Kalamazoo Criminal Records
Kalamazoo criminal records are public documents maintained by the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court, the 8th District Court, and the Michigan State Police. Residents and researchers can search case files online through ICHAT and MiCOURT or request records directly from the Kalamazoo Police Department and the county courthouse.
Kalamazoo Overview
Kalamazoo County Courthouse
Criminal records for the City of Kalamazoo are handled by the Kalamazoo County courts. The 9th Circuit Court takes care of felony cases, while the 8th District Court covers misdemeanors and local ordinance violations. Both courts are in downtown Kalamazoo and share the county complex. If you need a case file or a certified record copy, you go to the clerk's office at the courthouse.
| Circuit Court | 9th Circuit Court of Michigan |
|---|---|
| Address | 180 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007 |
| District Court | 8th District Court |
| County | Kalamazoo County |
| Court Website | MiCOURT Case Search |
Felony convictions and circuit court case files are public records under Michigan law. You can search by name or case number through MiCOURT, which covers both circuit and district court cases across the state. The system is free to use and updated regularly. Copies of court documents may carry a fee when ordered from the clerk's office in person.
View Kalamazoo County Criminal Records for more on the county court system, clerk contact details, and how to access records by mail or in person.
Kalamazoo Police Department
The Kalamazoo Police Department is the main law enforcement agency in the city. Officers generate arrest records, incident reports, and booking documents that become part of the public record. The department handles records requests under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act.
| Department | Kalamazoo Police Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 150 E. Crosstown Pkwy., Kalamazoo, MI 49001 |
| Phone | (269) 337-8994 |
| Non-Emergency | 911 (emergency only) |
| Website | kalamazoocity.org/police |
Arrest records created by Kalamazoo Police are forwarded to the Michigan State Police criminal history database. Once a case goes through the court system, those records also appear in MiCOURT. Not all arrests lead to charges, and not all charges end in conviction. The record type you need determines which agency you contact first.
The City Clerk's office at 241 W. South St., (269) 337-8793, can also help with certain municipal records and direct you to the right department for your request. The city's main website at kalamazoocity.org has forms and contact info for various departments.
How to Search Kalamazoo Criminal Records
Michigan gives you several ways to search criminal records tied to Kalamazoo. The main state tool is ICHAT, which stands for Internet Criminal History Access Tool. It pulls from the Michigan State Police database and covers arrests, convictions, and dispositions statewide. You can access it at apps.michigan.gov/ichat. A small fee applies per search.
MiCOURT is the second major tool. It's free and covers court-level case data including charges, hearing dates, and case outcomes. The system at micourt.courts.michigan.gov lets you search by name, case number, or date range. This works well for looking up specific cases tied to the 9th Circuit or 8th District Court. You don't need to create an account to search.
For sex offender information, the Michigan Sex Offender Registry is a separate system. Check it at michigan.gov/psor. That database is free and searchable by name or address. Kalamazoo has a significant registered population, so this is worth checking when doing a thorough background review.
The Michigan Department of Corrections also runs an offender tracking system called OTIS. You can use it at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2 to find people who are currently incarcerated or on parole. It shows prison facility, offense type, and sentence length for state inmates.
The screenshot below shows the MiCOURT case search interface, which covers Kalamazoo court records along with the rest of the state.
The Michigan Department of Corrections OTIS portal tracks state inmates and parolees, including those with ties to Kalamazoo. Search by name at mdocweb.state.mi.us/otis2.
FOIA Requests in Kalamazoo
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, found at MCL 15.231, gives the public the right to request records from government agencies. In Kalamazoo, you can submit FOIA requests to the police department, the city clerk, or the county. Agencies have 5 business days to respond. They can extend that window by 10 more days with written notice.
To get arrest reports, incident records, or booking information from Kalamazoo Police, submit a written FOIA request to the department at 150 E. Crosstown Pkwy. Include the date of the incident, the name of the person involved, and any case or report number if you have it. The police department may charge for search time and copies. Standard FOIA fees apply under state law.
For state-level background check records, the Michigan State Police processes FOIA requests through its own portal. Visit michigan.gov/msp/services/foia for forms and submission instructions. MSP holds the master criminal history database for the state, so requests there tend to be more complete than local police records alone.
Note: MCL 15.243 lists exemptions to FOIA. Some records may be withheld if they relate to ongoing investigations or if disclosure would interfere with law enforcement. Juvenile records are typically not public under Michigan law.
The MSP FOIA portal at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia handles statewide criminal history requests and is a good starting point for records tied to any Michigan city, including Kalamazoo.
Legal Aid and Record Expungement in Kalamazoo
Michigan allows people to expunge certain criminal records under MCL 780.621. The law was expanded in 2021 to cover more offense types and allow automatic expungement for some low-level cases. If you have a Kalamazoo criminal record and want to know if you qualify, legal aid organizations in the area can help you figure that out at no cost.
Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and local nonprofits offer limited legal help for expungement matters. The Michigan Legal Help website at courts.michigan.gov has self-help guides and court forms you can use on your own. Kalamazoo County has legal aid resources available for residents who cannot afford an attorney. Reaching out early matters because expungement takes time and several steps to complete.
That site pulls from multiple public data sources and can give you a starting point before you go to official channels.Kalamazoo County Criminal Records
The City of Kalamazoo sits within Kalamazoo County. All felony cases go through the 9th Circuit Court, and the county clerk maintains the official court records. For full county-level details including courthouse hours, clerk contact, and how to get certified copies, visit the Kalamazoo County page.