Luce County Police Records
Luce County police records are public documents held by the Luce County Sheriff's Office in Newberry, a small county in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The sheriff's office handles the bulk of local law enforcement in this rural area, and all police records including incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and booking data are subject to Michigan FOIA. This page covers how to request Luce County police records, what tools are available statewide, and what to expect from the process in a small UP county.
Luce County Records at a Glance
Luce County Sheriff's Office
The Luce County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for county police records. The office is at 407 W. Harrie St., Newberry, MI 49868, and can be reached at (906) 293-8477. Luce County is a large but sparsely populated county in the eastern Upper Peninsula. The sheriff's office covers the entire county, including the Village of Newberry and many unincorporated townships. There is no separate city police department in the county.
To request police records, submit a written FOIA request to the Luce County Sheriff's Office at 407 W. Harrie St., Newberry, MI 49868. Mail or deliver it in person during business hours. Your request needs your name, mailing address, phone or email, and a clear description of the records you want. Include the record type, date range, names involved, and any case or incident number you have. Being specific saves time for both you and the agency.
Luce County also borders Chippewa County and Mackinac County in the UP. MSP troopers also respond to calls in the area. If the incident you are researching involved the Michigan State Police, the records are held by MSP, not by the Luce County Sheriff. Call the sheriff at (906) 293-8477 to confirm which agency handled the call before you file a request.
The Michigan State Police website provides access to ICHAT criminal history records, FOIA tools, and the Traffic Crash Purchasing System for records held at the state level covering Luce County.
Michigan State Police Service in Luce County
The Michigan State Police provides coverage throughout Luce County. MSP troopers file their own incident and crash reports independently from the county sheriff. If an MSP trooper responded to the call you are asking about, the records are held by the Michigan State Police, not by Luce County.
To request records from the MSP, use the online portal at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia. You can also email MSPRecords@michigan.gov or mail your request to MSP, ATTN: FOIA Coordinator, P.O. Box 30634, Lansing, MI 48909. The same 5-business-day response timeframe applies to MSP FOIA requests. When in doubt about which agency holds the records you need, call both the Luce County Sheriff and the MSP to confirm before filing.
The MSP FOIA page details how to request records from state troopers who serve Luce County. Use it when an MSP post handled the incident rather than the local county sheriff.
How to Request Luce County Police Records
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL § 15.231 et seq. gives any person the right to request public records. No residency requirement applies. You do not need to state why you want the records. The law covers incident reports, arrest records, booking data, and other law enforcement documents held by Luce County.
Your request must be in writing. Include your full name, address, phone or email, and a clear description of the records you want. List the type of record, date range, and names or case numbers if you have them. Mail or deliver the request to the Luce County Sheriff's Office at 407 W. Harrie St., Newberry, MI 49868. Under MCL § 15.235, the agency must respond within 5 business days. They can extend by up to 10 more business days with written notice explaining the reason.
Under MCL § 15.243, the agency may withhold records tied to active investigations, personal privacy, or safety concerns. If your request is denied, they must give you a written explanation citing the specific exemption. You have 180 days to appeal the denial. Send the appeal to the head of the sheriff's office. If the appeal is denied, you can file a civil action in the circuit court. Courts may award attorney fees if a denial is found to be improper.
Note: Luce County is one of Michigan's smaller UP counties with limited staff. Response times may run close to the 15-business-day maximum. A follow-up call to (906) 293-8477 helps if you have not heard back after a week.
Luce County Records Request Fees
Under MCL § 15.234, paper copies cost $0.10 per page. Labor is charged at the rate of the lowest-paid employee who can handle the task, billed in 15-minute increments. Nothing is charged for searches that take under 15 minutes. Fringe benefits can add up to 50% of the labor cost. If the estimated total exceeds $50, the agency can ask for a 50% deposit up front.
Low-income requesters can apply for a $20 fee waiver by submitting an affidavit of indigency with their request. The affidavit must show you receive public assistance or cannot afford to pay. This waiver is available up to twice per calendar year. Always ask for a written cost estimate before filing a large or complex request.
Accident Reports in Luce County
Traffic crash reports use the Michigan UD-10 form. If the MSP investigated the crash, you can purchase a copy through the Michigan Traffic Crash Purchasing System. For crashes handled by the Luce County Sheriff, file a FOIA request with the sheriff's office directly.
Third-party services like LexisNexis BuyCrash at buycrash.lexisnexisrisk.com can deliver many Michigan accident reports without a formal FOIA request. Reports are typically available 7 to 10 days after the incident. These services are commonly used by insurance companies and legal professionals for faster access to crash records.
ReportBeam and similar platforms can deliver Luce County accident reports faster than a formal FOIA request. Reports are typically ready within a week of the crash date.
Statewide Records Tools
ICHAT, the Internet Criminal History Access Tool at michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat, covers criminal history records from all 83 Michigan counties including Luce. The fee is $10 per search. It covers felonies and serious misdemeanors but not traffic offenses or juvenile records. The Michigan Courts Case Search is free and lets you look up court records by name or case number. The Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry at mipsor.state.mi.us is free and covers the whole state. OTIS at mdocweb.state.mi.us is free and covers state prison and parole records. The Michigan Attorney General's FOIA page at michigan.gov/ag/foia helps with guidance and appeals.
Michigan Courts Case Search covers Luce County court records and is free to use. Search by name or case number to find charges, hearing dates, and final outcomes for any case in the county.
Nearby Counties
Luce County borders other Upper Peninsula counties in Michigan's eastern UP region.