Online searches are always free.

If you qualify as low income, you can request a fee waiver under MCL 600.880b. Ask the clerk for the fee waiver form, fill it out, and submit it with your record request. The court will review your financial information and let you know if you qualify. Court forms are available at no cost from courts.michigan.gov/forms/.

The Michigan Courts fee schedule page lists standard copy and filing fees that apply to Ingham County courts and all other Michigan courts statewide.

Legal Help in Ingham County

Ingham County residents have access to several legal aid and self-help resources. Michigan Legal Help offers free guides, forms, and a referral tool for connecting with local legal aid. It covers family law, housing, consumer debt, and other civil legal matters. The site is built for people without lawyers and uses plain language throughout.

For eFiling, go to mifile.courts.michigan.gov. This system covers many case types in Ingham County. The Michigan Courts site has court rules and contacts for all Ingham County courts. Court forms are free to download at courts.michigan.gov/forms/. If you need to visit in person, the Lansing courthouse is open weekdays and staff can direct you to the right office for your case type.

Cities in Ingham County

Lansing is the largest city in Ingham County and the state capital of Michigan. Court records for Lansing residents are filed at the Ingham County courts in Lansing or Mason.

Other communities in Ingham County include East Lansing, Mason, Okemos, and Holt. Cases from all of these areas are filed at the 30th Circuit Court or the applicable District Court in the county.

Nearby Counties

Ingham County is in central Michigan. These bordering counties have their own court systems and records.