St. Joseph County Court Records

A court record is an official document that comprises detailed information about a case brought to the court. St. Joseph County court records are filed with the court clerk handling the case. These records and other Michigan court records are made publicly accessible to allow transparency and ensure the fairness of judicial proceedings. This helps in ensuring that court cases receive fair judgment.

A St. Joseph County court record will typically disclose the following information:

• Personal information of the parties involved
• Case information
• Charges
• Dockets
• Evidence
• Motions
• Judgments
• Case disposition

Are Court Records Public in St. Joseph County?

Yes. St. Joseph County court records constitute Michigan public records under Rule 8.119 of Michigan Court Rules. Rule 8.119 highlights the several court records that members of the public can access. The rule also enumerates certain court records that are excluded from public access. These excluded records include juvenile records, adoption records, mental health records, financial account information, and other records sealed by the court.

St. Joseph County Court Records Search

Individuals can look up a St. Joseph County court record in the following ways:

• Probing the Clerk of Court’s Office where the court record was filed
• Searching the 45th Circuit Court or 3B District Court case portals
• Searching third-party online platforms

St. Joseph County Courts

There are three courts operational in St. Joseph County: the 45th Circuit Court, the 3B District Court, and the Probate Court. The 45th Circuit Court and the 3B Circuit Court handle criminal and civil cases, while the Probate Court handles probate matters.

Below are the addresses of St. Joseph County courthouses:

45th Circuit Court
Courts' Building - Second Floor
125 W. Main St.
Centreville MI, 49032

3B District Court
Courts' Building - Main Floor
125 W. Main St.
Centreville MI, 49032

Probate Court
St. Joseph County Courts
920 W Michigan Ave
Three Rivers MI, 49093

St. Joseph County Criminal Records

St. Joseph County has eight local law enforcement agencies, including the Sheriff’s Office, that are charged with maintaining order in the county. These agencies must make arrests when necessary and create an arrest record for each arrest made. These arrest records are public records that anyone can inspect. An individual who wishes to look up a St. Joseph arrest record may do so at the agency responsible for the arrest. If the arrest record is for a person incarcerated in the county jail, the researcher may check with the Sheriff’s Office to access the arrest record.

Arrest records typically are the initial constituent of a person’s criminal record. The Michigan State Police Department is responsible for maintaining criminal history records of individuals throughout the state. Gaining access to a St. Joseph criminal history record will require making a request to the state police.

A criminal history record background check may be needed for several reasons including employment, licensing, visa applications, immigration, adoption, or personal keeping. The request procedure for acquiring a criminal history record varies based on the specific purpose.

• Fingerprint background check for employment/licensing purposes: To initiate a background check, the applicant needs to obtain an RI-030 Live Scan Fingerprint Background Check form from the relevant employment or licensing agency. The applicant is to complete Sections II and IV. Once filled out, the form should be taken to an approved Live Scan vendor. An applicant has the option to choose between a private or government vendor, with potential additional fees depending on the selected vendor. The request takes a maximum of seven days to process. The result of the check is forwarded to the employment or licensing agency.
• Fingerprint background check for visa, immigration, adoption, and personal records check: An applicant resident in Michigan can request a background check by contacting a local law enforcement agency to have their fingerprint printed on a Michigan Applicant Fingerprint Card (RI-008). Non-residents may ask a local law enforcement agency where they are to print their fingerprints on an FBI Applicant Fingerprint Card (FBI-258). The fingerprint card can only be submitted to the State Police by mail. Applicants will have to include their address, phone number, and/or email address, as well as a cover letter in their request stating the reason for fingerprint submission. Any resulting criminal history record will be mailed only to the applicant and no one else. The background check application and $30 (with $1 per extra copy needed) money order or check payment made payable to the State of Michigan should be mailed to:
  Michigan State Police
  CJIC
  P.O. Box 30266
  Lansing, Michigan 48909-7766
  The request takes between three to five weeks to process.

Individuals can also use the State Police’s iChat service to perform a name-based search for publicly available criminal history record information. Suppressed records, warrant information, and federal, tribal, traffic, juvenile, local misdemeanor, and criminal history from other states are inaccessible through a name-based search. Researchers may find the iChat tutorials helpful if the user interface seems confusing. Each search on the platform costs $10.

Get St. Joseph County Civil Court Records

A civil case is a litigation between two or more individuals in court. The 45th Circuit court tries major civil cases with at least $25,000 damage claims. The 3B District Court tries civil cases with less than $25,000 in monetary claims. These cases range from property disputes to personal injury issues.

A civil court record can be examined at the Clerk of Court’s Office where the case was filed. Per Rule 8.119 of the Michigan Court Rules, a Court Clerk is not to charge a fee for the inspection of a court record in their custody. The Clerk is only allowed to charge an inquirer a fee if a copy of the court record is requested.

St. Joseph County civil court records can be accessed online using the 45th Circuit Court or the 3B District Court case portal. A search can be conducted on either portal using a last name, first name, birth year, case number, case status, and attorney.

St. Joseph County Marriage Records

The County Clerk's Office officially maintains marriage records in St. Joseph County. The recording of marriages began in 1832, and the Clerk's Office only registers marriages for which the license was issued within St. Joseph County. Researchers may look for marriage records on the Vital Records Search portal or the Marriage Record Index for marriages that occurred between 1889 to 1925.

To obtain a St. Joseph marriage certificate, an individual may download and fill out the Marriage Certificate (After Marriage) Request Form. The completed form may be submitted in person or mailed to the clerk’s office. For in-person submissions, it is necessary to schedule an appointment by calling the office at (269) 467-5602.

County Clerk's Office
Historic Courthouse - Second Floor
125 W. Main St.
Centreville MI, 49032

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 189
Centreville MI, 49032

The fee for acquiring a St. Joseph County vital record (marriage, birth, and death) is $20 for the first copy and $10 for each additional copy requested simultaneously. Personal checks are not an acceptable form of payment. A St. Joseph County vital record can also be requested online.

St. Joseph County Divorce Records

A divorce is the legal process of ending a marriage. The St. Joseph County 45th Circuit Court handles divorce cases in the county. The 45th Circuit Court Clerk files and maintains divorce records. Inquirers can visit the Clerk of Court at the courthouse with basic information about divorce to view the divorce record.

A St. Joseph divorce certificate can be obtained from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Interested persons may schedule an appointment to make a request in person. In-person requests can only be made on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Alternatively, an inquirer may drop off a completed Divorce Record Application with a copy of their photo ID and payment at the MDHHS drop box. The drop box is available Monday through Friday in the main lobby, 333 South Grand Avenue, Lansing, Michigan 48933.

The MDHHS also receives mail-in applications for divorce certificates. The divorce record application, ID, and payment should be mailed to:

Vital Records Requests
P.O. Box 30721
Lansing, Michigan 48909

The applicant may replace the “Vital Records Requests” on the mail address with “Vital Records RUSH” to hasten the request. Divorce certificate requests from the MDHHS cost $34 for an initial copy and $16 for additional copies. A $12 extra charge is added for RUSH mail. Regular mail requests take four to six weeks to process, while RUSH mail takes two to three weeks.

Online and phone orders for divorce certificates can be made through the third-party vendor, which is in partnership with the MDHHS.

St. Joseph County Birth and Death Records

The St. Joseph County Clerk is the custodian of birth and death records. When a birth or death occurs in the county, Public Health Code Section 333.2821 and Section 333.2841 require the events to be documented with the County Clerk. The state of Michigan takes the registration of these events seriously, and fines are up to $5000 for non-compliance. This is due to how essential these records are to several sectors in the state. St. Joseph County birth certificates under 100 years old are available only to the person named on the record, a parent, or a legal representative.

The County Clerk may request a St. Joseph County birth or death certificate in person or by mail. To do so, a requester must fill out the appropriate Birth Certificate Info and Order Form or Death Certificate Request Form. The completed application can be submitted in person at the County Clerk’s Office after scheduling an appointment or by mailing the application to the clerk. A copy of the requester’s valid ID and payment should be included with a mail-in request. The fee for obtaining a birth or death certificate is the same as a marriage certificate.

St. Joseph County Probate Court Records

The St. Joseph County probate court has sole jurisdiction over probate cases, which involve administering a decedent’s estate. The Probate Court also handles other cases, including adoptions, mental health, guardianships, protective orders, and trust litigation.

Individuals interested in accessing a probate court record can do so at the probate courthouse. Looking up the information contained in the probate court record is free. However, obtaining a copy of a personal record will cost the researcher a fee.

St. Joseph County Property Records

Property records are created to document information on properties in St. Joseph County. These records are kept in the custody of the Register of Deed’s Office, a division of the County Clerk’s Office. A property record contains information about the owner, the property description, tax information, mortgages, and other property details.

St. Joseph property records can be obtained in person at the County Clerk’s Office. Property-related documents and information can also be looked up online using the Register of Deeds or the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) partner third-party vendors.

St. Joseph County Court Records Online

Websites like Michigancourtrecords.us are third-party platforms that allow individuals to peruse St. Joseph County court records remotely. A court record can typically be located using a case number or the party's name involved in the desired case. Depending on the selected vendor, an access fee may be required to view the content of the court record.

Although third-party resources offer access to a wide range of court records, they are not privy to confidential court records. If a researcher is seeking a confidential court record, they may need to contact the Court Clerk where the case was filed.