Barry County Court Records

According to MCR 1.109(A), Barry County court records are any documented information created or filed with the District or Circuit Court in compliance with the Michigan Court Rules. These records include documents (orders, pleadings, and judgments), discovery materials, attachments to documents, audio and video recordings, and data. They provide critical evidence that a particular action occurred and can be used as evidence in a court of law. Court records help to ensure that judicial proceedings are conducted fairly and impartially.

Individuals can find court records online or in person at the courthouse. Online records available via the MiCOURT Case Search portal contain the following information:

• Case details (case ID, entitlement and status, court location, judge of record, PIN, and filing date)
• Parties (party type/number, party name, and age, attorney’s name, answer and service date, disposition, and disposition date)
• Events (event date, description, party/count, clerk, and amount)
• Charges (count, current and original charges, offense, officer/agency or petitioner, charge level, arraignment, disposition, and sentence dates)
• Sentencing information (probation term, incarceration type, plea hearing date)
• Community service/jail/prison (location, minimum term, fines suspended, optional term, credit time served, minimum term, incarceration weekend service)

Are Court Records Public in Barry County?

Yes. The Michigan Freedom of Information Act and MCR 8.119(H) strongly favor public access to court records. These laws mandate that Barry County courts release records in their custody to residents who request to view or copy them. The public cannot obtain records deemed confidential. Such records are only open to the case parties and their attorneys. The following court records are not available for public perusal in Barry County:

• Name change
• Adoption records
• Firearms records
• Mediation records
• Juvenile court records
• Mental health records
• Secret marriage records
• Search warrant affidavits
• Parental kidnapping records
• Friends of the court records
• Formal alternative dispute records
• Confidential settlement information
• Waiver of parental consent for abortion
• Domestic violence assault records
• Secretary of State (SOS) Driving Records
• Probation investigations and case histories
• Records pertaining to controlled substance crimes
• Documents related to prosecutor-sought immunity
• Record of hearing on issuance of a protective order
• Guardianship records of legally incapacitated persons
• Records pertaining to child victim and witness testimony
• Wills filed for safekeeping during the life of the testator
• Case evaluations and the parties’ acceptances or rejections
• Tabulation of items seized through search under warrant
• Medical records pertaining to infectious disease testing
• Screening, assessment, and treatment for substance abuse records
• The hearings and records of proceedings of a newborn’s safe delivery
• Record of hearing on excision of portions of material under discovery
• All information retrieved from searches and queries conducted using the Judicial Data Warehouse (JDW)

Barry County Court Records Search

Here are several ways to find court records in Barry County:

• Online through the MiCOURT Case Search portal
• In-person at the court where the case was heard
• Through third-party vendors

Barry County Courts

Barry County has District, Circuit, and Probate Courts. These courts handle all criminal and civil cases in Barry County, and they are located at the following addresses:

Barry County District and Probate Courts
206 W. Court St.
Ste. 202
Hastings, MI 49058
Phone: (269) 945-1404
Fax: (269) 948-3314

Barry County Circuit Court
Floor 2
220 W. State St.
Hastings, MI 49058
Phone: (269) 945-1286
Fax: (269) 945-1299

Barry County Criminal Records

Interested persons can request Barry County criminal records from the Sheriff’s Office Records Division. The division accepts requests by mail and in person. Mail applications take 5 business days to process, while in-person requests take about 5 to 20 minutes to process. The Sheriff’s Office also issues Barry County arrest records through the Inmate Lookup tool. A search can be conducted by name, ID number, or case number.

Get Barry County Civil Court Records

Barry County has two trial courts with jurisdiction over civil cases. The Circuit Court handles civil cases involving more than $25,000 in damages. Conversely, the District Court’s Civil Division hears civil suits involving $25,000 or less. Record seekers can find records of these cases online and in person at the court where the case was heard. Online requests can be made using a name or case number on the MiCOURT Case Search. Visitors to the courthouse are welcome Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. The District Court charges $2.00 per page for copies of civil court records, and certified copies cost $10 per certification plus $2.00 per page. In contrast, the Circuit Court charges $1 per page for copies and $10 per certification, plus $2.00 per page for certified copies of civil court records.

Barry County Marriage Records

Barry County public records include marriage records. Therefore, anyone can request copies of them from the Clerk’s Office. Individuals can order Barry County marriage certificates through the Official Records Online portal. Users must select the “CERTIFIED MARRIAGE LICENSE” item, fill in the required information, and pay a fee of $20 for the first copy and $7 for each additional copy. Fees for online orders should be paid by credit card. Alternatively, requesters can obtain copies of Barry County marriage records by mailing a completed Application for a Certified Copy of Marriage Record form and the appropriate fees to the County Clerk.

Barry County Divorce Records

The Circuit Court’s Family Division handles all divorce cases in Barry County. Records of these cases are available online through the Circuit Court Case Lookup tool. The search criteria are by name or case number. To streamline the search, users should select “Civil (includes Domestic and Family Matters)” in the “Case Category” section. Individuals can also find divorce records in person at the courthouse from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Copies for divorce records cost $1 per page, and certified copies cost $1 per page and $10 per certification.

Barry County Birth and Death Records

The County Clerk is responsible for maintaining birth and death records. Record seekers can obtain copies of these Barry County vital records online via the Official Records Online portal or by mail. The clerk charges a fee for this service—the first copy of the death and birth records of individuals aged 64 and under costs $20. However, Barry County certificates of senior citizens (over 65 years) cost $14. Additional copies of records cost $7 each. Mail applicants must complete an Application for a Certified Copy of Birth or Death Record and pay the necessary check or money order fees. The processing time for mail applications is between 2 and 3 business days, and records are delivered through USPS First Class Mail.

Barry County Probate Court Records

The Barry County Probate Court has jurisdiction over guardianships, estates and trusts, conservatorships, and mental commitment proceedings. Individuals who want to obtain records of these cases can do so online using the Probate Court Case Lookup. A search can be conducted by name or case number. Users can filter their searches by selecting “Probate” in the “Case Category” section. Probate court records unavailable online can be obtained in person at the courthouse. Requests can be made from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Barry County Property Records

Barry County has several officials handling records of residents’ properties, such as deeds, property taxes, and liens. These property records are available online and in person at the custodian’s office. For example, the Register of Deeds allows individuals to obtain copies of deeds at their office with the assistance of their staff for a $5 search fee per property and $1 per page/image of the document. Certified copies of property records cost an additional $5. Requesters who want to conduct property records searches themselves can use the Register of Deeds Public Workstations for free. A search can be performed using the grantor or grantee’s name. However, any record printed from the workstation costs $1 per page. The office accepts requests from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Barry County Register of Deeds also partners with two third-party vendors to issue property records online to customers. One vendor requires a per-search fee, while the other accepts monthly subscriptions.

The Barry County Treasurer also provides access to property tax information online and in person at their office. To locate records online, go to the Treasurer’s official website and click the Delinquent Tax Information link on the left navigation plane. Then, search by address, name, or parcel number.

Barry County also has a GIS Map Property Search tool where individuals can find property records by parcel ID, owner name, or street address.

Barry County Court Records Online

Individuals seeking court records may also opt to use third-party sites like michigancourtrecords.us. These sites are user-friendly, making it easy for users to conduct court records searches by name or number. Free searches are available for users who want limited court information, but those who wish to download a full court report or access complete case information must pay a small fee. Users should be careful how they use information retrieved from third-party sites as they might contain inaccurate details. Therefore, such information should be verified with those available on official websites and at the Barry County courthouses.