Berrien County Court Records

Berrien County court records are documents and other materials that local courts maintain concerning cases they handle and the court’s administrative processes. These materials and documents are typically filed by litigants or generated by a courthouse during litigation.

There are two (2) primary functions court records serve: memorization of cases and transparency of the judicial system. Court records are used to document the entire lifespan of a case from its inception to final disposition. Court records also allow for the transparency of the local court system by providing a detailed account of the decisions taken by a presiding court in a case. Court records also provide an avenue for the public and regulatory bodies to review decisions in a court case to ensure they were taken fairly and without prejudice.

Common information found in Berrien County court records includes and is not limited to petitions, motions, dockets, briefs, and case details (i.e. litigants' names, case ID, date filed, and case status).

Are Court Records Public in Berrien County?

Yes. Michigan Court Rules (MCR) 8.119 and Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) require public access to most court records. As a result, anybody can access, inspect, and copy most court records generated in Berrien County. However, these laws have some exceptions. Certain court records are only accessible to specific eligible persons and entities or by court order, they include and are not limited to the following:

• Expunged or sealed court records
• Juvenile records
• Adoption records
• Record related to mental illness and sexual assault victims
• Private information (i.e. social security number and financial details)

Berrien County Court Records Search

Listed below are relevant places/resources through which interested persons can conduct Berrien County court record searches:

• The courthouse where the case was heard
• The Berrien County Clerk’s Office
• Third-party aggregate websites that offer court record search services.

Berrien County Court Records Search by Name

A name-based Berrien County court records search can be performed utilizing the name of an individual or a business involved in the case. To conduct a name-based search, record seekers can complete the Berrien County Trial Court request form and submit it in person or by mail to the clerk’s office of the courthouse where the case was heard. Note that the request form can be used to request a name-based search for Berrien County’s circuit, probate, and district court records. Additionally, there is a $10 per individual record check fee and certified copies of court documents cost $12 per page.

Berrien County Courts

Berrien County's trial court system comprises a circuit, district, and probate court. All three courts are merged into the Berrien County Trial Court, which has two courthouses in the county. The physical addresses and contact information of these courthouses are listed below:

Berrien County Courthouse
811 Port Street
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: (269) 982-0392
Fax: (269) 982-8643

Berrien County South County Building
1205 N. Front Street
Niles, MI 49120
Phone: (269) 684-5274 ext. 6288
Fax: (269) 687-1261

Berrien County Superior Court Case Search

As previously stated, Berrien County’s trial court system includes three types of courts: circuit, district, and probate court. As a result, Berrien County does not have a Superior Court.

The typical cases a Superior Court adjudicates in other states, like California, are handled by the Circuit Court in Berrian County, Michigan. Berrien County Circuit Court is the trial court with the broadest jurisdictional power in the county. The Circuit Court handles all civil cases with claims that exceed $25,000, all felony criminal cases punishable by a prison sentence, and family law cases. The Circuit Court also hears case appeals from the other trial courts or administrative agencies.

Berrian County Clerk is the custodian of court records of cases filed with the Circuit Court. Hence, interested persons can query the County Clerk to conduct a Circuit Court case search. Queries are primarily made in person. Record seekers must complete the Berrien County Trial Court request form to facilitate their request. Requesters are charged a $10 per request fee and $12 per page for certified copies of court documents. To request a Circuit Court record check, requesters submit a completed request form and pay required fees to the County Clerk's Office at:

Berrien County Clerk's Office Berrien County Courthouse
811 Port Street, Room 123
St. Joseph, MI 49085

Further questions and inquiries should be directed to the Berrien County Clerk by phone at (269) 983-7111 and by email at clerk@berriencounty.org.

Berrien County District Court Records

Berrien County District Court adjudicates most traffic violation cases, all civil cases with claims below $25,000, landlord-tenant matters, most traffic tickets, and all misdemeanor criminal cases punishable by up to a one-year jail stint. The district court also hears small claims cases.

Berrien County District Court (the 5th District Court) has two courthouse locations. One is located in the Berrien County Courthouse and the other in the Berrien County South County Building. Interested persons can find the Berrien County District Court records by visiting or contacting the district courthouse where a case was filed or resolved. To facilitate a court record search request through the courthouse, the record seeker must provide the case’s party name or a case number.

Berrien County Criminal Records

Berrien County criminal records are a compilation of official documents that provide information about the history of an individual’s interaction with Berrien County criminal justice agencies, such as local law enforcement agencies and courts. Berrien County arrest records and conviction records are often included in an individual's county criminal records.

A Berrien County criminal records request can be made through the Berrien County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) Record Division. To make a criminal record request, requesters can complete the Sheriff's Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) Form, indicating “Criminal History Record” as the type of report requested. Certain fees are associated with making a criminal record request through the BCSO. These fees are generally based on the length of the report. Record seekers can contact the BCSO to inquire about their request fees.

The completed request form and required fee must be submitted to the BCSO physical address in person, to complete the request process. Note that in-person submissions are by appointment only. An appointment can be scheduled by contacting the BCSO. the BCSO contact information and physical address are provided below:

Berrien County Sheriff's Office
919 Port Street
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: (269) 983-7141, extension 7211

BCSO Niles Sub-station office
1205 North Front Street,
Niles, Michigan 49120.
Phone: (269) 983-5274

Interested persons can also contact the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center (CJIC) to conduct a statewide criminal record check. The CJIC provides the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) that can be used to perform a name-based criminal history background check. A fingerprint-based criminal history background check can also be conducted through the CJIC or an approved live scan vendor. It is worth noting that a fingerprint-based check can only be performed if a state statute, federal statute, executive order, or rule requires it. Fortunately, the CJIC provides a step-by-step guide on conducting a fingerprint-based check.

Berrien County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Depending on the type of criminal case, the Berrien County Circuit Court or District Court may be responsible for adjudicating the case. As previously stated, the Circuit Court has jurisdiction over most felony criminal cases. Meanwhile, the District Court handles most misdemeanor criminal cases.

Therefore, people interested in looking up criminal court case information in Berrien County can direct their queries to either the County Circuit Court or District Court. Record seekers can query the County Clerk’s office for criminal court cases handled by the Circuit Court. On the other hand, for criminal cases handled by the District Court, record seekers can visit the district courthouse where the case was heard to look up the case’s information.

Get Berrien County Civil Court Records

Like criminal cases, civil cases are handled by the County Circuit Court or District Court in Berrien County. The Circuit Court hears civil cases with claims that exceed $25,000. Meanwhile, the district court hears civil cases with claims under $25,000.

Interested persons can get court records of civil cases heard by the Berrien County Circuit Court by querying the County Clerk’s office. For civil cases handled by the District Court, record seekers can visit the courthouse where the case was handled to get the case’s public court records.

Berrien County Family Court Records

Berrien County Family Court, also known as the Family Divison, is a subset of the County Circuit Court that hears family law cases such as:

• Juvenile delinquency
• Abuse and neglect of children
• Estates of deceased persons
• Probating wills
• Commitments of persons alleged to be mentally ill
• Protection of legally incapacitated persons
• Adoptions
• Personal protection orders
• Divorce
• Custody
• Paternity

The Family Division is located in Berrien County Courthouse (3rd and 4th floor). Like most types of court records, family court records are public and can be inspected by anyone. However, there are certain exceptions, including juvenile, adoption, and domestic abuse records, that may be confidential.

Individuals interested in obtaining public family court records can query the county clerk’s office for the desired record. Queries can be made in person at the Clerk’s Office physical address using the Berrien County Trial Court request form to facilitate the request. Like other court records the County Clerk maintains, certain fees are associated with requesting family court records. This includes a $10 per request fee and a $12 fee for certified copies of family court documents.

Berrien County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Berrien County dissolution of marriage records, also known as divorce records, are considered part of family court records. As a result, interested persons can obtain dissolution of marriage records by querying the Berrien County Clerk’s Office, as previously explained.

Berrien County Marriage and Divorce Records

In Berrien County, marriage and divorce records are maintained by the County Clerk and both records are public. Hence, anyone can query the County Clerk’s Office to access marriage and divorce records. Record seekers can visit the County Clerk’s Office to inspect marriage and divorce records in person. Alternatively, copies of these records may be requested for a fee.

Requests for copies of Berrien County marriage records can be made online, by phone, by mail, or in person. Online and phone requests are made through the third-party service provider highlighted on the County Clerk’s vital records page. Meanwhile, by-mail and in-person requests are directed to the Berrien County Clerk’s Office.

Requesters can utilize the Marriage License Copy Request form for by-mail and in-person requests. Note that a certified copy of a Berrien County marriage certificate costs $13 per request and $4 for an additional copy. Acceptable forms of payment include a check or money order payable to Berrien County Clerk. To make by-mail and in-person requests, The Marriage License Copy Request form must be appropriately completed and submitted along with the required fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Berrien County Clerk’s Office-Administration Center at:

Berrien County Clerk’s Office, Administration Center
701 Main Street,
St. Joseph, MI 49085

On the other hand, a request for copies of divorce records can be made in person at the Berrien County Clerk's office. Note that requesters are charged a $10 record check fee per individual and a certified copy of a divorce record costs $12. Berrien County marriage and divorce records from 1897 to the present are also available through Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Vital Records Department.

Berrien County Birth and Death Records

Berrien County vital records, such as birth, death, and marriage records, are maintained by the County Clerk’s Office. Unlike marriage and death records, birth records are not public. Birth records are sealed for 100 years and can only be accessed by select eligible individuals throughout that timeframe without a court order. These eligible persons include:

• The subject of the record
• The parent(s) named in the record
• The record subject’s heir
• The subject’s legal guardian
• The legal representative of any eligible persons.

As a result, when requesting Berrien County birth records, requesters must provide proper identification, such as a current driver's license, passport, or state I.D., to confirm their eligibility to access the record. Interested persons can request Berrien County birth and death records through the County Clerk’s Office in person, online, by phone, or by mail.

Fees

Berrien County Clerk charges $13 for a certified copy of a Berrien County birth certificate or death certificate and a $4 fee for additional copies. However, senior citizens (65 years and above) requesting their own birth certificate are charged a reduced fee of $5 for a certified copy of their certificate. Acceptable forms of payment include cash, debit cards, or credit cards (for in-person requests), and checks or money orders payable to Berrien County Clerk (for by mail request).

Online and by phone

Online and by-phone requests are made through the third-party service provider highlighted on the County Clerk’s vital records page. Note that the third-party service provider charges a $12.95 processing fee in addition to the Berrien County Clerk’s fees.

In-person or by mail

Requesters who choose to make their request by mail or in person can utilize the vital record forms Berrien County Clerk provides. Requesters can use the Birth Certificate Request form to request a birth certificate and the Death Certificate Request form to request a death certificate. The appropriate form must be completed and submitted along with all other required items in person or by mail to the Berrien County Clerk’s Office-Administration Center (address provided in the previous section).

It is worth noting that Berrien County birth and death records from 1897 to the present are also available through Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Vital Records Department.

Berrien County Probate Court Records

Berrien County Probate Court handles wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, wills, emancipation, estates, and other probate cases. Interested persons can get probate court records by contacting or making an in-person query at the probate court at:

Berrien County Probate Court
811 Port Street
4th Floor
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: (269) 983-7111, ext. 8365
Fax: (269) 982-8644

Berrien County Property Records

Berrien County Register of Deeds is the custodian of most records concerning real property in Berrien County. These records include and are not limited to, deeds, liens, fixture filings, mortgages, and UCC filings.

Individuals interested in conducting a Berrien County property records search can visit the County Register of Deed office to request an in-person search. The Register of Deeds’ staff can assist individuals in conducting property record searches. Requesters are typically charged 50 cents per name/year searched and a $5 minimum fee if they do not participate in the search process. Meanwhile, a UCC search costs $6 per name searched and a state or federal tax lien certificate search costs $3, per name searched. Copies of property records can also be requested for a fee. The register’s fees page provides a detailed breakdown of applicable search and copy fees. The Register of Deeds Office is located and can be contacted at:

Berrien County Register of Deeds
701 Main Street
3rd Floor
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: (269) 983-7111, ext. 8562
Fax: (269) 982-8659

Remote searches are also available through the Berrien County Register of Deeds land records search portals. On these portals, property record searches can be done using specific criteria, such as the property owner's name, instrument number, tax ID, and property description.

Berrien County Court Records Online

One of the easiest and most convenient ways of accessing Berrien County court records is online through third-party aggregate websites, like michigancourtrecords.us. These third-party websites host searchable databases of public court records their owners have retrieved from different official channels. Through michigancourtrecords.us and other similar websites, interested persons conduct a name-base or case number-base search for state-wide court records.

Convenience and overall reach of searches are some of the main advantages of conducting court record searches online through third-party websites. Researchers can conduct court record searches in the convenience of their homes on third-party websites provided they have a stable internet connection and an internet-connected device. Furthermore, county-wide, state-wide, and country-wide searches for court records may be conducted through third-party aggregate websites.

However, most third-party websites usually charge users a fee or subscription to access most of their services. Additionally, the accuracy and completeness of court records obtained through third-party websites are not guaranteed.