Hiring a new employee is one of the most common reasons for using Michigan public records. A small business may prefer to take advantage of the free information available online instead of hiring another company to perform this service.

Finding an applicant with the right job qualifications is only part of the hiring process. Background checks should be essential because the employer can be held responsible for an employee’s actions on the job. Free Michigan divorce records can help identify individuals that could be a poor choice due to their credit or criminal history. Employers must also specifically check people who will be working with children or the elderly for any history of abuse.

There are three types of public records of particular interest when performing background checks:

1. Credit reports that show current lines of credit, payment histories and Michigan bankruptcy records.

2. Michigan vital records that show past convictions, births or divorces. These may also be useful in determining criminal history, residency requirements and alimony payments.

3. Registered sex offender lists. Michigan requires convicted sex offenders to be kept on a list for a specified period after their conviction.

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Use public records in Michigan to get general information on individuals

A Michigan record can include information on births, deaths and divorces. Many cities and counties in Michigan have websites with this information that is freely available to the general public.

I recommend: Oakland County allows you to order vital records such as birth, death and marriage certificates. The county clerk of Marquette County provides a variety of public records including vital records and criminal records.

Use Michigan court records to get information on criminal history

Law enforcement agencies keep criminal records which may be publicly available. Laws vary widely by state as to the specific information you will be able to obtain. Some government agencies may also charge fees.

I recommend: The Michigan State Police provides procedures to search criminal history records with and without fingerprints. You can also perform a background check with the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) once you register.

Use Michigan criminal records to conduct background checks

There are many sites dedicated to performing background checks for prospective employees. These checks can also include Social Security number verification, education verification and reference checks.

I recommend: BackgroundCheckUnlimited.com offers a search in Michigan by first and last name and also provides resources related to background checks. Intelius allows you to perform background check in Michigan by name and social security number.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual you are seeking public records for Michigan for. Job applicants will need to provide this information on the application form or on a separate form for the background check. Individuals must also grant permission for a background check in most cases.

New hires represent a blank slate. If your business is in Michigan, or a potential employee is from Michigan, gaining information from Michigan court records can alert your human resources department to criminal pasts, court orders to garnish future wages, or potential trouble from ex-spouses.

Companies can be held responsible for on-the-job problems, but such problems can be revealed and prevented by a simple background check. Particularly if your business is in the sensitive position of dealing with children, checking Michigan public records is the smart course to take.

Before hiring a new employee, check Michigan court records for the following information:

1. Michigan divorce records and alimony payments;
2. Convictions;
3. Lawsuits listed in Michigan public court records;
4. Garnishing wages.

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Contact county courts to access Michigan court records

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act allows for the disclosure of public records by all public agencies in the state, including those related to court cases. Because all courts keep records of their proceedings, it is possible to request court records.

I recommend: If the employee’s residence in Michigan is known, it is possible to contact the local court to inquire about the person. All Michigan court records are not available online. Consult this list of courts by county. You can also check local trial courts.

Pay an online service to get public records in Michigan

Online services can save you time in uncovering information and are usually quicker and easier than contacting the courts. The fee is usually worth the investment. The down side is that not all online services are equal in terms of actual information provided.

I recommend: Check Net Detective, a favorite of law enforcement officials, journalists and employers. Another useful site is Court Records. Both come with a money-back guarantee.

Beware of using free online services to acquire Michigan public records

In this case, you can get what you pay for. If you access fraudulent or outdated information, you could land in trouble for refusing employment. Consider the time and money involved with a private detective's work, and you have some idea of the effort required to compile accurate court information.

I recommend: Check Rhino Reviews or Hot Four for current reviews of public records services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be aware that counties can charge for labor as well as copying fees for public records in Michigan, according to state law. Ask first about fees; online services may be cheaper.
• •  Develop a plan ahead of time to deal with personnel issues if you uncover information in Michigan public court records that will affect someone's employment.

Making the most of Michigan public records will require you to have a guide or referral. You can conduct Internet searches of many government agencies for free but you will spend a lot of time looking at irrelevant links and websites if you have no idea where to start.

You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual or property you are seeking Michigan court records on. For example, if you are seeking information on an individual, it will be helpful to know some addresses where that person has previously lived.

There are three general types of public records in Michigan:

1. Michigan criminal records that include files on registered sex offenders, past convictions or current information on current inmates in a particular prison. These records can help you investigate individuals such as prospective employees.

2. Michigan vital records such as census records, consumer protection information or legislation minutes. You may find these records helpful when researching a product or political candidate.

3. Real estate records like property appraisals, ownership and taxes. These types of records can be useful when buying or selling a home.

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Find Michigan public court records from local government agencies

City and county clerks in Michigan can frequently provide a great deal of current information on an individual when you know their name and address.

I recommend: The Michigan courts website lists the courts in Michigan and also has a site search. The Official State of Michigan Portal provides a list of each city in Michigan along with the county and website when available.

Learn more about the laws regarding Michigan public records

The records that are publicly available vary widely by state. You will want to have at least a general idea of what information you can expect to find before conducting your search.

I recommend: The Office of the Attorney General for Michigan provides links to various documents regarding Freedom of Information Acts. The Department of State for Michigan offers instructions on how to obtain a driving record in Michigan.

Perform searches of specific databases of Michigan public records

Many cities and counties in Michigan maintain a variety of records on individuals and property that are freely available to the general public.

I recommend: Saginaw County has unofficial public records available online and official records are available at the County Clerk’s office. The Macomb County Clerk has Michigan divorce records available in addition to other vital records for Macomb County.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Exhaust free sources of information before you consider paying for Michigan birth records. Sites that charge a fee may only provide information you could obtain elsewhere for free. Fortunately, libraries frequently subscribe to services that you would normally need to pay a fee to access. You should also bear in mind that many public records are simply not available online.

Doing a search for public records can often be a daunting task. These types of searches are done for various reasons such as background checks for possible employment, business and professional license validation, birth and death records, criminal convictions, alimony and divorce records, lawsuits and wage garnishments.

What used to be an exhaustive effort of research is now much easier and, in most cases, free. The following types of records are available to the general public.

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Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS)

All serious misdemeanor and felonies which are punishable by over 93 days are reported to the state information repository by courts, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, and in all Michigan counties. You can search this information in the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS).

I recommend: The Michigan Department of Corrections explains what OTIS is and what information it provides.

Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry

The Michigan State Police maintain a public registry of sex offenders, which provides the people of Michigan with an appropriate and comprehensive means of monitoring people who pose a potential threat to the community.

I recommend: The Michigan State Police provides a detailed overview of the sex offender registry and how to search and utilize it in order to conduct an online inquiry.

Unclaimed property

Unclaimed property refers to a huge amount of lost or forgotten assets from bank accounts, expired safe deposit boxes, stocks and uncashed checks. They are turned over to the Michigan Department of Treasury, which becomes the custodian of these types of assets while they attempt to return them to the rightful owners.

I recommend: The Michigan Department of Treasury has an extensive amount of detail on types of unclaimed property, how to search for property, and how to claim that property if it is yours.

Unclaimed child support

Child support receivers are required to give their current address and any change of address to the Court. Sometimes addresses are not up to date and when child support funds are received, they are unable to be forwarded to the appropriate recipients. The State holds these unclaimed monies for one year and then sends them to the Department of Treasury's unclaimed property area.

I recommend: The Michigan.gov website provides information for those who may receive support but may not have claimed it all. It offers an online search for these funds as long as the appropriate information is provided.

Center for Educational Performance and Information

The Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) maintains and reports data regarding Michigan's K-12 public schools including information about students, individual schools, and educational staff and personnel. This data helps to determine the adequate yearly progress, state school aid payments, accreditation, teacher qualifications and graduation/dropout rates.

I recommend: Visit the Center for Educational Performance and Information website for more information.

Michigan State Bar Association

The State Bar Association helps to promote many different types of administrative improvements in the justice system in Michigan by improving access and education about the legal system and it's function. The Association also makes it's membership a requirement for all attorneys that are licensed to practice law in Michigan and has an active public referral system to assist consumers in finding the right lawyer.

I recommend: The State Bar of Michigan website has additional information.