Ogemaw County Police Records
Ogemaw County police records are held by the Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office at 806 West Houghton Avenue in West Branch, Michigan. These records include incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, warrant data, and inmate information for law enforcement activity across this north-central Michigan county. You can request Ogemaw County police records by downloading FOIA forms from the county website, submitting a written request to the County Clerk, or visiting the sheriff's office in person.
Ogemaw County Police Records at a Glance
Ogemaw County Police Records Overview
The Ogemaw County website at ocmi.us provides access to FOIA forms, the sheriff's office contact information, and county government resources. Start here if you need to download the official FOIA request form or find the clerk's contact information before submitting a records request. The site also hosts a Public Summary of FOIA Procedures and Guidelines that explains your rights and the process in plain terms.
The Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office is at 806 W. Houghton Ave., West Branch, MI 48661. The main phone line is (989) 345-3111. The County Clerk and FOIA Coordinator are located at the same address, Suite 101, and can be reached at (989) 345-0215. The District Court for Ogemaw County is at (989) 345-5040. These offices share the same building, which makes in-person visits to multiple offices efficient.
Police records available from Ogemaw County include incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, warrant data, and inmate information. Warrant records include active warrants, recalled warrants, and executed warrants. Each warrant entry shows the full legal name, date of birth, offense description, case number, and bond amounts where applicable. Arrest records include booking information and charge details. Once a case is closed, these records become accessible under Michigan's open records laws. Active investigation records may be withheld under MCL § 15.243.
Accident reports filed by Ogemaw County deputies follow the UD-10 format. The Michigan Traffic Crash Purchasing System handles statewide archived crash records and is one way to obtain UD-10 documents without visiting the sheriff's office. Court records for Ogemaw County cases are searchable at no cost through the Michigan Courts Case Search portal. Criminal history records through ICHAT cost $10 per name search and cover felony and serious misdemeanor convictions from all Michigan counties.
How to Request Records Through Ogemaw County FOIA
Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, found at MCL § 15.231, gives every person the right to request public records from government agencies. No residency is required and under MCL § 15.233, you do not have to state a purpose. Any government agency that receives a proper written request must process it under the rules set by state law.
FOIA forms for Ogemaw County are available at ocmi.us. The Public Summary of FOIA Procedures and Guidelines is also available on the same site at ocmi.us/wp-content/uploads/Clerk-Public-Summary-of-FOIA-Procedures-and-Guidelines.pdf. Once you have the form, submit it to the County Clerk's office at 806 West Houghton Avenue, Suite 101, West Branch, MI 48661. You can also submit by fax or email if those options are available from the clerk's office. Verbal requests are accepted but will be documented on a standard FOIA form by the county.
Your request must describe the records you want clearly enough that the county can find them. Include names, dates, incident numbers, and locations when you have that information. Specify whether you want copies mailed, emailed, or available for pickup. Email and fax requests are treated as received on the following business day. Under MCL § 15.235, the agency must respond within 5 business days of receipt. They may extend by up to 10 additional business days with written notice. The county is only allowed one extension per request.
If a request is denied, the agency must state which exemption applies and explain why. You have 180 days to file a written appeal. After an unsuccessful appeal, you may bring a civil action in circuit court. If a court finds the denial was improper, you may recover attorney fees and other costs. All Ogemaw County FOIA requests are kept on file for at least one year. The county is not required to create new records or compile data that does not already exist in an existing record.
Note: Ogemaw County processes email and fax requests as received on the following business day, so plan accordingly if you are close to a deadline for when records are needed.
Ogemaw County Records Request Fees
Under MCL § 15.234, Ogemaw County charges $0.10 per page for standard letter or legal size black and white copies. Non-standard copy formats are billed at actual cost of reproduction. Digital media like CDs or DVDs are charged at the actual and most reasonably economical cost if the county has that capability. Mailing costs are billed at a reasonably economical rate. Certified copies carry no additional charge.
Labor is charged in 15-minute increments at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid county employee who can complete the task. Fringe benefits are added at up to 50% of the labor cost, but cannot exceed the actual fringe benefit cost. Contracted labor is $48.90 per hour. There is no labor charge for work that takes under 15 minutes. Labor is only billed when failure to charge it would create unreasonably high costs for the county.
A 50% deposit is required before work begins on requests where the estimated total exceeds $50. Requesters with outstanding unpaid fees from prior requests may be required to pay the full estimated amount in advance. Low-income requesters can submit an Affidavit of Indigence available on the county website to waive the first $20 of fees. This waiver may be used twice per calendar year and is not available when someone else is paying you to make the request.
Statewide Tools for Ogemaw County Records
The Michigan State Police website is the hub for statewide records tools that complement county-level records requests. ICHAT covers felony and serious misdemeanor conviction records from all 83 Michigan counties including Ogemaw for $10 per search. The sex offender registry is free at mipsor.state.mi.us and searchable by name, address, or county. The Michigan Offender Tracking Information System, known as OTIS, covers state prison and parole records and is free at mdocweb.state.mi.us.
Court records for Ogemaw County cases are available at no cost through the Michigan Courts Case Search portal. This tool covers district, circuit, and probate courts and lets you search by name, case number, or attorney. It is a useful complement to police records when you want to see how a case was handled through the courts after an arrest or incident was reported. The portal is maintained by the State Court Administrative Office and updated regularly.
Nearby Michigan Counties
Ogemaw County is in north-central Michigan. Records from neighboring counties can be found through their own agencies.