Access Mackinac County DUI Records

Mackinac County DUI records are filed and maintained through the 11th Judicial Circuit Court and the 92nd District Court in St. Ignace, the county seat. Michigan uses the term OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) under MCL 257.625 for drunk driving offenses, so DUI and OWI refer to the same types of cases in this county. Mackinac County sits at the northern tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and includes Mackinac Island, adding some geographic complexity to enforcement. This page explains how to find OWI records, which courts hold them, and what statewide tools are available.

11th Judicial Circuit Court

The 11th Judicial Circuit Court in St. Ignace handles all felony OWI cases originating in Mackinac County. The 11th Circuit covers three UP counties: Mackinac, Luce, and Schoolcraft. Each county has its own clerk's office and maintains its own docket, but they share the circuit designation. Mackinac County's circuit court matters are heard at the courthouse at 100 S. Marley St in St. Ignace.

Felony OWI cases here follow the same standards as the rest of Michigan. A third-offense OWI is a felony. Michigan's removal of the 10-year lookback rule in 2007 means any prior OWI counts, no matter how old. Two prior convictions anywhere in Michigan plus a new arrest equals a felony charge in the Mackinac County circuit court. OWI causing death and OWI causing serious injury are also felony-level charges that come to this court.

Circuit court records in Mackinac County are accessible to the public. You can search cases through MiCOURT online, which shows charges, court dates, and dispositions. For full document access or certified copies, you need to contact the clerk's office directly. The clerk maintains the official case files and can help with in-person or written requests during business hours.

Felony OWI sentencing in circuit court can include prison time, supervised probation, electronic monitoring, vehicle immobilization, and mandatory alcohol treatment. These sentencing details become part of the public court record. The circuit court also handles post-conviction matters like probation violations, sentence modifications, and appeals from district court decisions.

The Mackinac County courthouse in St. Ignace handles all circuit and district court OWI matters for the county. The St. Ignace location is accessible from both the Upper Peninsula mainland and, via ferry, from Mackinac Island during navigation season.

92nd District Court OWI Records

The 92nd District Court in St. Ignace processes first and second-offense OWI charges for Mackinac County. Like the circuit court, the 92nd District Court serves Luce and Schoolcraft counties as well, but Mackinac County's records are maintained separately. Misdemeanor OWI cases make up the bulk of DUI filings in this county.

A first-offense OWI with a standard BAC reading (0.08% to 0.16%) is filed as a misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is 93 days in jail and a $500 fine. A first offense at 0.17% BAC or higher gets charged under the Super Drunk provision, doubling the potential jail time to 180 days and increasing fines to $700. Second-offense OWI comes with mandatory minimum jail time and a longer license revocation period.

MiCOURT lets you search 92nd District Court cases at no cost. The system uses case codes to identify drunk driving filings: OD for standard OWI cases, SD for Super Drunk. These codes help when you want to look specifically at drunk driving matters rather than all district court filings. Results show the defendant's name, charges, and case status. For copies of actual documents, you need to contact the court clerk.

Statewide Search Tools for Mackinac County OWI Cases

Michigan's statewide search tools cover Mackinac County cases the same way they cover all 83 counties. MiCOURT is the free starting point for case lookups. ICHAT provides a full criminal history report. OTIS shows current supervision status under MDOC. Each serves a different need.

MiCOURT is best when you already have a name or case number and want to check current case status or recent history. The system is updated regularly and reflects the courts' live data. ICHAT is the better tool when you need a comprehensive view of someone's criminal record, including OWI convictions from multiple counties or from years past. The Michigan State Police maintains the underlying criminal history database that ICHAT draws from.

OTIS is specifically for checking whether someone is currently under MDOC supervision, which happens after a felony OWI conviction that results in prison time or MDOC-supervised probation. Misdemeanor OWI cases result in local, county-level probation that does not appear in OTIS. For those cases, MiCOURT or ICHAT are the right tools. If you are unsure which applies, start with MiCOURT for free and move to ICHAT if you need more detail.

Mackinac County Sheriff's Office Records

The Mackinac County Sheriff's Office is located at 100 S. Marley St in St. Ignace, sharing the courthouse address. The sheriff patrols the county's mainland areas and coordinates with other agencies for law enforcement on Mackinac Island. The Michigan State Police also operates in this region. OWI arrests by the sheriff or MSP in Mackinac County result in cases filed in St. Ignace with the 92nd District Court or 11th Circuit Court.

Sheriff's records are subject to FOIA under MCL 15.231. Written requests for arrest reports and incident records can be submitted to the office. The five-business-day response window applies. Fees for FOIA responses are set under Michigan law and will depend on how much material is involved. The sheriff's office can deny requests for records that fall under specific exemptions, but basic arrest information is generally releasable.

Remember that an arrest for OWI does not mean a conviction. Charges can be reduced, dismissed, or result in acquittal. For conviction confirmation, ICHAT or MiCOURT are more reliable than arrest records. Sheriff's office records are most useful when you want to understand the facts of an OWI stop or arrest before charges were filed.

Reach the Mackinac County Sheriff at 906-643-2352. Written FOIA requests should go to 100 S. Marley St, St. Ignace, MI 49781. If your request is expected to cost more than a minimal amount, the office will notify you in advance.

The Mackinac County Sheriff's Office works with the Michigan State Police and tribal law enforcement agencies that operate in parts of this county, all of which may contribute OWI arrests to the court system in St. Ignace.

Michigan OWI Law and Mackinac County Cases

All OWI cases in Mackinac County are filed under MCL 257.625. The law defines OWI, sets BAC thresholds, and establishes penalties for each offense level. Standard OWI applies at 0.08% BAC. OWVI under MCL 257.625(3) is a lesser impaired driving charge that does not require meeting the 0.08% threshold; it applies when visible impairment is present. OWVI carries lighter penalties but still results in a conviction on both the criminal and driving records.

The Super Drunk threshold of 0.17% BAC applies statewide including in Mackinac County. A first Super Drunk offense is a misdemeanor but brings up to 180 days in jail and a one-year license suspension. The standard first OWI carries only a 93-day maximum. Super Drunk cases also involve ignition interlock requirements as a condition of any restricted license during the suspension period. Drivers under 21 face charges at 0.02% BAC under the zero-tolerance law. Commercial drivers must stay below 0.04%.

Implied consent under MCL 257.625c means every driver in Michigan has implicitly agreed to a chemical test when lawfully arrested. Refusing to take a breath or blood test leads to an automatic one-year license suspension processed by the Secretary of State, separate from the criminal case. This administrative suspension runs whether the OWI charge is ultimately sustained or not, unless the driver wins an appeal.

Michigan's Clean Slate law opened expungement as a possibility for first-time OWI offenders beginning in 2021. After five years from sentencing, eligible individuals can petition the court to have the conviction expunged from the criminal record. The SOS driving record, however, retains the OWI conviction permanently even after expungement. The Road to Restoration program covers license reinstatement after OWI-related revocations.

Driving Records and OWI History

The Michigan Secretary of State keeps a permanent driving record for every driver in the state. An OWI conviction from Mackinac County will appear on that record and will not come off, even after a Clean Slate expungement of the criminal record. The driving record covers license suspensions, revocations, points, and conviction history. Insurance companies frequently use this record when setting rates after an OWI conviction.

You can access your own driving record through the Michigan SOS website for a fee. Certified copies are available at a higher cost. Mackinac County residents who lost their license to revocation due to multiple OWI convictions need a formal Driver Assessment and Appeal Division hearing before the SOS will restore their driving privileges. These hearings require documentation of sobriety and rehabilitation.

The MSP Criminal History Record is the other main database for OWI conviction information. ICHAT draws from this database and shows results from all 83 counties. Combining a MiCOURT search for current cases with an ICHAT lookup for historical convictions and an SOS driving record check gives the most complete picture available to the public for Mackinac County OWI records.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Mackinac County and handle OWI cases through their own courts.