Find Ann Arbor Booking Reports
Ann Arbor booking reports are public records held by the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. When someone gets arrested in Ann Arbor, they go to the Washtenaw County Jail for processing. The booking report gets created at that point. Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan and has its own police department that handles city arrests. You can search for booking reports through the county sheriff, state databases like OTIS and ICHAT, or by filing a FOIA request. Start your search below or read on for all the details about getting Ann Arbor booking records.
Ann Arbor Quick Facts
Ann Arbor Booking Reports Search
The Ann Arbor Police Department handles most arrests in the city. The University of Michigan also has its own police force that makes arrests on campus and nearby areas. Both agencies transport arrestees to the Washtenaw County Jail. That is where booking happens. Staff log the person's name, charges, date of birth, arrest details, and booking number into the system.
You can call the Washtenaw County Sheriff at (734) 994-2911 to ask about someone's booking status. They can tell you if a person is in custody and what charges they face. For written records, you need to file a FOIA request with the sheriff's office. Include the person's full name and date of birth in your request. A date range helps narrow things down if you are looking for an older Ann Arbor booking report.
Washtenaw County does not have the same kind of public inmate search portal that some larger counties offer. That means phone calls and written requests are often the fastest way to get booking data for Ann Arbor arrests. The 1987 case Detroit Free Press v. Oakland County Sheriff confirmed that booking photos and intake data are not shielded by privacy exemptions, so agencies cannot deny your request on those grounds. Ann Arbor booking reports fall under the same rule.
FOIA and Ann Arbor Records
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL 15.231 through 15.246 covers all booking reports in Washtenaw County. Any person can request these records. You do not have to explain why you want them. Send a written request to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's office with the details of what you are looking for. The law gives them five business days to respond. They can charge fees for search time and copies. The first $20 gets waived for people who qualify based on income.
The Ann Arbor Police Department also takes FOIA requests for records they created. This includes arrest reports, incident reports, and other documents from AAPD officers. The arrest report and the booking report are different records. The arrest report comes from the officer. The booking report comes from the jail. For Ann Arbor cases, you may need to contact both the city police and the county sheriff to get everything. MCL 750.491 says that all official records created by state agencies belong to the people of Michigan, and that includes booking records from Ann Arbor and every other city.
The Michigan Legislature website has the full text of FOIA and related statutes if you want to read the exact language.
Note: Under MCL 750.492, records custodians must give the public at least four hours of daily access to inspect records or they face misdemeanor charges.
Ann Arbor Court Records
The 15th District Court serves Ann Arbor. It handles misdemeanor cases, arraignments, and preliminary hearings. Felony cases move up to the Washtenaw County Circuit Court. Both courts keep records that connect to booking reports. A case number from the court matches up with the booking number from the jail. Together, these records tell the full story of an arrest from intake to outcome.
The Michigan Courts website has general information about courts across the state. For Ann Arbor cases, the 15th District Court clerk handles records requests. You can visit the clerk's office in person to look up case files, dockets, and hearing schedules. Some information may also be available through online court search tools. Under MCL 750.492, court clerks must provide public access during regular business hours.
Court records are particularly useful when a booking report does not tell you enough. The court file has the full disposition, sentencing details, and any probation terms that came out of an Ann Arbor arrest.
State Databases for Ann Arbor Booking Reports
OTIS is free and run by the Michigan Department of Corrections. It tracks prison inmates, parolees, and people on probation. Search by name or MDOC number. Records stay for three years after supervision ends. OTIS does not cover county jail inmates, so someone in the Washtenaw County Jail waiting for trial will not appear.
ICHAT costs $10 per search. The Michigan State Police maintain it. ICHAT shows felony and serious misdemeanor convictions statewide. You need a name and date of birth. It will not show pending cases or juvenile records. For Ann Arbor cases that ended in conviction, ICHAT fills in the gaps that local tools miss. MI-VINE is free and tracks custody changes. You can sign up for alerts about releases, transfers, and court dates for anyone in Washtenaw County. The Sex Offender Registry is another public tool that shows registrants by location.
Michigan's Clean Slate program may affect some older Ann Arbor booking reports. If a conviction gets expunged, the related booking record can be sealed from public view.
Nearby Cities
Ann Arbor connects to several other qualifying cities across southeast and central Michigan. These cities route their booking reports through their own county jail systems.