Wexford County Police Records and Reports

Wexford County police records are public documents held by the Wexford County Sheriff's Office in Cadillac, a northern Lower Peninsula county. These records include incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and jail data for this county with a population of roughly 35,000. You can request Wexford County police records by contacting the sheriff's office in writing, by phone, or by submitting a formal FOIA request. This page covers the full process and all available tools.

Wexford County Sheriff's Office Records

The Wexford County Sheriff's Office is located at 1015 W. 13th Street, Cadillac, MI 49601. Cadillac is the county seat and the largest city in Wexford County. The county administration address is 437 E. Division St., Cadillac, MI 49601. The county administration phone is (231) 779-9453 and the fax is (231) 779-9745. County email is administration@wexfordcounty.org. County office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The county website is at wexfordcounty.org.

For FOIA records requests, Wexford County has a MuckRock agency profile at muckrock.com. MuckRock is a public records request platform that some agencies use to manage and track FOIA submissions. You can submit a request through MuckRock or contact the Wexford County Sheriff's Office directly by mail at 1015 W. 13th Street, Cadillac, MI 49601, or by contacting the county administration at (231) 779-9453.

The Wexford County Sheriff's Office MuckRock profile at muckrock.com lets you submit, track, and manage FOIA requests for police records online without mailing a physical form.

The Wexford County courts are fully open for in-person proceedings, according to county resources. Court records from Wexford County's 28th Circuit Court and the 84th District Court are accessible online through the Michigan Courts Case Search. Contact the county clerk for certified copies of court documents.

The Wexford County website at wexfordcounty.org connects you to the sheriff's office and county departments. Use it alongside the Michigan Courts Case Search to get a complete picture of any case in the county.

Filing a Wexford County FOIA Request

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act 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 Wexford County. You do not have to explain why you want the records. The Wexford County Sheriff's Office and all county agencies must respond to written requests under this law.

Your request must be in writing. Mail it to the Wexford County Sheriff's Office at 1015 W. 13th Street, Cadillac, MI 49601. You can also contact county administration by email at administration@wexfordcounty.org or by fax at (231) 779-9745 to ask where to direct your specific request. Alternatively, use the MuckRock platform at muckrock.com to submit and track your request online.

Your request should include your full name, mailing address, phone number or email, a clear description of the records you want, the date range, and any case or incident number you have. Under MCL § 15.235, the agency must respond within 5 business days of receiving your request. They can extend this by up to 10 more business days with written notice. Email and fax submissions 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. Active criminal investigations are among the most common reasons for denial. You have 180 days to file a written appeal. The appeal goes to the head of the agency or to the county board of commissioners. If that appeal fails, you can take the matter to circuit court. A court that finds the denial was wrongful may award attorney fees and costs to the requester.

Wexford County Police Records Available

Records available from the Wexford County Sheriff's Office include arrest records, incident reports, and jail records. Arrest records show booking information, charges, and release status for people taken into custody by the sheriff. Incident reports document law enforcement responses to calls across the county. Jail records cover people held at the Wexford County Jail pending trial or serving local sentences.

Accident reports for crashes handled by the Wexford County Sheriff or the Michigan State Police in Wexford County are also available through FOIA or through the state's crash purchasing system. Court records for the 28th Circuit Court and 84th District Court are separate and available online through the Michigan Courts Case Search for free. Criminal history records for all 83 Michigan counties, including Wexford, are available through ICHAT for $10 per search. Juvenile records are sealed and not available through standard FOIA requests.

Wexford County Police Record Fees

Wexford County follows Michigan's standard 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 task, charged in 15-minute increments with no charge for searches under 15 minutes. Fringe benefits can be added at up to 50% of the base labor rate. Mailing is billed at actual postage cost. Non-paper media is charged at actual cost.

If the estimated fee exceeds $50, Wexford County can ask for a 50% deposit before starting work. Low-income requesters can claim a $20 fee waiver by submitting an affidavit of indigence, available up to twice per calendar year. Ask for a written cost estimate before filing a large or complex request so there are no surprises.

State Resources for Wexford County Records

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

The Michigan Courts Case Search is free and covers all district and circuit courts in Wexford County. The Michigan Sex Offender Registry is free at mipsor.state.mi.us and searchable by name, address, or county. The Michigan OTIS system at mdocweb.state.mi.us/OTIS2/otis2.aspx covers people currently in state prison or on parole. For crash reports handled by the MSP, use the Michigan Traffic Crash Purchasing System. For FOIA guidance or to challenge a denial, the Michigan Attorney General is at michigan.gov/ag/foia. The MSP FOIA page is at michigan.gov/msp/services/foia for any state-level records tied to MSP posts serving Wexford County.

Nearby Counties

Wexford County borders several north-central Michigan counties, each with its own sheriff's office and FOIA process.