Find Police Records in St. Clair County

St. Clair County police records are available from the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office and local police departments across this east Michigan county along the St. Clair River. These records include incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and jail data. You can request St. Clair County police records by submitting a FOIA request to the sheriff's office, using the online records request form, or searching state databases. This page walks through each option.

St. Clair County Sheriff's Office Records

The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county and the main source of local police records. Sheriff Tim Donnellon leads the office. The sheriff is located at 1170 Michigan Rd., Port Huron, MI 48060. You can reach the office by phone at (810) 987-1700. Sheriff Donnellon can also be contacted by email at tdonnellon@stclaircounty.org. The county website is at stclaircounty.org and has department contacts and links to county services.

To request police records from the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office, go to the public records request page at stclairsheriff.org/public-records-request. You can also email your FOIA request directly to SORecordsRequest@stclairco.com. Written requests sent by mail to the office at 1170 Michigan Rd., Port Huron, or submitted in person at the office window are also accepted. When you submit your request, include your full name, mailing address, a clear description of the record you want, and the date range or case number if you have it. The more detail you give, the faster the office can process your request.

The St. Clair County website at stclaircounty.org links to the sheriff's office, county clerk, and other departments relevant to police records requests in the county.

St. Clair County is located on the Michigan-Ontario border, along the Blue Water area near the Ambassador Bridge and the Blue Water Bridge. Multiple law enforcement agencies serve this county, including the Port Huron Police Department and other city departments. If the incident you need records for happened inside a city, that city's department may hold the records rather than the sheriff's office.

Filing a St. Clair County FOIA Request

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL § 15.231 gives every person the right to request public records from government agencies. You do not need to be a St. Clair County resident. You do not need to give a reason for your request. This law covers both the county sheriff and all local municipal police departments in the county.

Your request must be in writing. You can submit it by email to SORecordsRequest@stclairco.com, by mail to the sheriff's office at 1170 Michigan Rd., Port Huron, MI 48060, or in person during business hours. Include your full name, address, and contact information. Describe the records you want with enough detail for the office to locate them. Give the date range, names of people involved, and a case or incident number if you have one. The county clerk's office at stclaircounty.org can assist with court-related records questions.

Under MCL § 15.235, the agency must respond within 5 business days of receiving your request. They can extend this by up to 10 additional business days with written notice explaining the reason. Email and fax requests count as received the next business day. If your request is denied, the agency must tell you in writing which exemption under MCL § 15.243 applies. You have 180 days to file a written appeal with the head of the agency or the board of commissioners.

County Prosecutor Michael D. Wendling can be reached at mwendling@stclaircounty.org for questions about criminal cases. Court records from St. Clair County courts are available through the Michigan Courts Case Search at no cost online.

St. Clair County Police Records Available

Records available from the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office include police reports, arrest records, warrant information, and jail records. Police reports document officer responses to incidents across the county's townships and unincorporated areas. Arrest records show who was booked, what charges were filed, and release details. Warrant information may be available in part through the sheriff's office depending on the status of the case.

Jail records for people held at the St. Clair County Jail are handled through the sheriff's office. The jail holds people awaiting trial and those sentenced on misdemeanor charges. For people currently in state prison or on parole statewide, use the Michigan OTIS system instead. Accident reports for crashes handled by the sheriff go through FOIA. Crashes handled by the Michigan State Police may be available through the state's Traffic Crash Purchasing System.

Juvenile records are restricted under Michigan law. They are generally not available through a standard FOIA request. Records sealed or expunged by court order are also withheld. For any record type you are unsure about, call the sheriff's office non-emergency line at (810) 987-1700 to ask before submitting a formal request.

St. Clair County Police Record Fees

Michigan law under MCL § 15.234 controls record fees statewide. The standard copy fee is $0.10 per page for letter or legal size paper. For electronic records or non-standard media, the agency charges actual cost. Labor is billed at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who can do the work, in 15-minute increments. No labor fee applies if the search takes under 15 minutes. Fringe benefits may be added at up to 50% of the labor rate.

If the total estimated fee exceeds $50, St. Clair County can ask for a 50% deposit before starting work. If you qualify as low-income, you can claim a $20 fee waiver by submitting an affidavit of indigence. This waiver is available up to twice per calendar year. Ask for a written estimate before making a large or complex request.

State Resources for St. Clair County Records

The Internet Criminal History Access Tool, ICHAT, is run by the Michigan State Police and gives access to criminal history records from all 83 Michigan counties, including St. Clair. The fee is $10 per search. ICHAT covers felonies and serious misdemeanors but not traffic violations, juvenile cases, or out-of-state records. Access it at michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat.

The Michigan Courts Case Search is free and covers court records from all district and circuit courts in St. Clair County. The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is searchable at mipsor.state.mi.us by name or county. The Michigan OTIS system at mdocweb.state.mi.us/OTIS2/otis2.aspx covers people currently in state custody. For MSP FOIA requests, visit michigan.gov/msp/services/foia. If you have questions about a denial or fee dispute, the Michigan Attorney General's FOIA office is at michigan.gov/ag/foia.

Nearby Counties

St. Clair County is bordered by several southeast and thumb-region Michigan counties, each with its own sheriff and records process.