Washtenaw County Court Records Search: Circuit, District & Probate Cases
Find public Washtenaw County court cases through the correct official system. Search the 22nd Circuit Court and Trial Court, identify the right District Court for Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti, understand case dockets and request certified copies from the appropriate records office.
Which Washtenaw County court holds your case?
Washtenaw County has an important local distinction: the City of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Township have different District Courts. Even though 14A-2 District Court is physically located in the City of Ypsilanti, it is not the same court as the 14B District Court serving Ypsilanti Township.
| Record needed | Court | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Felony prosecution or trial | 22nd Circuit Court | Use Trial Court Odyssey criminal case search. Earlier proceedings may be in District Court. |
| Major civil lawsuit | 22nd Circuit Court | Use Trial Court Odyssey civil search and verify later orders and judgments. |
| Divorce or family case | 22nd Circuit Court Family Division | Search eligible Trial Court case information. Certain family documents are restricted. |
| Probate, estate or guardianship | Washtenaw Probate Court | Use Trial Court probate search and the official Probate Court division for records questions. |
| Ann Arbor city traffic or misdemeanor | 15th District Court | Use the City of Ann Arbor’s official District Court case search. |
| Ypsilanti Township traffic or misdemeanor | 14B District Court | Use the Township’s official 14B District Court and MiCOURT route. |
| Chelsea, Saline or other 14A district-level matter | 14A District Court | Use the 14A Case Look-up and confirm the service-center location. |
| Small claim or eviction | Appropriate District Court | Identify whether the case is with 14A, 14B or the 15th District Court. |
| Federal lawsuit or bankruptcy | Federal court | Use PACER and the correct federal court, not the county Trial Court database. |
How to search the Washtenaw Trial Court Odyssey portal
The official Washtenaw Trial Court Odyssey Public Access provides a starting screen with three choices: Criminal Case Records, Civil, Family & Probate Case Records, and Court Calendar.
Confirm the domain is tcweb.ewashtenaw.org. Do not submit personal identifiers to unrelated paid record aggregators.
Use Criminal Case Records for criminal cases. Choose Civil, Family & Probate Case Records for those matters, or Court Calendar for scheduled activity.
Use the case number when available. Otherwise follow the official name-search or other search fields displayed by the selected portal.
Compare case number, court, party role, filing date, case category and register-of-actions events. A matching name alone does not establish identity.
The Odyssey welcome page states that information is current through the end of the previous business day, so newer developments may not yet appear.
Public case documents are not generally posted online. Contact Clerk of the Court-Court Services for a copy or certified document.
14A, 14B and 15th District Court records are not interchangeable
14A District Court — four service centers
14A operates four service centers in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Chelsea and Saline. Its official online resources include case look-up, docket calendars and location-specific information. The 14A case search returns results across its four court locations.
| Location | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| 14A-1 | 4133 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 | 734-973-4545 |
| 14A-2 | 415 W Michigan Avenue, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 | 734-484-6690 |
| 14A-3 | 122 S Main Street, Chelsea, MI 48118 | 734-475-8606 |
| 14A-4 | 1000 N Maple Road, Saline, MI 48176 | 734-429-2504 |
The 14A docket explains several local status codes: O means open, C means closed, and P means probation. It also identifies case categories such as LT for landlord-tenant and GC for general civil.
14B District Court — Ypsilanti Township
The John B. Collins 14B District Court serves Ypsilanti Township. The Township court page provides access to MiCOURT and information about civil, landlord-tenant, traffic, misdemeanor and other district proceedings.
Address: 7200 S Huron River Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Civil/traffic information: 734-483-5300.
15th District Court — City of Ann Arbor
The 15th Judicial District Court provides a state-hosted public case search. The court explains that date of birth and nonpublic case details do not appear in the public search. For cases closed before August 5, 2006, contact the court directly.
Address: 301 E Huron Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Phone: 734-794-6750.
Official Washtenaw County court records resources and what to do next
Each resource below has a specific purpose. Open the appropriate one rather than switching between unrelated court systems.
1. Trial Court Odyssey
Open Odyssey Public Access- Select Criminal or Civil, Family & Probate case records.
- Use the available search fields.
- Compare party roles, dates and case numbers.
- Contact Records Department for actual documents.
2. Washtenaw Trial Court
Open official Trial Court- Choose Search Cases/Calendar.
- Review the appropriate trial-court division.
- Find records requests and court operations.
- Confirm courthouse contact information.
3. 14A District Court
Open 14A online resources- Select Case Look-up / Search.
- Search the four 14A court locations.
- Use the relevant docket/calendar link.
- Confirm the location before attending court.
4. 14A Records Request
Open 14A records request instructions- Review local administrative order 2025-01.
- Download the Court Record-Copy Request Form.
- Complete the record and document details.
- Submit according to the court’s listed instructions.
5. 14B District Court
Open official 14B Court- Verify the case belongs to Ypsilanti Township.
- Find the MiCOURT Case Search link.
- Check criminal, traffic or civil department contacts.
- Request copies from the correct department.
6. Ann Arbor 15th District Court
Open 15th District Case Search- Use the linked Michigan-hosted case search.
- Review the case-type code list.
- Confirm the docket or disposition.
- Contact the court for pre-August 2006 closed cases.
7. District Court Contacts
Open official court directory- Find 14A, 14B or 15th District Court.
- Confirm the physical office address.
- Locate the department telephone number.
- Call before visiting or mailing records requests.
8. Probate Court
Open official Probate Court- Choose Estates, Guardianship or Conservatorship.
- Review the service information.
- Use Odyssey for available probate case information.
- Contact the court for restricted or certified records.
9. Michigan MiCOURT
Open Michigan MiCOURT- Read the public-access terms.
- Select the correct participating court.
- Use supported case or party-search fields.
- Verify records through the originating court.
10. Federal PACER
Open PACER Find a Case- Use this only for federal cases.
- Identify the federal district or bankruptcy court.
- Review current access charges.
- Use the federal clerk for certified documents.
How to read Washtenaw court records without confusing case status and outcome
Case number
The unique case identifier assigned by the court. Preserve its original formatting when contacting the clerk.
Register of actions
The chronological record of filings, scheduled proceedings and actions taken in the case. It is not necessarily the complete file.
Party role
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner and respondent are procedural roles. Their presence does not establish wrongdoing.
Disposition
A case outcome or court action, which may include dismissal, conviction, acquittal, judgment or other resolution.
Closed case
A closed docket does not automatically mean a criminal conviction occurred or that a civil judgment has been paid.
Hearing calendar
A schedule of court proceedings. Hearing dates and courtroom assignments can change, so confirm through the current official calendar.
How to request Washtenaw County certified court records
The Washtenaw County Trial Court Records Department, also known as Clerk of the Court-Court Services, maintains trial court case files. Public documents are not generally available as downloadable images in the Odyssey search.
Search Odyssey or the correct District Court portal and record the exact case number, parties and document needed.
Use Trial Court Records Department for Circuit and associated Trial Court files, or the relevant District Court clerk for district-level cases.
Ask for a judgment, final disposition, divorce order, sentencing document, probate order or another exact record. State whether certification is required.
Trial Court and District Court copy fees may differ. Confirm page count, certification charges, payment method and postage with the custodian.
Follow official mail, phone, records-counter or court form instructions. For 14A District Court, use its dedicated Court Record-Copy Request Form.
Accessing older or unavailable records
The Trial Court explains that public records can be examined at its Court Services office unless restricted by statute, court rule or local administrative order. Its public records access information covers available historical court files and in-person research.
For 15th District Court cases closed before August 5, 2006, contact the Ann Arbor court directly. For 14A records, download the designated copy form rather than assuming an older case can be retrieved in the same way as a recent online docket.
Washtenaw County courthouse addresses and contact information
Washtenaw County Trial Court
101 E Huron Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Main telephone: 734-222-3270
Mail: P.O. Box 8645, Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645
Service-counter hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Clerk of the Court — Court Services
101 E Huron Street
Room 1106
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Records Department: 734-222-3024
Contact the Records Department for file inspection, actual documents and certified-copy requests.
14B District Court
John B. Collins 14B District Court
7200 S Huron River Drive
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Telephone: 734-483-5300
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
15th District Court
301 E Huron Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Telephone: 734-794-6750
For City of Ann Arbor District Court records, confirm the case’s public-access status and request process with this court.
Court records, land records, marriage certificates and police reports are separate
Court case records
Felony, family, civil and probate court files are handled by the Trial Court. District Court records belong with 14A, 14B or 15th District Court as applicable.
Deeds and mortgages
Use the Register of Deeds search. After opening, choose online land records, enter recording information and review image fees before buying copies.
Marriage and vital records
Use the County Clerk’s Vital Records services. Marriage certificates and birth or death certificates are not the same as court dockets or divorce case files.
Police and jail information
Use the appropriate police, sheriff or correctional agency for incident reports, booking and custody information. A police report is not an official court disposition.
Federal cases involving Washtenaw County use PACER, not the Trial Court portal
Federal district court cases involving Washtenaw County generally belong to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Federal civil, criminal and bankruptcy matters use federal systems rather than Odyssey, 14A, 14B or the 15th District Court case-search sites.
Open PACER Find a Case. After opening, choose the national Case Locator if the court is unknown, or search the appropriate federal court directly when you know the district and case number.
Before opening billable federal documents, consult the official PACER pricing information. Review the per-page charge, caps and quarterly fee-waiver rules, which may change over time.
Why a Washtenaw County court case may not appear online
- Wrong court: a 22nd Circuit Court search will not automatically replace the 14A, 14B or 15th District Court systems.
- Wrong municipality: City of Ann Arbor, City of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township have different district-court routing.
- Recent activity: Trial Court Odyssey reflects the previous business day’s data, and newer information may not appear yet.
- Older Ann Arbor cases: 15th District cases closed before August 5, 2006 may require direct contact.
- Restricted case categories: sealed, confidential and certain family or juvenile matters may not be publicly searchable.
- Documents unavailable online: a docket can exist even when the filing images must be requested from the Records Department.
- Different spelling or party name: verify the exact name, year and case category without assuming that a common-name result identifies a specific person.
Washtenaw County Court Records FAQ
Where can I search Washtenaw County court records online?
Use Washtenaw Trial Court Odyssey Public Access for 22nd Circuit Court and participating Trial Court criminal, civil, family and probate case information. District court records require the appropriate 14A, 14B or 15th District Court search.
Can I search Washtenaw County cases by name?
Yes. The county Trial Court public search and district court systems offer supported case lookup methods, including party-name search where available. A name match must be verified with the court, case number, filing date and party role.
Which Washtenaw County court handles felony cases?
The 22nd Circuit Court handles felony trials. Early felony proceedings may occur in the appropriate district court before transfer to Circuit Court.
Where do I search Ann Arbor traffic tickets?
Traffic and misdemeanor cases arising within the City of Ann Arbor are generally handled by the 15th Judicial District Court. Use its official case search or contact its Traffic and Criminal Division.
Which court handles Ypsilanti Township cases?
The John B. Collins 14B District Court handles district-level cases arising in Ypsilanti Township. It is separate from the 14A-2 District Court located in the City of Ypsilanti.
Can I download all Washtenaw County court documents online?
No. Trial Court public search provides available case information and calendars, but public case documents are not generally posted for direct online downloading. Request the actual file or certified document through the responsible records office.
How current is the Washtenaw Trial Court online search?
The Trial Court Odyssey public access site states that data is current through the end of the previous business day. Scheduling and record updates may change after that point.
Can I find older Ann Arbor District Court records?
For 15th District Court cases closed before August 5, 2006, the court instructs users to contact its office rather than relying on the current online search.
How do I get a certified Washtenaw County court record?
Contact the Clerk of the Court-Court Services Records Department for Trial Court records or the relevant District Court clerk. Supply the case number, parties, exact document and whether certification is required, then confirm current fees.
Are Washtenaw County court records the same as property or jail records?
No. Court case files are maintained by the applicable court. Property deeds and recorded instruments are handled by the Register of Deeds, while police reports and jail records are maintained by law enforcement or correctional agencies.