Search Ingham County DUI Records
Ingham County DUI records are accessible online through the county's own court record search portal, as well as through MiCOURT and ICHAT. The 30th Circuit Court and three district courts handle OWI cases for Lansing, East Lansing, Mason, and surrounding areas. This page walks through where to look, what each tool covers, and how Michigan OWI law applies to cases filed in Ingham County.
Ingham County Overview
Ingham County DUI Records Online Search Portal
Ingham County operates its own court record search at courts.ingham.org/CourtRecordSearch/. This is one of the more capable county-level search tools in Michigan. To search criminal records, including OWI cases, you need to select the correct court, enter at least two letters of the last name, and include a date of birth. Criminal cases go back to 2000. Other civil cases in the system go back to 1986. The search is free and does not require an account.
For a statewide search, MiCOURT covers all Ingham County courts in one query. Search by name or case number. Case codes that identify OWI cases are SD (Statute Drunk Driving), OD (Ordinance Drunk Driving), and FD (Felony Drunk Driving). MiCOURT shows open and closed cases and is also free. Use both the county portal and MiCOURT when you want to be thorough, since each may display slightly different data or cover different time ranges.
ICHAT is the paid option. At $10 per search at apps.michigan.gov/ICHAT, it pulls official conviction records from the Michigan State Police criminal history database. ICHAT shows all OWI convictions statewide, including those from Ingham County courts. It does not show pending cases or arrests without conviction. For people with records in multiple counties, ICHAT is the most efficient single-search option.
Note: The Ingham County court search requires a date of birth for criminal record lookups, so have that information ready before you start.
Ingham County Court System for OWI Cases
Ingham County has four courts that handle OWI charges. The split between misdemeanor and felony OWI follows state law under MCL 257.625. First and second offense OWI cases are misdemeanors and go to a district court. Third offense and above, and OWI causing death or serious injury, are felonies and go to the 30th Circuit Court.
The 30th Circuit Court is the main court for felony OWI in Ingham County. It sits at 313 W. Kalamazoo Street in Lansing, (517) 483-6500. The full courts website at courts.ingham.org covers both Circuit Court and district court information. Records available there include felony OWI cases with the complete docket, including arraignment, motions, and sentencing. The county court search portal links from this same website.
The 54A District Court in Lansing is at 124 W. Michigan Avenue, (517) 483-4400. Its page is at courts.ingham.org/54A/. This court handles OWI cases for Lansing and surrounding areas. The 54B District Court in East Lansing is at 101 Linden Street, (517) 319-6800. Its site is at cityofeastlansing.com and it offers MiCOURT case search access. The 55th District Court in Mason handles the more rural parts of the county. It is at 101 E. Maple Street in Mason, (517) 676-8226.
| 30th Circuit Court | 313 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, MI 48933 | (517) 483-6500 |
|---|---|
| 54A District Court | 124 W. Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933 | (517) 483-4400 |
| 54B District Court | 101 Linden Street, East Lansing, MI 48823 | (517) 319-6800 |
| 55th District Court | 101 E. Maple Street, Mason, MI 48854 | (517) 676-8226 |
| County Courts Website | courts.ingham.org |
Ingham County Court Records Access
The Ingham County courts website at courts.ingham.org is the primary online destination for OWI record searches in the county, offering both a public case search tool and court-specific information.
The resource shown above covers both the court-level access point and sheriff-level information for Ingham County OWI and DUI records.
The Ingham County Sheriff's Office is at 630 N. Cedar Street in Mason, (517) 676-2431. The sheriff's office handles arrests in unincorporated parts of Ingham County. Arrest records from the sheriff can be requested under FOIA at MCL 15.231, which requires a five business day response. The Michigan State Police also processes FOIA requests at their FOIA office page.
Michigan OWI Law and Ingham County Cases
Michigan uses OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) rather than DUI as the legal term. The offense is defined in MCL 257.625. Standard OWI is a BAC at or above 0.08%. The High BAC (Super Drunk) offense applies at 0.17% and carries enhanced penalties including longer license suspension and mandatory ignition interlock. Under-21 drivers face a Zero Tolerance law at 0.02%, and commercial drivers must stay under 0.04%.
OWVI (Operating While Visibly Impaired) is a lesser charge with no BAC threshold. It requires showing that the driver's ability to operate a vehicle was visibly affected by alcohol or drugs. Prosecutors sometimes charge OWVI when BAC evidence is weak or as a negotiated reduction. OWPD (Operating With Presence of Drugs) applies to any Schedule 1 controlled substance and requires no proof of impairment. Finding any trace of the substance is enough for the charge. All three types appear in Ingham County DUI records across the 54A, 54B, and 55th District Courts.
Michigan eliminated the 10-year lookback period in 2007, so every prior OWI conviction counts as a prior forever. A third OWI is always a felony, even if the earlier two happened decades ago. In Ingham County, that means the 30th Circuit Court handles cases from people whose first offense might have been in the 1990s. The statute's current text at legislature.mi.gov reflects this permanent lookback rule.
Implied consent under MCL 257.625c through 625e makes chemical test refusal a separate administrative offense. A first refusal brings a one-year license suspension. A second refusal within seven years brings two years. These go on the driving record held by the Secretary of State and are independent of whatever happens in the criminal OWI case at court.
Driving Records and OWI Consequences in Ingham County
An OWI conviction in Ingham County leaves two permanent marks. One is on the criminal history, accessible through ICHAT. The other is on the driving record, maintained by the Michigan Secretary of State. Request a driving record at michigan.gov/sos. These are two separate records with different agencies, and you may need both if you want the full story of an OWI case.
Driver Responsibility Fees for an OWI conviction total $2,000. The $1,000 annual fee runs for two years. This is in addition to any court-imposed fines or costs. For repeat OWI convictions, license revocation is likely. Reinstatement after revocation in Ingham County requires going through the Road to Restoration program. This involves a formal hearing with the Driver Assessment and Appeal Division and proof of sustained sobriety.
Ingham County sits in the state capital region, and the Michigan State Police impaired driving page publishes annual enforcement data that includes Ingham County statistics. The MSP is headquartered in Lansing, making this county a center for state-level OWI policy work. For people with felony OWI convictions currently in prison or on parole, OTIS at michigan.gov/corrections provides public search access by name.
Note: Driver Responsibility Fees apply on top of court fines and are collected by the Secretary of State, not the court.
Cities in Ingham County
Lansing is the county seat and the qualifying city in Ingham County with its own DUI records page.
Nearby Counties
Ingham County is in south-central Michigan. These neighboring counties have their own circuit courts and OWI records.