Michigan Arrest Warrant Information

According to Michigan law (MCL 764. 1d), an arrest warrant is issued by the court to arrest and bring a defendant before the court to provide answers to the alleged complaint and be dealt in accordance to the law. An arrest warrant is required to arrest an individual for a misdemeanor charge that is committed in the absence of an officer, or misdemeanor charges committed by an individual that include any domestic assault or driving under the influence of a controlled substance or liquor( MCL 764. 15 [1][h-j], MCL 764.15.a).

A police officer may also issue an appearance ticket (UC-01a) to an individual instead of a warrant for a misdemeanor violation that doesn’t attract a penalty of more then 93 days in prison or a fine under MCL 257.728 [1], MCL 764.9c.

An arrest warrant is not required for a felony case that is committed in the presence of a police officer or if the police officer has reasonable cause to believe that a felony has been committed by the individual or he has evidence to support his belief under MCL 764.15[1][a].

Under MCL 764.1c, an arrest warrant is not needed for a felony or misdemeanor case in which an individual is already arrested without a warrant and then presented before a judicial magistrate who endorses the reason for arrest. For more information on arrest warrants in Michigan state, visit: http://courts.michigan.gov/scao/resources/publications/manuals/magis/mag_sec3.pdf.

Contents of a Michigan Arrest Warrant   

Michigan laws MCR 6.102 (C) and MCR 6.102 (D) provide guidelines regarding the contents of the arrest warrants for felony as well as misdemeanor cases in the state. The arrest warrant includes details such as the name of the accused, or in the absence of a known name one which can identify the accused, or physical descriptions such as race, color, height, weight, sex and so on. The complaint needs to describe the offense for which the accused is charged, and the warrant should be signed by the court magistrate or a peace officer. Apart from these details, the warrant should also specify details about the interim bail which the accused can post, if any is permissible.

For more information please check the website: http://courts.michigan.gov/scao/services/tcs/records.htm
Or
http://courts.michigan.gov/scao/resources/publications/manuals/magis/mag_sec3.pdf

Approved Forms Used for Issuing Arrest Warrants in the State of Michigan

Approved forms used in issuing arrest warrants in Michigan include:
  
MC 220-to set felony charges, complaints and warrant
MC 200-used to recall an order to apprehend or to recall a warrant
DC 226-deals with misdemeanor warrants that involve both traffic and non-traffic offenses
DC 225-deals with misdemeanor warrants and complaints

For more information on arrest warrant forms in Michigan use the following website:
http://courts.michigan.gov/scao/resources/publications/manuals/magis/mag_sec3.pdf

Accessing Michigan Arrest Warrant Records

In Michigan, all felony and misdemeanor cases that attract a penalty of more than 93 days in prison are required by the state laws to be recorded and reported to the state’s central repository by all 83 county courts in Michigan, prosecutors, and law enforcement agencies of the state. These records are stored in the criminal history records of Michigan that are maintained by the Criminal Justice Information Center (CJIS) and the Michigan State Police.

The Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) allows conducting a search of the public record files including arrest warrants in Michigan. Anyone can conduct a search on the arrest warrant records in Michigan through the Internet Criminal History Access Tool.

The access criteria includes details such as first name, last name, any aliases, date of birth of the subject and other physical details to conduct a search. The access also requires a fee of $10 per search. First-time users need to create an account and register themselves before they can conduct a search through the website.  

All information on arrest warrants and records that have been suppressed are not available through the ICHAT. Apart from these records, criminal history records from other states and the federal records are also not available and cannot be search through the ICHAT facility.
For further information on conducting a search of arrest warrants in Michigan through the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) please visit the website address at:
http://apps.michigan.gov/ichat/home.aspx.