Wexford County, Michigan Court Records

Wexford County, Michigan — with Cadillac as its county seat — operates a three-tiered trial court system made up of the 28th Circuit Court, the 84th District Court, and the Wexford County Probate Court. Each of these courts generates records that litigants, attorneys, researchers, journalists, and members of the public may need at any point. Knowing which court holds which records, what access options exist, and what fees apply can save you a trip to the courthouse and a lot of wasted time.

You can locate Wexford County court records through several official channels — clerk offices at each courthouse, public access terminals on-site, and the state's online case lookup tool. If you're new to Michigan's court structure, MichiganCourts.us can help you get oriented before you contact individual offices.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Wexford County?

All three Wexford County courts are in the same building in downtown Cadillac. The Wexford County Clerk's Office handles filings for the 28th Circuit Court, while the 84th District Court and the Probate Court each have their own clerks on site.

Wexford County Courts Location Overview

Court	Phone	Fax	Email
28th Circuit Court	(231) 779-9490	(231) 306-2155	circuitcourt@wexfordcounty.org
84th District Court	(231) 779-9515	(231) 779-5396	ddecator@wexfordcounty.org
Wexford County Probate Court	(231) 779-9510	(231) 779-9485
County Clerk (Circuit Court filings)	(231) 779-9450	(231) 779-0447	clerk@wexfordcounty.org

All courts are located at:
437 East Division Street
Cadillac, MI 49601
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
(Some offices close noon–1:00 p.m.)

The Wexford County Clerk (currently Alaina M. Nyman) handles Circuit Court filings, vital records, and marriage licenses. Circuit Court filings and payments are made on the 2nd floor of the historic side of the courthouse; the courtroom is one floor above.

Online case search options:

MiCOURT Case Search — Michigan's statewide electronic case lookup system lets you search civil, traffic, criminal, domestic relations, and probate cases at no cost. This is the main free online tool for finding Wexford County case dockets.
Michigan Courts case search portal — A broader Michigan Courts interface for searching documents, case information, orders, and opinions.
Michigan Judicial Institute Interactive Court Data Dashboard — Provides case processing statistics and pending caseload data for Wexford and Missaukee Counties compared to statewide averages.

For in-person research, bring the full names of the parties, the case number if you have it, and approximate filing dates. Certified copies require payment at pickup. Mail requests should go to the appropriate court's clerk, and should include a written description of the record, a copy of valid photo ID, and a check or money order covering applicable fees.

Are Court Records Public in Wexford County?

Michigan law establishes a general right of public access to court records. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231 et seq.) and Michigan Court Rule (MCR) 8.119(H), anyone may inspect, copy, or obtain reproductions of court records upon payment of applicable fees. Non-confidential materials must be released by the Clerk's Office upon request.

Under MCR 1.109(A), court records include all recorded information created by or filed with a Michigan court — pleadings, motions, orders, judgments, exhibits, transcripts, audio or video recordings, and data compilations.

That said, MCR 8.119(H) and various Michigan statutes identify categories of records that are not available for public inspection. The most commonly restricted include:

Adoption and mediation records
Juvenile proceedings and case histories
Mental health and involuntary treatment records
Records maintained by the Friend of the Court (child support enforcement files)
Secret marriage documentation
Sealed search warrant affidavits
Wills deposited for safekeeping prior to the testator's death
Pre-sentence investigations and probation reports
Domestic violence protective order filings and related materials
Substance abuse assessment and treatment records
Name change case files
Firearms licensing proceedings
Records involving child victims or witnesses
Parental kidnapping or child endangerment records
Prosecutorial immunity agreements
Driver's license and driving history obtained from the Secretary of State
Guardianship records for legally incapacitated individuals
Sealed or redacted discovery materials
Records related to the Safe Delivery of Newborns Act
Case evaluations and acceptance or rejection notices

Anything not on that list is presumptively public. Photocopies from the County Clerk's office cost $1.00 per page. All SCAO court forms are available free through the Michigan Courts website.

Wexford County Criminal Court Records

Criminal cases in Wexford County are split between two courts based on the severity of the offense. The 28th Circuit Court handles all felony cases — those where a conviction could result in a prison sentence — along with appeals from lower courts and administrative agencies. The 84th District Court covers all criminal misdemeanors, traffic violations, and other civil infractions.

The 28th Circuit Court is a multi-county circuit covering both Wexford and Missaukee Counties, so court sessions are held in both Cadillac and Lake City, the county seats for each county.

Criminal dockets for both courts are searchable through MiCOURT Case Search. If you need certified copies of criminal judgments, sentencing orders, or other documents, contact the Wexford County Clerk (for Circuit Court matters) or the 84th District Court clerk directly.

Arrest records and current inmate information are maintained by the Wexford County Sheriff's Office, which operates separately from the courts:

Wexford County Sheriff's Office
Address: 1015 Lincoln Street, Cadillac, MI 49601
Office Phone: (231) 779-9216
Jail Phone: (231) 779-9218
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Sheriff: Trent Taylor
Website: wexfordsheriff.org

For statewide criminal history background checks, the Michigan State Police Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) lets you search felony and misdemeanor conviction records maintained by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center. The fee is $10.00 per search. ICHAT results cover Michigan records only and do not include FBI or other states' records.

Arraignments, pretrial conferences, certain plea proceedings, and non-evidentiary motions are conducted via Zoom (Meeting ID: (630) 706-0616). Trials, final pretrial conferences, sentencing hearings, and evidentiary hearings are held in person.

Wexford County Civil Court Records

Civil litigation in Wexford County is divided by the dollar amount in dispute. The 84th District Court handles civil cases involving claims up to $25,000, including landlord-tenant disputes, land contract matters, and small claims. Claims exceeding $25,000 go to the 28th Circuit Court.

84th District Court Civil and Small Claims Filing Fees:

Case Type	Fee
General Civil up to $600	$35.00
General Civil $601 to $1,750	$55.00
General Civil $1,751 to $10,000	$75.00
General Civil $10,001 to $25,000	$160.00
Small Claims up to $600 (certified mail)	$49.00
Small Claims $601 to $1,750 (certified mail)	$69.00
Small Claims $1,751 to $7,000 (certified mail)	$89.00
Landlord/Tenant possession only	$55.00
Landlord/Tenant possession + money ($600 or under)	$90.00
Landlord/Tenant possession + money ($601–$1,750)	$110.00
Landlord/Tenant possession + money ($1,751–$10,000)	$130.00
Landlord/Tenant possession + money ($10,001–$25,000)	$215.00

The maximum recoverable amount in small claims is $5,500. Attorneys may not represent parties in small claims proceedings — if you need legal representation, you'll need to file as a general civil matter instead. Service is handled either by certified restricted mail (the court prepares and mails) or by a court process server, billed separately to the plaintiff.

Key small claims and civil forms available from Michigan Courts SCAO:

28th Circuit Court Civil Filing Fees (selected):

New civil case: $175.00
Motion: $20.00
Garnishment: $15.00
Subpoena: $15.00
Certified copies: $10.00 for the first page, $1.00 per additional page

Real property records — deeds, mortgages, liens, land contracts, plats, and related instruments — are recorded and maintained by the Wexford County Register of Deeds (Roxanne Snyder), not the Circuit Clerk. The Register's online land records search is available at wexfordcountymi-web.tylerhost.net, with records indexed from January 1968 onward.

Wexford County Register of Deeds
Address: 437 East Division Street, Cadillac, MI 49601
Phone: (231) 779-9455
Fax: (231) 779-5352
Email: register@wexfordcounty.org
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Vault until 4:00 p.m.)

Recording fees at the Register of Deeds are a flat $30.00 per document for standard instruments. Track index searches cost $50.00 per hour or $25.00 per half-hour. Tax certifications — required on all warranty deeds and land contracts — cost $5.00. Copies of recorded documents are $1.00 per page.

Wexford County Family Court Records

The Family Division of the 28th Circuit Court handles all family law matters in Wexford County. That includes divorce, paternity, adoptions, personal protection orders, emancipation of minors, juvenile offenses and delinquency, juvenile guardianship, child abuse and neglect, name changes, and infectious disease treatment proceedings. The Friend of the Court office — part of the Family Division — manages domestic relations cases where minor children are involved, including child support and custody enforcement.

28th Circuit Court Family Division Filing Fees:

Divorce with minor children, custody, and support: $255.00
New civil case (general): $175.00
Friend of the Court filing fees: Contact FOC at (231) 779-9494

Marriage records are issued and maintained by the Wexford County Clerk. As of October 16, 2023, each applicant must present a certified copy of their birth certificate when applying for a marriage license. Fees are:

Marriage license — Wexford County residents: $20.00
Marriage license — out-of-state applicants: $30.00
Three-day waiver (for those who qualify): $50.00
Certified copy of marriage record: $15.00 (first copy); $5.00 each additional copy

Birth and death certificates are available from the Wexford County Clerk's Office and, for online requests, through the VitalChek Network (VitalChek charges an additional service fee). Fees at the Clerk's Office are:

Birth certificate: $15.00 (first certified copy); $5.00 each additional copy; $7.00/$5.00 for applicants age 65 and older
Death certificate: $15.00 (first certified copy); $5.00 each additional copy

Applicants must present valid government-issued photo ID. Mail requests require a photocopy of the requester's ID and a check or money order payable to the Wexford County Clerk. Genealogy searches through the Clerk's Office cost $5.00 for the first three years searched and $2.00 for each additional year.

Adoption records, name change files, and juvenile case records are confidential under MCR 8.119(H) and applicable Michigan statutes and are not released to the general public without a court order.

Wexford County Probate Court Records

The Wexford County Probate Court is a constitutionally established court with jurisdiction over a broad range of proceedings affecting the health, well-being, and property of county residents. In 1998, Michigan legislation transferred exclusive jurisdiction over adoptions, juvenile delinquency, child neglect and abuse, emancipation of minors, and name changes to the Family Division of the Circuit Court. The Probate Judge in Wexford County was subsequently designated the Presiding Judge of that Family Division — a common arrangement in northern Michigan counties.

Probate Court jurisdiction includes:

Guardianships for minors and adults
Conservatorships and protective proceedings for incapacitated individuals and minors
Guardianships for developmentally disabled adults
Administration of decedent estates (testate and intestate)
Administration of trusts
Involuntary mental health treatment proceedings

Wexford County Probate Court
Address: 437 East Division Street, Cadillac, MI 49601
Phone: (231) 779-9510
Fax: (231) 779-9485
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Thursday: Reserved exclusively for the Probate docket

The court is closed on all holidays designated by the Michigan Supreme Court, including New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and Good Friday (noon to 5:00 p.m.).

Probate case dockets are searchable through MiCOURT Case Search. If you need certified copies of estate inventories, letters of authority, wills, guardianship orders, or other probate documents, submit a request in person or by mail to the Probate Court Clerk at the address above. Include the case number, the decedent's or ward's full name, and payment for applicable copy fees. Standard certified copy fees follow the circuit court schedule: $10.00 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page.

All SCAO probate court forms are available through the Michigan Courts website at no cost. Self-represented litigants should also consult Michigan Legal Help for guidance on probate procedures before filing, as Clerk's Office staff are not permitted to provide legal advice or assist with form completion.