Michigan Public Records

To begin, add a public record or view a list of counties, locations and resources for Michigan public records.

The Michigan Freedom of Information Act of 1979 (MCL 15.231 et seq., MSA 4.1801(1) et seq.) set the requirements for what constitutes a public record in Michigan as well as speaking to their disclosure by public bodies within the state. Generally speaking, it pertains to any government record except specifically named exceptions. More specifically, the term ?public record"means ?a writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by a public body in the performance of an official function, from the time it is created."

The law states that any individual or agency may ask to look at, photocopy or ask for a copy of any Michigan public record and there are no requirements based on residency or age to make such a request. The only requirement is that each request must be made in writing to the Freedom of Information Act Coordinator. Requests must be granted or a 10-day extension filed for within five business days from the date of the request for public records in Michigan.

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The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to perform a Michigan public records search. This means that you'll be able to look into various documents and other kinds of data that are created, maintained and utilized in order to perform some official function. You may need to do this kind of inquiry for many reasons from simple to complex, such as employment or adopting a child from another country.

Michigan County Public Records