Court portal, certified copy fees, and expungement laws for Michigan
In Michigan, an eviction record lives with the District Court that handled the case — the trial court that hears all summary-proceedings (landlord-tenant) matters across the state. There is no single statewide search tool. Michigan does not operate a statewide eviction portal, so a record is only reliably reachable through the county clerk (or the district court clerk's office) in the county where the case was filed. Online access varies county-by-county; some district courts publish a register of actions or a public terminal, while others require an in-person or written request.
The other reality that shapes everything here: Michigan has no statutory eviction-record expungement for landlord-tenant judgments. A filing that appears in a district court's file generally stays in that file. That makes accuracy at the screening stage critical — and it means tenants have limited formal options to clear a record. Certified copies cost $1 per page. Against an average rent of $951, getting the record right matters to both sides.
Start by identifying the county where the rental sits, because Michigan routes every eviction to the local District Court covering that municipality. With no statewide portal, your search runs through the county clerk or the district court clerk's office directly. Practical steps: locate the correct district court (Michigan's districts are organized by city and township, not always one-per-county), then ask the clerk how that court exposes its register of actions. Some courts offer an online case-lookup or a public-access terminal in the lobby; others take a name-and-date request by phone, mail, or counter visit. Search by the tenant's full legal name and, where possible, a property address or case number. If you need a court-stamped version for screening or a dispute, request a certified copy at $1 per page. Because access is uneven, budget time to contact more than one court if a tenant has moved between counties.
The single most common mistake is treating any court entry as proof the tenant lost. A filing is not a judgment. A summary-proceedings case in District Court can be dismissed, settled, withdrawn, or decided for the tenant — yet the case still shows up in the file. Always read the disposition: look for whether a judgment for possession actually entered, whether it was conditional, and whether the case was dismissed. A pending or dismissed complaint says far less about a renter than a final judgment does. Note the case status and date, the party names, and any order of eviction versus a mere notice or complaint. If the register of actions is terse, that is exactly when a certified copy earns its $1-per-page cost: it gives you the authoritative disposition rather than a one-line docket summary that can be misread.
For landlords, Michigan presents a clear but demanding picture. There is no eviction-record expungement statute in Michigan, so most filings remain part of the District Court's record indefinitely. That does not mean you can rely on every old entry. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act governs tenant-screening reports: if you order a background check through a consumer reporting agency, you must follow FCRA adverse-action rules, and screening companies have their own look-back limits. Do not deny an applicant on a stale or dismissed filing without verifying the actual disposition. Acting on a case that was dismissed — or treating a complaint as a judgment — invites a fair-housing or FCRA dispute. Pull the court record (or a certified copy at $1 per page) and confirm a judgment for possession truly entered before it drives a decision.
Because Michigan offers no statutory path to expunge or seal an eviction record, a tenant's realistic options are narrower than in states with sealing laws. The most useful lever is accuracy. If the District Court file is wrong — a case attributed to the wrong person, a dismissal not reflected, or a satisfied judgment still showing as open — a tenant can ask the court clerk to correct the docket and can request a certified copy at $1 per page to document the true outcome. When the problem is a screening company reporting the record inaccurately, the FCRA gives tenants the right to dispute it with the consumer reporting agency and have errors fixed. Keeping proof of dismissal, settlement, or payment, and supplying it directly to a prospective landlord, is often the most effective way to put a Michigan eviction record in context.
This page was prepared by the Eviction Risk Map research team using public information from the Michigan court system, where landlord-tenant summary proceedings are heard in the District Court. Michigan has no statewide eviction-records portal and no statutory eviction-record expungement; records are obtained county-by-county through the district court or county clerk, with certified copies at $1 per page. Last reviewed June 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; consult a licensed Michigan attorney or the relevant district court for guidance on a specific case.
Michigan eviction cases are heard in the District Court, and there is no statewide portal, so you search county-by-county. Identify the county where the rental is located, find the district court that covers that area, and ask the county clerk or district court clerk how to access the register of actions — online lookup, a public terminal, or a written/in-person request. Search by the tenant's full name and, if possible, the property address or case number.
Yes. Eviction (summary-proceedings) cases in Michigan District Court are part of the public court record. Anyone can request them through the county clerk or district court clerk. Michigan does not run a single statewide portal, so the level of online access depends on the individual county and court; some publish dockets online while others require a counter or mail request.
No. Michigan has no statute that lets a tenant expunge or seal an eviction record, so most filings remain in the District Court's file. A tenant's practical options are limited to correcting inaccurate docket entries with the clerk, documenting a dismissal or satisfied judgment with a certified copy, and disputing errors on a screening report under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Certified copies of court records run $1 per page in Michigan. You request them from the district court clerk or county clerk that holds the file. A certified copy is the authoritative version showing the actual disposition, which is useful for screening decisions or for a tenant documenting that a case was dismissed or resolved.
Court portal information sourced from the Michigan court administrative office official website. Expungement laws from published Michigan statutes (see citations above). Last updated July 14, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.
