Iron County Police Records
Iron County police records are public documents held by the Iron County Sheriff's Office in Crystal Falls and the City of Iron River Police Department in this Upper Peninsula county. This page covers how to find and request incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and jail records in Iron County, Michigan, including the FOIA process, contact details, and state-level online tools.
Iron County Police Records at a Glance
Iron County Sheriff's Office
The Iron County Sheriff's Office is located at 2 S. 6th St., Crystal Falls, MI 49920. The main phone is (906) 875-6581. The fax number is (906) 875-6616. For general county business, call (906) 875-6501. The county website is at ironcounty.net. The sheriff's office covers all unincorporated areas of Iron County and handles incident reports, arrest records, jail records, accident reports, criminal records, and warrant information.
Iron County is a large, rural Upper Peninsula county. The sheriff's office patrols a wide area with limited city police departments. Crystal Falls and Iron River are the two main cities, and each has its own police department for incidents within city limits. For incidents handled by the sheriff, contact the sheriff's office directly. For city of Crystal Falls or Iron River incidents, contact those city agencies separately since the sheriff does not hold their records.
The Iron County website at ironcounty.net provides access to all county departments, including the sheriff's office. Use this site to find current contact information and verify mailing addresses before submitting a records request.
The county site also lists contact information for the county clerk's office, which handles some FOIA-related functions. If you are unsure whether to send your request to the sheriff or the clerk, call (906) 875-6501 first to confirm the right destination for your specific record type.
City of Iron River FOIA Requests
The City of Iron River handles its own FOIA requests separately from the county. The city offices are at 106 W. Adams St., Iron River, MI 49935. The phone is (906) 265-4719, and the fax is (906) 265-5776. Iron River has a complete FOIA packet available online, which includes the request form and appeal forms. You can get that packet at ironriver.org.
Submit city FOIA requests by mail to 106 W. Adams St., Iron River, MI 49935, by fax to (906) 265-5776, or in person at city offices during business hours. For incidents that happened within Iron River city limits and were handled by city police, this is the correct agency to contact. Do not send city records requests to the county sheriff's office as they do not hold city police records.
Note: Iron River has a ready-made FOIA packet that includes all needed forms and appeal instructions in one download, which makes starting a request straightforward.
Michigan FOIA and Iron County Police Records
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL § 15.231 et seq. gives every person the right to request government records. No reason is needed. No residency requirement applies. Public Act 442 of 1976 enacted this law, and it covers police reports, arrest records, dispatch logs, and other documents held by the Iron County Sheriff's Office and city police agencies within the county.
All requests must be in writing. Write a clear description of what you want, including the date, names, and any case number. Submit to the Iron County Sheriff's Office by mail to 2 S. 6th St., Crystal Falls, MI 49920, in person, by fax to (906) 875-6616, or by email through the county website. For county clerk FOIA requests, contact the county main line at (906) 875-6501. Include "FOIA" in the subject line of all email or fax submissions.
Under MCL § 15.235, the agency must respond within 5 business days. Email and fax requests count as received the next business day. Extensions of up to 10 additional business days are allowed with written notice and a reason stated. Denials must be in writing citing the specific MCL § 15.243 exemption. Appeal in writing within 180 days to the Iron County Board of Commissioners. If a court finds the denial was improper, you may recover attorney fees.
Police Record Fees in Iron County
Under MCL § 15.234, the standard copy fee is $0.10 per page for letter or legal size paper. Labor is billed at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee plus up to 50% for fringe benefits, in 15-minute increments. No labor fee is charged for searches under 15 minutes. Digital copies are charged at actual cost. Mailing fees are the least expensive delivery confirmation option.
If the estimated total exceeds $50, the agency can require a 50% deposit before starting. Indigency waivers of up to $20 are available with a notarized affidavit showing public assistance receipt or financial hardship. This waiver applies twice per year. It cannot be used when requesting records on behalf of a paying third party. Always ask for a written fee estimate before submitting a large or complex request.
State Tools for Iron County Records
Michigan state databases cover criminal and court records tied to Iron County. ICHAT, run by the Michigan State Police, covers statewide criminal history for felonies and serious misdemeanors. The fee is $10 per search at michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat. ICHAT does not include traffic or juvenile records.
Court records for Iron County are in the free Michigan Courts Case Search. The 41st Circuit Court handles felony cases, and the 95th District Court covers misdemeanors and traffic matters. Search by name or case number. The sex offender registry at mipsor.state.mi.us is free to search statewide. State prison and parole records appear in OTIS at mdocweb.state.mi.us/OTIS2/otis2.aspx. For FOIA dispute guidance, the Michigan Attorney General's office is at michigan.gov/ag/foia.
Nearby Upper Peninsula Counties
Iron County is in the western Upper Peninsula. These counties border Iron and each has its own sheriff and records process.