Find Police Records in Tuscola County

Tuscola County police records are public documents held by the Tuscola County Sheriff's Office in Caro, a Thumb-region county in east Michigan. These records include incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and jail data. You can request Tuscola County police records by emailing the records contact directly, submitting a FOIA form by mail, or visiting the sheriff's office lobby during posted hours. This page covers every method available for finding and getting these records.

Tuscola County Sheriff's Office Records

The Tuscola County Sheriff's Office is at 420 Court St, Caro, MI 48723. Sheriff Ryan Robinson leads the office, with Undersheriff Robert Baxter. The main phone number is (989) 673-8161. The fax number is (989) 673-8164. Lobby hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The sheriff's website is at tuscolacounty.org/sheriff. For staff contacts and extensions, see the staff page at tuscolacounty.org/sheriff/staffext.php. The county website is at tuscolacounty.org.

For report copies, you can email Shannon directly at sgwizdala@tuscolacounty.org. This is the most direct route for getting incident or accident report copies from the sheriff's office. For a formal FOIA submission, use the general FOIA form at tuscolacounty.org/doc/FOIA%20Form.pdf or the sheriff-specific FOIA form at tuscolacounty.org/sheriff/doc/FOIA-Request-for-Public-Records.pdf.

The Tuscola County Sheriff's Office at (989) 673-8161 is your primary contact for incident reports, arrest records, and accident reports for events outside city limits in the Thumb region.

The sheriff's lobby in Caro is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and again from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Plan around the midday closure if you plan to visit in person.

The Tuscola County Sheriff's Office also handles firearm-related services. A license to purchase a pistol requires an appointment with Deanna Marshall at dmarsh@tuscolacounty.org or by calling (989) 673-8161 ext. 2237. Gun registrations can be mailed to 420 Court St, Caro MI 48723. These are separate services from the records division.

Filing a Tuscola County FOIA Request

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, found at MCL § 15.231 et seq. and enacted as Public Act 442 of 1976, gives any person the right to request public records from government agencies. You do not need to live in Tuscola County. You do not have to explain why you want the records. Both the county sheriff and any local police departments in the county must respond under this law.

To request records by email, write to Shannon at sgwizdala@tuscolacounty.org. Describe the record you need, give the date range, names involved, and any case number you have. For a formal FOIA submission, fill out the FOIA request form and submit it to the Controller's Office at 125 W. Lincoln St., Suite 500, Caro, MI 48723. You can also fax the form to (989) 672-4011. Alternatively, bring your written request to the sheriff's lobby during the hours listed above.

Under MCL § 15.235, the agency must respond within 5 business days of getting your request. An extension of up to 10 more business days is allowed with written notice. If denied, the agency must tell you which exemption under MCL § 15.243 applies. You have 180 days to appeal a denial in writing to the head of the agency or the county board of commissioners. If that appeal fails, you can take the matter to circuit court.

Tuscola County Court Records

Court records in Tuscola County are separate from sheriff police records. Criminal cases go through the 54th Circuit Court for felony matters and the 81st District Court for misdemeanors and traffic offenses. You can search these records at no cost online.

The Tuscola County website at tuscolacounty.org links to county departments and court resources. Use it alongside the Michigan Courts Case Search to find court filings and dispositions tied to arrests or incidents in the county.

The Michigan Courts Case Search is free and covers all district and circuit courts in Tuscola County. You can search by name, case number, or date range. This is useful when you want to see how a case was handled after the initial arrest or police contact. The county clerk's office in Caro maintains physical court records and can assist with certified copies.

Tuscola County Police Record Fees

Tuscola County follows the Michigan FOIA fee structure under MCL § 15.234. Paper copies cost $0.10 per page. Labor is billed at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who can do the work, charged in 15-minute increments. No labor fee applies for searches under 15 minutes. Fringe benefits may be added at up to 50% of the base labor rate. Mailing is charged at actual postage cost, and non-paper media at actual cost.

If the estimated total exceeds $50, Tuscola County can ask for a 50% deposit before starting work. Low-income individuals can claim a $20 fee waiver twice per year by submitting an affidavit of indigence. Ask for a written cost estimate first if you think your request might be large.

State Resources for Tuscola County Records

ICHAT, run by the Michigan State Police, covers felony and serious misdemeanor records from all 83 Michigan counties including Tuscola. The fee is $10 per search. Access it at michigan.gov/msp/services/ichat. This tool does not cover traffic offenses, juvenile records, or out-of-state matters.

The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is free to search 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 prison or on parole. For traffic crash reports handled by the MSP, use the Michigan Traffic Crash Purchasing System. Third-party services like ReportBeam can also provide faster access to crash reports. For questions about FOIA denials or fee disputes, the Michigan Attorney General's office is at michigan.gov/ag/foia.

Nearby Counties

Tuscola County borders several Thumb-region and mid-Michigan counties, each with its own sheriff and records process.