Kalamazoo County, Michigan Arrest Records

Kalamazoo arrest records are official documents created by law enforcement agencies, such as the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office or the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, when a person is arrested and record a person’s name and related identifying information, booking details, and charges. These records are public under Michigan’s FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and MCL (Michigan Compiled Laws) § 28.242a to promote public accountability and transparency in the criminal justice system, although certain records may be exempt from public access to protect the integrity of ongoing investigations and in cases where higher privacy concerns exist. 

Arrest records are maintained by and are generally available to interested persons at the law enforcement agency that made the arrest, unless the requested records are nonpublic. Kalamazoo County arrest records are components of the state’s criminal offender information maintained by the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center and the state/federal Bureau of Identification.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Kalamazoo, Michigan?

Yes. Kalamazoo arrest records are broadly categorized under criminal history record information, which is subject to public dissemination under MCL § 28.242, MCL § 28.242a and MCL § 28.241. Per these statutes, all arrest records are public except if any of the following applies:

• The arrest did not result in a conviction (MCL § 764.26a)
• The record was sealed
• The arrestee is a juvenile
• The requester is an employer (MCL § 37.2205a)

Any person, except incarcerated felons, may access Kalamazoo County arrest records, as there are no residency, statement of purpose (MCL § 15.233), or age requirements for requesters. All requests must be in writing, addressed to the appropriate agency (the sheriff’s office, the specific agency that made the arrest, or other state or federal central criminal record repositories), and must sufficiently describe the requested record. 

What Do Public County Arrest Records Contain?

General information included in a Kalamazoo County arrest record includes a person’s identifying information, arrest specifics, booking information, information about subsequent court proceedings, and charge(s) description. While the contents of an arrest record depend on the agency maintaining them, the following are general public-facing elements found on records:

• Full legal name and any known aliases
• Age (or date of birth), gender, and race
• Physical descriptors—weight, height, eye color, scars/tattoos, or any identifying marks
• Mugshots
• Arrest date, time, and location
• Name of arresting agency
• Bond or bail information
• Court case number
• Booking number
• Charges filed, including the relevant statutory citations

However, public access is usually restricted for certain cases if disclosure may warrant an unnecessary invasion of privacy, pose safety or security risks, or jeopardize an ongoing investigation. Sometimes, a court may order the expungement or sealing of certain law enforcement agency records, automatically making them nonpublic. General exemptions from public access provisions include the following:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Arrest records for dismissed cases
• Active investigation materials
• Active warrant information
• Sealed court records
• Information protected by privacy laws (MCL § 15.243), e.g., social security numbers, contact information for victims and witnesses, and financial account numbers

Kalamazoo County,  Michigan Arrest Search

Kalamazoo County offenders in custody of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) may be located using the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS). This resource covers information about sentenced inmates, parolees, and individuals under probation up to three years following the completion of their sentence. OTIS does not provide information about county-level or city-level inmates. Searches on OTIS require the arrestee’s full name, MDOC number, offender status, age, race, and sex.

For information about offenders who have been off supervision for more than three years, perform a name-based search on the Michigan State Police’s Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT). Each search in ICHAT costs a $10.00 fee. Federal inmates are in custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Record seekers can conduct an inmate search using their full name or BOP registration number.

Kalamazoo County Inmate Locator

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office maintains a county-wide online inmate locator. Interested persons may perform an inmate search on this website using an inmate’s name or booking number. Search results typically cover an inmate’s full name, demographic information, booking history, bond type and amount, booking date and time, charge description, offense, date, court disposition, disposition date, sentence length, and housing facility.

For complete arrest reports or other details not available online, interested persons may visit the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office to request specific records at

1500 Lamont Avenue

Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Phone: (269) 488-8911

Active Warrant Search in Kalamazoo County

An arrest warrant is an official writ issued by a judge for a person’s arrest following an official complaint alleging that the suspect committed an offense. In Kalamazoo County, an arrest warrant may only be issued based on probable cause. In most cases, arrest warrants are only issued if there is reason to believe that the named individual will not appear upon a summons or the issuance of a warrant poses safety risks to any person (Michigan Court Rules (MCR 6.102)).

Per MCR 6.102, an arrest warrant must contain the accused’s name (or other known aliases or descriptions), a description of the offense, the issuing authority’s signature, and a command that authorizes a peace officer to make an arrest. Arrest warrants are issued by the courts and executed by peace officers in the county. The maintenance of arrest warrants is the responsibility of the courts, although law enforcement records often contain warrant information for executed warrants.

Interested persons may request warrant information from the Kalamazoo district or circuit court clerk’s office during business hours. Searches typically require the suspect’s name. Note that access restrictions may apply to active warrants in some cases, especially if there is reason to believe that a suspect may flee.

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Kalamazoo County

Online arrest record searches on the Kalamazoo County sheriff’s website are free. However, information available through this website is limited to basic arrestee-identifying information, charges, and booking information. To view complete documents, e.g., incident reports and summonses, visit the sheriff’s office in person. However, the sheriff’s office typically charges a fee for this service. Fees depend on the number of copies an individual seeks to obtain. Visitors must know the name of the individual named on the warrant and may be required to show a photo ID.

Kalamazoo County Arrest Report

A Kalamazoo arrest report, although used interchangeably with arrest records, is different from the latter. While arrest records only provide a summary of the arrest incident, an arrest report is a more detailed narrative that explains the circumstances leading to the arrest. Furthermore, arrest records are usually broad and standardized, whereas arrest reports are detailed and case-specific. 

Unlike arrest records, arrest reports are not available online, as they are mainly used for investigations, court proceedings, and prosecution; meanwhile, the former is used for criminal history reviews and background checks. Interested persons should file an FOIA request with the sheriff’s office. 

Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office

1500 Lamont Street

Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Attention: Records Section

Fax: (269) 385-6162

To aid identification and retrieval of the specific report in question, a requester must be able to provide case specifics, such as the arrest date or the arrestee’s name. Fees may be assessed.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Kalamazoo County

In Michigan, when an arrest record is expunged (legally referred to as ‘set aside’), it is removed from public access under MCL § 780.623. However, expunged records remain accessible to law enforcement agencies and the courts. While arrestees may need to file an expungement petition in some cases, certain records qualify for automatic expungement upon the expiration of the statutory waiting period if preconditions are met. 

The waiting period refers to the amount of time that has passed since the completion of the sentence. The table below summarizes the waiting periods for different types of offenses:

Offense Type	Waiting Period	Limit
Misdemeanors punishable by less than 93 days imprisonment	7 years	No limit
Misdemeanors punishable by 93 days or more imprisonment	7 years	Not more than 4 cases
Felonies	10 years	Not more than 2 cases

For records that do not qualify for automatic expungement, case parties will have to go through the traditional expungement proceeding. Note that the expungement process may last up to  months. Applicants should start by completing and submitting the MC 227 application to the Michigan State Police (MSP). This will then be followed by a response from the Attorney General’s Office, which will be notified of the expungement application by the MSP. 

The MSP typically processes applications for up to two months, while the attorney general’s office may require up to three months. An expungement hearing may follow. The following offenses are not eligible for automatic or traditional expungement:

• All offenses punishable by life imprisonment
• Third-degree criminal sexual conduct
• Computer-aided sexual offenses
• Terrorism-related offenses
• Second-degree child abuse
• Human trafficking and related offenses
• Second and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct
• Assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct

How Do You Remove Kalamazoo County Arrest Records From the Internet?

A ‘set aside’ action automatically mandates that affected records are removed from official online repositories like ICHAT. If an expunged record is not automatically removed, a record’s subject may file a complaint with the sheriff’s office or the MSP. For third-party websites, a person typically has to contact the site owner and request removal. Sometimes, they may need to show proof of expungement.