How to Check for a Warrant in Washtenaw County
Your first move is spotting the court that likely issued the order. Washtenaw County spreads criminal and traffic cases across six district courts plus the Washtenaw County Trial Court, so read the notice for its court label and case number. No notice in hand? Work backward from where the case began. The 14A courts sit in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Chelsea, and Saline, 14B covers Ypsilanti Township, and the 15th District Court handles Ann Arbor. Start with the public case history before anything else. A register of actions shows what was filed and when, including any warrant event the court publishes, and then a call to the clerk fills in what the docket leaves out. A blank docket line is not proof that no warrant exists, so the clerk remains the real answer on an active warrant or bench warrant status.
- Open the case search for the court on your paperwork, or use MiCOURT for 14A cases.
- Search by name and case or ticket number, then try spelling variants.
- Use Michigan ePAY only for what it covers, since a warrant status is not payable online.
- File the county's Online Warrant Review request where the court supports that path.
- Call the issuing clerk if nothing shows, or file a records request.
Six District Court Destinations That Hold Washtenaw County Warrants
Court assignment in Washtenaw County follows the case, not your mailing address, so the court named on the citation is the one that controls the warrant.
| Court | Where It Sits | Main Phone |
|---|---|---|
| 14A-1 District Court | 4133 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor | 734-973-4545 |
| 14A-2 District Court | 415 W Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti | 734-484-6690 |
| 14A-3 District Court | 122 S Main St, Chelsea | 734-475-8606 |
| 14A-4 District Court | 1000 N Maple, Saline | 734-429-2504 |
| 14B District Court | 7200 S Huron River Dr, Ypsilanti | 734-483-5300 |
| 15th District Court | 301 E Huron St, Ann Arbor | 734-794-6750 |
Felony matters bound over for trial move up to the Washtenaw County Trial Court. The 14A online resources hub gathers case search, warrant review, payment, and record links in one place.
If a link fails, call the court named on the notice.
Types of Warrants in Washtenaw County
Michigan courts use several distinct processes that people lump together as warrants. What separates them is who signed the order and who can clear it in Washtenaw County.
| Warrant Type | How It Arises | Who Issues It |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest warrant | A complaint or affidavit shows probable cause | Judge or magistrate |
| Bench warrant | A missed date, unpaid ticket, or ignored payment order | The judge in the case that was set |
| Failure-to-appear warrant | A missed arraignment, hearing, or jury date | The court that set the date |
| Search warrant | Probable cause to search a place | Judge or magistrate |
| Friend of the Court bench warrant | Family support or contempt enforcement | Family Division judge |
A search warrant is a different animal in Washtenaw County. It authorizes a search and seizure, not a wanted-person record, and its affidavit can stay sealed.
Washtenaw Online Warrant Review Sends Your Request to a Judge
Washtenaw County's Online Warrant Review route is neither a search engine nor an amnesty program. It sends your request to a judicial officer who reviews it and returns next steps.
- Open the county route and confirm that the court on your case accepts this review path.
- Describe the case and court, using the number from your paperwork.
- Submit it, keep the confirmation, and wait for the court's response.
- Call the clerk if no response arrives, and ask whether the order is still active.
The payment portal plays a narrower role. Michigan ePAY looks up a ticket or case by name and number, by name and date of birth, by driver license, or by plate. A warrant status cannot be paid online, though.
Find the case in ePAY first, then use the Washtenaw County review form or a clerk call for the warrant itself.
What a Washtenaw County Warrant Record Shows
Pull a public case history in Washtenaw County and you should see the case number, the court, the charges, and docket events. Any warrant or recall entry the court publishes shows up there too.
| Case Number | Copy it as the court prints it. Washtenaw courts share no single prefix, and the 14A search sits under the MiCOURT code D14A. |
|---|---|
| Ticket or Citation Number | A separate number from the case number, and often the fastest way into the payment portal. |
| Charge or Grounds | The offense or obligation that produced the order. |
| Issuing Court | The court that signed the order and holds recall power. |
| Bond or Release Term | Set at or after arraignment, not by the warrant, and some orders carry no amount. |
| Status | Active, served, recalled, or canceled. Each word means something different. |
A historical warrant event can sit on a Washtenaw County register long after the court recalls the order. Read the newest entry.
Reading Washtenaw Warrant Status Terms
Short labels carry the meaning of a Washtenaw County case entry, and misreading one sends people to the wrong office.
- Bench warrant
- A court order issued from the bench, usually after a missed appearance or unpaid ticket.
- Failure to appear (FTA)
- A missed court date. The 15th District Court warns that an FTA can bring an arrest warrant and a $60 fee.
- Recall
- A court action that withdraws the order, which does not dismiss the underlying case.
- LEIN and NCIC
- The law-enforcement networks that carry warrant entries, and restricted systems rather than public search tools.
- Bond
- A release condition set by a judge, not the fine behind the case and not a finding of guilt.
When a Washtenaw County clerk uses a word you do not recognize, ask what action comes next.
Who Issues and Serves Washtenaw County Warrants
Judges and magistrates issue; peace officers serve. A magistrate reviews probable cause and can set bail. The sheriff, city police, and township agencies then carry out the order. Ann Arbor Police policy describes how the 15th District Court enters misdemeanor bench warrants and cancels the ones the court clears, and how felony cancellation moves through the Washtenaw County Service Center and Metro Dispatch. Court status stays with the court throughout.
The Sheriff Service Center holds agency case files and the Washtenaw County jail; court status stays with the issuing court.
Why ICHAT Shows No Washtenaw County Warrant Record
Many people assume Michigan keeps one statewide warrant lookup anyone can search. It does not. The Michigan State Police publishes ICHAT as a criminal-history service, and its own scope page states that warrant information is not available there. ICHAT also leaves out federal, tribal, traffic, juvenile, and local misdemeanor records, which is most of what a Washtenaw County district court handles. So the real Washtenaw County warrant check is a chain, not a single site. Use the case search for the court holding the case, MiCOURT for the 14A route, the 15th District Court search for Ann Arbor, and a call to the clerk.
Note: a state criminal-history search will not reveal whether a Washtenaw County court has an open order.
What to Do If You Have a Washtenaw County Warrant
Handle it on your own schedule, not during a traffic stop. Call the Washtenaw court that issued the order and ask what it requires. The answer may be a scheduled turn-in, a cash bond, or an arraignment date. The 15th District Court offers Ann Arbor defendants those paths by phone. Other Washtenaw County courts set their own rules, so ask yours directly. Bring photo identification and your paperwork.
Important: talk to an attorney before you turn yourself in, because an open order can lead to arrest during any traffic stop or police contact.
Expect a fee: the Washtenaw County jail describes a 10 percent bond posting where the court retains that share.
Two Ypsilanti Courts, Two Washtenaw Warrant Paths
Ypsilanti is Washtenaw County's clearest court trap. The city and the township share a name but not a court. City matters go to the 14A-2 District Court at 415 W Michigan Ave, while the 14B District Court at 7200 S Huron River Dr handles all Ypsilanti Township cases, from misdemeanors and traffic infractions to small claims and landlord-tenant disputes. A form filed with the wrong court does not transfer itself. A 14B submission from a city resident may never reach the right file, so a warrant check should start by matching the address to the court.
Warrant flow: ticket or case filed › 14A-2 or 14B issues the order › sheriff or local police serve it › the issuing court recalls it.
Public Access to Washtenaw County Warrant Records
Michigan keeps court files public by default but limits them by rule. Registers of actions stay open unless a statute, rule, or order restricts them, which is why a Washtenaw County docket entry can appear without a birth date.
Key Rules:
Michigan Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231 covers county and police records, subject to exemptions and fees.
MCR 8.119 makes court registers public unless a rule, statute, or order closes them.
Under MCL 15.232(d)(v), the judiciary is not a public body for FOIA, so Washtenaw court files go through court services.
Juvenile records stay restricted under MCL 712A.28, and a search-warrant affidavit can be withheld under MCL 780.654(3).
Note: a file missing from the online search may sit with another court, not under seal.
Washtenaw Warrant Records Across Seven Court Facilities
Washtenaw County splits its warrant records across seven court facilities, so knowing the right building matters as much as filing the right form.
The Court Security Unit staffs those facilities with roughly 40 officers and bailiffs. Washtenaw County counts its population in a 2020 table, so call ahead and confirm hours before you travel.
Washtenaw County Most Wanted Is a Curated List
The Washtenaw County sheriff keeps an official Most Wanted program page as a public-safety notice. It is curated, not complete. No county source promises that every active warrant shows up there. Someone can hold an outstanding warrant yet never make the list, and a name can linger after the issuing court has acted. If you recognize a listed person, the county asks you to call 911 or the confidential tip line at 734-973-7711. Treat the page as a starting point, not a warrant check.
Note: the most wanted page cannot certify that a person has no warrant anywhere in the county.
Warrant Records by City in Washtenaw County
City police in Washtenaw County make the arrests, then pass each case to the district court that covers their area.
Ann Arbor Warrant Records
123,851 (2020) · 15th District Court; Ann Arbor Police keeps agency files.
Ypsilanti Warrant Records
20,648 (2020) · City cases run through 14A-2; township cases belong to 14B.
Saline Warrant Records
8,948 (2020) · 14A-4 District Court; Saline Police keeps agency records.
Milan Warrant Records
6,079 (2020) · Population includes Monroe County territory; the ticket names the court.
Chelsea Warrant Records
5,467 (2020) · 14A-3 District Court; Chelsea Police is a separate records office.