Access Muskegon County DUI Records
Muskegon County DUI records are held at the 14th Circuit Court and the 60th District Court, both at 990 Terrace Street in Muskegon. The circuit court takes felony OWI cases, and the district court handles first and second offense charges as misdemeanors. Michigan law calls drunk driving OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) under MCL 257.625, and all Muskegon County court filings reflect that language. Whether you need a single case lookup or a full conviction history, this guide points you to the right sources.
Muskegon County Overview
14th Circuit Court - Felony OWI Cases
The 14th Circuit Court is at 990 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49442, phone (231) 724-3331. This court handles felony OWI charges in Muskegon County, including third-offense drunk driving, OWI causing serious impairment, and OWI causing death. Michigan removed the 10-year lookback period for prior convictions in 2007, so any third OWI is a felony no matter how far apart the prior offenses were. Circuit court DUI records are more extensive than misdemeanor records and often include charging documents, pretrial motions, sentencing reports, and probation orders. When OWI also involved a fatality or serious injury, the record may run to hundreds of pages.
The free MiCOURT case search covers the 14th Circuit Court. Felony OWI cases show up under case type code FD (Felony Drunk Driving). You can search by name or case number. MiCOURT shows party information, charge codes, hearing dates, and case status. It does not provide access to actual court filings. To get documents, contact the 14th Circuit clerk's office at (231) 724-3331 or visit 990 Terrace Street in person.
The image below is from the Muskegon County government website, which provides access to court services and public records information for Muskegon County DUI records.
The county government portal at co.muskegon.mi.us links to court, sheriff, and records services across county departments.
| Court Name | 14th Circuit Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 990 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49442 |
| Phone | (231) 724-3331 |
| MiCOURT Code | FD - Felony Drunk Driving |
| Felony OWI Types | 3rd offense, OWI causing serious injury, OWI causing death |
60th District Court Muskegon County DUI Records
The 60th District Court is at 990 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49442, phone (231) 724-3333. It handles misdemeanor OWI cases, which cover first and second offense drunk driving. The court processes standard OWI at 0.08% or above, High BAC (Super Drunk) at 0.17% or more, OWVI (Operating While Visibly Impaired), and OWPD (Operating With Presence of Drugs). These charge types all produce court records at the 60th District Court with their own case numbers, docket entries, and disposition records.
In MiCOURT, misdemeanor OWI cases from Muskegon County appear under case type codes OD (Ordinance Drunk Driving) and SD (Statute Drunk Driving). The system is free and covers the full case history from arraignment through final disposition. If you need a complete Michigan criminal history for OWI conviction research, ICHAT costs $10 and pulls all OWI conviction data from the Michigan State Police criminal history database, which courts statewide report into after each conviction.
Note: Muskegon County driving record consequences of OWI convictions, including suspensions, points, and ignition interlock requirements, are maintained by the Michigan Secretary of State and are accessible through the SOS Driving Records portal.
Muskegon County Sheriff and FOIA Records
The Muskegon County Sheriff's Office is at 25 W. Walton Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49440, phone (231) 724-6351. The Sheriff handles drunk driving arrests in unincorporated Muskegon County. Arrest records from the Sheriff include the circumstances of the stop and booking, not the final court outcome. They are separate from the court records at the 14th Circuit and 60th District courts.
The county has an online FOIA request process at co.muskegon.mi.us/243/Freedom-of-Information-Act-Requests-FOIA. Under MCL 15.231, the agency must respond within five business days. Copy fees typically run $0.10 to $1.00 per page. An arrest record from a Muskegon County OWI case may include the officer's narrative, field sobriety test notes, breath or blood test results, and booking information.
It's worth noting that police departments in Muskegon city, Muskegon Heights, Muskegon Township, and Norton Shores all handle their own FOIA requests separately from the Sheriff's Office. If the arrest was made by one of those departments rather than the Sheriff, you need to contact that specific agency directly. The Muskegon County FOIA portal covers county government agencies only.
The image below shows the Muskegon County Sheriff's resource page, which provides public records and law enforcement contact information for DUI-related records requests.
The Sheriff's records unit handles FOIA requests for arrest reports and incident records tied to drunk driving arrests in unincorporated Muskegon County.
Statewide Search Tools for Muskegon OWI Cases
Three Michigan statewide systems cover Muskegon County DUI records. Each one gives you different information, and in some cases you will want to use more than one.
MiCOURT is free and covers both the 14th Circuit and 60th District courts. It shows case status, charge information, and hearing history. It does not provide documents. Start here if you just need to confirm a case exists or check its current status.
ICHAT costs $10 per search and returns a full Michigan criminal history from the MSP database. This is the most thorough option for OWI conviction research. The MSP Criminal History Records unit maintains the underlying database, which courts across the state report into after convictions are entered.
The OTIS offender search from the Michigan Department of Corrections is free and covers felony OWI cases from the 14th Circuit Court that resulted in prison sentences. It shows current supervision status, offense details, and release information. Use it when you are looking for someone who may have served time for a felony drunk driving conviction in Muskegon County.
OWI Law Reflected in Muskegon County Records
All Muskegon County DUI records are tied to charges under MCL 257.625. The statute covers alcohol and drug impairment separately and together. OWI at 0.08% is the most common charge. High BAC at 0.17% triggers enhanced penalties: a first offense High BAC carries mandatory minimum 48 hours in jail, a 180-day no-driving period, and a 320-day total suspension. OWVI is a lesser charge often used in plea negotiations, requiring only that the driver was visibly impaired, not a specific BAC. OWPD covers driving with any detectable amount of a Schedule 1 drug in your system, even without visible impairment.
Michigan's implied consent law requires chemical testing after a lawful OWI arrest. Refusing a test brings an automatic one-year suspension for a first refusal and two years for a second within seven years. These are Secretary of State actions separate from the criminal case but can be seen on the driving record. The MSP Impaired Driving page lays out how Michigan enforces all of these provisions.
OWI convictions are permanent in Michigan. They do not drop off the criminal or driving record over time. Michigan provides no path to expunge an OWI conviction under current law. For people seeking to restore a revoked license after multiple OWI convictions, the Road to Restoration program offers guidance on the reinstatement process. That program affects the driving privilege but does not change what appears on the criminal record.
Note: Muskegon County FOIA requests to state agencies like the MSP should be directed to the MSP FOIA office rather than the county.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Muskegon County and handle OWI cases through their own circuit and district courts.