Clare County, Michigan Court Records

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    Clare County operates a three-court structure — the 55th Circuit Court, the 80th District Court, and the Clare/Gladwin Probate Court — all housed at the Clare County Courthouse in Harrison. Whether you're running a background check, researching a civil dispute, or managing an estate, knowing how the county's court system is organized is the first step toward finding the documents you need.

    You can find publicly available case information through official court resources, clerk office requests, courthouse public access terminals, and online search tools. Michigan's statewide court portal, MichiganCourts.us, offers a searchable index of case records across participating trial courts — including Clare County — and is a practical first stop for anyone trying to identify a case by name or docket number.

    How to Look Up a Court Case in Clare County?

    The main online tool for finding Clare County court cases is the MiCOURT Case Search system maintained by Michigan's courts. This statewide portal lets you search civil, criminal, domestic/family, traffic, and probate cases by party name or case number. Not every case detail is available — certain confidential proceedings are excluded — but MiCOURT is a reliable first step for confirming whether a case exists and in which division it was filed.

    For copies of case documents, you'll need to contact the Clare County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office, which maintains Circuit Court records as the official custodian. The Clerk's office accepts both in-person visits and mail-in requests.

    To request records by mail or in person:

    1. Download and complete the File Copy Request Form from the Clare County Clerk/Register of Deeds website.
    2. Include the full case name, case number (if known), and the specific documents you're requesting.
    3. Attach payment by check or money order for the applicable copy fees.
    4. Submit your request in person or by mail to:

    Clare County Clerk/Register of Deeds
    Address: 225 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 438, Harrison, MI 48625
    Phone: (989) 539-7131 | Fax: (989) 539-6616
    Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (public vault access closes at 4:00 p.m.)

    The Clare County government website also lists contacts and links for all courts in the county, including the Friend of the Court office.

    Are Court Records Public in Clare County?

    Michigan law grants broad public access to court records. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL Act 442 of 1976, court records held by government bodies are presumptively open to any interested person, with limited statutory exceptions. One notable restriction: prison inmates are excluded from submitting FOIA requests under Michigan law.

    Several categories of records are restricted from general public access, either by statute or court rule:

    • Juvenile records — Cases involving minors are confidential under Michigan law and are not publicly accessible.
    • Sealed and expunged records — Cases sealed by court order or expunged under Michigan's Clean Slate legislation are withheld from public view.
    • Medical and mental health records — Information about a party's medical or mental health history contained in court files is protected from disclosure.
    • Active law enforcement investigations — Records that could compromise an ongoing investigation are exempt from FOIA.
    • Friend of the Court (FOC) records — FOC records are expressly excluded from FOIA under MCL 15.232(h)(iv). Access is limited to parties of record, attorneys of record, court-appointed guardians ad litem, and certain government agencies performing statutorily assigned functions.

    For FOIA requests directed to Clare County government offices (not the courts themselves), the county's FOIA Request for Public Records form is available on the county website. Clare County's FOIA policy provides the first $20.00 of each request free of charge, consistent with the Michigan FOIA statute.

    Clare County Criminal Court Records

    The 55th Circuit Court handles all felony criminal matters in Clare County, while the 80th District Court handles misdemeanor offenses, ordinance violations, and preliminary examinations for felony charges. Criminal court records from both courts include charging documents, warrants, plea records, sentencing orders, and probation records.

    55th Circuit Court
    Address: Clare County Courthouse, 225 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 438, Harrison, MI 48625
    Phone: (989) 539-7131 | Fax: (989) 539-6616
    Judges: Hon. Tara S. Hovey; Hon. Michelle J. Ambrozaitis

    Clare County 80th District Court
    Address: Clare County Courthouse, 225 W. Main Street, Harrison, MI 48625
    Phone: (989) 539-7173 | Fax: (989) 539-4036
    Judge: Hon. Joshua M. Farrell

    Criminal case records can be searched online through MiCOURT Case Search. For certified copies or complete case files, contact the Clerk's office directly.

    For criminal history background checks, use the Michigan State Police's Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT). ICHAT is the only public resource for name-based Michigan criminal history searches and charges a fee of $10.00 per search, payable by credit card. It returns publicly available conviction history compiled from law enforcement agencies statewide, including Clare County.

    For incident-level records such as accident reports, the Clare County Sheriff's Office handles those requests separately. Accident reports can be obtained through BuyCrash (LexisNexis Risk). All other Sheriff's Office records — including arrest reports — may be requested by completing a FOIA request and emailing it to vanwagnerl@clareco.net. The Clare County Sheriff's Office can be reached at (989) 539-7166. Michigan's Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) provides a searchable database of current and recent prisoners, parolees, and probationers under MDOC supervision.

    Clare County Civil Court Records

    Civil disputes in Clare County are split between two courts based on the dollar amount at issue. The 55th Circuit Court has jurisdiction over civil cases where the amount in controversy exceeds $25,000, while the 80th District Court handles civil claims up to $25,000 — including small claims matters and landlord-tenant disputes such as evictions and land contract forfeitures.

    Circuit Court civil filings typically include complaints, summonses, motions, judgments, and appeals. District Court civil records cover small claims filings, default judgments, garnishments, and civil bench warrants.

    To search civil case records online, use MiCOURT Case Search and select the Clare County court and "Civil" as the case type. You can search by party name or case number.

    To request physical copies of civil records:

    • Visit the Clare County Clerk/Register of Deeds at 225 W. Main Street, Harrison, MI 48625 during regular office hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; vault access until 4:00 p.m.).
    • Submit a completed file copy request form by mail to P.O. Box 438, Harrison, MI 48625.
    • Include payment by check or money order for copy costs.

    SCAO-approved court forms for civil matters — including personal protection order petitions — are available through the Clerk's website. The Clare County Sheriff's Office serves civil process in the county; base fees for service of process range from $8.00 to $50.00 depending on the document type, with current mileage charged at $1.005 per mile.

    Clare County Family Court Records

    Family law matters in Clare County fall under the Family Division of the 55th Circuit Court, which handles divorce, paternity, child custody, child support, spousal support, personal protection orders, adoptions, juvenile delinquency, name changes, and emancipations. The Clare County Friend of the Court (FOC) assists the court in cases involving custody, parenting time, and support matters.

    The 55th Circuit Court Friend of the Court serves both Clare and Gladwin Counties and can be reached at:

    FOC Clare County
    Address: Clare County Courthouse, 225 West Main Street, P.O. Box 988, Harrison, MI 48625
    Phone: (989) 539-0800 | Fax: (989) 539-0890

    As noted in the Public Access section above, FOC records are not subject to FOIA. Access is restricted to parties, attorneys of record, court-appointed guardians ad litem, and designated government agencies. Requests for access to FOC records must be submitted in writing using SCAO Form FOC 72, which must specify the requester's eligibility and the specific records being sought. The FOC has five business days to respond. Excluded documents include staff notes, mediation records, child protective services reports, and communications from minors.

    Copies of court orders from family proceedings are available through the County Clerk's Office at (989) 539-7131 — not the FOC itself.

    Marriage records are maintained by the Clare County Clerk/Register of Deeds. They are generally public, though certified copies are restricted to the individuals named on the record or their authorized representatives. To request a certified copy, download and complete the Application for a Certified Copy of Clare County Marriage Records or the Application for Verification of Clare County Marriage Records and submit it with payment to the Clerk at 225 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 438, Harrison, MI 48625.

    Divorce records are publicly accessible under Michigan law, though the Clerk will redact sensitive identifying details from public-facing copies. You can search divorce case records through MiCOURT Case Search or obtain certified copies from the Clerk's office.

    Birth and death records are held by the Clerk/Register of Deeds. Birth records are confidential and available only to the subject (if 18 or older), a parent named on the record, a legal guardian, or an authorized representative; they become public after 100 years. To request a birth certificate, complete the Clare County Birth Records Application and submit it with a government-issued photo ID and payment — birth certificate fees are $15.00 for the first copy and $5.00 for each additional copy ordered simultaneously. Death records may be requested using the Clare County Death Records Application; certified copies are restricted to immediate family members and authorized individuals.

    Clare County Probate Court Records

    The Clare/Gladwin Probate Court District 17 operates from the Clare County Courthouse and handles estate administration, will contests, intestate succession, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, and proceedings related to individuals who are mentally ill or developmentally disabled.

    Clare/Gladwin Probate Court District 17
    Address: Clare County Courthouse, 225 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 96, Harrison, MI 48625
    Phone: (989) 539-7109 | Fax: (989) 539-7229

    As described on Michigan Legal Help's Probate District 17 page, the Probate Court appoints guardians and conservators, administers decedent estates, and oversees trust administration. Probate proceedings are generally a matter of public record unless sealed by court order.

    To search probate case records, use the MiCOURT Case Search portal and select "Probate" as the case type for Clare County. Searches can be run by party name or case number and will typically return estate dockets, guardianship filings, and conservatorship proceedings.

    To request copies of probate records:

    • Visit or mail a request to the Clare County Clerk/Register of Deeds at 225 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 438, Harrison, MI 48625.
    • Provide the full case name, case number if available, and a description of the documents you need.
    • Include payment by check or money order for applicable copy fees.
    • Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; vault access closes at 4:00 p.m.

    Parties involved in probate proceedings — including heirs, personal representatives, and attorneys of record — may request access to specific case materials directly through the Clerk's office. The Clare County Vital Records page also provides relevant forms for matters that intersect with probate, such as death record requests needed to initiate estate administration.